Sellsy's Monday Supplement

Ashley Giles England’s new Head Coach is like saying Jade Dernbach is a world class T20 cricket player. For crying out loud, what kind of performance was that against Holland? The less said about it the better, but I am sure plenty of critics have got their pencils sharpened right now!

England have yet to appoint a successor to Andy Flower, and with the lack of strong candidates coming forward it looks as if “The King of Spain” is nailed on for the position. From what I can pick-up in the social media the likes of Gary Kirsten, Ottis Gibson and Stephen Fleming have made themselves unavailable – do you blame them, the choice between IPL riches or the highest profile job in international cricket? Think I know what I would choose.

Why not go back to Peter Moores. Since he parted his way with England over the Kevin Pietersen affair he has done a remarkable job at Lancashire (albeit one relegation) or even Nottinghamshire’s Mick Newell, but not Giles.

I know he has enjoyed success with Warwickshire; hence he got the position of ODI and T20 coach for England. But what has he done for England since? Not a great deal, I don’t know the statistics, but I would like to wager England have lost more than they have won in the shorter version of the game.

So England bow out woefully off World T20 at the Super 10 stage, did we really think they would win, I suppose the Sri Lanka game and the brilliance of Alex Hales gave us supporters some hope, but surely reality is England have gone backwards somewhat under Giles.

Ok, they were unlucky against New Zealand, they ran South Africa close and there have been a host of injuries, but this tournament and the Dutch result sums up England’s miserable winter, a winter where we all had high hopes.

The rebuilding of England’s Test side should be happening now, but without a Head Coach how can this be possible? Sri Lanka are over here from May for a T20, a host of ODI’s and then a couple of Test matches in June, but who will be in charge and who will line-up for England in the first Test?

Well here is my punt at the England starting XI for the first Test in June: Alastair Cook, Sam Robson, Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Scott Borthwick and Steven Finn.

As you can see, some survivors from the Ashes, some new faces and a welcome return to Trott, he is England’s best batsman, so he should be picked despite walking out on the Ashes tour in the winter because he was burnt out – but how will the dressing room react to his selection, if picked off course!

Middlesex’s Sam Robson just looks class, he scored a shed load of runs for his County last summer, and when I have seen him at Taunton he just looks so at ease and comfortable, a natural opener. SO to select him poses a question in what to do with Joe Root, down the order I think, he does adapt well.

Ben Stokes had a cracking winter so deserves his place. Whereas Matt Prior didn’t and doesn’t, hence the selection off Jos Buttler. But it is the bowling that worries me and taking 20 wickets. Jimmy Anderson will love the English conditions and will take a hatful. Borthwick to me is a very rare commodity, an English legspinner, and we need someone to replace Graeme Swann. And as for Steve Finn, somehow I think playing county cricket for six weeks at the start of the County Championship season may do him more good than harm. But somehow there seems to be a lack of quality English bowlers.

Ok, enough of that, time for a cider me thinks, well it is 5.27ish! Next week a Somerset preview.