The Angry Pirate wrote:
Can't drop Prior after 1 iffy match with the bat...He was outstanding against the Aussies.
Agree that Cook is beginning to look on thin ice, and as for Bell??...Well, the ice gave way and he sank a long, long time ago...the fellow shouldn't even be in the touring party....He's this generation's Greame Hick...
Wright, Plunkett or Sidebottom for Bell would be the most likely change. I'm not convinced Wright is a much better bowler than Collingwood, Plunkett is a very capable lower order batsman, Sidebottom in for Bell with Broad & Swann moving up a place would obviously leave us with a long tail.
They can't drop Cook as well as Bell as they only took six specialist batsmen in the Test squad. Unless I'm very much mistaken the five players in the squad not included in the First Test are Wright, Plunkett, Sidebottom, Rashid and Steven Davies. I think Tredwell and Mark Davies are also out there at the moment following a series of minor injuries to various bowlers.