England prepare to name squad

After countless one-day matches, mind-games and even a mid-pitch tussle, England and Australia are 168 hours away from resuming their long-awaited, and much-hyped, Ashes battle. This morning, David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors, will announce the squad to face Australia at Lord's, starting a week today. The talk is over - nearly.

In less than an hour's time, we will learn the fates of Kevin Pietersen and Graham Thorpe. The Thorpe camp has been understandably quiet since the Pietersen bandwagon started to gain momentum, and increasingly blond highlights. Ian Botham, that well-known Sky commentator, who - don't forget - is the chairman of Pietersen's management company, will be apoplectic with rage if "KP" isn't selected, as will many others in England.

Pietersen is the popular vote. Since his astonishing debut against the country of his birth, South Africa, Pietersen has made one-day batting look ridiculously easy, conjuring shots that certainly don't belong in any traditionalist's coaching-book. While his doubters will say that one-day cricket is no test of a player's ability, his fans are keen to point out a first-class average of over 52.

Thorpe meanwhile has been doing his utmost to prove he's fit enough for an Ashes summer. With a long history of back injuries, his recent 73 for Surrey gave him the edge over Pietersen who received criticism of his leg-side dominated technique in the NatWest Series. Thorpe, the elder statesman in English cricket, has publicly stated his intentions to retire from international cricket later this year. Despite this, the temptation to nullify a potent Australian attack - albeit one in the autumn of their years - could yet allure Graveney to include Thorpe. In recent years, Thorpe has been the calm, quiet, experienced rock in England's middle order - the very antithesis of what Kevin Pietersen stands for.

Ian Bell, calmly going about his business in Test cricket so far, will almost certainly be included, although the selectors may yet fudge the issue and leave him - and his Test average of 297 - on the sidelines to accommodate both Thorpe and Pietersen. Chris Tremlett is another with a chance of inclusion. He had a mixed one-day series, but is tall enough to extract bounce on most wickets - something Jon Lewis, his main rival for the reserve seamer spot, lacks. Lewis had a reasonable one-day series, but many fear his lack of pace - especially on flat wickets - could provide Australia's batsmen with a mountain of runs.

Possible England squad Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughan (capt), Ian Bell, Graham Thorpe, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones (wk), Ashley Giles, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Chris Tremlett.