Strauss ready to gamble

Stephen Brenkley, writing in the Independent, feels England captain Andrew Strauss is prepared to take the plunge and go in with five bowlers, including two spinners, for the must-win game against West Indies in Trinidad.

All the evidence of the series so far is that England need as many bowlers as they can muster to take the 20 opposition wickets to level a series they were expected to win comfortably.
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As he spoke, it was as if he was computing in his brain the cards bearing the names of the players. If five bowlers is the preferred option, he must leave out a batsman from the previous match – a straight choice between the two friends, Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara.

Former England coach Duncan Fletcher, in his blog in the Guardian, writes England must pick just four bowlers for Trinidad, and Steve Harmison should not be among them.

I notice he wanted Andrew Strauss to tell him where he stands, but that reaction is just the same old Harmison. He shouldn't be asking other people where he stands. He should be looking in the mirror and asking himself whether he's done enough to help this team. The stats suggest he hasn't. England have to think long and hard about his future – and it should not include today's game.

Michael Atherton, writing in the Times says England are in dire need of a quality strike bowler, and Amjad Khan, who could be picked should Strauss go in with five bowlers, may just provide the shock value.

The quantity of bowlers in the starting line-up is a red herring. England could have played any number of the seam bowlers at their disposal in Barbados and it would not have made any difference. The real issue was one of quality and in those conditions England did not possess enough of it to dismiss good batsmen. Until they find a strike bowler, they will continue to be a mid-ranking team.

Andrew Strauss must throw caution to the wind and make some brave selection calls for the final Test in Trinidad, writes Mike Selvey in the Guardian.