BBC Sport Online: Sports Talk

The right men for the job?

Do you think they chose the right men for the job?

England look set to field an all-pace attack in the first Test, having allowed off-spinner Robert Croft to play for Glamorgan on Wednesday. Will they live to regret their decision to go into the match without a spinner?

Injuries to Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard freed up a place for a non-centrally contracted player to step into the limelight for the Lord's Test against Pakistan.

Yorkshire fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom, at only 23 years old recieved his first international call-up.

Other surprises include Surrey opener Ian Ward, expected to make his international debut at Lords as a middle-order batsman.

England are relying heavily on the established quartet of seam bowlers Andy Caddick; Dominic Cork; Craig White and Darren Gough.

The omission of experienced players such as Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash suggests that the England selectors have opted for a more youthful approach, perhaps allowing new talent to move through the ranks.

Do you think the selectors have made the right decision?

Will the absence of experienced players benefit or hinder the performance of the England team?

Do you think the new boys can handle the pressure of such an intimidating debut Test?

Send us your views

I think the English team which is selected for the test series is similar to the team that played Pakistan in the last Test series with the exception of one or two players. England's problem is not the players, it's their attitude towards the game.
Farooq Khalid, Pakistan

It seems to be a very useful looking team that should compete well with both Pakistan and the Aussies. My only disagrement is with the choice of spinner. I think Phil Tufnell is the most dangerous and most accomplished English spinner. He certainly didn't let anyone down on spinner unfriendly pitches in South Africa and the West Indies. Spinners are reputed to improve with age so he should now be in peak condition
Mike Roberts, Germany

England's selectors are not known for taking risks, and neither Ward or Sidebottom are going to set the world on fire. Tudor should get another chance quickly, and a natural middle order player like Solanki, Brown or (when fit) Flintoff should be picked, not another opener!
Tim Oscroft, UK

Surely Ryan Sidebottom can only be there as a left arm net bowler for the batsman to prepare facing Wasim. I've seen him bowl a few times - he's very erratic and can't seem to pitch the ball in the same place twice. If Hutchison does well in the match against Essex, Sidebottom will be struggling to regain his Yorkshire place, let alone be a worry to the Aussies. It's all very well having a golden arm and taking wickets with bad balls at county level, but he'll soon be found out by Test batsmen.
Dave, England

This England side has good synergy going and that is their greatest asset. Do they have the right side? Come Thursday, we will find out for sure but at this point, one can safely assess that 11 of these 13 players have made major contributions over the last 13 months or so. At the top of the order, Michael Atherton is looking as solid and as balanced as he ever has, Trescothick provides good initiative, Hussain, Thorpe, Vaughan, Stewy, Ward in the middle order are a good combination of technique and aggression. In White, Gough, Cork and Caddick, they have bowlers who can and have taken 20 wickets in a Test match in English conditions. Their greatest asset is their captain, Nasser Hussain, who's led the side with composure and character. They haven't been phased by bad decisions, they've dug deep within themselves in difficult situations and come out on top. With that experience behind them, they can only get better. Count this England side out at your peril!
Zareen Khan, Lahore, Pakistan

It's essential that younger players are being selected considering the fact that 8 of the 11 who won the Colombo test were over 30. The thing that concerns me most is the balance of our batting line up. We batted very slowly all winter and If Ward plays then 5 of our top 7 will be openers and Graham Thorpe, while being a superb batsman, is never going to take an attack apart. We need to look for an attacking middle order batsman to offset the cautious approach of other and give him an extended run in the side not drop his as soon as he plays and inappropriate shot.
Theo Minter, England

The sad truth is this: Perhaps one of England's players (Gough) would make the Aussie team. None of the batsmen would get a sniff, Gilchrist makes Stewart look mediocre, and for the last 20 years England have had to rely on a string of spinners who inexplicably don't actually spin the ball. McGill, a top class spinner, can't even make the Aussie side. I don't think so England...
Nigel Benson, Equador

The only problem I can see with playing Ward in the side is that he scores at a relatively slow rate. If England suddenly find themselves needing to accelerate the run rate to apply some pressure, then the only pressure exerted will be on the man at the other end from Ward.
Jimi P, UK

I have to disagree with Spenser: Stewart is one of the fittest players in the squad, and is still performing well with bat and gloves. Whoever eventually succeeds him is going to have a hard job comparing to Stewart's qualities.
Will, UK

This is the first time in a long time that England have introduced new players to the squad with a sense of planning, rather than panic. Let's hope that Ward and Sidebottom are able to express themselves early on in their careers, rather than getting suffocated by pressure and expectation. Good luck England
Graeme Edgar, UK

I have been a supporter of the England cricket team since 1957. The dropping of Hicks and Ramprakash was overdue. They have had enough chances to prove their worth but they have failed. The selection is balanced with all selected having a successfull tour of the subcontinent. My 12th man is Ward and Hussain should bat at six.
Stephen Anthony, Malaysia

It's high time the selectors inducted young blood on this ageing team. The valuable experience will not only help youngsters like Ward and Sidebottom for the Ashes, but also the next World Cup.
Khalid Khan, Australia

I hope Crofty's still in the Test side and that England can reproduce the brilliant form of January and February. I think the Test side is a well balanced one, which will be all the better for having two new players. Good luck England.
Richard Hearne, Wales

Ward has had a very good 'A' tour of the Caribbean, but as for picking youth in the team he's isn't exactly the youngest player available.There are several batsmen in the county game with huge potential: Shah, Solanki and Afzaal to name a few of them. I hope they put Ward in at 3 and Hussain drops to 5, as may not be the most appropriate person to have batting with the tail. As for Sidebottom, I'm not convinced how good he is at test level. In my opinion Tudor should had been selected for the squad, he has proved that he is a quality opening bowler, not to mention that he's useful with the bat too.
John Ngo, UK

It's incredible. England have actually seen sense and have left Graeme Hick out of the squad. They have invested in superlative young players such as Sidebottom and Ward. England should be confident of success this summer.
Yilmaz Mamedy, United Kingdom

I am convinced that the selectors have made a major blunder with the selection of Ian Ward. He is a good county player but his range of strokes is limited and his game is too on-side focused. Who has ever heard of a Test side featuring four opening batsmen? Kent's Key and Middlesex's Strauss are better opening batsmen. Solanki and Sales are England's future middle order.
Robert Lewis, England

I've been a big fan of Ally Brown for several years now, he is an exceptionally gifted cricketeer, with a good eye and the capacity to take bowlers apart. He has shown commendable consistency over recent seasons and proven himself to be much more than a token one-day pinch-hitter.

In Ian Ward, England may have unearthed a future star, his prospects are very bright at international level - he has always been a man for the big occasion and I wouldn't be surprised if he emulates Graham Thorpe by scoring a century in his test debut.
Bill Evans, America

I disagree with both Duncan and Matt; neither Brown, Hick nor Ramprakash are competent enough batsmen to play against the likes of Pakistan and Australia. In my opinion, Alec Stewart couldn't be a better choice. A natural leader, Stewart has proven his worth time and time again, often against the toughest of opponents, and it is only right therefore that he should take his place among the English elite.
Jim Allen, England

About time that England admitted it has youngsters or late developers that are better or the equal of so-called established players. Alex Stewart - long in the tooth, time to be pulled - is just but one.
Spenser, Western Australia

Alistair Brown has averaged over fifty for the last two seasons with Surrey. He's more technically secure now than when he was originally involved with the England one-day team in 1994, and he has shown over recent years that he is capable of compiling major innings (295 no last year - the highest post-war innings by a Surrey player). He has started this season well with a century in the championship, and I was surprised that his name was not at least considered for the recent England squad as, particularly as his style of play is so well suited to middle-order batting. Although I think the selectors have made the correct decision in calling up Ian Ward, Brown would definitely get my vote ahead of the likes of Hick and Ramprakash.
Matt Gold, England

This is an excellent squad that combines the succesful elements of the winter tours (except Giles) and some young faces in the form of Ward and Sidebottom. I also feel it is time to give Vaughan more responsibility and bat him at three with Hussain at four or five. I also hope the entire country gets behind our cricket team for what should be an amazing summer of action.
Andrew McGlashan, Isle of Man