Should Panesar be picked for the First Ashes Test?
Posted by Sport.co.uk on: 26 June 2009 - 15:08
Author: Kate Enock
The summer has mostly gone right for England as far as their Ashes preparations are concerned. If Pietersen and Flintoff can successfully shrug off their injuries, then the starting 1st XI looks like it should pick itself. However, there is one cloud in the sky, and that is the recent form of crowd favourite Monty Panesar.
Anyone who watched the West Indies series could see that Monty was struggling with his game. He did a lot of work with Mushtaq Ahmed, England’s new spin-bowling coach, who tried to introduce more flight into his bowling. Yet his dreadful form in County Cricket would suggest that this plan has backfired. Panesar is almost un-recognisable from the bowler he was a few seasons ago, and it seems that England are in danger of trying to turn him into a type of bowler that he just is not
Panesar is one of three spin bowlers to be included in England’s 16 man squad to take on Australia this summer, and having only taken 6 wickets in 193 County Championship overs, he could be forgiven if he feared his chances. He lost his place to Graeme Swann for the Test Series against West Indies, and whilst he has been enduring a torrid time with Northampton, he has seen Adil Rashid shoot to prominence with his performances in the T20 World Cup.
Graeme Swann has emerged as England’s leading spin-bowler as well as proving to be handy with the bat, so his place in the starting team is almost guaranteed. The question for England is whether to play two spinners on a pitch well known for being favourable towards spin-bowling, in which case it would be a direct competition between Panesar and Rashid, or whether they opt for another pace bowler such as Harmison, who has hit some excellent form with Durham.
Adil Rashid undoubtedly possesses a lot of raw talent-he is a skilful bowler and a sharp fielder, yet he is largely untested in Test Cricket. It would be a gamble by the England selectors if they threw him straight in at the deep end by playing him in the biggest and most highly-pressurised series in World Cricket.
Then there is the fact that Panesar enjoyed massive success when he was eventually picked for the England team during the last Ashes series in Australia. During the 3rd Test at Perth he took 5 wickets for 92 runs off 24 overs. He played for the rest of the series with a record of 10 wickets at an average of 37.90 and collecting a total of 35 runs. These figures alone though will not get him selected, because since then his bowling has unfortunately become too predictable and his fielding still remains something of a liability.
National selector Geoff Miller has insisted that England will not necessarily field the same line up in Cardiff and Edgbaston, suggesting that England believe a twin-spin option in a five-man attack will give them their best chances of victory in Wales.
Australia are not the team they were when they whitewashed us back in 2006/2007. They have lost many of the players that formed the backbone of their team, and England can make this series a far more competitive contest if we play to our maximum ability and pick the strongest team. They looked vulnerable against the spin of Muralidaran and Mendis when Sri Lanka knocked them out of the T20, so maybe the combination of Swann and either Panesar or Rashid could cause them some serious problems on a favourable pitch.
The failure to find a suitable partner for Graeme Swann however might discourage the England management from asking the Cardiff groundsman to prepare a pitch with outright turn, focusing the attention back onto the seam bowlers, and Steve Harmison in particular. The England selectors are not known for their risk taking, so it is unlikely that Rashid will be in the starting XI due to his immaturity and inexperience, although he is definitely a player for the future. They need to show faith in either Harmison or Panesar, both of whom are capable of match-winning performances. It is going to be a tough decision.