The euphoria and headlines of a magnificent Twenty20 World Cup triumph will live long in the memory, but with Bangladesh, the return of Australia and the Pakistani’s addressing English soil this summer the time might have just come to plan and rest ahead before Novembers eagerly awaited Ashes rematch.
England’s first Test squad for this summer’s proceedings will be displayed in front of the nations respected media on Sunday morning, but will it be a squad full of wholesale change particularly with opening tourists Bangladesh still not considered as one of crickets most challenging of examinations.
Twenty20 winning skipper Paul Collingwood and frontline seamer Stuart Broad, are among those tipped to be rested, and rightly so, because with no disrespect to the opposition England are now starting to build a collective team talent, whereby they need to nurture the players whom have asserted vast amounts of effort over the past couple of years, saving them for ‘big’ game scenarios.
Broad (left) and Collingwood (right) could be rested for England's Bangladesh tussle.
It appears difficult to foresee how and why players should receive prolonged breaks. Well, just look at England captain Andrew Strauss, for example, who missed the tour of Bangladesh. These players in question do live a charmed life, but now is the time where a month or two spent refreshing tired minds can really reap the rewards.
I can just imagine the situation now, when an England player finds themselves engrossed in a deadly hot Adelaide Oval, where a dropped or caught catch off Ricky Ponting on naught could be the difference between retaining or losing that little, coveted urn.
Key players are crucial and are talismanic for the team, but a glut of emerging talent is just banging at the door waiting to grab their opportunity. Middlesex quick, Stephen Finn could feature at his county home, Lords, but so could some of England’s Twenty20 starlets like Eoin Morgan whom seems itching to accredit his batting credentials in the longer form of the game.
Resting is sometimes a hidden charm as to the real reason for team change upheaval. Despite, an outstanding Ashes debut hundred, Jonathon Trott has since looked far from assured with the bat but one suspects he will have a fair few more chances to prove his worth this summer following a poor series in his native South Africa.
Forgotten man, Essex batter Ravi Bopara looks primed and ready to grab a Test chance should it be there for the taking, but it looks like the flamboyant hitter still has a point to prove amongst the English selectors yet.
With Collingwood approaching the twilight of his career, a missed Lords season opener is always a tough pill to swallow, but England have to look at the bigger picture. This team has announced themselves on the world stage and the coming eight months could shape the face of English cricket for a generation. It is that important.
England Squad for Two-Test Bangladesh outing: (Possible)
Strauss (c), Cook, Trott (or Carberry), Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood (or Bopara), Prior (wkt), Bresnan, Swann, Anderson, Sidebottom, Finn.
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