Thursday 5 November 2009

An English XI

I was reading this article about non-English players playing cricket for England.
People kept going on about how they couldn't field a team born in england alone. Here's mine:

1) Cook*
2) Key
3) Bell
4) Bopara
5) Collingwood
6) Davies (keeper)
7) Broad
8) Swann
9) Anderson
10) Sidebottom
11) Onion

That leaves Denly and Rachid etc. as reserves. Could also argue that there are plenty of fine young batsmen out there who could come in ahead of Key or Bopara, or Bell.
Sure, having Pietersen and Trott is nice, but it's not the end of the world. Andy Caddick was born in New Zealand and moved over here to play for England. He did his time as an over-seas player, qualified and played 62 Tests for England. Why the fuss over Pietersen (who is more qualified through his mother), but not over Caddick?
Trott is different because he has no English parents, but if those are the rules why not?
I think the real problem is the lack of world-class English players, Flintoff and Pietersen aside

No comments: