England dilemma no.3: is the batting too raw?

Before the last Ashes, England dumped their only veteran, Graham Thorpe, in favour of youth, fresh legs and unscarred psyches. But they still had Michael Vaughan, Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Flintoff, who were, or should have been, mid-way through their Test careers. Right now, they have none of those three. Their replacements have done well, but the senior batsman is Andrew Strauss, after only two and half years in international cricket, and the struggles of Ian Bell in 2005 were a painful illustration of what can happen when a young batsman is thrown in at the deep end. Bell is a better, stronger, bigger player now, but Alastair Cook could be this year’s Bell.

England are in danger of gambling on Trescothick’s health because they are desperate to have his experience. They would do better to take a senior player as the spare batsman: either Mark Butcher or Mark Ramprakash. Butcher will fit in easily, as a member of the successful team of 2004, and can be the third opener that every squad needs. Ramprakash, always effective against Australia and now in the form of his life, may bring more runs.