England selectors have some tough calls to make

Question time: Peter Moores must decide whether to recall Andrew Flintoff

13 April 2012

Coach Peter Moores and England's other selectors will be under the spotlight this week after having an even poorer one-day series than the team ultimately trounced 3-1 by New Zealand.

Their shock decision to pick Tim Ambrose as batsman-keeper, rather than Matt Prior or Phil Mustard, backfired horribly with the Warwickshire player scoring only 10 runs in five innings - and dropping two comfortable catches - during the NatWest Series.

All-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas played just once and, amazingly, could not even get a game at Lord's on Saturday when he seemed to be the obvious replacement for suspended captain Paul Collingwood.

The idea of giving youngster Ravi Bopara the vital No 4 role was, at best, a limited success - and hard to understand as Middlesex's more experienced Owais Shah kept coming in after him. And, having announced that Luke Wright would be given a run at opening, England sent him down the order at the weekend to leave a less than intimidating top order pairing of Ian Bell and Alastair Cook.

At least Moores and fellow selectors Geoff Miller, James Whitaker and Ashley Giles can forget about one-day woes for a month or so. But they must still make a huge call this week now that Andrew Flintoff is back in the frame and hoping to play in the First Test against South Africa at Lord's.

In fact, Flintoff is not the only 2005 Ashes hero who will expect to have his name discussed before the squad is announced on Thursday.

Simon Jones, who has not played a Test since Australia were beaten at Trent Bridge nearly three years ago, is finally fit and firing again after an injury nightmare - and at least deserving of a mention this week.

By taking five for 30 for Worcestershire against Leicestershire yesterday, fast bowler Jones increased his championship haul to 24 wicket in six innings. Even more impressive, his victims have come at an average cost of just 10.54 runs.

It is Flintoff, though, who will be at the centre of the selectors' attention.

"Andrew is back on the park and bowling," said Moores after Flintoff had sent down 15 wicketless overs yesterday - his first proper work-out with the ball since suffering a side strain six weeks ago.

"But we are also sensible about it because you have to be bowling fit and match fit, rather than simply getting the injury right.

"We'll meet up and talk about the Test team but we need to be sure we are not going to put Andrew Flintoff in jeopardy if we don't think he is bowling fit."

England could name Flintoff in their squad, release him to play in next Tuesday's Twenty20 quarter-final against Middlesex and then make a decision on Thursday morning just before the Test series with South Africa gets under way. His very presence during the buildup would be a boost - and a warning to the tourists that he cannot wait to get stuck into them.

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Ashley Giles

England selectors have some tough calls to make

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