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[FattusCattus]

So - ignoring KP-gate fora while. Apparently the England squad for the first test against the Kiwis is being announced tomorrow. I don;t know how many players they have to announce - but I guess 13. who do we think will be in the squad?

Here's my pick:

Cook*
Lyth
Ballance
Bell
Root
Stokes
Ali
Buttler
Rashid
Broad
Anderson
Plunkett
Woakes / Brooks (dependant on fitness)

[Manormanic]

No way will Cook drop his boy Jordan or pick Rashid.  Suspect that if you were substitute a blank space for Rashid and Jordan for Woakes (who is injured) then you'd probably be pretty close.  Though there are rumours that Cook was on the phone begging Trott to reconsider his retirement yesterday...

[Sam]

Surely Wood is ahead of Brooks...?

[joeljonno]

Cook
Lyth
Ballance
Bell
Root
Stokes
Buttler
Ali
Jordan
Broad
Anderson
Plunkett

I'd say they'll only pick 12. Add another spinner maybe to that if they want. I'd hope it was Rashid, but I doubt it.

[19reading87]

Woakes won't be playing any cricket till about July, end of June earliest

[iand123]

I think they'd pick Tredwell as an extra spinner over Rashid.

Thoughts on Hales, he's been the in form player in the championship and wonder if he'll be in with a shout of leap-frogging Lyth? Think Lyth deserves a shout first though

[Buzz]

it is may, there is no need for more spinners than Ali.

My team (Yes I have dropped the self serving somethings that are Cook, Bell, Broad and Anderson)
Lyth
Hales
Ballance
KP
Root
Ali
Buttler
Stokes
Plunkett
Wood
Brooks

Team that has already been picked

Cook
Lyth
Ballance
Bell
Root
Ali
Stokes
Buttler
Jordan
Broad
Anderson

[jamielsn15]

Cook
Lyth
Ballance
Bell
Root
Ali
Buttler
Stokes
Wood
Broad
Anderson

The penny is dropping (albeit slowly) that they need to try new players.  Let's give Farbrace the benefit of the doubt that he may have some different ideas to Moores - he's had good reports from everywhere he's been, including from Sangakkara, who's been very vocal about KP's exclusion.  Just a hunch they'll go with Wood, so Jordan will be twelth man.  I think they may have picked Rashid, but they probably feel Ali provides more with the bat (not necessarily my opinion, I understand Rashid is a decent batsman).  I wouldn't be surprised if Rashid is selected, though the captain and coach have always preferred economy over strike rate...

I think there's a good argument for bringing in Hales.  He's bang in form and would provide some comfort for the KP fan club.  However, the selectors (who have escaped blame for the KP fiasco) would be slaughtered in the press and media for their lack of logic re; Lyth going to the Windies and they are desperately clinging to their jobs, not that Lyth deserves to be leapfrogged. 

Cook and Moores have themselves to blame for Lyth not having any cricket up to now, but I do agree with Michael Vaughan that there was logic in going with Trott; you know what you're getting and everything pointed to him being in form.  The gamble (as it proved to be) didn't work, so now they have to blood a debutant and hope he copes in the four possible innings he has prior to the Ashes.  In that regard I wouldn't mind seeing Lyth or Hales open.  Given the selectors conservative nature I see Lyth playing and that's not a bad thing.

[Buzz]

You make a valid point - Farbrace is a very good coach and from what I have seen on twitter, there are rumours that he was uncomfortable with Peter Moores' approach in a number of areas (I don't know what they are!)

[joeljonno]

Lyth looked ok in his first game back this week. Got a decent 50 on a tricky deck first up then a quick 20-odd when trying to get on with it.

Hales struggled in the last match but has had some great knocks in the previous games.

It would be harsh on Lyth to lose the next chance because they took him to understudy Trott. Hales has done what needs to be done though.

It should come down to the fact that Hales bats 3 for Notts. So would it be a similar unfairness akin to Trott opening when you have a deserving opener to come in.

Perhaps the 'new generation line-up could be...

Cook
Lyth
Hales
Ballance
Root
Ali
Buttler
Stokes
Jordan
Wood
Anderson

Keep a bit of experience in Cook/Andwrson to blood the new ones with a plan to replace them within the next 12-18 months?

[uknsaunders]

You make a valid point - Farbrace is a very good coach and from what I have seen on twitter, there are rumours that he was uncomfortable with Peter Moores' approach in a number of areas (I don't know what they are!)

You can't leave us dangling, what tweets, where?

[ProCricketer1982]

Lyth
Hales
Balance
KP
Root
Bell
Buttler
Stokes
Wood
Plunkett
Anderson

Won't be spinners wickets and root has shown he can and does as much or more than a part time Ali..cook gone cause he's simply not done enough Over the last year or two. KP in to add firepower and hales/Lyth in as they are potentially the openers for he next 5-8 years. Balance has done enough, root too. Bell hasn't but is just shifted down to six. Buttler up to 7 to add firepower (a learn from KP) with the rest as bowlers

This team would have the benefit of showing the ECB is open to change, would re engage with all its currently lost fans and get the maximum fans behind the team going into a hard summer and winter. No brainier really

[FattusCattus]

Farbs has a link through my old school and the mutterings amongst that lot were the 'Schoolmaster' approach and rather regimented, unimaginative drills.

This is of course totally unsubstantiated - however, it would line up with England's generally unimaginative approach, and inflexible style.

[FattusCattus]

Ok, I listed what I thought they would pick, and now here is my somewhat leftfield selection as incoming coach -

Cook
Lyth
Hales
Balance
Bell
Root*
Stokes
Buttler+
Plunkett
Wood
Anderson
12th man - Ali
13th man - Kerrigan

[RageofKlugman]

I don't see them making any radical changes from the team that played the last test. I imagine they'll pick Lyth as opener and perhaps replace Jordan with someone more threatening. Plunkett maybe? I'd like to see them trying out someone as an alternative to Stuart Broad, but don't see that happening.