Cricket: Doubts over England pace attack

By RICHARD BOOCK

The England selectors named their test and academy squads yesterday, although at first glance it was hard to tell one from the other.

Without star players Alec Stewart, Mike Atherton and Darren Gough, the test party for India and New Zealand took on a distinctly developmental flavour, and already has a glaring question mark hovering over the pace attack.

England are the main bill on New Zealand's home programme this summer, playing three tests and five one-day internationals in February and March.

Atherton signalled his retirement after the fifth Ashes test at the Oval, and Stewart and Gough were not considered after making themselves unavailable for the Indian section of the tour, leaving England without their best three players.

To make matters worse, injury ruled out dangerous pace bowlers Alan Mullally and Alex Tudor, and the selectors seem to have washed their hands of Dominic Cork - another seasoned campaigner with the ball.

The result is a far from convincing seam attack, led by Somerset paceman Andy Caddick and including the unproven Matthew Hoggard and James Ormond, with back-up from all-rounder Craig White.

New Zealand coach Denis Aberhart agreed yesterday that Stewart, Atherton and Gough were notable losses, but suggested England would still provide a stern challenge, and that the replacements would prove their worth.

"Whoever is picked, England will always be a tough contest for us and we'll have to be on top of our game to do well. The big thing for us is to look after ourselves and to manage our players so that we're at full-strength when we play them. With our top line-up, we'll compete with anyone in the world."

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden was also unconcerned about the England defections.

"I would've liked to have seen Gough here, he is an entertainer, but the other two - Stewart and Atherton - I think England had reached the stage where it was time to move on," he said.

"England will always be a major attraction in New Zealand so I've no fears about spectator numbers."

Between them, Atherton and Stewart had scored 30 test centuries and Gough had proved the side's leading strike-bowler with 228 test dismissals

However, given the usual injury toll and the fact that the England selectors are almost certain to trade one of their spinners for a paceman at the end of the Indian leg, it would not be a total surprise if Gough turned up in New Zealand anyway.

While popular spinner Phil Tufnell has been omitted, the squad is well-stocked in the slow bowling department, where new-cap Richard Dawson battles left-armer Ashley Giles (subject to a fitness test) and Robert Croft for a position in the line-up.

The strongest part of the England test squad is their top-order batting, where left-handers Mark Butcher, Mark Trescothick, Graham Thorpe and Usman Afzaal join skipper Nasser Hussain, Yorkshire's Michael Vaughan and Mark Ramprakash in the search for five positions.

Lancashire's Warren Hegg will vie with Essex rookie James Foster for the wicketkeeping berth.

The England selectors also named a one-day squad for the upcoming series in Zimbabwe, but will re-select the side before it departs for India and will possibly make more changes before it leaves for New Zealand.

Squad for India and New Zealand: Nasser Hussain (capt), Usman Afzaal, Mark Butcher, Andrew Caddick, Robert Croft, Richard Dawson, James Foster, Ashley Giles, Warren Hegg, Matthew Hoggard, James Ormond, Mark Ramprakash, Graham Thorpe, Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Craig White.

Academy squad for Zimbabwe: Hussain (capt), Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Foster, Paul Grayson, Hoggard, Ben Hollioake, James Kirtley, Nick Knight, Ormond, Ramprakash, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Jeremy Snape, Trescothick, White.