England wait on Broad

Tourists mull selection options for Chittagong Test

By Graeme Mair   Last updated: 11th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

England wait on Broad

Broad: late decision

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England are defending a 100 percent record in Tests against Bangladesh when the two-match series starts in Chittagong on Friday.

The Tigers have never tasted victory against England in any form of the international game, including defeats in all four of the previous Tests between the two countries, most recently innings losses at Lord's and the Riverside in 2005.

With Andrew Strauss rested from the tour, stand-in skipper Alastair Cook oversaw a 3-0 success for the visitors in the one-day internationals and is poised to become his country's 79th Test captain.

England team director Andy Flower has decisions to make over both the personnel and balance of his side.

Permutations

Kent off-spinner James Tredwell's eight wickets in the drawn warm-up match against Bangladesh A at the same venue are likely to have earned him a Test debut as the second slow bowler alongside Graeme Swann.

England's seam attack has been depleted by tour-ending injuries to Ryan Sidebottom (thigh) and Graham Onions (back), while James Anderson did not make the trip.

The most experienced remaining fast bowler in the squad, Stuart Broad, is also a questionable starter in Chittagong with a back problem.

Broad has taken a full part in practice on Wednesday and Thursday and, barring any overnight reaction, will lead the attack.

Assessing Broad's chances of playing, Cook said: "It was all very positive from yesterday (Wednesday).

"He bowled really well in the nets, 10 or 12 overs in two spells, which is a very encouraging sign.

"Today is the second part of that process of a fitness test so we will see how he is in the morning, as well as how he bowls, and obviously if he comes through that it's excellent news for us."

If, as is likely, England opt for six batsmen, then there is room for only one more seamer, almost certainly Yorkshire's Tim Bresnan, who will be earning his third cap.

Ajmal Shahzad, Liam Plunkett and Steven Finn are the other available pacemen but will only come into contention if England play just five specialist batsmen.

Hampshire opener Michael Carberry remains the obvious candidate to join Cook at the top of the order.

Carberry, untried at international level, was included for the trip as a like-for-like replacement for Strauss.

The alternative options to open with Cook are Warwickshire pair Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott.

Raqibul exit

Bangladesh's preparations have been disrupted by batsman Raqibul Hasan's decision to retire from international cricket on the eve of the series.

Raqibul, recalled after missing the one-dayers, handed in a letter of resignation after practice on Wednesday and flew out of Chittagong - a decision believed to be related to his omission from the Tigers' 30-man preliminary squad for the World Twenty20.

The 22-year-old's shock exit means Bangladesh's middle-order is set to feature Aftab Ahmed at number four and Mahmudullah at five.

Seamers Shafiul Islam and Shahadat Hossain are contesting the final place in the bowling attack, alongside Rubel Hossain and spinners Shakib Al Hasan, Naeem Islam and Abdur Razzak.

The presence of two left-arm spinners - Shakib and Razzak - is unlikely to please England batsman Kevin Pietersen, whose poor form in Bangladesh - 69 runs in seven innings - has become a major talking point.

Pietersen's susceptibility to left-arm spin is also a worry - Paul Harris, Sulieman Benn, Yuvraj Singh and Daniel Vettori all having enjoyed success against him during the last two years.

Bangladesh (from): S Al Hasan (capt), M Rahim (wkt), T Iqbal, I Kayes, J Siddique, A Ahmed, Mahmudullah, N Islam, R Hossain, S Islam, A Razzak, E Haque Jr, S Hossain, J Islam

England (from): A Cook (capt), M Carberry, J Trott, K Pietersen, P Collingwood, I Bell, M Prior (wkt), S Broad, T Bresnan, G Swann, J Tredwell, S Finn, A Shahzad, S Davies (wkt), L Plunkett, L Wright