Worcestershire batsman Stephen Moore admits he has been left "scratching his head" following decisions made by the England selectors.
Royals opener less than impressed by England selection policy
Worcestershire opening batsman Stephen Moore admits he has been left "scratching his head" following some of the decisions made by the England selectors.
England hopeful Moore, 28, has been in New Zealand with the touring Lions party following an impressive domestic season.
The elegant right-hander averaged 55.80 for his county throughout 2008 and is one of many hopefuls aiming to break into the England top six.
After comprehensive back-to-back Test series defeats to South Africa and India in 2008/09, England headed to the Caribbean to take on the West Indies looking to avenge their recent woes.
However, yet another series defeat has seen England slump to sixth in the Test rankings, prompting calls from Moore to look past the current crop of players.
Frustrating
"I think quite a few of us now are scratching our heads at some of the selections that are being made," Moore told April's edition of
The Wisden Cricketer.
"There are definitely guys around, saying, 'well, we're not winning many competitions, we're middle of the table in world cricket and we're not seeing new faces and others being given an opportunity. That is frustrating.
"One of the most important things selectors can do is make people believe that the opportunity for the next step, to play for your country - which everyone playing county cricket should be trying to strive for - is available.
"It's only going to be available to you if you perform at a superior level to other people in county cricket and put pressure on England players.
"But, if I sat here and said we were all happy with the situation, I'd be lying. Of course we're not. That hasn't changed. We're not winning Test series. Guys aren't averaging 50-plus."
Opportunity
Moore racked up six centuries during an eye-catching season with the Royals in 2008, however he failed to make the most of his recent opportunity with England Lions.
The 28-year-old scored 43, 11, 22 and 41 during the two drawn Tests in New Zealand - performances which are unlikely to grab the attentions of the England selectors.
And Moore, while stressing that his main hope is for English success, asked: "Where does England see itself? What sort of cricket side does it want to be? It's about giving guys the opportunity to perform at Test level and, if they're not performing, then giving others the chance.
"I'm not looking at Straussy and Cooky and hoping they have a bad trot because I want England to win.
"All I'm hoping is to perform at a level high enough so that the selectors will look at me and say, 'We need him for England to take us on to the next level.'"
For more see April's edition of The Wisden Cricketer, or visit
www.thewisdencricketer.com
