Sky Cricket expert talks Samit, sing-offs, Curran and more...
Wednesday 6 September 2017 10:26, UK
Bob Willis delivers his verdict ahead of the series-deciding third Test between England and Windies at Lord's, plus talks Jason Roy, Samit Patel, international cricket in Pakistan and THAT Kieron Pollard no-ball…
Will England name an unchanged XI for the third Test?
I wouldn't have thought September at Lord's was the place for a leg-spinner to make his Test debut, so I would expect England to leave out Mason Crane and go in with the same side against Windies.
It's likely, therefore, that Mason travels to Australia for The Ashes without a Test under his belt but as one of the rare England players to figure in the Sheffield Shield he should be familiar with conditions, so I don't see it as a huge risk to put him on the plane uncapped at Test level.
Crane or no Crane, I make England favourites for this Test. Windies were brilliant at Headingley but they rely too much on four players, Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope in the batting and Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach in the bowling.
It will be interesting if Windies win the toss whether they would have the confidence to bat first as I don't think it's going to be baking sunshine. I do expect England to overpower them, though let's hope it is a really competitive contest befitting of a decider.
Are England right to stick with Jason Roy in their one-day squad?
The hallmark of the England selection panel with the one-day team has been consistency and giving people a fair crack of the whip, so I am pleased they have kept faith with Jason despite his lack of form in the Champions Trophy earlier this summer. They lost in the semi-final, to Pakistan, when they left him out, so I expect him to return.
That would be harsh on Jonny Bairstow but England clearly feel Roy is a special talent. Bairstow is, too, of course, but with Jos Buttler, who has IPL experience, seemingly having the one-day gloves under lock and key, Jonny could be the odd man out once more.
I am glad to see Tom Curran in both ODI and T20 squads. I am not sure how much he will play but he and his younger brother, Sam, are special players. Tom is an exceptional bowler, especially at the death, and a more than handy batsman as well. It's good to see youngsters getting picked.
In terms of any notable absentees, it seems England want Mark Wood to focus on Championship cricket with Durham and compete for an Ashes place, but I feel a little sorry for Sam Billings, who has done fairly well when he has played, a lot of the time slogging down the order.
I am pleased, though, that England have gone full strength for the ODIs and only rested Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali for the T20 international. Windies will be very competitive and it will be fascinating to see Stokes up against Marlon Samuels…
Does Samit Patel have an England future?
Peter Moores thinks so after Samit starred for Nottinghamshire at T20 Finals Day. He is certainly a better player than when he was last picked for England - but where would he bat? I also thought his bowling was pretty poor in terms of wicket-taking when he last played Test cricket against Pakistan in the UAE, as well as previous jaunts in Sri Lanka and India.
I am a big Samit fan but I fear his time has come and gone. That said, he is averaging a lick over 68 in the second division of the County Championship and if he has a very strong end to the season and the likes of Dawid Malan and Tom Westley continue to struggle, England could do worse than revert to Samit for the Ashes this winter.
Patel does not look the most athletic player and has been unfairly pigeonholed throughout his career - as my colleague, David Lloyd, points out, he never misses a game through injury.
He has a far more professional outlook on the game now and selectors should have appreciated that and picked him on merit. He has been unlucky to play as little international cricket as he has.
I certainly believe he should have earned more one-day caps - just look at the impact he has had with Notts, who have won the Blast and the One-Day cup this season and are almost certain to be promoted back into the top flight of the Championship.
International cricket is returning to Pakistan with a World XI visiting for three T20s. How big is that for the game?
It's huge. There are obviously huge security fears around the world at every sporting event these days but if the players are looked after presidentially then I think it is important to get back to Pakistan as soon as we can. These games look like a promising stepping stone.
Pakistan have not played too badly at all in their adopted home of the Emirates but the local Pakistani fans have been deprived of watching their heroes up close and I'm sure the players miss performing in front of such a passionate audience.
The hotels in Pakistan are better than they used to be and the pitches are good. Touring Pakistan is an experience every cricket player should enjoy so let's hope those opportunities become more and more prominent.
What did you make of Kieron Pollard's no-ball that denied Evin Lewis the chance to hit a century in the Caribbean Premier League?
I thought it was awful and totally out of order as far as I'm concerned. I don't know if a suspension will fall Pollard's way but I don't see how it can.
It's not illegal, it's just completely against the spirit of cricket. If someone wants to behave like that you can't really penalise them, but he should be dragged aside by his management and told off.
It's unacceptable and I don't want to see it again.
Finally, did you enjoy Bumble and Andrew Flintoff's sing-off at NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day?
Freddie is a bit of an Elvis specialist and has had a lot of practice but Bumble's recording of Sweet Caroline he did for Sky was brilliant. I thought the sing-off itself was a lot of fun and I would have graded it a draw.
Some wise guy on Twitter remarked after Freddie fell over during his duet with David that they are now Bumble and Stumble. I can assure Freddie, though, that that's no competition for Bumble and Grumble! David and I will be back in position for that at this week's Test at Lord's.
If I was involved in this sing-off I would have belted out a 12-minute Bob Dylan number to keep the punters on their toes. None of this two-minute stuff. A 12-minute dirge. Perfect.
Watch live coverage of the third Test between England and Windies on Sky Sports Cricket with over-by-over commentary and in-play video clips on our live match day blog, available across Sky Sports digital platforms, from 10am on Thursday.
