Onions merits a recall against West Indies
BRITISH summertime may have hampered West Indies’ preparations but England would be foolish to go into tomorrow’s first Test underestimating their opponents.
The Windies have some good pace in their attack and gave Australia a proper contest last month. Perhaps they lack enough all-round strength to worry a switched-on England, but if Andrew Strauss and his team begin with the same lack of focus that they exhibited against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, they could get a nasty surprise. It is critical that England are ready to play; if so, they should win and win nicely.
Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow is in line for a Test debut in the middle order, preferred to Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel and James Taylor.
Morgan needs to get his head down again, Patel can perhaps consider himself a little unlucky that conditions dictate his spin is not required, while Taylor is a great prospect but is probably destined to be an opening batsman, maybe one day replacing Strauss.
Bairstow, meanwhile, shone when given a chance in one-day internationals and has impressed those I’ve spoke to on the county circuit. The selectors have chosen to use this series to blood some new talent and I think that’s a very sensible idea.
England’s biggest headache is over who should be third seamer, alongside James Anderson and Stuart Broad, with Steven Finn, Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan each boasting strong claims.
I suspect Bresnan will get the nod, but personally I’m a huge fan of Onions and would love to see him back in the team.
Back problems halted a promising international career and it has taken him time to rediscover top form, but he is doing it week in, week out for Durham now and deserves another shot.
Andy Lloyd is a former England Test cricketer, and captain and later chairman of Warwickshire.