Cricket: England selectors have much to chew over

It will be dinner for three tonight in London rather than the quintet of old, as David Graveney and his selectors, Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting, gather to select their England squad for next week's Texaco one-day internationals. But if dinner jackets and gin and tonics are optional, mobile phones will be compulsory as both Michael Atherton and David Lloyd, captain and coach respectively, are consulted over who makes the final team sheet.

Apart from the common purpose of stuffing the Aussies, it will not be an easy task. The dismal early season weather, as well as a string of low scores by those who played in New Zealand, has made spotting form even more difficult than normal. It would not be all that surprising if the evening were to drag on and force one selector, renowned for his appetite, to order some late night take-away.

The process is further complicated by the fact that over the last year, England have, in 14 limited-overs internationals, contrived to use 26 different players. Each has had his moments, too, which means that three pins and a blindfold are as likely to make sense of things as a protracted discussion over who is likely to swat Shane Warne the furthest.

Indeed only six players, Atherton, Alec Stewart, Graham Thorpe, Darren Gough, Robert Croft and Adam Hollioake, can safely be said to pick themselves, though many would argue that Atherton is only there because of his captain's epaulets.

But for a malingering groin strain, Dominic Cork would have to be included in the "definites", too. Sadly, however, unless fitness and form return soon, he could become one of the summer's also-rans and another England bowler who failed to live up to early expectations. All of which will leave the selectors to cogitate over eight or possibly nine places, depending on whether they settle for a 14 or 15-man squad.

Before going in to have an operation on his leg last Wednesday - an ailment not, as might be supposed from a man who has travelled 10,000 miles already this season, resulting from excessive use of the accelerator pedal - Graveney spoke of picking a side full of "flexibility and options." Well, just how many options do you need for three matches whose tactical format varies about as much as Tony Blair's grin?

Presumably this flexibility is code for including a pinch hitter. If so, then expect Atherton - who will act as anchor - to open the innings with either Nick Knight (providing his finger is up to it) or Derbyshire's Chris Adams. Strangely, last year's incumbent, Alistair Brown, who scored a hundred against India, is rarely mentioned these days, even in dispatches.

Graveney has also stated that it is time for one-day cricket to be seen as being "very important in its own right." To that end, he felt that the squad, to be announced tomorrow, would reflect not only a desire to beat Australia but also a preparatory nod towards both the 1999 World Cup and next summer's triangular tournament involving South Africa and Sri Lanka.

If that proves to be the case, it will mean doing what has come hard to almost every selector since Sir Pelham Warner: promoting youth over gnarled professionalism. Mind you, as professed admirers of the Australian tradition of blooding and then sticking with youngsters, that should not be a problem for Gatting and Gooch, and players like Surrey's Ben Hollioake, and Warwickshire's Ashley Giles, may find themselves inundated with telegrams come tomorrow morning.

All-rounders, too, are likely to feature large and, if fit, Chris Lewis, Mark Ealham, Ronnie Irani, Phil DeFreitas, Graham Rose and Warwickshire's Dougie Brown all stand a chance of joining forces with the Hollioakes.

But if batting depth is felt to be essential if the bat is thrown early on, it is equally important that bowling breadth is able to offer the captain sundry permutations to complement specialists like Gough and Croft. The pair, best friends on England's winter tour, will probably be joined in the bowling department by Dean Headley and Peter Martin, whose outswing has regularly done England proud in the past.

To top up the batting, Martin's Lancashire team-mate Graham Lloyd, as well as Mark Ramprakash, both deserve another chance of gracing the big stage. The pair have both been batting well, with Ramprakash having already notched up two first-class centuries against decent opposition.

It is a criterion yet to be filled by Graeme Hick, whose only decent score to date came a few days ago when he plundered Oxford University's zipless attack. Even so, Hick, who is still a formidable player, will probably pip Ramprakash to the post.

On his day, Hick can field as well as anyone and is one of the few players with the potential to collar Warne, who once again threatens to be the difference between the two sides.

DEREK PRINGLE'S ENGLAND SQUAD (One-day international series against Australia): *M A Atherton, A J Stewart, N V Knight, G P Thorpe, G A Hick, G D Lloyd, A J Hollioake, B C Hollioake, M A Ealham, D R Brown, D Gough, R D B Croft, A F Giles, P J Martin, D W Headley.