England's new look - same as the old one

England fly to their tours of Australia these days instead of taking a leisurely six-week trip on an ocean liner. This is probably as well since, in terms of team selection for this winter's Ashes campaign, not to mention the summer series against India, they missed the boat yesterday.

There was a lack of surprise, and for several reasons an air of inevitability, about the squad of 13 for the First npower Test at Lord's, but that did not lessen the disappointment. As they had done earlier in the summer, the selectors have trusted to experience despite the opportunities to blood new players that had been presented by injuries.

It will be a tough series against India, who are buzzing with optimism after their grand triumph in the NatWest Series. But there is always a need to look to the future, particularly to the future against Australia. As it is, England are in serious danger of losing both series.

Those who tuned into Cricnet, the website of the Professional Cricketers' Association, earlier last week would have had an additional reason for not being remotely astonished. There, the chief executive of the PCA, David Graveney, who also happens to be the chairman of selectors, gave an interview which outlined precisely the composition of the side.

This seemed at the very least to render unnecessary the postponement of the announcement for 48 hours because of the injuries. It also called into question Graveney's joint role. If the chairman of selectors has anything to say perhaps he could share it with the England and Wales Cricket Board's website.

As he uncannily predicted, the selectors have overcome the loss of Marcus Trescothick by ignoring theAcademy graduates Ian Bell and, more pertinently, Robert Key. They have retained their surprise early- season pick, John Crawley, and have asked Mark Butcher to open with Michael Vaughan, another new partnership.

In addition they have again named Dominic Cork and recalled Craig White. The all-rounders would seem to be vying for one place – at No 8 in the batting order – and who gets the nod will depend on pitch conditions and team balance.

If it is all expected it is both dispiriting and built on contradictions. Nobody suggests England should pick youngsters willy-nilly, and in any case it is simply untrue that they do not pick young players. They do, and sometimes too soon.

But they were presented, for the second time this summer, with an opportunity to select a visionary team in line with the much-vaunted aim that all England players of the future will have been to the Academy. Butcher will probably do an excellent job as opener. He has spent most of his career there. But it was noticeable after his century against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford how he spoke of his pleasure in batting at No 3, of the different approach, and how he had made the position his own. Well, up to a point. England now not only have another new pair of openers, but have also to change their No 3.

Graveney said yesterday (on Channel 4, not Cricnet) that he was disappointed that no young English batsmen had pushed themselves to the front of the queue. "The wickets have been good to bat on. That doesn't exclude David Fulton and Robert Key from future teams, or Ian Bell, but if you look at the averages they are dominated by overseas players. It's disappointing that some of our home-based batsmen haven't been knocking on the door."

Up to a point. If averages are to be the only yardstick, then Mark Ramprakash, another who has been tried so often, is top of them. Crawley, still in good form, is not batting with quite the authority of early season. And if selection were to be based purely on averages, any Tom, Dick, Harry, David or Geoff could do the job. Come to think of it...

Three years ago, Graveney might recall, England selected a touring team for South Africa and included a young batsman called Michael Vaughan who had an average for the season of 27. Two years ago, on a hunch and an injury crisis, they called up one Marcus Trescothick, who was doing adequately but was not at the top of the batting averages. The rest is history, so that when Trescothick broke his thumb last week his loss was deemed rightly as a huge blow to England.

So, if the Academy is worth the candle and batting orders are worth preserving, Graveney and his panel could have opted for Key of Kent. True, he is not having a resplendent season, but he has two centuries and is averaging 40.

And if they wanted Butcher as opener, they could have opted for Bell in the middle order. Bell is suffering from second-season syndrome, as a first-class average of 23 shows, but any fool, let alone a selector, could see his big-game temperament during his match-winning half-century in the B & H Cup final.

As for youth, well, a week and a day ago at Lord's two batsmen with a combined age of 41, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, won a one-day final for India with a glorious, fearless display. That is what the young can do. Still, no doubt Crawley will score a classic century on Thursday, England will win and all will be right with the world.

The bowling presents the home side with more difficulties. They have at least retained in the squad the raw pace of Simon Jones. Graveney described it as another option and implied that he would play if Darren Gough is unfit. Given the importance of pace in Australia, he should play at all costs. He is bowling well, it is time.

Matthew Hoggard presents them with a conundrum. He is willing but hopelessly inconstant of form at present. If Gough truly is not match-fit (with Andrew Caddick and Alex Tudor already sidelined) England could be deep in trouble. Bowling India out once will be troublesome, never mind twice.

The recall of White represents loyalty. He had a lean time last winter, especially bowling, but said yesterday he is back to something like his best. The aches have vanished from his body, his speed is up again. "I feel more confident," he said, and White prospers on confidence.

England will not all be match-fit. Gough is short of bowling; Butcher, who has had an operation on a knee, and Thorpe, who has had a sore ankle, need batting. Thorpe was denied a place by Surrey in their team for the current Championship match against Kent.

Graveney has been restrained on this, but it makes a mockery of the system. Thorpe not good enough for Surrey? Ho, hum. And good business though Surrey run, how do they survive? With an award of £1.2 million a year from the ECB's coffers, built up courtesy of television rights paid for England games, that's how.

Perhaps Thorpe might have asked for a game for his old village side Wrecclesham in Surrey yesterday, if he was not putting the local mechanic's nose out of joint or upsetting the balance of the side. Any time in the middle is better than none.

England may think they have picked a side to win the match and the series. India will have something to say about that and Australia a lot more.

Test Squad

N Hussain (Essex, capt) Age 34 Caps 72
M A Butcher (Surrey) Age 29 Caps 41
D G Cork (Derbyshire) Age 30 Caps 35
J P Crawley (Hampshire) Age 30 Caps 30
A Flintoff (Lancashire) Age 24 Caps 18
D Gough (Yorkshire) Age 31 Caps 56
A F Giles (Warwickshire) Age 29 Caps 15
M J Hoggard (Yorkshire) Age 25 Caps 11
S P Jones (Glamorgan) Age 23 Caps 0
A J Stewart (Surrey, wkt) Age 39 Caps 118
G P Thorpe (Surrey) Age 32 Caps 76
M P Vaughan (Yorkshire) Age 27 Caps 19
C White (Yorkshire) Age 32 Caps 24

nPower Test series
First Test: 25-29 July (Lord's)
Second Test: 8-12 Aug (Trent Bridge)
Third Test: 22-26 Aug (Headingley)
Fourth Test: 5-9 Sept (The Oval)