England have all the wrong arsenal for the tie

England team selections always create a lot of discussion and perhaps that is brought about by their lack of match-winners. This means the selectors have a host of players of roughly the same ability to choose from and picking teams becomes a matter of shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.

There is no doubt that England have improved since their last series against Australia, but they still don’t have even one player you can look at and say, “He can turn a game.” This makes it difficult to win when they are facing opponents who have five players in that category — the Waugh twins, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Ian Healy.

When faced with an uneven contest, it is imperative the selectors get their combinations right to give the team every chance of competing. The England selectors have done a good job this season, but since the Texaco Trophy series, they have failed to do the fine turning that would have improved the team.

This has occurred because of their desire to create a feeling of security in the team. I’m a great believer that a little bit of insecurity does players a world of good. The best teams are those that have competition from outside; where those in the side know they have to keep performing or else they will be replaced by another equally competent player.

A lack of match-winners also causes England to have an obsession with preparing `tailor made’ pitches. They’ve done it again at Headingley. As much as chairman of selectors David Graveney is denying any deviousness in the late change of pitch for the Test match, I’m a little sceptical. Perhaps that is because it has happened before — twice at this very ground. In 1961, it was Fred Trueman who did the damage and I had a close up view of Derek Underwood’s destruction eleven years later.

However, in their current state, England are fooling themselves. The reason for the late change at Headingley is given as the inspector of pitches’ feeling that the discarded strip was “where the grass hadn’t grown’. I can only assume then that the one the Test will be played on is a pitch where the grass has grown.

What good will that do England ? Australia have the better attack and are stronger in batting so they shouldn’t be bothered what sort of surface is provided. Tailor-made pitches might have worked in the past when England had the players to take advantage, but it isn’t going to help them at the moment.And what sort of message does ordering specific pitches send to the England players ?

I would have thought, “We think you are only good enough to beat Australia on a seaming pitch.” After Old Trafford, they must have serious doubts about even that being true. And what does Phil Tufnell think, after being sent home early from all four venues?

Test cricket is a tough business, it’s a bit like life survival of the strongest. Lately, England have picked more hard-nosed competitors, but they have at least one waiting in the wings who could help them (Adam Hollioake) and the team still has the remnants of its soft under-belly.

For their part, the Australian selectors have made mistakes, plenty of them, and this resulted in the team being in disarray at the start of the series. However, the hard-nose competitors in the team were then galvanised into a predictable reaction, inspiring the younger talent and now the side is back on track. They are unlikely to be derailed again.

So, if England are relying on false unity and a tailor-made pitch to achieve victory, they can forget it. The only thing that will bring Australia undone is for England to play good, aggressive cricket for five days. Even that will not guarantee a win, but at least England would regain some lost pride.

Australia recall ponting for Bevan

Ricky Ponting is recalled in place of Michael Bevan to face England in the fourth Ashes Test, Australia confirmed today. Ponting’s return for the match starting tomorrow is the only change to the side which won the third Test at Old Trafford by 268 runs to level the six-Test series 1-1.

England will pick from 12, and if Dean Headley is passed fit after a side strain, fellow paceman Andy Caddick may be omitted to give a Test debut to Gloucestershire’s Mike Smith.

TEAMS: ENGLAND (from): Michael Atherton (captain), Mark Butcher, Alec Stewart, Nasser Hussain, Graham Thorpe, John Crawley, Mark Ealham, Robert Croft, Darren Gough, Mike Smith, Andy Caddick, Dean Headley.

AUSTRALIA: Mark Taylor (captain), Matthew Elliott, Greg Blewett, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Ian Healy, Shane Warne, Paul Reiffel, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.