England in SAffer.

[westoelad]

Squad announced tomorrow. According to LookNorth where they interviewed Ben, he'll be included but Wood will miss out. He's having ankle surgery next week and Finn also to miss out. Looks like Topley will be included now surely.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Topley in SA?

My guess is, for pace bowlers:

Stokes
Anderson
Broad
Plunkett
Jordan
Footitt

Woakes on standby. Not sure Topley has done enough in fc cricket.

[Arthur Crabtree]

My guess for the rest of the squad.

Hales
Cook
Compton
Bell
Root
Taylor
Bairstow
Buttler
Moeen
Rashid

Although Woakes and Ballance in for Compo and Footitt might be safer bets.

[westoelad]

I don't think John Westerby in the Times will be far out with this selection
Cook
Hales
Root
Bell
Taylor
Stokes
Bairstow
Ali
Broad
Plunkett
Anderson
Lyth
Ballance
Butler
Woakes
Footit
Rashid
Topley is inexperienced but looks a better option than Footit to me.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Lyth would be a surprise, but probably no more than Compton. Given Buttler can come in and Bairstow revert to being a batter, that's a lot of spare batters; and they won't take 17, they never do. He needs to leave one of Lyth and Ballance out.

[hopeforthebest]

Maybe Stokes will be included in similar fashion to the way Bresnan was in the squad for the 2013-14 ashes, to carry on with his rehab treatment.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Willey and Ansari might be long shots.

[Slipstream]

Mail - Nick Compton and Samit Patel are set to be named in the England Test squad.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Samit aint going...

[Slipstream]

Maybe they like the idiea of 3 spinners playing in all Tests, no Mark Wood. Bayliss bowled right arm offbreak.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Well, nothing announces a break from the Flower/Moores era quite like picking Samit Patel.

Unless...

[Slipstream]

If Compton goes I can't see Hales opening.

[greyblazer]

The only reason why Footitt shouldn't be included is because he played his cricket in Div.2. He looks better than both Topley and Wood (barring Wood's reverse swing) to me.

[Gingerfinch]

We might pack the team with spinners now that we've seen how the south african batsmen are playing spin in India! Second thoughts, just take the two (Ali & Rashid).

[Aidan11]

Squad due to be announced in less than 10 minutes.


I predict no KP.