Press want Harmison in (and Bell)

Journalism is increasingly becoming lazy, trotting out the same old stuff without mercy.  Never more so than when it comes to England squad selection for the Ashes.

First we had the controversy over Vaughan, Harmison, Bell etc before the West Indies series.  We thought that Bopara’s performances had put Vaughan and Bell out of the picture, but the press are having none of it.  Now Harmison is benefitting from journos who can’t be bothered to think about anything that has happened since 2005.

You see, he’s only gone and taken 5 wickets against Warwickshire.  Never mind that his test replacement has taken 6 in the same match at the time of writing.  Or that he couldn’t even get Ian Bell out.

Here are some contrasting reports, first from the Guardian:

When he opened the bowling, Harmison’s radar was all wrong and even though his early figures looked impressive enough – 8-2-21-0 – the economy was more to do with width rather than accuracy. There was plenty of fire – Bell and Tony Frost were both hit – but no hint of the flurry of wickets to come.

Contrast with that from Cricinfo:

He tore through Warwickshire’s much-vaunted middle-order in an outstanding demonstration of sustained aggression, making international batsmen appear timid and uncertain.

Someone should remind the reporters at Cricinfo that Ian Bell always appears timid and uncertain after he reaches 30.  Bell himself apparantly made an attractive 79 before “looking aghast after jabbing a turning ball from Ian Blackwell to slip” (The Times).  Sound familiar?

Vaughan’s case is even more baffling.  People call for him to be recalled because “he has done it against Australia before”.  They will omit to mention that his 43 in the current match against Worcestershire is, according to the Independent, his highest first-class score for nearly a year.

For the media, this is the easy way out.  If England don’t select “their” players, and lose, this will be the reason why.  If they do and win, the journalists have won the Ashes.  Any other scenarios can easily be brushed under the carpet with the use of fresh heroes/scapegoats.

With all this in mind, here is my XI for the 1st test at Cardiff:

  1. Vaughan
  2. Trescothick
  3. Bell
  4. Shah
  5. Key
  6. Flintoff
  7. Ambrose/Read/Jones (take your pick)
  8. Plunkett
  9. Harmison
  10. Mahmood
  11. Panesar

There, that should cover it.

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