Don't Blame Patto

So, Darren Pattinson’s selection last week turned out not only to be a controversial one, but ultimately a fairly unsuccessful one, too.

However, do not make the man a scapegoat for what was a terribly under par performance by the whole England team. All he has done is run in and take wickets for Notts, and it is surely the England selectors who should shoulder the blame.

What happens next is an interesting one, though. Many commentators have speculated that England now have a duty to nurture the bowler so that he is not left as one cap wonder, but surely this would further infuriate genuine test match prospects such as Hoggard, Harmison, Onions, Bresnan, Tremlett and Jones.

As for the immediate future, England have a lot of decisions to make before the 3rd test starts at Edgbaston. Many point towards the bowling as being toothless and lacking a cutting edge, but the batting has hardly been up to standard either. For me, there are only Pietersen, Bell, Flintoff and Anderson who deserve their place for the next test.

I have not included Stuart Broad in that short list, and that will probably raise some eyebrows. However, his bowling average is going up as quick as his batting and this is no good for a bowler. I believe he needs time to go and work on his game in the county circuit to prepare himself for the Aussies.

As for the batsmen, the Ambrose experiment has not worked, and it is time to bring back a keeper who could bat at six, Matt Prior. Granted he shelled a few out in Sri Lanka, but Adam Gilchrist was never perfect with the gloves – and he had quite a decent career.

Vaughan, Cook and Strauss have looked out of their depth for the most part against South Africa and need to get runs in the last two tests in my opinion to cement their places for the winter tours.

It will certainly be interesting what the selectors decide to do, but do not expect the wholesale changes that the situation perhaps calls for, that is not the style of the current crop of selectors.