County Players Hope

Duncan Fletcher had his favourites. Chris Read most notably suffered as a result (and because he was more of a wicketkeeper than a wicketkeeper-batsman). Even when they didn’t perform, Fletcher backed the same players. Who could forget Ashley Giles playing in the 06/07 Ashes series when Monty had been performing perfectly. With the exception of a few, for example Paul Nixon, it seemed as though many county players would never fulfill ther England hopes in an England Test team. The ODI team is different, as many were tried, such as Ed Joyce.

Things look different under Peter Moores. His biggest success in team selection so far is easily the addition of Ryan Sidebottom.

Sidebottom played one lonely Test before his reintroduction in the 2007 season, and he must be one of the first names on the team sheet. Time and time again he has performed consistently and expertly, most recently in New Zealand where he rightly won Man of the Series.

So, now, finally, county players are hopefully beginning to believe that they too can be part of the England team. Bowlers especially should be working hard to perform well this season, with Steve Harmision being incredibly wayward, and finally being dropped as a result. It seems as though Moores wants his bowlers to perform, and will not choose players because he knows them, but because they perform.

The dreams of many county players could now be realised.