England begin their final Test series prior to the defence of the Ashes, on Thursday. Captain Andrew Strauss will be looking for a convincing victory over a Pakistan team that tied their recent series with Australia. The selectors are already aware of what Messrs Pietersen, Swann and Anderson are capable of. So Sport.co.uk have taken a look at those who will be eager to book a seat on the flight down under, or seal a starting place in the first eleven this winter.
Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire, All-rounder) – Since the retirement of a certain Mr. Flintoff from the Test arena almost 12 months ago, English cricket has been crying out for a player cut from the same cloth as the Lancashire all-rounder. With Ajmal Shahzad being ruled out of the first Test at Trent Bridge with an ankle injury, Bresnan won’t have a better opportunity to prove his Test match credentials. The Yorkshire man has already proven his worth as a limited-overs international, being both economical and accurate with the ball, and equally destructive with the bat. As an irreplaceable cog in the England team that triumphed in the Caribbean, winning the World T20 in May, this series could define whether Bresnan is just a one trick pony, or a horse for all courses.
Matt Prior (Sussex, Wicket-keeper) – In the last few months, Craig Kieswetter has wrestled the one-day gloves off Matt Prior, despite the Sussex man hardly putting a foot wrong. Since Kieswetter’s blockbuster performance in the World T20 final against Australia, where he smashed 63 off 49 balls, the selectors have overlooked Prior from the one-day set-up. There’s no doubt Prior will go on the Ashes tour, however whether that’s as first choice keeper remains to be seen. Anything less than an explosive series with the bat, and an unblemished performance behind the stumps, and Kieswetter will undoubtedly get his first Test cap before the summer is out.
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex, Batsman) – Probably with the most to prove this summer is Irish born Eoin Morgan. The Middlesex batsman has been one of the rising stars in both Twenty20 and 50 over cricket in the past 12 months. Despite a relatively poor Test series against lowly Bangladesh, where he top scored with 44, he proved his big match temperament with a blistering 103 not out off 85 balls against the Australians in the recent one-day series. That form against the old enemy will only continue to have the selectors salivating at the Irishman’s potential at Test level. Morgan’s main challenge against Pakistan will lie with whether he’ll be able to deal with the swing bowling of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer. With Trent Bridge being a ground renowned for helping bowlers, this will be Morgan’s biggest test as an international cricketer so far.
Jonathon Trott (Warwickshire, Batsman) – The South African born player has had indifferent form as a batsman since he burst on the scene last summer against Australia at The Oval. A disastrous winter in the country of his birth, plus the persistent questioning of his undoubtedly tedious batting routine has made commentators wonder whether he has the mental ability to cut the mustard at the highest level. With an injured Ian Bell already assured of a spot on the plane down under, Trott could find himself out in the cold this winter if he doesn’t rediscover the same form which saw him pulverise the Australians in 2009.
Steven Finn (Middlesex, Bowler) – He’s the one bowler in the England team that has led to the Australians losing sleep. So much so that during Adam Gilchrist’s brief stint at Middlesex he was asked to report back to Ricky Ponting on the ability of the youngster. At six foot seven inches tall, Finn has been able to get a blend of startling pace and tennis-ball–like bounce off the wicket during his brief Test career. Finn is regarded as one of the brightest talents in English cricket and lived up to expectations when he collected nine wickets in only his third Test, at Lord’s against Bangladesh. Only injuries can hold back this starlet, but the youngster must continue to take when wickets for England on dry pitches when the ball fails to swing.