Mo and Rash have declined to tour, instinctively I think this is the correct call. They are both very talented cricketers but there is something logical about drawing a line under their test careers and moving forward.
We know that Jack Leach will tour, the speculation now revolves around those who could support him. I suspect we will take three spinners to Pakistan and just two to New Zealand.
This leaves the selectors with some big decisions to make around style of spin, experience and no doubt ‘all round’ ability. The batting and fielding outputs have often been the measure of English spinners but I hold out hope that Baz and Ben will push for bowlers who take wickets.
One interesting name to be linked with selection this winter is Will Jacks. Not a complete surprise as he and Liam Patterson-White were the spin options selected by England Lions this summer, but still a slightly curious one.
Jacks was credited as being a ‘holding bowler’ in the article I read but I am not sure an economy rate of 3.02 would support that. I also would be surprised if England want holding bowlers, the emphasis has been on taking wickets. Strike rates over economy rates. Jacks has ability but this is his first season as a front line spinner, I think the Lions trip to Sri Lanka would be a good one for him.
I have listed below the 2022 championship stats for the bowlers that I think will be in the selectors minds:
Dawson is a ‘safe’ pick who has toured before and offers something with bat and in the field. Bess offers similar but with a more youthful outlook.
Matthew Parkinson is in a curious position as he currently sits alongside Chris Schofield, Scott Borthwick and Mason Crane on one cap. He was actually a concussion substitute who travelled a long way with zero physical or mental preparation before delivering 15.5 overs at Lords. The way in which he has subsequently been written off is absurd.
He does appear to bowl slowly and he does get assistance from the Old Trafford pitch. That said he does not play all of his cricket at Old Trafford, the drift he gets has nothing to do with the pitch and he has only bowled 15.5 overs in test cricket.
I read recently that he needs to bowl like Rashid Khan, again absurd (Warne would be turning in his grave). He has 136 first class wickets at 25, an economy rate of 2.7 and striking every 56 balls. I think he must go on tour and play. We must also be patient as it will not be easy in Pakistan and he will need to learn his craft at that level (not unlike Pope, Crawley and no doubt Brook).
The other intriguing selection option is Liam Patterson-White. He looks a very good slow left arm bowler, he learning his trade on a less helpful surface and as such has had to deploy more guile and subtlety to take wickets. Unlike Parkinson he fits the traditional English mould of good fielder/good batsman – the big question is who do you see bowling you to a test victory on a day 5 pitch?
I believe that Leach, Parkinson and Patterson-White would be the correct selection for this tour.
One final thought, across the 2022 season Mason Crane bowled 23 overs in one match for Hampshire and 74 over across 2 matches for Sussex. This is the same bowler who 6 years ago aged 19 went to Australia and took 63 wickets at 20.70 in Grade cricket and got selected by New South Wales (https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/98314/gordon-cricket-clubs-hand-in-england-cricket-team-legspinner-mason-cranes-rapid-rise-cricbuzzcom)
He is still only 25 years old but he really needs to be bowling overs, he is far too good to be playing only 3 first class matches in a season … albeit that is three more than Amar Virdi managed this season.