Following the selection of the tour parties to New Zealand for the One Dayers and Test matches, I guess the first major talking point has to be the wicket keeper.  Although Matt Prior has done very well with the bat, his keeping, which has to be said is his main role, has probably not been up to the standard required, and the missed opportunity catches and stumpings have ultimately cost him dear.  The wicket keeping spot has become a very contentious issue, with several keepers seemingly being overlooked; the likes of Foster and Read have both now been leapfrogged by Tim Ambrose from Warwickshire and Phil Mustard, the Durham keeper.  It is a shame for Prior that because at this moment in time it we are lacking a little bit of penetration with our bowling, each catch is even more precious than usual as we are presently finding it difficult to get 20 wickets to win a Test match.

The other strange decision to me is immediately bringing back Andrew Strauss in to the fold; perhaps the selectors just felt he needed a rest.  Amazing how your stock can raise sometimes when the team are losing and the individual is not playing!  The next two Test Series, both against New Zealand home and away, give Michael Vaughan’s troops a great chance to once again taste victory.  I think New Zealand will be depleted, we will score plenty of runs, and if we can start taking 20 wickets then I am sure we will get back to winning ways.

Down under there seems to be some fun and games, with India suspending their tour to Australia pending an appeal over Harbhajan Singh’s suspension for supposedly racially abusing Andrew Symonds, the only non-white Australian cricketer presently in the team.  It will be interesting to see over the next few days who holds sway – the Indian Cricket Board or crickets governing body, the ICC. Let’s watch this space.