But I really wish they’d just put one question to bed. Michael Vaughan. Every week, some different story about Vaughan comes out. Recently it was that he’d be fit to play in the one-day series in Australia. Most recently it was that he might be fit to play the final two tests of the series. Yes, Vaughan was a great captain. Yes, Vaughan has a great record against the Australians in Australia. But these are all past tense things. Vaughan has been out of action for 11 months with recurring knee injuries (even though he’s fit enough to play golf?). They’re talking about turning out for the English national cricket side, in an overseas tour, against a team that are streets ahead in terms of fitness, class and all out “We want to win” mentality in about 6 weeks time. This from a man, who, no more than a few weeks ago, could barely walk (but can play golf?).

Irrespective of how Vaughan feels about this, I suppose only he can really assess his own fitness and how well he is recovering. But no team manager in their right mind would play Vaughan in an England side against the Australians in the most important event of the cricketing calendar. A man who does not have match fitness. It’s not that he hasn’t even played in 11 months – it’s that he’s not even been fit. There will be no indication of whether he even knows which side of a cricket bat to use. It’s ludicrous.

And those are fitness concerns only. What’s more, consider the impact of any return he might make. He said for the final 2 tests of the series. So – the England boys are expected to go out there, play 3 test matches (win, lose or draw) with a set XI and Freddie as captain, THEN, halfway through the series, boot some poor player out of the team, demote Freddie back to only being best team in the player, and follow the leadership of a man who hasn’t played cricket in a year? It’s totally lacking in logic.

Please, Michael, know when enough’s enough. You’ve missed your chance. Do what everyone else does. Get fit, get some match practice, and get your place back in the team. And for now, do shut up.

[Sorry for being a bit sporadic in the last couple of weeks. I've had all kinds of things going on. Hopefully get back up to full speed shortly.]

Post from: EveryJoe

The Aussies aren’t fazed. I am.

• I Bell
• P Collingwood
• A Cook
• A Giles
• A Flintoff
• S Harmison
• M Hoggard
• S Jones
• K Pietersen
• M Panesar
• A Strauss
• M Trescothick
• M Vaughan

Monty Panesar and Alastair Cook are both new additions to the list, with Geraint Jones missing out. The question marks ultimately concern Giles, Vaughan and Simon Jones, since both have been out of any form of cricket for the best of a year. It obviously demonstrates how much faith the England selectors have in these players. Personally I think it’s a little short-sighted, nay, dangerous, but any of those three ever regain full fitness then you’d expect them to be England side shoe-ins anyway, so the worst it can be is a very expensive mistake for the ECB – the contract can be worth up to £250,000 per player.

It seems like a reasonably fair list, none of the more recent additions to the team have done enough to yet merit a contract, and Chris Read was unlikely to get issued the contract in favour of Geraint Jones having only been in place for a couple of games. No doubt their respective performances down under this Winter will determine whether Summer contracts are awarded.

Post from: EveryJoe

England name central contracts list

The sad thing about the injury situation is that it gives England supporters a rock solid excuse for losing any cricket in the near future, not to mention the Ashes, hiding behind a veil of not being able to field the same side that beat Australia last year. It’s nice having good excuses. But nobody wants that. I’m an optimist, and I think on our day, England can beat anyone in the world. But “our days” are becoming so few and far between, for one reason or another, that euphoria surrounding the England cricket team is rapidly waining. England are losing. We know. But, that doesn’t mean we want to see the Ashes gaily given back to the Aussies without a proper fight. And put simply – we want to get beaten, we don’t want to lose it on injuries.

Post from: EveryJoe

It’s officially official