No surprises in CW XI Test squad
But Fitzsimmons excluded from 15
Simon Fitzsimmons can count himself unlucky to miss out, but there are no surprising inclusions in the 15-man squad to tour Pakistan. The tour begins on Saturday, with the players from Australia arriving in Campsfield tonight. They will then fly to Pakistan tomorrow. Players from England, USA and the Caribbean will meet the team in Pakistan on Friday.
Unsurprisingly, Brendon Goff has been retained as captain after a good showing in the Test and ODI series against South Africa. His deputy is once again Neil Pickup - the leading legspinner - who will look to cast aside his poor form with Essex and return to the champion bowling form that saw him take a record 31 wickets in South Africa last month.
Doing the glovework will be Håkon Mørk and Thamba Mamesh is entrusted with the role of backup wicketkeeper. Both will look to continue their dominance at the top of the order, as they look to firmly establish themselves as a world-class partnership. Under pressure to perform are the middle order duo of David Kearsley and Rob "Delacruz" Dauth. The former has had mixed fortunes thus far, playing some brave innings as the lone hand of CW XI resistance, but also falling to loose shots with regularity. Dauth has been the celebrity of Cricket Web cricket since his inclusion in the international side, stirring up controversy with his playboy image and then recent marriage to a notorious Peruvian. He played game-saving 150 not out in the final Test of Pakistan's recent tour of CWLand, but failed to perform with consistency in South Africa.
Chris Butler was once the centrepiece of the CW XI middle order, but following his layout with injury during Season XI, he has found the road back in Test cricket to be a struggle. He needs big runs to re-establish himself as the reliable number five that the team needs, and that he is in ODI cricket. Joining Goff in providing solidity to the batting lineup is Andrew Cloete. Though undoubtedly not the player he once was, Cloete is still the most potent weapon in the Cricket Web XI arsenal and will need to fire on the subcontinent.
The bowling attack will be under the most scrutiny in the coming series. David Kennett, Kyle Wright, Greg Thomas and Dave Watt have all been retained despite modest Test records. They are now under pressure to perform, with the selectors running out of patience. On the other hand, Halsey and Pickup are practically assured of playing the entire series, given their dominance as a partnership in both forms of the game.
Mike Wilson makes his second tour and he is partnered by Liam Camps jr. in the allrounder ranks. Though Camps is not expected to start the series, he lends experience and a good batting option, should coach Tharmi Loganathan and Goff opt for more depth to the batting lineup.
Cricket Web XI Test squad:
BJ Goff (c), NS Pickup (vc), H Mørk (wk), T Mamesh (wk), DA Kearsley, CR Butler, RJ Dauth, LA Camps, MW Wilson, TC Halsey, DM Kennett, AP Cloete, KS Wright, GM Thomas, DJ Watt.
