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Whether or not to bring back fast bowler Stephen Harmison will be the central issue confronting England’s selectors ahead of today’s squad announcement for the second Test against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston starting on May 25. In the absence of the Durham quick, sidelined since suffering a shin injury before the second Test against India in Mumbai two months ago, Sri Lanka, following on, batted for a marathon 14 hours.

Their 199 overs of resistance enabled the tourists to salvage what had seemed, at one stage, an unlikely draw in the first Test at Lord’s and leave the three-match series still all square. So far this season, the selectors have been bold, handing a debut at Lord’s to the raw but quick Sajid Mahmood in preference to the steadier, and still uncapped, Jon Lewis.

Meanwhile Alastair Cook, fresh from his heroics in India, beat Ian Bell in the race to the No 3 berth of still injured captain Michael Vaughan (knee). But in Harmison’s case, the selection trio of chairman David Graveney, coach Duncan Fletcher and former England off-spinner Geoff Miller face an issue of fitness not just tactics. Harmison played just a lone one-day match prior to his return to action this week in Durham’s County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Possible England squad: Marcus Trescothick (Somerset), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex), Alastair Cook (Essex), Kevin Pieteresen (Hampshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire, captain), Geraint Jones (Kent, wicketkeeper), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Stephen Harmison (Durham).

Source:The News

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