CricDigs Blogs

Ricky Ponting expected several of England’s 2005 squad to be recalled for this year’s series…but the selectors look like surprising the Australian skipper.

There has been mounting talk that England will look to those who delivered the goods four years ago, in the greatest ever Test series, as they look to reclaim the Ashes on home soil.

But former skipper Michael Vaughan and paceman Steve Harmison look set to miss out having been excluded from the pre-Ashes training camp squad.

Vaughan was hoping that his experience of playing against Australia would stand him in good stead for a recall, but inconsistency for Yorkshire looks to have ended his hopes of a recall.

Harmison meanwhile, has been in decent wicket-taking form for Durham but his chances of playing this summer have diminished, with James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom, Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan all selected ahead of him.

Andrew Flintoff, one of only five players in the training squad to have played in 2005, has seemingly done enough with Lancashire to prove his fitness and has been included in the 16-man party.

With regards to first Test betting, the selectors look like they haven’t made their minds up as to which spin bowler will make the line-up in Cardiff, with three included in the training squad.

Graeme Swann, Monty Panesar and Adil Rashid all have the chance to impress, with Swann the strong favourite to be handed a starting berth should, as expected, England go with just one spinner.

Owais Shah looks to have blown his chance of featuring this summer and possibly in future Test series, having looked shaky at the crease in recent times. The Middlesex batsman is omitted but Ian Bell is included, as he looks to put the pressure on Ravi Bopara.

An England team, led by Andrew Strauss, will face Warwickshire in a warm-up game on July 1-3, while the selectors have named an England ‘Lions’ side to take on Australia at Worcester with four members of the 16-man squad not playing against Warwickshire - Bell, Bresnan, Onions and Rashid - lining up in that match.

Be sure to bear all this in mind for your 2009 ashes betting and, if you want to get in the betting mood, check out Betfair’s fan v fan site.