Bowler call is mission impossible for Smith

NASSER HUSSAIN

THERE is going to be one very unlucky England cricketer next Tuesday when Ed Smith reveals the World Cup squad. I confess that I wouldn’t want to be in the selection meeting because I have no idea who the odd man out in the bowling equation should be. Before I watched Mark Wood yesterday I was a bit worried about him coming back in because generally after a long lay-off his pace is down. But are England that good that a 90mph bowler can be overlooked? Every single one of the attack has done something that has said ‘keep me in’. Look at what Jofra Archer and Wood did here, bowling with fire and hostility, look at what David Willey did with his wide yorkers in Southampton, at what Liam Plunkett has done in the middle overs for the past three years, at Tom Curran’s character in his death bowling or at Chris Woakes with both new ball and old this past week. England have been recognised as a team with batting as its main strength but the bowling is going in the right direction at the right time. The addition of these two genuinely fast lads — remember that as recently as January, Olly Stone was picked ahead of Wood for the tour of the Caribbean — provides that X factor, that wicket-taking potential. You can’t stand and slog people like Archer and Wood out of the ground. You might do it once but not on a regular basis. It will be the most difficult of calls but I hope they don’t fudge it by picking them all and leaving a batter out. Smith and his selectors need to make the call.