Simon Jones Drafted Into England Squad

We do not have any wrist spinners in England, so pace must provide the magic, elusive elixir. Simon Jones, the 23-year-old Glamorgan speedster, has been drafted into the squad for the Edgbaston Test. He has prompted comparisons with Brett Lee and Jeff Thomson, but don't get too excited just yet. There is a whiff of wishful thinking about his call-up, which also suggests that the selectors are in fact progressive risk-takers, even though they actually send out as many thirty-somethings as they can muster in their final XI.

I would be amazed if Jones plays at Edgbaston. By Friday, he will be at Derby. He will miss Glamorgan's first-round outing in the C&G Trophy on Wednesday, but he would not have played anyway. Jones is too wayward for their one-day team. His sole asset is speed. It is a beguiling asset, though.

He has the right pedigree. His father Jeff played 15 times for England in the 1960s, memorably fending off Lance Gibbs's final over in the Guyana Test of 1968, as well as bowling quickly from left arm over the wicket.

Jones Jr once had trials with Leeds United before concentrating on cricket. He won a sports scholarship to Millfield, where he was also an accomplished sprinter. For all its sporting excellence, this school has rarely produced significant England players, though many of their cricketers - including David Graveney - have graced the county circuit. In recent times, old boys Paul Terry, Ben Hollioake and Ian Ward have won Test caps.

Until this year, Jones had a modest record - 53 first-class wickets at an average of 44 - but his potential won him a place at the Academy. When left for Adelaide, he had reduced his run-up from 26 paces to nine, having sought the help of Olympic long jumper Lyn Davies.

Jones was conscious of the hype before his call-up, but it was still a shock when the call came from Graveney. 'I know I can bowl quick,' said a joyful Jones. 'I've always hurried batsmen and hit people. I've always been encouraged to bowl fast, even in Wales, where wickets are not often conducive to pace bowling.'

He was also quick to praise the Academy regime. 'Being away from home helped me to come out as a person,' he said. 'It has also made me physically stronger and improved my action.' Fourteen wickets at 25 apiece this summer confirms an improvement.

The comparisons with Australian pacemen are alluring but should be taken with a pinch of salt. Jimmy Maher, who played with Jones at Glamorgan last year, compared his pace with that of Brett Lee. Mike Kasprowicz has done the same. Rod Marsh at the Academy noted that he was like Jeff Thomson in his attitude to life; he is laid-back and follows the philosophy of 'enjoying while you can'. These Aussies are suddenly easy to impress.

Jones may be a diamond of the future, but it is fanciful to suggest that he is ready to play for England. Those who play with him or watch him regularly, supporters all, do not pretend that he is anywhere near Test quality. He is fast, but he does not yet take many wickets, which is the whole point of the exercise.

After the Lord's Test, England are none too sure how they are going to take 20 Sri Lanka wickets, especially if the pitch is bland. At Edgbaston, there is a good chance that Alex Tudor will replace Dominic Cork, who was hampered by a hamstring injury at Lord's. Ashley Giles may also be included in the final XI instead of a batsman, presumably John Crawley.

If the England selectors are in cautious mode, they may wait until they know whether Muttiah Muralitharan is playing before they decide their line-up. If he is, it could prompt England to stick with six batsmen. Otherwise, even Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher might consider six specialists plus Alec Stewart and Andrew Flintoff as an excessive insurance policy.

Murali is 50-50 for Edgbaston. He had a trundle in the indoor nets yesterday at Cardiff, but coach Dav Whatmore said: 'We can't just treat him as a piece of meat. We've got to think of his well-being as a person.' Murali being Murali will want to play.

Ruchira Perera could also play, even though he has been reported for having a suspect action. Sri Lanka's bowling coach, Daryl Foster, has been detailed to work with him in pursuit of greater fluidity in his action. Foster, who had to fly home to Perth because of a family illness, returns tomorrow.

The process of dealing with bowlers with dubious actions is cumbersome, but for a good reason - to be fair to the bowler concerned. If Perera does throw, he is the least dangerous of his type since he does not appear to possess one particular delivery that is unrecognisable from the rest.

That is what Charlie Griffith and Tony Lock did and that terrified batsmen as suddenly the ball became invisible. The Sri Lanka attack should terrify no one while Murali remains sidelined. It is up to England to grab the initiative before he returns.

England squad to face Sri Lanka at Edgbaston

N Hussain (Essex, capt) M Trescothick (Somerset) M Butcher (Surrey) M Vaughan (Yorkshire) G Thorpe (Surrey) J Crawley (Hampshire) A Stewart (Surrey, wkt) A Flintoff (Lancashire) D Cork (Derbyshire) A Giles (Warwickshire) A Tudor (Surrey) A Caddick (Somerset) M Hoggard (Yorkshire) S Jones (Glamorgan) </B>