Collingwood Called Up As the Rain Pours Down
Cricket: The inclement weather persuaded England to add Paul Collingwood to their squad for the second Test as an extra batting option.
Blame the weather. The inclement conditions of the past few days have persuaded England to add Paul Collingwood to their squad for the second Test. The Durham all-rounder's inclusion allows England the luxury of an extra batsman should they deem Ashley Giles redundant.
When the England captain Michael Vaughan and the coach Duncan Fletcher visited Edgbaston yesterday they found a ground that could double as a supplier of rice to Birmingham's balti industry.
"Birmingham has experienced unusually large amounts of rainfall in the last few days," said the chairman of selectors David Graveney, "and this has put the ground authorities under extreme pressure. Having looked at the pitch it has been decided to add Collingwood to the squad so that England will have the maximum number of options available."
He would have been a sensible option in the first place. The 29-year-old, who impressed in the one-day series this season, has earned further recognition with three centuries for his county in four innings.
Should he play, it would almost certainly be at the expense of Giles, who would therefore miss out on his home ground. Collingwood would come in at No6, moving Andy Flintoff down to No7, where it might be hoped he could cause the kind of destruction Adam Gilchrist does in the same position for Australia.
When the England captain Michael Vaughan and the coach Duncan Fletcher visited Edgbaston yesterday they found a ground that could double as a supplier of rice to Birmingham's balti industry.
"Birmingham has experienced unusually large amounts of rainfall in the last few days," said the chairman of selectors David Graveney, "and this has put the ground authorities under extreme pressure. Having looked at the pitch it has been decided to add Collingwood to the squad so that England will have the maximum number of options available."
He would have been a sensible option in the first place. The 29-year-old, who impressed in the one-day series this season, has earned further recognition with three centuries for his county in four innings.
Should he play, it would almost certainly be at the expense of Giles, who would therefore miss out on his home ground. Collingwood would come in at No6, moving Andy Flintoff down to No7, where it might be hoped he could cause the kind of destruction Adam Gilchrist does in the same position for Australia.
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