The State of English Bowling

For a couple of years now, the decision of which bowlers, in particular pace bowlers, should play for England has been a topic of discussion. Since the beginning of the Ashes series in 2010-11, England have used 8 front line bowlers in test cricket and since the start of the world cup in 2011, England have used 14 bowlers in ODI cricket. Is this too many bowlers?
Firstly, I will discuss the bowling situation in the test team. There is more consistency in the test team that the ODI team, mainly due to England's rise in test cricket. They found some consistency under the with the blowing attack of Anderson, Broad, Tremlett, Swann and Bresnan (they did not play all five bowlers at once, Bresnan and Tremlett were rotated). This attack was the main reason as to why England seared to that #1 ranking, just two and a half years since they were 51 all out in Jamaica. However, 2012 proved to be a tough year for the bowlers, with a bit of chop and change going on. The fact that England were playing Pakistan, in UAE, Sri Lanka and India away, meant that Panesar would get a run in the side and his great bowling, especially in India, earned him a call up to the squad to face New Zealand in March.
James Anderson was at his best for most of the year, particularly in the UAE. He showed once again why he the best swing bowler and was able to produce game changing spells of bowling on pitches that favoured spinners. His place in the side unquestionable, but the same cannot be said for any other seam bowler.

Broad needs to re-think his bowling

Stuart Broad's place in the side is in doubt as the newly named vice-captain was dropped in India before a heel injury cut his tour short. Last year his place was in doubt before the India series, but he became England's man of the series with a wonderful bowling performance across all four matches. He had career best figures of 6-46 at Trent Bridge, which included a hat-trick. This then inspired even better bowling in the UAE where he, along with the rest of the attack, dismantled Pakistan's batsmen on more than one occasion. If only the batsmen had scored runs, then the series outcome would've been different. The other half of 2012 was not so kind to Broad. A calf strain ruled Broad out of the second test against Sri Lanka, which was then followed by a below par series against South Africa. Despite the one bowling spell at Headingly, Broad's performances were average. He seemed to have lost some pace and there was less control in his bowling. This showed in his bowling in India where he was was not influential. He was dropped after the second test to be replaced by Steven Finn. A heel injury ruled Broad for the rest of the India tour, including the ODI and T20 matches, but was named in all three squads to face New Zealand.

Times are tough for Tim Bresnan

A similar tale to Broad is Tim Bresnan. He has also had a poor second half of 2012, with disappointing performances against South Africa and India. A good performance against the West Indies was not enough to keep his place in the team as he was dropped for the second test against South Africa after a sluggish performance in the first test. He too, seemed to have lost a touch of pace. Bresnan was named in the squad to India, but failed to impress in the first test. He was dropped for Panesar in the second test, but came back and played in the last test, still failing to pick up a wicket. His performances in the ODIs and T20s were better, but still his place is debatable.
Now on to some positives, Steven Finn. The tall, young, energetic and pacey seam bowler has made his way through the England ranks since the last Ashes series. Finn has continued to impress, especially in the one day arena, which has seen him play test cricket for England. Understandably, his test career has not excelled just yet, but the young fast bowler is still learning the game. Finn is without a doubt the quickest of all English bowlers and his pace is what keeps Bresnan out the side and pushes Broad for a place in the side at times. The only problem with Finn is his tendency to hit the stumps with his knee during his run-up. It became a problem against South Africa and against India when he had Smith and Raina, respectively, caught behind, but was signalled dead ball due to the stumps being kicked over.

The forgotten man?

A bowler who seems to have been forgotten is Chris Tremlett. He played his last test match in the UAE against Pakistan before a back injury, followed by surgery has ruled him out since then. Tremlett, as tall bowlers do, provide a lot of bounce and was impressive against Sri Lanka in 2011. He finished leading wicket taker, which sparked an impressive performance in the first test against India. Again, he didn't participate in any other matches due to injury.
Another bowler learning the game of test cricket is Graham Onions. A major back injury has kept him out the side from time to time, but he is also the least experienced out of all the bowlers. He played his last test against West Indies in May 2012 and hasn't bowled a ball for England since.

My verdict on which bowlers should play in the test team is quite common to other fans. As I said earlier, Anderson is a must, first name on the team sheet. This then leaves three spots open. Ideally, England play with three pace bowlers and a spinner. It can be two spinners when playing in Asia, which is totally understandable. The spinner is going to be Graeme Swann. His classy off-spin is amongst the best in the world. The second opening bowler I would choose would be Stuart Broad. Even though Broad is going through a bad patch of form, he is still a great bowler. Broad's ability is clearly shown against India in 2011 and Pakistan in 2012 and I think England should stick with him. Broad is also only 26 years old, so he has at least five more years left in him. The final seamer would be Steven Finn. Finn's raw pace is the main reason why I've selected him. The other England bowlers, particularly Anderson, lack a bit of pace, which is one of the reasons Steyn is superior to Anderson, and Finn will provide that pace. He is also quite tall and will get a lot of bounce whilst bowling. The main issue is that the seamers, except Anderson, cannot manage to stay fit consistently. They need to take a leaf out of Anderson's book when it comes to fitness.

Injuries are too common for England's pace attack

The bowlers in the ODI and T20 team are more difficult to discuss. As said earlier, 14 different bowlers have been used in limited overs cricket for England since the beginning of the world cup in 2011. In the most recent series, away to India, England's main bowlers were rested and attack was relatively inexperienced. Anderson & Swann were rested, whilst Broad was ruled out through injury. Jade Dernbach, James Tredwell, Stuart Meaker and Chris Woakes were amongst the inexperience that played in India, all delivering differing performances.
Jade Dernbach had a decent start to international cricket. He made his debut against Sri Lanka in 2011, bowled well and earned a chance to play against India later that year. He was an ODI regular for that summer. However, whilst his variations were like no other English bowler, his economy was always quite high and would normally be the talking point about his bowling. He had less chances in 2012 in ODI cricket, but still played the majority of T20 cricket. He took part in the World T20 in Sri Lanka, failing to impress. Dernbach played 4 matches and his economy was above 9 in all matches except against Afghanistan. This lead to more bad bowling as he was dispatched in India. His economy against India in the T20 matches was above 9 and in the 4 ODI matches he played, it was above 6. This lead to Dernbach becoming the most expensive bowler in the history of ODI cricket who has bowled 1000+ balls. There can be some sympathy with Dernbach as he does bowl at the death and during the powerplay, but I do not think it is good enough. He was not named in the ODI squad to face New Zealand later this month but, I would not dismiss Dernbach from the international arena.

Dernbach has the most expensive economy rate in ODI cricket

Chris Woakes is also another bowler who is not at the international level yet. He has not had as many chances as others, but when he plays he fails to prove his worth in the side. However, the ECB must see some potential in him as he is named in all three squads to face New Zealand. I do not think he is good enough to play for England.
Stuart Meaker, again a bowler who has only had a handful of chances, has not really lit up the international stage, but potential is definitely there. His raw pace is the reason why ECB selectors stick with him.

On the contrast, James Tredwell continues to impress. He had a fabulous series against India this past January. He picked up 11 wickets and is possibly giving Swann a run for his money in the ODI arena. Tredwell has been in the eyes of the ECB since before the world cup in 2011, but is no doubt hitting his stride at the moment.

In limited over matches, I believe you need experience when it comes to bowling, particularly at the death and during powerplay overs. A game can be changed in these periods and it is vital that the bowlers get their lines right. I think Broad is good at death bowling and he would be alongside Anderson, Swann and Finn in the ODI team. The last bowler to choose is a tricky decision. Do you go with a seamer or spinner, or does it depend on conditions? I would pick James Tredwell alongside the other four bowlers as he is consistent and reliable. However, this does not rule out opportunities for Bresnan or Dernbach. Personally, I think Dernbach needs a rest and needs to get his game back. I think Bresnan  is a very useful bowler, but at the moment Tredwell is bowling better than him. Bresnan is a player that England should certainly not drop, but his a regular in the ODI side is debatable.
In T20 cricket, I would select Broad, Finn, Swann, Tredwell and replace Anderson with Bresnan. I don't think Anderson is good enough for T20 cricket and would rather go with Bresnan.

If you have any thoughts on the bowling situation, please feel free express them to me.