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Introduction
At the beginning of it, the summer of 2019 had promised to be one of the most pulsating and intriguing in English cricket’s recent history. A summer with a home ODI World Cup and a home Ashes series looked like being one of the most memorable ever.
However, scandal had struck before it had even begun. The Daily Mail had received intelligence of an illegal betting scam involving the fixing of greyhound races, and a sting operation uncovered Ed Smith’s involvement, making front-page news and causing him to resign his post. This caused a structural overhaul of the Test selection committee, with Trevor Bayliss moving to a coaching and performance analysis role within the England setup and James Taylor re-joining Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club to work as a coach at his former county. In their places came an unexpected face – Michael Bassett, a former Minor Counties League administrator and coach of Buckinghamshire within that league. Bassett was a left-field choice but options had been few and far between, and the announcement went largely under the radar at the time, with the focus fully on the ODI side ahead of the World Cup.
Bassett will be the sole selector of the England Test side, and what a time to take on the role. The inaugural Test Championship, played over two seasons, would revolutionise the Test game, with a league of nine Test nations – Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan are not involved this time around – all playing each other over that period. Each series has 120 points up for grabs – each Test in a two-Test series is worth 60 points to the winners, while one win in a five-Test series only yields 24.
England begin the first Test Championship with none less than the Ashes on home soil – the most famous of all series, and an immediate, significant challenge for Michael Bassett, under the most intense pressure and scrutiny that an England selector can experience. This is followed by three consecutive away series, against New Zealand (two Tests), South Africa (four Tests) and Sri Lanka (two Tests) respectively.
However, Bassett’s reign begins with arguably an easier challenge, as Ireland travel to North London for a one-off Test, representing a golden opportunity to add two ranking points to their tally - they have yet to face Ireland in Test cricket. Another two points could be gained with a series victory against New Zealand, who beat England 1-0 in a two-Test series the last time England travelled to the Southern Hemisphere.
With so much at stake, the 2019/2020 season will be an extremely demanding one for Michael Bassett and the England Test side. Ireland, on paper, is an easy starter, but will it turn out that way?
At the beginning of it, the summer of 2019 had promised to be one of the most pulsating and intriguing in English cricket’s recent history. A summer with a home ODI World Cup and a home Ashes series looked like being one of the most memorable ever.
However, scandal had struck before it had even begun. The Daily Mail had received intelligence of an illegal betting scam involving the fixing of greyhound races, and a sting operation uncovered Ed Smith’s involvement, making front-page news and causing him to resign his post. This caused a structural overhaul of the Test selection committee, with Trevor Bayliss moving to a coaching and performance analysis role within the England setup and James Taylor re-joining Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club to work as a coach at his former county. In their places came an unexpected face – Michael Bassett, a former Minor Counties League administrator and coach of Buckinghamshire within that league. Bassett was a left-field choice but options had been few and far between, and the announcement went largely under the radar at the time, with the focus fully on the ODI side ahead of the World Cup.
Bassett will be the sole selector of the England Test side, and what a time to take on the role. The inaugural Test Championship, played over two seasons, would revolutionise the Test game, with a league of nine Test nations – Zimbabwe, Ireland and Afghanistan are not involved this time around – all playing each other over that period. Each series has 120 points up for grabs – each Test in a two-Test series is worth 60 points to the winners, while one win in a five-Test series only yields 24.
England begin the first Test Championship with none less than the Ashes on home soil – the most famous of all series, and an immediate, significant challenge for Michael Bassett, under the most intense pressure and scrutiny that an England selector can experience. This is followed by three consecutive away series, against New Zealand (two Tests), South Africa (four Tests) and Sri Lanka (two Tests) respectively.
However, Bassett’s reign begins with arguably an easier challenge, as Ireland travel to North London for a one-off Test, representing a golden opportunity to add two ranking points to their tally - they have yet to face Ireland in Test cricket. Another two points could be gained with a series victory against New Zealand, who beat England 1-0 in a two-Test series the last time England travelled to the Southern Hemisphere.
With so much at stake, the 2019/2020 season will be an extremely demanding one for Michael Bassett and the England Test side. Ireland, on paper, is an easy starter, but will it turn out that way?
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