Thoughts on Strauss and Bangladesh

I have been trying to figure out what I make of the “revelation” that Andrew Strauss might not be going to Bangladesh. On the one hand you think “ok, he deserves a break, the Ashes aren’t so far away, give him a rest and keep him fresh”.  On the other you think “England should send their best side, and show Bangladesh some respect, come what may”.  I’m still not sure.

Ultimately this is an extension of the fixture congestion debate that the IPL and World T20 are intensifying.  Everyone wants to play in those tournaments, no one wants to tour Bangladesh and the like.

Except that Andrew Strauss doesn’t play T20 cricket – he missed the World T20 in June to concentrate on the Ashes, and Paul Collingwood continues as captain in South Africa for the two matches there.  His prospects of an IPL contract are less than those of, say, Geoff Boycott.

I should point out that Strauss has not said that he definitely will not be going, just that he doesn’t know and wouldn’t guarantee it.  To the media, of course, that translates as one step down from Ian Botham’s Pakistan/mother-in-law faux pas.

So is it ok or not?  It was always likely to be a try something new kind of a trip – mainly I’m thinking of Adil Rashid – but on balance I think Strauss should go.  There is a month between the end of the SA trip, and he won’t be in the T20 squad for the Caribbean, so that should be plenty of rest time before the English summer.

It will be more important for the ECB to ensure that the entire squad has a break before they set off down under.  So expect them to pencil in some more pointless ODIs in October.