I've only just clocked that Graham Napier, the Essex all rounder, was omitted from the 30 man squad named for the World Twenty20 in the Windies in May, surely this is just a typo?!
They select the poor guy for the last World Twenty20 (incredibly less than 12 months before the next - overkill anyone?), they don't play him in a single match despite the fact that the team who played in the first match didn't cover themselves in glory, and yet they seem to think they've seen enough to discard him from the tournament in May?
Its a blow to his confidence for sure, though this story on Cricinfo shows, on the surface at least, that he's determined to get back into the selectors mindset.
Surely there should be a place in the squad for a man who has demonstrated the ability to tear attacks apart in England, and is useful with the ball (leading wicket taker in the New Zealand Twenty20 competition) - his county record must be at least as good with the ball as Luke Wright. I'm very disappointed with England on this, and I hope there's a chance to rectify it, but the lack of domestic Twenty20 (except the IPL, and I'm not sure how much he'll play there) between now and the World Twenty20 means that is very unlikely.
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Unfortunately he won't get too many chances with the Mumbai Indians, as much as I'd want my team to play him. Especially now since they've bought Kieron Pollard, and with Ryan McLaren having gotten international experience under his belt.
Mumbai Indians have a ridiculous roster of allrounders, Dwayne Bravo too, is he fit to play? Oh well, he might get a game or two, in New Zealand he played almost as a specialist bowler, but the Indians are pretty strong in the department too with Malinga, Zaheer and Fernando. It'll be good for him to be around such quality players in any case, but I'd like to see him play.
The Mumbai purchases have been weird, really. I'd like to see Jayasuriya dropped if he doesn't perform - the four overseas players should be the strongest, with Bravo, Pollard, Duminy and Malinga in there. How many T20 teams would bench Napier and McLaren!
Agree on Jayasuriya, I think he might be (sadly) finally past it. A great cricketer, but he's seen better days I think. Though I notice he's in Sri Lanka's Twenty20 provisional squad, so he might prove there's life in the old dog yet!
Still in that squad? Wow, he's like an uncle who's had a little too much to drink and just won't leave even though everyone else had :P
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