On paper they are a good side

As the saying goes "ah but they play on grass". I thought it would be worth seeing how England's top order stack up on the white stuff. I collated the current averages of England, Australia, South Africa, India and Sri Lanka -- the top five teams in the Test rankings.



England's test averages are poor compared to Australia and India and do not compare well against Sri Lanka. The comparison with South Africa is interesting because they do not look that dissimilar. This is misleading though, if you compare leading players Pietersen(48.6)/Kallis(57.1) or Cook (43.03)/Smith(48.6) then there is no real comparison. Kevin Pietersen it is often suggested is a batting superstar -- his average when compared to the other top world players makes that statement laughable. Averages are not everything, but they are a good indicator.

England have today announced an unchanged test line-up -- this will be the fifth test in a row with the same line-up. There are four batsmen in that line-up who average in the low forties, something which England's management use as justification for their selection. As the table above shows an average of 42 should be a reason to drop a player, not pick them...

I would suggest that on paper, England are not a good side.