CHRISTOPHER MARTIN-JENKINS

CHASTENED by England's mauling by Muttiah Muralitharan, the selectors went into last night's meeting to choose the touring team to Australia determined to recall either Phil Tufnell or Peter Such as one of two specialist spinners. Although neither has had an especially successful season one of them will be in the party of 17 when four different touring teams are announced from Lord's this morning.

Such, whose 22 wickets in eight Tests contain only one five-wicket analysis on a turning pitch in his first match at Old Trafford, is being considered again because, in the opinion of Graham Gooch, who will manage the tour, he is one of the best two spinners in England. But with Robert Croft considered a certainty because his record overseas is far better than it is in England (eight wickets at 54 last year, none for 211 against South Africa this season) Tufnell is the more likely choice in case England want a balance of spinners for the final Test on a Sydney pitch which invariably helps spinners.

The other borderline places in the main party are expected to go to Dean Headley ahead of Andrew Caddick as the fifth fast bowler, to Warren Hegg as second wicketkeeper and to Alex Tudor or Chris Silverwood as the young fast bowler taken along for experience.

In addition to the side for Australia the selectors will name an England A team of 15 to tour Zimbabwe and South Africa in the New Year, a party to take part in the ICC Knockout tournament in Bangladesh in October and another to play in an eight-a-side tournament in Perth, from Oct 14-16.

Probable 17 for Australia: *-A J Stewart, M A Atherton, M A Butcher, N Hussain, G P Thorpe, M R Ramprakash, J P Crawley, -W K Hegg, B C Hollioake, R D B Croft, P C R Tufnell, D G Cork, D Gough, A R C Fraser, A D Mullally, D W Headley, A J Tudor.

CMJ's 17 for Australia: Stewart, Atherton, Butcher, Hussain, Thorpe, Ramprakash, Crawley, - A N Aymes, Hollioake, Croft, A F Giles, Cork, Gough, Fraser, Mullally, E S H Giddins, Headley.

CMJ's A team party for Zimbabwe & S Africa: * S P James, D L Maddy, R W T Key, M B Loye, O A Shah, A Flintoff, S D Peters, M J Powell (Glamorgan), C M W Read, G P Swann, C P Schofield, S D Thomas, S J Harmison, A J Tudor, P J Franks, J D Lewry.

MARK NICHOLAS

ONLY two places remain in serious question, the seventh batsman and the second spinner. Dean Headley's success last summer against Australia's left-handers nudges him ahead of Andrew Caddick, the other possible choice as the fifth fast bowler. The party has been extended to 17 in order to groom a young fast bowler. Alex Tudor is my choice.

John Crawley or Graeme Hick? I go for Hick because he is more versatile, he could bat at three for example, and is well thought of by the opposition. Heaven knows who should accompany Robert Croft. Phil Tufnell is the best bowler but is not everyone's cup of tea. Peter Such is the most consistent wicket-taking spinner in England but two off-spinners are not in vogue.

England: *-Stewart, Atherton, Butcher, Stewart, Hussain, Thorpe, Hick, Ramprakash, Cork, B Hollioake, Croft, Tufnell, -Hegg, Fraser, Gough, Mullally, Headley, Tudor.

England A: *Alleyne, Maddy, Shah, Sutcliffe, Solanki, Peters, Flintoff, Mascarenhas, -Read, Salisbury, Harmison, Lewry, Tudor, Franks, G Swann.

SIMON HUGHES

MAL LOYE is a beautiful player but Australia is not the place to blood young batsmen. My seventh batsman would be John Crawley, who is still suspect technically outside off stump, but seems to have more stomach for a fight than Graeme Hick.

Andy Caddick is inconsistent but the only English seam bowler who can make things happen on a flat pitch. He just eases out Ed Giddins as the fifth fast bowler. Phil Tufnell is still our most potent spinner.

If Alex Tudor is not fit, Durham's Steve Harmison should go for experience. If I were a selector I'd spend the last weeks of the season scouring the Bradford league for an English-born ``unorthodox'' Asian spinner.

England: *-Stewart, Atherton, Butcher, Hussain, Thorpe, Ramprakash, Crawley, B Hollioake, -Hegg, Gough, Fraser, Cork, Caddick, Mullally, Tudor, Croft, Tufnell.

England A: *Shah, Sutcliffe, Maddy, Key, Loye, Peters, Flintoff, Franks, -Read, Giddins, Harmison, Betts, Lewry, Scofield, G Swann.

PETER DEELEY

AFTER the South Africa series win it all seemed comparatively plain sailing for England's selectors. Then Sri Lanka revealed some of the cracks which had been papered over at Headingley.

Graeme Hick largely benefited from the change of attacking style, John Crawley made a spirited late effort at the Oval to catch the eye but Ian Salisbury probably wrote himself out of the script. With no other leg-spinner on the horizon and Phil Tufnell apparently not the apple of captain Alec Stewart's eye, the pendulum may swing back to traditional ``offies'' such as Robert Croft and Peter Such, who could be one of the two surprise packages, along with young Surrey paceman Alex Tudor.

England: *-Stewart, Atherton, Butcher, Hussain, Thorpe, Ramprakash, Hick, Crawley, Fraser, Gough, Cork, Mullally, Headley, Tudor, Croft, Such, -Hegg.

England A: *James, Maddy, Knight, Loye, Shah, B Smith, Peters, Flintoff, Giddins, Ormond, Dean, Hutchison, Schofield, Giles, -Read.

GEOFFREY DEAN

ENGLAND were grateful they took eight batsmen on the 1990-91 Ashes tour when Graham Gooch and Allan Lamb suffered bad injuries. Given the suspect state of both Mike Atherton's and Graham Thorpe's backs, I would want an eighth batsman and, to accommodate one, would use Crawley as second wicketkeeper. Arrangements could be made for Warren Hegg to be on stand-by playing grade cricket.

My second spinner would be Ashley Giles, a much better bowler than his Test debut suggested, and an excellent team man. Dean Headley's fine form of late wins him selection as do Martin Bicknell's top-class efforts all season. Not enough opportunities to justify selecting a raw, unproven quickie.

England: *-Stewart, Atherton, Butcher, Hussain, Thorpe, Ramprakash, Hick, Crawley, Hollioake, Croft, Giles, Gough, Fraser, Cork, Headley, Mullally, Bicknell.

England A: *James, Maddy, E Smith, Loye, Flintoff, Shah, Peters, -Read, G Swann, Schofield, Lewry, Harmison, Tudor, Betts, Ormond.

CHARLES RANDALL

THE TIME has come for Graham Thorpe to take a rest after nine successive winters on senior or England A tours, which would give him the opportunity to rest a chronic back injury and spend more weeks with his family.

The successful series against South Africa has underlined that no man is indispensable, especially an injured one, and it would be a further gamble to take both Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash to Australia, because they have continued to look stressed batting at Test level.

England should seize the opportunity to take both Andrew Flintoff and Ben Hollioake, two fearless young batsmen-who-bowl prospects. Martin Bicknell, outstanding for Surrey, narrowly misses out on a seam-bowling comeback.

England: *-Stewart, Atherton, Butcher, James, Hussain, Ramprakash, Crawley, Flintoff, B Hollioake, -Aymes, Giles, Croft, Fraser, Gough, Cork, Headley, Mullally.

England A: *A Hollioake, Maddy, E Smith, Vaughan, Loye, Shah, Irani, Peters, -Read, G Swann, Franks, Giddins, Hutchison, Kirtley, Harmison.