If any England fans are brave enough to make the trip to strife-torn Zimbabwe, they may have trouble recognising their team. The one-day party marks a clear break with the past, as Alec Stewart and Darren Gough are joined among the absentees by Andy Caddick (rested), plus Graeme Hick, Mark Ealham, Robert Croft and Alan Mullally (all discarded). In come Mark Ramprakash, presumably for his experience, although he has played only 13 one-day internationals, and three specialist fast bowlers, all of them uncapped at this level: Matthew Hoggard, James Kirtley of Sussex, who has wintered as an overseas player in Zimbabwe, and Ryan Sidebottom of Yorkshire, who played in England's first Test of the 2001 season, against Pakistan at Lord's, but spent the rest of the summer in the shadows.

The squad is packed with allrounders. Ben Hollioake, Andy Flintoff (assuming he is fit) and Paul Collingwood are all there. So, more surprisingly, are two spinners picked as much for their batting as their bowling: Jeremy Snape, Gloucestershire's closing-overs batsman, ace fielder, and part-time offspinner, who may have been picked to keep John Bracewell quiet; and Paul Grayson, the Essex opener and slow left-armer, who made a first-ball duck on his only international appearance for England, against South Africa in Kenya last October.

England one-day squad to Zimbabwe, October 2001

Batsmen
Nick Knight Warwickshire age 31
Marcus Trescothick Somerset 25
Nasser Hussain (capt) Essex 33
Graham Thorpe Surrey 32
Mark Ramprakash Surrey 32
Owais Shah Middlesex 22

Allrounders
Seam
Andy Flintoff Lancashire 23
Ben Hollioake Surrey 23
Paul Collingwood Durham 25
Spin
Paul Grayson Essex 30

Jeremy Snape Gloucestershire 28

Wicketkeeper
James Foster Essex 21
Fast bowlers
Matthew Hoggard Yorkshire 24
Chris Silverwood Yorkshire 26

James Kirtley Sussex 26
Ryan Sidebottom Yorkshire 23

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd