Shah Waits in the Wings As Bell and Harmison Sweat on Test Place

England begin what could be a defining 2009 in Jamaica this Wednesday in a frame of mind traumatised by more uncertainty than any other test match in recent memory.

They have their third permanent captain in under a year, selection dilemmas unparalleled in the age of the ‘central contract,’ as well the spectre of Friday’s Indian Premier League player auction, in which several English players will be hoping to feature, dangling provocatively above their heads.

Indeed, England’s woes are a reflection of the anxiety felt across the cricketing world of late in these dying days of the great Australian empire. The defeat in the first one day international to a workmanlike New Zealand team proves beyond any lingering doubt that Ricky Ponting’s men have fallen behind South Africa and India as the most feared team in the world and do not look like rescuing that position any time soon.

As what will in all likelihood become the age of India gets underway, the safety blanket which was Australia’s unilateral domination of cricket has been stripped away and a new and cold new dawn threatens to completely revolutionise the world game.

But that is a conversation for another day. For now, England know that victory, and a convincing one at that, over the West Indies will be the only way of signalling their positive intent going towards what looks like an increasingly winnable Ashes series starting in July.

Andrew Strauss knows that getting the balance of the team right, and more importantly doing it quickly, before the Australian’s visit will be his immediate priority. Assuming that Andrew Flintoff is fit, the first decision will be whether or not to persevere with the frustrating Ian Bell or whether to replace him with Owais Shah.

Shah has just two Test matches under his belt despite being a consistently prolific scorer in both domestic and One Day International cricket but the selectors have so far persisted with the talented but fragile Bell.

Consistency of selection was one of the most progressive factors of Duncan Fletcher’s regime but the idea of a ‘team England,’ or 19th county as they have been referred to, has arguably restricted the progress of worthy players into the team.

Bell’s record is good, averaging over 40 in test cricket, but it is widely believed that he makes too many ‘pretty,’ runs in easy conditions. Indeed it is a damning statistic that of his six test centuries none were the first score of three figures in the innings.

Shah is a less graceful, flamboyant player with a tight grasp of the bat handle and is one of the best players of spin in the English game, something he proved on debut in India three years ago, making a pulsating 88.

He is in good form too, making a century against St Kitts and Nevis last week whilst Bell once again failed to convert three excellent starts into a score of any significance.

The other issues come in the more erratic bowling department. One of Ryan Sidebottom, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Steve Harmison will miss out.

Sidebottom seems a dead certainty to provide the orthodox swing and control whilst Broad’s prowess with the bat, along with an encouraging performance in the first warm up game, should see him selected.

Strauss would also love to have Harmison bowling with the kind of rapid pace and awkward bounce that saw him take 7-12 on his last visit to Sabina Park.

But it has been a long time since the Durham man produced consistently for England and Anderson, a permanent presence in the team over the last 12 months, could get the nod.