More questions than answers

Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff: full-time captain and part-time stand-in © Getty Images

England's miracle in Mumbai might have seemed like a glorious end to a testing Asian winter but in truth it asked more questions than it answered.

There are batsmen aplenty waiting in the wings to fill any experienced shoes that might become vacant. But the back-up bowling is less well stocked and the spinner's berth is still up for grabs.

And then there is the captaincy. Andrew Flintoff acquitted himself so well as tactician and motivator that it is tempting to think that England can make do without Michael Vaughan. But there is a difference between captaining a side as a stand-in to taking the job full time. Vaughan's style of captaincy was a relaxed change to the more intense Hussain era. I gather that being led by Fred is an even more laid-back experience than under Vaughan. Again, this might be fine for an interim appointment but would be hard to sustain in the longer term.

At some point Flintoff will need a break. Over the next 12 months England will play six more one-dayers in India, three Test matches and five ODIs at home against Sri Lanka, four Tests and five ODIs at home against Pakistan, the Champions Trophy in India, five Tests in Australia plus the VB Series and the World Cup in the Caribbean. Is Flintoff going to play in every one of those fixtures? I really hope not.

In terms of the Ashes, the respective results of England and Australia between now and November are irrelevant. England have a psychological edge over Australia which they will carry into the Test if they have enough key personnel in place. Vaughan is one of those key personnel. It was he who outmanoeuvred Ricky Ponting at every turn during the 2005 Ashes. And it is he who should be walking out to toss the coin at the Gabba. His very presence will be a constant reminder to Ponting of their previous encounter. England teams carried scars of lost Ashes battles for years. This Australian side is scarred and that is an advantage England can exploit.

But we don't know when Vaughan will be fit and that uncertainty is unhealthy for England. As is the uncertainty about Marcus Trescothick. The full story has yet to emerge of his sudden departure from India though it is suspected that the pressure of filling in for Vaughan had something to do with it.

It remains to be seen whether he is ready to resume full international duties at home and abroad. If he is, he ought to keep his slot at the top of the order with Andrew Strauss. It has been mooted that he should drop down the order to accommodate Alastair Cook's emergence, much as Vaughan did in 2004 to accommodate Strauss. A middle order of Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen, Trescothick, Flintoff has a ring of solidity and experience to it. But the fact remains that Trescothick has been England's most consistent batsman of the last five years as an opener. He resolved the technical issues that beset him in the 2002-03 Ashes series to become a banker in any conditions. There is one caveat here. If Vaughan is not fit for England's next Test against Sri Lanka in May then there is a compelling argument to have Trescothick in the middle order to shepherd less experienced batsmen.

But of all the selection issues England face, the toughest concerns the spinners. Maybe Ashley Giles is just being pessimistic, but if his concerns about his career are real then he may have played his last Test. Which means England have to decide whether they want to stick with Monty Panesar and stomach Matthew Hoggard batting at No. 8 or whether they go for Shaun Udal. Or they could chuck in another new face, an untried batting spinner like Alex Loudon, Graeme Swann or Jamie Dalrymple. They really are on the horns of a dilemma. Panesar looks like he can take Test wickets but is a No. 11 and is a liability in the field. Udal probably had his day in the sun at Mumbai and, at 37, is not a long-term option.

The only solution - other than praying for Ashley! - is for Panesar to get in the nets with Liam Plunkett, regarded as England's most bat-savvy seamer. If Panesar could help Plunkett secure a place batting at eight then his own future would look a lot safer.