The omission of key players such as captain Andrew Strauss and premier bowler James Anderson has given opportunities to new candidates to be part of the team at the World Cup in 2011.
However, these new candidates to be on the plane to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will no doubt cause the selectors no end of problems.
All Rounder
The position of all-rounder in the England side is a position which many of the current players could easily claim. However, the likes of Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan should be classed as 'bowlers who can bat' as appose to full blown all-rounders.
That therefore leaves two main candidates: Luke Wright & Andrew Flintoff.
Wright is currently the man in possession of the position, and his selection in recent Test squads strikes me that he maybe the selectors choice for the long-term successor to Freddie. His swashbuckling style of batting and 85-90mph bowling would make him seem like the ready made replacement.
However, his batting is inconsistent and he is not getting enough overs with the ball (this was especially evident in Bangladesh where he bowled a total of 12 overs in 3 games). The bowling is the main worry, as a replacement for Flintoff would have to step up and cover the amount of overs he bowled. Instead, the likes of Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen are having to fill these overs.
All this means that the door is by no means closed for Freddie. No one will ever doubt his ability, and especially his bowling, in the 50-over format of the game. However the fitness and speediness of his recovery from his latest operation means that he will have to do a lot for Lancashire over the summer to prove he is a gamble worth taking.
The debate regarding Freddie could be compared to that which is taking place at the moment surrounding David Beckham. There is no doubt both are extremely talented and are legends of the game. The question that remains is "Is there a better, younger replacement?"
In Freddie's case, there probably isn't.
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