BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | Hollioake shows England form



By Scott Heinrich BBC Sport Online

The fatigue and injuries presently besetting England have forced selectors to scratch beneath the surface for suitable back-up players.

The incapacitation of Andy Caddick, coupled with the uncertainty of Darren Gough, has thrown England's new-ball possibilities wide open.

And Graham Thorpe's recent retirement from the one-day game leaves a gaping hole in the middle order, particularly when thoughts turn to next year's World Cup.

But if now seemed like a golden opportunity to blood the cream of an apparently rich crop of youngsters, David Graveney clearly feels otherwise.

Adam Hollioake
Hollioake was unstoppable against Sussex

Precocious talents like Ian Bell and Simon Jones seem a world away from selection as the old guard repeatedly come back for more.

John Crawley's recall to the Test team this summer set the tone, and it should surprise no-one if Dominic Cork and the in-form Mark Ramprakash play in the first Test against India.

And who would have guessed Ronnie Irani would again play for England after so long in the wilderness, let alone produce the kind of top-class performance that sunk the Indians at The Oval?

Irani stars in England win

It might not be over-stepping the boundaries of sanity, therefore, to put forward the name of Adam Hollioake as a possible candidate for England's World Cup squad.

If it's dynamic, superior form in domestic cricket that selectors are turning to, they need look no further than the Hollioake's 52-ball century against Sussex in the C&G Trophy on Wednesday.

Surrey speed to semis

The last of Hollioake's 35 one-day appearances for England came against India in the 1999 World Cup, but he is no run-of-the-mill former international.

The Surrey skipper has also led England 14 times in limited-overs cricket, winning his first five games in charge including the 1997 Sharjah final against West Indies.

But a dip in form - and a return to the policy of England using the one captain for Tests and one-dayers - meant Hollioake's days were numbered.

He found himself unable to hold his spot in the team as a batsman or a bowler, but a recall may now be possible given the shallow reserve of all-rounders in England.

Folly

England know that they cannot live on Andrew Flintoff alone, and if Irani is all of a sudden a sure thing to go to South Africa then it may be wise to keep Hollioake in mind.

The Essex captain averaged under 10 with the bat and 61 with the ball prior to his recall, but showed a new lease on life in the NatWest Series and gave England another dimension.

Hollioake, whose international record is far better than that of Irani's, could well show similar rejuvenation if given his head by the selectors.

Indeed, if they retain their penchant for experience and domestic form come the World Cup, it just may be that Hollioake's name is more than simply bandied around.