Ben Stokes is in the squad for the Ashes tour of Australia "for the experience."

Graham Onions isn't selected. Ah well, better a winter taking wickets in South Africa than carrying the drinks in Test Matches...

I doubt he will cry about it.

I think the selectors are bunch of shalotans for not taking Onions.

There again, Durham will be happy as he will be fresh for next spring.

Apparently there was a bit of argi-bhagi between Onions and a selector which could be behind his omission.

Did what was said make the selector's eyes water?

That'd be hard cheese for Onions.

There's a good ballance to the team.

I'm red with embarrassment for you if you think that's an Onion pun.

At least you fried I suppose and it has to said you must a have a thick sliver skin if not much else.

A good Cook knows his onions.

Can't believe the selectors think Tremlett is better than Onions.

Pleased for Ben though.

Is 'Tremlett' a type of onion?

More of a limp lettuce.

Seems quite obvious to me; Anderson leads the attack as always and use others bowlers that will suit the hard Aussie pitches. Anderson gets injured and Onions gets called up.

Quite excited about Stokes if he comes in at 6 (I think he will as the selectors like all rounders), it's a shame there isn't a lower key series first to ease him in though

Summer in Aus eh? He'll come back with a redskin. Hope he doesn't hit the bars with Monty though, he'll end up pickled.

I don't really see Stokes as a test number six quite yet he's averaged less than 30 in the County Championship this season. It's his bowling progression that has got him his call up. His pace is up and he's a wicket taker. With Bresnan probably out of the first test at least he might have a chance of slotting in at 8 as the third seamer if he goes well in the warm ups.

I still think Onions has been harshly done to, I heard yesterday he has taken 68 (before today) first class wickets this season at 17, Rankine, Finn and Tremlett between them have 70 odd at 29. Last year Onions took 66 at 14 those three 45 at late 20's again. He has out bowled all three of them on his own over two seasons!!

Also Finn, Tremlett, and Rankine are very similar as well. I know the wickets in Aus have pace and bounce but you can't see all three playing in the same game.

Onions must wonder what he actually has to do.

Run rings round 'em??

Grow about six inches!

I've got full faith in the English board and selectors, the recent results speak for themselves and I have more faith in them than those that constantly throw dirt at them. There's someone on cricinfo talking about this being the start of England returning to the bottom of the rankings due to them picking Carberry and Tremlett over Compton and Onions.

If England started with Jimmy, Broad and Onions then lost a test they would get slaughtered and Onions would never be seen again

Yeah they picked a great team at the Oval!? That great neither Woakes or Kerrigan have made the next tour never mind test.

Broad, Finn, Tremlett and Rankin are all over 6'6" I think three bowlers of a similar ilk is enough I fail to see the point in four.

Onions is a bloody good bowler who should be in the squad. England didn't win over there three years ago because they had taller bowlers it was because they bowled well. The first choice attack would be if fit, Broad, Anderson and Bresnan. One tall bowler, in what circumstances are the other three going to play?

I agree with them on Compton, he's awful to watch for a start!

But that's just the squad of 17 Mr PJ. No-one is saying they'll have all of them in. For me, Monty is the ace in the pack on those dry tracks.

I would be pretty amazed if we see pitches suited to spin seen as that is what we prepared all summer!

Pace and carry offering a bit for the seamers will be what they prepare the only way Monty will feature is if Swann gets injured.

Aye, but all I'm saying is there's plenty of attack in the squad. It's the batting I'm more concerned about to be honest, we didn't set the home series on fire did we??

The Oval selection was bizarre but in the last twelve months we've beat India away, cruised past NZ at home, got to the Champions Trophy final and destroyed the Aussies. We struggled with complacency over in NZ but the other results show that those in charge know a fair bit, despite what their critics constantly throw at them. The fact Kerrigan and Woakes haven't made the 17 shows they admit they made a mistake, surely that's a good thing? We'd have never seen that XI if the Test had been of more relevance. Despite all this they still get slagged from pillar to post, what else can they do?

It'd be interesting to see their reasons for Onions omission, why not just take him and have an 18 man squad?

We didn't but I'm not concerned about any of them, it's still as strong a top 5 as I can remember