End of the road looms for Collingwood as England set out their master plan
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Your support makes all the difference.England's latest plan to dominate limited-overs cricket will start to take shape today with the announcement of two squads to cover one Twenty20 and five Fifty50 internationals against Sri Lanka. At least 10 names should be common to both parties – and omissions may be more significant, going forward, than inclusions.
Given that Paul Collingwood is the only man to have led England to a global one-day title (last year's World Twenty20, in the Caribbean), his dismay at being dumped as captain a few weeks ago was easily understandable.
Whether or not Stuart Broad is the long-term answer as skipper remains to be seen (indeed, his immediate future is not crystal clear right now with a bruised left heel casting a shadow over Saturday's intended captaincy debut in Bristol) but the budding all-rounder will be given every chance to establish himself in that role before England defend their title next year.
For Collingwood, though, the end of the road looms – and has probably been reached – in 20- and 50-over cricket, despite his determination to fight for a place this summer and a century for Durham yesterday.
Another who will never concede defeat in these matters is Matt Prior. But it will be a surprise if England's Test wicketkeeper figures today after consistently failing to do himself justice with the bat in one-day internationals.
It is at 50-over cricket that England in general have stood still, never threatening to win a World Cup since 1992 despite a few little surges of promise along the way. And given that the next tournament, to be played in Australia, is the thick end of four years away, the argument for picking a gaggle of youngsters now and, by and large, sticking with them through thick and thin has plenty of merit.
The problem, of course, is that selectors are in the results business and need some wins along the way. So while today's squad should include the likes of James Taylor, Chris Woakes and Ajmal Shahzad, do not expect any real bolts from out of the blue.
Still, at least those who are picked should know where they are playing over the next few weeks. This winter's itinerary has still to be finalised, although a version put forward by Giles Clarke, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, on the radio yesterday appears to be well wide of the mark.
According to Clarke, five one-day internationals against Pakistan were being lined up for the United Arab Emirates before Christmas. In fact, it seems England will play the currently "homeless" Pakistan somewhere in the Middle East during January and February with three Tests, three T20s and four ODIs on the schedule.
England can also look forward to five ODIs and a T20 in India in October, plus a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka towards the end of the winter.
Domestically, the winners and runners-up in this year Friends t20 will be eligible for September's Champions League tournament in India – but only if they want to join four other sides from around the world in a qualifying competition for the $2.5m (£1.5m) main event.
Possible England squads: T20: Stuart Broad (capt), Craig Kieswetter, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, James Taylor, Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Chris Woakes, Graeme Swann, Peter Trego, Ajmal Shahzad, Jade Dernbach.
ODI: Alastair Cook (capt), Kieswetter, Pietersen, Trott, Bell, Morgan, Taylor, Patel, Woakes, Swann, Broad, Shahzad, Chris Tremlett, Anderson.
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