A debate where debate is not needed

Happy new Test series!

Yes, the cold, grey skies - well, over Leeds they are; seems it's better in London - herald the onset of the English Test summer. The West Indies are the opponents for the first part of the summer and not expected to provide a huge amount of resistance. They arrive depleted for a number of reasons - politics, IPL, intransigence, disinterest - and as has become the norm when they arrive for Test matches in this country, the weather flatly refuses to be anything other than wintry. At least they don't have to go up to Durham this time, where the sight of a shivering Shiv Chanderpaul fielding at slip wearing every jumper he's ever owned is a pitiable one.

On the flip side, England are a happy and settled bunch after ending a pretty torrid winter with a much-needed and morale-boosting win. They've added Jonny Bairstow to the squad and he's expected to play, batting at six. The Todd Flanders look-alike is in fine form and has shown in county and international one-day cricket that he fears nothing. He'll come in for Samit Patel from the last time England played a Test with Matt Prior dropping down a spot as England revert to the four-man attack that's served them so well in every place other than south Asia.

Of that four man attack, Graeme Swann, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad are givens. There should be no debate about the fourth either, and yet it seems a bone of contention. Yes, England are blessed with a number of different options, but one of those stands out so far above the others that it shouldn't be an issue. Steven Finn, Chris Tremlett and Graham Onions are all fine bowlers, of course, but how Tim Bresnan has become anything other than a first pick borders on the scandalous.

After 11 Tests - in all of which he has been on the winning side, lest we forget - Bresnan bats at over 40 and bowls at under 25. As a lower middle-order batsman alone, his figures would warrant discussion. As a bowler alone, he ought to be ahead of the others. As a package, he should be undroppable. As genuine all-rounders go, there's only Anthony McGrath Jacques Kallis that surpasses his figures. He offers so much more than stats though. His stereotypical willingness to keep running in is reminiscent of his fellow Yorkshireman Matthew Hoggard and that effort gets rewards. And yet the debate goes along the lines of 'and if there's an injury to one of your first three seamers, there's always Bresnan to come in'. 

He's done the hard miles for England, ploughing up and down motorways after being overlooked in favour of someone that the Prozone devotees determines is better horse for a particular course, missing chunks of county games as a result, but he still takes it on the chin and grinds through the overs for Yorkshire. The time has come, however, for him to be a mainstay of this England attack. He's proved himself. No longer should it be a case of 'if there's an injury, there's Bresnan to come in'. It should be 'who have we got if Bresnan is injured?'. The fact there's even a discussion over his inclusion is a debate that we need not have.