Hell hath no fury like a fast bowler scorned. Especially when his name is Alan Mullally. At the start of the 2000 season, Mullally failed to win one of England's new batch of 12 central contracts. He promptly declared that he was "surprised because I have been an integral part of the England side for four years," possibly forgetting that he hadn't played an international between 1996-97 and 1998-99. Now Big Al is on the warpath again. After being omitted from England's 16-man winter one-day squad, he told today's Daily Mail that the decision was "a disgrace", adding that he was "absolutely devastated". His fruity declarations may make him the apple of every tabloid writer's eye, but England have consigned him to the compost heap.

At first glance, Mullally seems to have a point. But who would he replace? Of the three specialist fast bowlers chosen this winter only Darren Gough, England's alltime leading one-day wicket-taker with 145, doesn't have a case to answer. Mullally may be casting an evil eye towards Matthew Hoggard, whose only success has come against Zimbabwe. And he must be positively staring daggers at Andy Caddick, whose one-day record is a spooky mirror-image of his own. In ODIs Mullally takes 1.26 wickets per match to Caddick's 1.29; Mullally's average is 27.42 (Caddick: 27.02); his economy-rate 3.84 (Caddick: 3.77); and his strike-rate 42.8 (Caddick: 42.9). Even their career-bests (Mullally 4 for 18, Caddick 4 for 19) are almost identical. It's toss-of-the-coin stuff (and presumably Mullally had Nasser Hussain calling for him).

The PwC one-day world rankings will bring even more tears to Mullally's eyes. He is currently rated fourth, and Gough (No. 6) is the only other English bowler in the top ten. And for three glorious months in 2000, only Glenn McGrath stood between Mullally and the No. 1 spot. "My ranking can't just be an accident," moans Mullally, and it's not hard to sympathise, especially when he's honest enough to admit that he doesn't deserve to make the Test party.

But facts and figures never tell the whole story; you've got to read between the lines. Mullally owed his brief stint at No. 2 in the world mainly to some good performances against weak opposition in helpful conditions. In the 1999 World Cup he took 4 for 37 against Sri Lanka -- not at their best in England in May -- and returned figures of 10-4-16-2 against Zimbabwe. A year later in England he went for three an over against Zimbabwe and a poor West Indies. But apart from taking 4 for 18 to beat Australia at Brisbane in 1998-99, Mullally has rarely shone in the big games. Caddick, on the other hand, has a superb record in South Africa, where the 2003 World Cup is taking place: 59 overs, 172 runs, nine wickets, economy-rate 2.91. Mullally claims to be "world-class in one-day cricket" but even he might be pressed to match that.

Mullally's batting and fielding counted against him too. Gough, Caddick and Hoggard may be fellow rabbits, but at least they can field. Out of the four, Mullally is comfortably the most one-dimensional. Being able to play the guitar in the team sing-along just doesn't carry much weight these days.

England had to make a tough decision. On balance, they got it right.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden Online.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd