With less than eight months to go before England kick off their World Cup campaign against Zimbabwe, the emphasis is on fine-tuning rather than radical overhaul. So it was predictable that the squad for the NatWest Series had few shocks. What would have been the biggest surprise - the recall of Ronnie Irani after more than five years in the one-day wilderness - became increasingly inevitable. But then so was Will Young getting to No. 1 in the charts. It doesn't make it right.

Irani's displays this season have been utterly jaw-dropping: in first-class cricket he averages 68 with the bat and 19 with the ball, in one-day cricket 84 and 14. But if form is temporary and class is permanent, why is Irani in at the age of 30? Nor can the fact that Essex play in Division Two be ignored entirely. It's a big enough step up from Division One to international cricket. Remember Steve Bull, who banged in goal after goal for Wolves in the lower leagues, and then struggled to locate a barn door when he appeared for England in the 1990 World Cup?

Irani's ten ODI appearances to date were utterly disastrous: he averaged 9 with the bat and took only four wickets at over 60. In his last six appearances, against the might of Zimbabwe and New Zealand, he made 12 runs, including three ducks, in six innings. It's also hard to see how Irani fits into this England side. Ostensibly he is a replacement for the late Ben Hollioake, but with Alec Stewart back in place of James Foster, England are in danger of batting Irani or Andrew Flintoff as low as No. 8, which would be a complete waste of time.

Irani's strength is taking games by the scruff of the neck, as he does so irresistibly for Essex at No. 5 or 6. But with Messrs Knight, Trescothick, Hussain, Thorpe, Stewart, Flintoff, and either Vaughan or Collingwood sure to play, it is hard to see how he can bat any higher.

Aside from Irani, there are recalls for Stewart and James Kirtley, as well as a first call-up for Alex Tudor. Tudor could offer a more realistic option at No. 8, and deserves a chance after his zealous display at Old Trafford. But a man who goes for 3.52 runs per over in Tests, as Tudor does, could well take some tap in the one-day game. The new, remodelled Kirtley did nothing wrong in Zimbabwe last winter - apart from get up match referee Colonel Naushad Ali's nose - and was always likely to be included if he started the season in form, which he has, with a timely ten-for against Yorkshire in the latest round of County Championship matches.

Darren Gough is also in, despite appearing to be carrying a few surplus pounds as he cavorted round Old Trafford during the third Test. And even though he has been struggling to get in Gloucestershire's one-day side ahead of Martyn Ball - remember him? - Jeremy Snape is included, ostensibly as cover for Ashley Giles. England are unlikely to play two spinners in a World Cup match in South Africa, but their first match is in Harare - where Graeme Hick once took an ODI five-for.

Hick's exclusion from this squad is surely the final nail in his international coffin. And it might be also be the end for one of Duncan Fletcher's favourite sons: Craig White is a shadow of the bowler who had the West Indians hopping about two years ago, although his one-day form for Yorkshire has been good.

Another man excluded is Owais Shah, even though he scored 57 in the last one-dayer in New Zealand. Shah's form for Middlesex this season has been mixed - only one fifty in nine innings in one-day cricket - but England are in danger of messing him around as they did another Asian-born batsman, Vikram Solanki, who three years ago was the next big thing and is now not even in the picture.

Shah may yet get a call-up if Paul Collingwood's knee is not properly healed, but it shouldn't come to that: he is a class act, has done little wrong in his nine appearances, and managed to wind the Australians up, but continues to be tossed around by the selectors. He even had to suffer the indignity of seeing Usman Afzaal selected ahead of him. England must beware looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Rob Smyth is on the staff of Wisden.com.

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