Bob Willis, Nasser Hussain, David Lloyd, Mark Butcher and Rob Key make their selections
Tuesday 9 January 2018 06:15, UK
England were thumped by Australia in the Ashes - but they are only halfway through their Test winter down under.
Joe Root's side will go again in New Zealand in March in a two-Test contest, live on Sky Sports Cricket, with a day-night game in Auckland followed by a regular red-ball affair in Christchurch.
With the squad for those games due to be announced on Wednesday, we asked five Sky Cricket experts - Bob Willis, Nasser Hussain, Mark Butcher, David Lloyd and Rob Key - for the 16 men they would pick.
Butch has plumped for Curran and Overton - but not the ones who debuted in the Ashes - and Alex Hales, while Bob Willis would like to see a return for opener Haseeb Hameed.
Nasser would retain James Vince - but not at No 3 - and Bumble would call up seamers Richard Gleeson and George Garton, and give Stuart Broad a breather, while Rob wants young Essex batsman Dan Lawrence involved...
Check out the pundits' picks below…
BOB WILLIS' SQUAD: Cook, Hameed, Root, Malan, Bairstow, Buttler, Moeen, Woakes, Broad, Wood, Anderson, Roland-Jones, Craig Overton, Livingstone, Leach, Crane
BOB SAYS: Hameed showed great temperament before his injury and deserves a recall as Alastair Cook's opening partner, while Jos Buttler is a genius in white-ball cricket - surely he can adapt to the longer form?
I like Lancashire's Liam Livingstone - he is a spiky character who might make his presence felt - while Jack Leach should offer the control that Moeen Ali and Mason Crane cannot in the spin department.
MARK BUTCHER'S SQUAD: Cook, Stoneman, Gubbins, Malan, Root, Hales, Bairstow, Buttler, Ali, Crane, Woakes, Anderson, Broad, Jamie Overton, Sam Curran, Roland-Jones
BUTCH SAYS: Nick Gubbins has scored big runs for Middlesex and should be snapping at Mark Stoneman's heels, while England need pace and a fit Jamie Overton has it in spades.
Buttler is simply too good not to be involved and could take over the gloves if England decide to move Jonny Bairstow up to 5, and Alex Hales at 5 or 6 might provide a counter-attacking option.
Sam Curran is immensely talented and would offer variety from the endless diet of right-arm over, while Toby Roland-Jones would be ready to step in should James Anderson need a rest or Stuart Broad need a nudge.
Ben Stokes' absence means Ali will keep his place, otherwise there might have been room for Leach. England desperately need Moeen to find form.
NASSER HUSSAIN'S SQUAD: Cook, Stoneman, Gubbins, Root, Malan, Bairstow, Foakes, Vince, Woakes, Ali, Crane, Anderson, Broad, Craig Overton, Roland-Jones, Wood*
NASSER SAYS: I have gone for Mark Wood to bring the thing that England were missing in Australia: extra pace. That is a must.
However, there are lots of players in the frame so I have put an asterisk next to his name. You also have Olly Stone at Warwickshire, Saqib Mahmood at Lancashire and George Garton at Sussex.
Whichever of those four is fit enough, not just to bowl three or four overs in a Twenty20 game but to bowl in a Test match and maintain their speed at 90mph, would be my pick. I'm not really too fussed who it is.
James Vince will be discussed heavily - at times he looks an international cricketer but the repetitive nature of his dismissals is a major concern. I would pick him but I wouldn't have him at three - he'd be five at best.
I have gone for Gubbins because Stoneman's form has fallen away a little and because he could also bat at No 3. I haven't seen him a lot but from what I have seen I think he has a game suited to Test cricket.
Hameed was also a contender because he has done nothing wrong for England - he impressed immensely in India last winter - but I worry a bit about his low hands and fragile fingers.
Roland-Jones should come back in and could push Broad for a spot, while I have picked Ali but not as the main spinner. Away from home, Crane would be my front-line spinner, with Ali there as second spinner and batsman.
DAVID LLOYD'S SQUAD: Cook, Stoneman, Gubbins, Vince, Root, Malan, Ballance, Bairstow, Buttler, Ali, Roland-Jones, Leach, Woakes, Gleeson, Garton, Anderson
BUMBLE SAYS: I'd bring Gubbins in as a third opening option - he's very close to selection and I think he is the long-term replacement for Cook.
Leach at Somerset is simply the best spinner in England so he comes in for Crane. I also think Broad needs a break to recharge his batteries so I'd bring in two new seamers: Gleeson from Northants and Sussex's Garton.
Gleeson hasn't been talked about for England too much but he is a fit, strong and quick bowler and is worthy of a chance.
Garton, at just 20, might be more of a punt but as a left-armer with real pace, he would offer England something different.
ROB KEY'S SQUAD: Cook, Stoneman, Root, Bairstow, Malan, Ali, Buttler, Woakes, Broad, Anderson, Tom Curran, Wood, Lawrence, Crane, Stone, Foakes
ROB SAYS: I think England need to start looking to get a young batsman in and around the team and I believe Lawrence is the best of those around.
By taking the gloves off Bairstow it gives England an excellent middle order - I would bat Jonny at No 4 between Root and Dawid Malan and then you could have an inexperienced batsman at No 6.
Buttler is a once-in-a-generation player and needs to be in the side keeping at No 7. That is harsh on Bairstow but the team need him batting at No 4 as he and Root are our best batsmen.
Stone, meanwhile, is one of the quickest bowlers around. I played against him a fair bit when he was at Northants and he reminded me of a young Stuart Broad. If he has half the career Stuart has had, England will be in good hands.
