Scouting report - Graeme Swann - Notts

Last updated at 20:46 15 August 2007

You are featuring a spin bowler.

Must be time to contemplate

winter tours!

Yes. England are not going to pick

their squad for Sri Lanka until

mid-October but the end of the

Indian series is the cue for

speculation as to who will be

heading to Kandy, Colombo and

Galle in December.

And if we are touring Sri Lanka

there must be a need for

someone other than Monty to

match the threat of Murali.

Scroll down to read more:

Not sure about matching the

great man but we definitely need

to pick one, if not two, twirlymen

other than Monty to give it a go.

Isn't Adil Rashid a shoo-in?

He's certainly the coming man but

Geoff Boycott and all at Yorkshire

reckon it's too soon for him.

So, who does that leave us with?

Haven't you looked at the top of

the page?

It's the off-spinning

all-rounder, media star and

prankster-in-chief from Trent

Bridge. Swann has 37 first-class

wickets this year, is thriving in all

forms of the

game and has

character.

Character?

Character didn't he let

himself down

when he

toured South

Africa with

England seven

years ago?

Word was the

only 'flash' of

inspiration he showed was on

the dressing-room balcony.

We all do silly things when we are

young. Granted, Dean Headley had

to take the young Swann to one

side and tell him to show captain

Nasser Hussain a bit more respect,

but he has matured. Now 28, he is

at his peak.

Are you sure he's matured?

Apparently he's trying to grow

a handlebar moustache. Blond

facial hair?

He will look like

David Soul in his prime.

Back in your Hutch. The Notts

boys are having a moustache

growing competition to raise

funds for Cancer Research.

Let's hope they have more

success with that than in their

attempt to win the Second

Division.

Steady. This season England have

already gone for one Notts

bowler who failed at his first go

with England — Ryan Sidebottom.

Surely Ryan isn't trying to grow

a moustache? We won't be able

to see his face if he gets any

more hair.

Maybe that's not a bad thing.

Have you seen his facial

contortions when Matt Prior

drops yet another catch. Pretty,

he ain't.

Who is Swann competing

against?

Well, other than Rashid, James

Tredwell of Kent has his

admirers, Warwickshire's Alex

Loudon is bowling again and

Worcestershire's Gareth Batty is

coming with a late charge.

Batty? He went to Sri Lanka last

time and took six Test wickets

at 66!

Swann it is then...