England Ashes squad picks itself

England's Ashes touring party will have seven batsmen, with six listed to play in every Test, at least until things go wrong, and Eoin Morgan will start as the seventh choice, unless injuries intervene, claims noted cricket writer and commentator Scyld Berry in a write-up for the Sunday Telegraph.

Berry believes that two wicketkeepers will be selected: Matt Prior, as first choice and Steve Davies in reserve.

Davies has scored enough runs in his few internationals to oust Craig Kieswetter - not solely on the grounds of being a better keeper, but also because Davies is in that vogue situation, 'a good place', with his batting.

Kieswetter hasn't performed since winning the World Twenty20.

England will take five pace bowlers, with more in reserve in Australia while attending the England performance program.

James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steve Finn are inked in to start the series. The other two are probably going to be the Yorkshiremen, Tim Bresnan, for his steadiness and fitness, which were displayed in the two Tests in Bangladesh earlier this year, and Ajmal Shahzad, who swung the ball both ways at Old Trafford in the second Test against Bangladesh.

Monty Panesar was one of only two spinners to take 50 first-class wickets this summer. In the worst scenario if Graeme Swann is injured, Panesar is the only spinner who could bowl 25 or 30 overs in a day as economically, or even more so, as Swann.