The tension is palpable. Not

So, not long to go until the Ashes squad is announced, and I am sure you are just as excited as me. Which is to say, not very.

There are two reasons for this lack of tension. First, England selection policy is now just so consistent. Do you remember when Joey Benjamin could make a winter tour? Or when England had four captains in one summer? Ah, those were the days.

The other reason is that the squad is not as important as it used to be anyway. When it needed a two-month voyage by boat to get Down Under, players knew that if they didn’t make the squad, their chance of playing was gone.

Now, it seems that half the professional cricketers in England will be in Australia over the winter, whether they make the squad or not. In particular, the Lions will be there for more or less the same length of time as the main squad.

This means, for example, that although Adil Rashid will probably only be in the Lions squad, his chances of making his Test debut this winter will probably be about the same as James Tredwell making the Test side, even though Tredwell may be in the Test squad.

I’ll still be listening to the announcement though. 2.30 on 5 Live, in case you’re wondering.