New era brings headache for England selectors.

Peter Moores has a tough task ahead in his second stint as England coach.

It must be hard selecting an international squad in any sport, but for Peter Moores and England captain, Alastair Cook, the 'new era' brings with it an ever-growing list of options for sizeable gaps which need addressing urgently. 

To compound this unfavourable task, competition for places is contested by a number of players who are either young, inexperienced at the highest level or have failed to impress at their first attempt.

With a number of players in contention, it is almost impossible for those left with this unenviable task to get it right first time. Form in county cricket is one thing, but for those who have never played Test cricket before it can be a learning curve, one which has proved too much for some.

Sam Robson was amongst those selected for the first Test against Sri Lanka and despite his promising record for Middlesex, the Australian-born opener made just one run on debut in England's first innings on his home ground, Lord's.

The position of opening batsman alongside skipper Cook is one that has been filled by a number of players since the departure of Andrew Strauss, but nobody has been able to seize their opportunity to such an extent where they have not eventually been disposed with.

England's options for opening batsman:

Vince has scored 4,756 first-class runs.

-Michael Carberry (6 Tests, 345 runs@ 28.75, HS 60):
The Hampshire opener has played only six Test's and can certainly be seen as one of the many players who had to be removed after a calamitous Ashes series. He made his disappointment clear to England after he was afforded such a short space of time to prove himself but, in truth Carberry is not likely to return to the England Test team.

-James Vince (Un-capped):
Carberry's Hampshire team-mate is a truly talented batsman and is likely to be part of the international set-up in the near future. His first-class average of 41.17 says a great deal about his consistency with the bat and his recent form saw him reach 1,000 runs before anybody else in the 2014 County Championship.

-Nick Compton (9 Tests, 479 runs@ 31.93, HS 117):
For those who would describe themselves as a connoisseur, Compton is the ideal choice. However, many have criticised the Somerset man for batting too slowly, a style which is not viewed as complimentary to Cook's technique. It is also tough to understand how he can fill the role of opening batsman for England when he regularly occupies number three or four for his county.

The most worrying gap left by the presupposed 'old era' is that left by the departure of Graeme Swann. His retirement mid-Ashes series sparked much debate over his 'selfish' exit, despite a severe elbow injury, but the biggest consequence of his retirement is the current attempt to replace him.

The team for the first Test match against Sri Lanka demonstrated the extent of England's problem in this department, with part-time spinners, Joe Root and Moeen Ali used as a short-term plug for this sizeable gap.

Much like the role of opener, the search for a specialist spin bowler is tough and the absence of an outright spin bowler in the England squad suggests that the selectors do not feel that their is a quality spin bowler in county cricket at present.

There are a number of players in waiting, but none seem to be able to turn the ball enough and emerge as top-order batsman instead of a menacing spin bowler. Moeen Ali has taken his chance with more conviction than Robson after making a first-innings score of 48, but is not the prolific spinner England need. However, his performance with the bat is likely to keep him in the England set-up in all formats, a position which many county cricket followers will view as thoroughly deserved.

England's options for spin bowler:

-Scott Borthwick (1 Test, 4 wickets@ 20.50 BB 3-33):
If Moeen Ali has been selected as a top-order batsman with the ability to bowl part-time spin, then Borthwick must be close to receiving the nod. He was a key part of Durham's Championship success last season and if he is not selected soon, the 24-year-old could miss out during the peak of his career.

Kerrigan has 204 first-class wickets.

-Samit Patel (5 Tests, 4 wickets@ 64.25 BB 2-27):
His questionable England career took a huge dent after poor performances against Sri Lanka and India saw him exiled. The Nottinghamshire all-rounder is however one of the in-form players this season and he has worked hard to improve the fitness which was attributed to his failure during his first stint in an England shirt.

-Simon Kerrigan (1 Test, 0 wickets BB 0-53):
Will only ever be remembered for a horrific debut against Australia at the Oval where he was given the treatment by Shane Watson. He continues to do perform for Lancashire but it is difficult to see him making an immediate return, even if his former coach, Peter Moores, has taken over as the new England coach.

-Adam Riley (Un-capped):
One of the most promising talents in the country at present and has recently forced James Tredwell into a loan move to Sussex in order to play four-day cricket.

The final area of contention is the additional seamer, currently occupied by Yorkshire's Liam Plunkett and Warwickshire's Chris Woakes. Both of these players have the ability to bat, suggesting that the specialist seam bowlers in county cricket will not be considered, unless they can bowl as James Anderson.

This comes back to a long-standing argument over the benefits of a team with players in specialist roles and one with far more all-rounders, much like the current set-up. It started with the rejection of wicketkeepers who batted at eight or lower for their county and has since enhanced the reputation of players who can bat well 'on their day' or 'bowl a few overs', reducing the value of true specialists.

However, the vast improvement made by Plunkett warranted a recall and, in the case of Woakes, consistency was aptly rewarded. Should they underwhelm, there are options for England selector, James Whitaker, to consider in the future.

England's options for additional seam bowler:

-Jack Brooks (Un-capped):
The head-banded fast bowler has already taken 37 wickets in the County Championship this season and has flourished since his move from Northamptonshire to Yorkshire. He and Plunkett have been an excellent combination at Headingley and he appears to have a bright future in the game.

-Craig Overton (Un-capped):
The Somerset man has made good progress in his short career and should be credited for performing consistently in the Division One. Somerset have proven a lot of people wrong this year after being tipped for relegation and his 17 wickets have been a part of their unexpected success.