Monty Panesar's shift of county to Sussex from Northamptonshire is expected to be confirmed on Monday, but will the move provide the spark needed for him to win back his England place?

Often a change of scenery can provide the inspiration to rekindle form but there is a body of thought that believes Panesar's stagnation is mostly due to the player himself, and that moving county is merely shifting the problem south.

Because his physical awkwardness makes him stand out, and because he is jeered and cheered in equal measure by the crowd, it is easy to paint Panesar as an innocent and blame his decline on others. Indeed, there were whispers of ill-treatment by team-mates at Northamptonshire last season, though these have been rejected by the club, who said encouragement for Panesar was strong. A total of 18 championship wickets at 59.44 tells a bleak tale, so something was malfunctioning.

It doesn't require a trained eye to see that Panesar has deviated from the simple and direct method that had brought him 73 wickets in his first 20 Tests (he has taken 53 in his last 19). That success was founded on pinning batsmen to the crease with balls of unvarying trajectory and pace, but with enough spin to produce sharp turn if the pitch gripped. With his height allowing him to get extra bounce as well, many of the world's leading batsmen found him an awkward prospect to face.

It was one-trick bowling that was pretty effective, though one that has been misplaced now he has attempted to increase his repertoire with doosras, arm-balls and flight, all from a new, shorter run-up.

Those fortunate enough to earn a Test debut would feel a mix of emotions when they finally reached the top - joy, relief, nervousness, pride. Unfortunately, some were never able to go back for seconds.

1. Short and sweet

AFTER the retirement of the irreplaceable Shane Warne, Australian selectors soon realised that Warnie was, well, irreplaceable. Stuart MacGill, Brad Hogg, Beau Casson, Cameron White, Jason Krejza and Nathan Hauritz were all given a chance to fill the void, with varying degrees of success. But Victorian veteran Bryce McGain endured the toughest initiation of all. The late-blooming leggie became Australia's oldest Test debutant since Bob Holland when he was picked for the final Test of Australia's triumphant tour of South Africa earlier this year. But instead of being allowed to enjoy the opportunity to finally wear the baggy green, McGain was targeted by the Proteas, returning 0-149. After the battering, he was discarded. Ever the optimist, he said he took heart from Warne, who also struggled in his opening Test before going on to a record-breaking career. Fortunately for Australia, Warnie was given another chance. McGain, most probably, won't.

2. Next stop, Darwin

IF THERE'S one job in cricket that's harder than bowling leg-spin, it's bowling left-arm leg-spin. In April last year, Beau Casson was named in Australia's Test squad for the tour of the West Indies, primarily as a back-up for Stuart MacGill. Then MacGill retired, and Casson was thrust into the spotlight for the final Test in Barbados. He went wicketless in the first innings, but picked up vital wickets in the second dig, finishing with 3-86. A handy start, but selectors obviously didn't like what they saw and his journey began a disastrous downward spiral. Back playing domestic cricket, Casson got the yips. He could manage only seven wickets in eight Pura Cup games for NSW, at an average of close to 100, and was ordered out of the attack at the Gabba for delivering a couple of high full tosses. A gentle and sensitive soul, Casson was last seen plying his trade in Darwin grade cricket.

3. Door slams shut

ONE OF the most prolific Sheffield Shield batsmen during Australia's dominance in the 1990s, Stuart Law had to endure a frustrating wait before he was handed a Test debut against Sri Lanka at the WACA in 1995 to cover for the injured Steve Waugh. The stylish right-hander looked immediately at home at Test level, with the visiting bowlers finding out what many domestic attacks had discovered over the years - that Law was a run-scoring machine. He made an unbeaten 54 before being replaced and was never given another look-in, despite churning out mountains of runs for Queensland and in county cricket. Law's debut was in the same game that Ricky Ponting first appeared at Test level and, in a true Sliding Doors situation, Ponting has gone on to score more than 11,000 Test runs. Law, a victim of Australia's decade-and-a-half of dominance, never added to his 54, and retiring without a Test average.

Niall Seewang