Sack a selector

[eddiesmith]

So the time has come, Friday morning in Melbourne the CA board will meet and decide which of the selectors will be sacked to make way for Greg Chappell. Unfortunately Hilditch is safe untill the World Cup so its down to 3, although I have a strong feeling I know who will win this poll ;)

[western royboy]

I voted Jamie Cox

[Bucking Beads]

I voted Jamie Cox

I think the odds are stacked with him getting the sack.

[dr nick]

obviously swervyn mervyn will make way, but it will do nothing to stem the flow of taswegians littering the side

[Bucking Beads]

obviously swervyn mervyn will make way, but it will do nothing to stem the flow of taswegians littering the side

two heads is better than one....

[The Governor]

Jamie Cox, Merv Hughes and Andrew Hilditch should be given the sack!!!

Merv is more interested in making TV appearances on Channel 10 whilst Hilditch loves to indulge in the hook shot whilst making comments about our selection policies. He is more interested in walking his Golden Retriever down Glenelg Beach.

Jamie Cox has a conflict of interest. He is the High Performance Director of SACA and how can CA endorse his selection nomination?

THE GOVERNOR

[ManWithNoName]

Should be Merv. Please god be Merv.

[Jimthegreat]

No "all of the above" option....lol!

Wish there was!

[mattymac]

if it has to be only one of them, then merv

[King Elvis]

All of them.

But Merv.

[Bombers_Forever]

Jamie Cox - can't sack Boonie or Merv.

[Kim Hagdorn]

Great to see Merv leading the poll by a looong way.

[CAS79]

The cries for Merv to be a selector rang loud and clear, need a Victorian, need a Victorian on the panel.

We need a bloody panel member who watches cricket and not complain about it, that's your frigging job.

[albundysmate]

all of them. bring some new blood that has just recently retired from test cricket in the last 7 years

[frankrizzo]

Hard to argue against merv going, guy was a lion heart cricketer and a genuine personality to boot but he's an awful selector who seems to see the job as money for nothing.

But it's sad when you can't really find compelling cases to keep the other dropkicks.

At this moment i would trust chappell picking the team by himself over having any combo of the others working with him.

[King Elvis]

Chappell & Ponting are the only two selectors we need.

Get Hohns or AB back.

[SouthSwans]

Keep Boony on, get rid of the rest.

[The Governor]

Jamie Cox has to be released to make way for GS Chappell. He is the High Performance Director of South Australian cricket and it appears he has a conflict of interest.

Merv and Boony have test match experience and will be mentored by the great GS Chappell who gave them their first taste of test cricket back in 1984 and 1985.

The Happy Hooker will bow out after the 2011 World Cup and he continues to make blunders by favouring mature age batsmen and young fast bowlers. And, if you look at the One Day XI and 20-20 XI, the teams are full of young players (Warner, Stephen Smith, Mitchell Starc etc). Is not that funny?

It will be totally logical for GS Chappell to become our new CHairman after the 2011 World Cup. He is a full time employee of CA and he is responsible for making sure we will become the number 1 test nation in test cricket. So, he will go by the old formulae of picking youth ahead of mature age batters whose age is at least 25. Chappell will be prepared to become adventourous by picking 20 to 21 year old batsmen to play test cricket to give them a chance to test their game against quality bowling.

If you really look at things in hindsight, I am prepared to say the amount of runs Hodge, North and Katich have scored in SHield cricket to win a Baggy Green Cap is totally overrated. They scored their runs against average bowling attacks who are not up to test match standard.

In conclusion, it would be great to see the departure of Hilditch and Cox for 2 new selectors who will pick youth ahead of mature age batsmen.

THE GOVERNOR

[King Elvis]

Gov, those guys made those runs when Kaspa, Bichel, Lee, Gillespie etc were still playing regular domestic cricket.

[The Governor]

Gov, those guys made those runs when Kaspa, Bichel, Lee, Gillespie etc were still playing regular domestic cricket.

Lee and Dizzy were not playing regular domestic cricket from 2002 to 2007. From memory, Brett Lee was 12th man on countless occasions during the 2004-2005 season whilst Kaspa and Gillespie were playing test matches for Australia.

Has our cricket programming allowed for 3 to 4 shield games to be played before the 1st test match? During this time, all of our test players are available to fine tune their 4 day game whilst the budding young players have a chance to score runs against top quality bowling and claim the scalps of our test match regulars.

How can the selectors pick Katich and North on the back of a glutton of runs being scored against average shield bowling attacks?

Ignore YOUTH AT YOUR OWN PERIL

[Belnakor]

Anyone who has a ****in whinge about watching cricket 24/7 and getting paid 200k a year needs to **** off ASAP - good bye Merv.

[Selective Retention]

Confirmed as Merv. Heard it on SEN.

Interestingly the mirror in the UK ran with it yesterday, lucky guess maybe.

[beez]

And Merv is gone...

[Mr_Bojangles]

Is it also true Merv was part of the Fanatics tour for the last Ashes tour to the UK and wasn't fulfilling his role as a selector?

[Jimthegreat]

Lee and Dizzy were not playing regular domestic cricket from 2002 to 2007. From memory, Brett Lee was 12th man on countless occasions during the 2004-2005 season whilst Kaspa and Gillespie were playing test matches for Australia.

Has our cricket programming allowed for 3 to 4 shield games to be played before the 1st test match? During this time, all of our test players are available to fine tune their 4 day game whilst the budding young players have a chance to score runs against top quality bowling and claim the scalps of our test match regulars.

How can the selectors pick Katich and North on the back of a glutton of runs being scored against average shield bowling attacks?

Ignore YOUTH AT YOUR OWN PERIL

I see you point for sure but using Katich was a bad example. His batting at Test level has been terrific.

[bombersno1]

Woohoo! Less Victards in the side, this is a GOOD thing. I have never forgiven Merv for picking White as a spinner!

[Cousin Jed]

Interestingly the mirror in the UK ran with it yesterday, lucky guess maybe.

Maybe they read bigfooty polls?

[The Governor]

I see you point for sure but using Katich was a bad example. His batting at Test level has been terrific.

Katich's batting at test level has been sub par since 2008. Gee, have you realised that he is the younger brother of Graeme Wood? He is a terrible runner between the wickets and he has contributed to Shane Watson's failed attempt to score a ton at the MCG.

Simon Katich should not be in the test side at all.

On a brighter note, CA ratified Hilditch's decison to release Merv from his selection duties. Gee, Cox never played test cricket for Australia whilst Hilditch hooked himself out of a test spot in November 1985 by playing the hook shot on too many occasions.

Hilditch and Cox have contributed to Australia's demise by picking mature age batsmen like Katich and North. They have shown sympathy to the mature age batsmen who never got a chance to play test cricket due to the success of the test side. Jamie Cox never played test cricket.

If you really look at the whole scenario, these two stooges are on the Governor's sacking list. In the next 12 months, our batting lineup is going to be called DAD's ARMY!!

From the 1930s to 2003, Australian cricket has a rich history in picking youth ahead of mature age batsmen. Neil Harvey, Sir Don, Ian CHappell, Greg CHappell, Kim Hughes, Allan Border, David Hookes, Ricky Ponting, Michael Slater, Graham Yallop, Peter Burge, Bill Lawry, Bob Simpson and Ian Redpath made their test debuts at a young age whilst mature age players (Jamie Siddons, James Brayshaw, Mick Taylor) never got a chance to wear the Baggy Green Cap.

And, Australia's test status is on the way down due to the selection of mature age batsmen.

THE GOVERNOR

[toptigers]

Katich's batting at test level has been sub par since 2008. Gee, have you realised that he is the younger brother of Graeme Wood? He is a terrible runner between the wickets and he has contributed to Shane Watson's failed attempt to score a ton at the MCG.

Simon Katich should not be in the test side at all.
THE GOVERNOR

Apparently averaging over 50 in Test Cricket is sub par?

Get a grip mate, just because he is a bit older doesnt mean you get rid of him, you dont promote youth for youth sakes. You must love it when your AFL team is in a rebuilding phase

[albundysmate]

Katich's batting at test level has been sub par since 2008. Gee, have you realised that he is the younger brother of Graeme Wood? He is a terrible runner between the wickets and he has contributed to Shane Watson's failed attempt to score a ton at the MCG.

Simon Katich should not be in the test side at all.

On a brighter note, CA ratified Hilditch's decison to release Merv from his selection duties. Gee, Cox never played test cricket for Australia whilst Hilditch hooked himself out of a test spot in November 1985 by playing the hook shot on too many occasions.

Hilditch and Cox have contributed to Australia's demise by picking mature age batsmen like Katich and North. They have shown sympathy to the mature age batsmen who never got a chance to play test cricket due to the success of the test side. Jamie Cox never played test cricket.

If you really look at the whole scenario, these two stooges are on the Governor's sacking list. In the next 12 months, our batting lineup is going to be called DAD's ARMY!!

From the 1930s to 2003, Australian cricket has a rich history in picking youth ahead of mature age batsmen. Neil Harvey, Sir Don, Ian CHappell, Greg CHappell, Kim Hughes, Allan Border, David Hookes, Ricky Ponting, Michael Slater, Graham Yallop, Peter Burge, Bill Lawry, Bob Simpson and Ian Redpath made their test debuts at a young age whilst mature age players (Jamie Siddons, James Brayshaw, Mick Taylor) never got a chance to wear the Baggy Green Cap.

And, Australia's test status is on the way down due to the selection of mature age batsmen.

THE GOVERNOR

do you actually watch cricket. by the looks of it you don't he has averaged over 50 since he has got back and had 9 consecutive tests with scoring a fifty or more. watch some cricket before you post again on this forum

[mattymac]

And, Australia's test status is on the way down due to the selection of mature age batsmen.

nah. i reckon we've bottomed out. there's a big gap between us and number 6. this is not the beginning of the end but the end of the beginning to quote winny churchill. mervs gone. 2 to go. chappel won't put his name to too much crap i wouldn't think. he's got a bit of pride and a good cricket head. things should be on the up from here on in, but it might still be too late to save this ashes campaign

[King Elvis]

Good, now Merv can get back to being a larrikin and I can stoping hating him.

[The Governor]

do you actually watch cricket. by the looks of it you don't he has averaged over 50 since he has got back and had 9 consecutive tests with scoring a fifty or more. watch some cricket before you post again on this forum

I actually watch cricket, and do you honestly think Katich and Hussey will be around in 2013? I think you need to examine and analyse how pass selection panels selected Australian test teams from the 1950s to 2005 before you made that comment!!

Comeon!!

Our batting lineup is resembling the English batting lineup of the 1980s to 1990s where the English selectors kept on picking mature age batsmen who scored a mountain of runs on the county scene. Do you remember the time when England continually ignored Nasser Hussain during Australia's 1989 tour of England? He should have been playing for England during that series.

Dean Mervyn Jones was dropped from the test side with an average in the mid 40s to 50s for youth back in 1992. The selectors made the right call. They realised that he was an inconsistent run scorer and they looked to the future.

Youth is the answer and the mature age batsmen who are under question have to be dropped for young talent.

It is time to rebuild the test side for the future.

And, I would rather see us lose to England with a bunch of young players in the side whilst Ricky is still captain. THey will have a chance to learn under a captain who was mentored by Taylor, Waugh and Warne.

A winning era can only be created by picking young players and getting test matches under their belts. Their techniques and approach to the game will be tested against test match quality bowling attacks and a young player will be able to know if he has to work an extra 10% harder to succeed at test level.

PLayers like Steve Waugh, RIcky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn and Justin Langer made their test debuts between the age of 20 to 23. They were dropped from the test side at a young age and they came back into the test side a better player. They realised that after their techniques were exposed by test match quality bowlers, they had to work on their weaknesses to succeed at test level whilst they served their time on the shield scene.

Picking mature age batsmen who are aged from 26 to 30 is fraught with danger. As Chappelli wrote in a recent article, you cannot drop a mature age batsmen from the side after their weaknesses have been exposed. Their career is over. Brad Hodge scored a double ton against South Africa, but Trevor Hohns found some weaknesses in his technique and he was omitted from the 2006 South African tour. After he was dropped, he only played 1 or 2 test matches in the West Indies in 2008.

Is anyone getting my drift?

Or, is everyone still living in the dream created by Andrew Hilditch?

THE GOVERNOR

IGNORE YOUTH AT YOUR OWN PERIL

[frankrizzo]

Why are people still arguing with the governor over the katich issue, he's either trolling or he's clueless.

Either way he's getting the attention he wants but banging the same drum over and over.

[Cousin Jed]

Is anyone getting my drift?



Yes we have.

Think there is something in the rules about banging on endlessly about the same thing.....

[The Governor]

Why are people still arguing with the governor over the katich issue, he's either trolling or he's clueless.

Either way he's getting the attention he wants but banging the same drum over and over.

Frankrizzo,

The Governor knows more about cricket than you!!!

IGNORE YOUTH AT YOUR OWN PERIL

[SouthSwans]

Frankrizzo,

The Governor knows nothing!!!EFA :thumbsu:

[courtjester]

Governor, most people see the point you are making. It's just that your method will likely see us return to the period when Kim Hughes was captain, we get flogged in every test with a young inexperienced team.

There is great benefit in getting young players into the test team, as you say, but not three or four all at once.

You seem to have Katich, Hussey and North on the chopping block. My opinion is North should be dropped now (for Khawaja), Hussey next year (unless he scores massive runs) and Katich when form evades him. This will mean in the next year or two we will blood 3 young players, but they will enter into an fairly experienced line up.

As the old saying goes "It's harder to get into the Australian test team than it is to get out of it". All these young players need to have bumper years in the first class scene before being given a test cap. If they dont succeed against Shield bowlers, what chance do they have against Dale Steyn and Swann etc.

[ManWithNoName]

This is similar to what it would've been like if Essendon had just sacked Scott Camporale instead of Knights as well. Then come out and said all will be fine. Yes, Merv was no good. But there's a bigger problem. The bloke in charge.

[whats_at_stake]

I think Australia's main problem selection wise is the focus on picking players who have performed for at least 6-7 years in first class cricket.

Let us take two examples:

Player A: batted in first class for 10 years, aged 29 will average 50 with the bat for 2-3 years and then start slowing down
Player B: batted very well for three years in first class, aged 21 will average 40 with the bat for a 2-3 years and then gradually become more consistent.

The Australian selectors will pick Player A which ignores the fact that he will only be around for about 3 years. Even if they are superior to a young player the young player will perform for 10 years and be able to stabilise the team for various transitions.

India is a perfect case for this. Pujara, Raina, Vijay all have very good records in first class cricket for 3 years and were blooded on the back of two-four consistent domestic/international seasons. Badrinath is sort of the Brad Hodge of Indian cricket- played well in a Test, dropped and now despite playing very well will probably never be picked due to him being aged 30 or so. Yuvraj is also another unlikely to get a go.

It may seem harsh, but in Test cricket you need players who can perform for at least 5 years so you do not have to keep trying to change the team and be faced with all you aged team requiring a transition.

[The Governor]

It may seem harsh, but in Test cricket you need players who can perform for at least 5 years so you do not have to keep trying to change the team and be faced with all you aged team requiring a transition.


I totally agree.

Court Jester, there is no harm in experiencing short term losses for long term sustained success? All successful dynasties go throug this phase. The West Indian team of 1975/76 were flogged by us and they started to develop as a unit in 1976 and became a force during WSC.

After the 1985 Tour of England, we suffered series losses in 1985/86 and 1986/87. We turned the corner in 1987/88 by beating NZ and Sri Lanka and suffered a blimp on the radar in Pakistan and in the home series against the West Indies during the 1988-89 season.

In 1989, we won back the Ashes.

1989-90: Drew to NZ in a one off test; beat Sri Lanka.
1990-91: Beat England
1991: WI Tour. Beaten by the WI in the West INdies.
1991-92: Beat India.
1992: Beat Sri Lanka in a 3 test match series.
1992-93: Lost to the WI
1993: UK Tour. Beat England
1993-94: Beat NZ in a 3 test series. Drew the SOuth African Test series and South Africa beat us in South Africa (correct me).
1994-95: Beat ENgland
1995: TOur of WI: Reclaimed the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy.

If you look at the way the side performed from 1985 to 1989, we have to suffer short term losses to achieve long term success. All successful sides go through this phase.

If you look at the way Collingwood, Hawthorn and Geelong have developed to win flags, these AFL sides suffered short term pain to achieve premiership success.

THE GOVERNOR

[King Elvis]

This is similar to what it would've been like if Essendon had just sacked Scott Camporale instead of Knights as well. Then come out and said all will be fine. Yes, Merv was no good. But there's a bigger problem. The bloke in charge.

Damn right mate.

Gov, drop the Katich stuff, because outside of that, I think almost all of us agree with you.

North should be dropped immediately.
Huss should be as well, at best, given two Tests to perform, otherwise, gone.

Katich/Ponting play until their form fades and they aren't up to it.

That's two kids into the side immediately, another in probably 12 months, and another in 12 months after that.

That'll likely give you;

Hughes
Watson
Khawaja
Clarke
Smith
Mitch Marsh (or Fergie or whoever).

That's a very young line-up, but a very exciting one.

[The Governor]

Damn right mate.

Gov, drop the Katich stuff, because outside of that, I think almost all of us agree with you.

North should be dropped immediately.
Huss should be as well, at best, given two Tests to perform, otherwise, gone.

Katich/Ponting play until their form fades and they aren't up to it.

That's two kids into the side immediately, another in probably 12 months, and another in 12 months after that.

That'll likely give you;

Hughes
Watson
Khawaja
Clarke
Smith
Mitch Marsh (or Fergie or whoever).

That's a very young line-up, but a very exciting one.

How about Aaron Finch? Aaron FInch is a ready made number 3 batsmen who scored a mountain of runs at First Grade District Grade Level in Colac as a teenager whilst playing against men.

People tend to forget that most AIS Criicket scholars and Under 19 players do not play against men when they were between the age of 14 to 17. Cricket officials pick them in teams that play against other cricketers who are in a similar age bracket to them.

Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell are amongst the few legends who played 1st Grade Cricket when they were between the ages of 12 to 15 years of age. And, this tough introduction into cricket helped them in an enormous way. The results speak for themselves. In Greg CHappell's autobiography, he recalled the time he made his test debut against England in Perth. He made the comment that playing first grade cricket for Prince Alfred Colledge when he was between the age of 12 to 16 had helped him with the transition from Shield to test cricket.

THE GOVERNOR

IGNORE YOUTH AT YOUR OWN PERIL

Usman Khawaja
Shane Watson
Aaron Finch
Cameron White
Michael Clarke
Stephen Smith

[ManWithNoName]

The Test side isn't for developing players. It's for the best. We're not England, we don't give out Baggy Greens to everyone who shows a bit of potential. You have to show you deserve it first, then show it some more before you finally get it.

[Bucking Beads]

How about Aaron Finch? Aaron FInch is a ready made number 3 batsmen who scored a mountain of runs at First Grade District Grade Level in Colac as a teenager whilst playing against men.

People tend to forget that most AIS Criicket scholars and Under 19 players do not play against men when they were between the age of 14 to 17. Cricket officials pick them in teams that play against other cricketers who are in a similar age bracket to them.

Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Ian Chappell and Greg Chappell are amongst the few legends who played 1st Grade Cricket when they were between the ages of 12 to 15 years of age. And, this tough introduction into cricket helped them in an enormous way. The results speak for themselves. In Greg CHappell's autobiography, he recalled the time he made his test debut against England in Perth. He made the comment that playing first grade cricket for Prince Alfred Colledge when he was between the age of 12 to 16 had helped him with the transition from Shield to test cricket.

THE GOVERNOR

IGNORE YOUTH AT YOUR OWN PERIL

Usman Khawaja
Shane Watson
Aaron Finch
Cameron White
Michael Clarke
Stephen Smith

Aaron Finch?? You kidding??? He has done nothing as yet. He may have talent but needs to have a quality year at shield level before he is even mentioned as a future Australian player. Some people just want to give out Baggy greens like they are lollies.

[Bucking Beads]

The Test side isn't for developing players. It's for the best. We're not England, we don't give out Baggy Greens to everyone who shows a bit of potential. You have to show you deserve it first, then show it some more before you finally get it.

so true but sometimes players need to get rushed in because there is nobody else.

[The Governor]

Aaron Finch?? You kidding??? He has done nothing as yet. He may have talent but needs to have a quality year at shield level before he is even mentioned as a future Australian player. Some people just want to give out Baggy greens like they are lollies.
[/QUOTE

Pass selection panels have identified talent when they see it and rushed the player into the test side. Ian Healy was identified by GS Chappell back in April 1988 as a future test wicketkeeper and he was selected in the squad to tour Pakistan in 1988 ahead of NSW keeper Greg Dwyer. Healy played 2 to 5 shield games due to Peter Anderson's thumb injury and Ian Healy became one of legends of Australian cricket.

How about Peter Taylor back in January 1987. Greg Chappell liked what he saw during the 1986/87 Shield Final and picked Peter Taylor for the final test match against England in 1987. He took a bag of wickets and won the man of the match award in his first test match.

How about KD Walters back in 1965? Sir Donald Bradman and Jack Ryder identified his talents and picked him on a hunch.

How about SK Warne back in January 1992? He was no Clarrie Grimmett, RIchie Benaud or Abdul Qadir when he made his test debut? He got smacked by Ravi Shastri and Sachin Tendulkar in the Sydney test match and spent the off season with Chappelli, Rod Marsh, Terry Jenner and Skull O'Keefe at the AIS Academy in Adelaide. The selectors picked him for the 1992 Sri Lankan tour and he got 0 fo 107 in the 1st innings against Sri Lanka at Columbo and took for 3 for 11 in the 2nd innings to bowl Australia to victory. People forget that GRJ Matthews and Allan Border gave him the confidence to bowl and his career took off from that point.

http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63580.html

People tend to forget that the jump from shield cricket to test cricket is a big step. And, the time is right for GS Chappell and his fellow selectors to become bold and daring by picking young talent on a hunch.

[quote=Bucking Beads;19470334]so true but sometimes players need to get rushed in because there is nobody else.

I totally agree. A risk should be taken to secure the long term future of Australian cricket by picking youth and giving them as much exposure to test match cricket as possible.

IGNORE YOUTH AT YOUR OWN PERIL

THE GOVERNOR

[eddiesmith]

Aaron Finch?? You kidding??? He has done nothing as yet. He may have talent but needs to have a quality year at shield level before he is even mentioned as a future Australian player. Some people just want to give out Baggy greens like they are lollies.

so true but sometimes players need to get rushed in because there is nobody else.

:confused:

Make up your mind...

[bombersno1]

There is "punting" on a player and there is being "stupid". You can punt on Ferguson/Usman as they have performed for a while in Shield cricket. Finch would be beyond stupid, he has no runs on the board and you want him to make runs against a world class attack. Good luck. There are 10 batsmen at the least ahead of him!

[SouthSwans]

Put AB, S Waugh, G Chappell & Warney in.

They'd sort this shit out & having them all around the current squad could only be beneficial.

[CAS79]

The Test side isn't for developing players. It's for the best. We're not England, we don't give out Baggy Greens to everyone who shows a bit of potential. You have to show you deserve it first, then show it some more before you finally get it.

I agree with this entirely.

However this argument gets turned up to defend non performers who are in the team when it should not.

[gbatman]

all of them starting with Hilditch. You can't sure cancer unless you get it all...

[STC]

So now every single selector is a batsman? Why would you sack the only bowler? How are they supposed to identify bowling talent when none of them have actually exploited the trade?

They should sack them all and start afresh with Chappell as the chairman.