Australia Test squad - 2014

[Rids]

I suspect spin will be a significant feature and we're in a nice situation at the moment where two of the most in-form batsmen outside the test side are handy part-time spinners (North and Maxwell) as well as one of the leading wicket-takers in the Shield being a spinner (O'Keefe). So, for mine:

Batsman:
Warner
Rogers
Doolan (could make an argument for Marsh or Hughes here but I want to see more of Doolan before casting a judgement)
Clarke
Smith
Watson
North
Maxwell

Keeper:
Haddin

Bowlers:
Johnson
Harris (if fit - otherwise Starc or Bird would be more preferences)
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon
O'Keefe

 

[Ian Dargie]

Why should age come into contention if they have good form? You pick your best side available for each test.

For Harris, the issue is fitness.

And the reality is that players retire at some point. That becomes more likely as players get deep into their 30s. Haddin and Rogers aren't going to play forever. They may elect to bow out after a glorious season. Or there may be a judgement made that they are unlikely to last through to the next Ashes so it's time to start settling replacements.

Simplistically repeating that 'you pick your best side' doesn't alter the fact that one of these older guys may call it day before October.

Do you know exactly what Australia's best side looks like? Who bats at No.3?

 

[happy punter]

Irrespective of his mediocre first class stats the selectors have set the stall with Doolan meaning they have to give him an extended run in the side.

 

[Ian Dargie]

Batsman:
Warner
Rogers
Doolan (could make an argument for Marsh or Hughes here but I want to see more of Doolan before casting a judgement)
Clarke
Smith
Watson
North
Maxwell

Keeper:
Haddin

Bowlers:
Johnson
Harris (if fit - otherwise Starc or Bird would be more preferences)
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon
O'Keefe

No Faulkner?

 

[1990crow]

Warner, Rogers, Clarke, Smith, Watson, Haddin, Johnson, Lyon, Harris (should be fit) are first picked (9)
Bird, Siddle, Pattinson to fight for one spot
Lynn, Hughes to fight for number 3
Maxwell the backup all rounder, if its another spinner is needed and to strengthen batting

 

[eth-dog]

Hughes would be eaten alive in the UAE. Ajmal would be guaranteed 4 cheap wickets if he played

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Any Aus team without Harris in it looks a far lesser prospect than any team with him in the attack so I hope he recovers well from the surgery.

 

[Rids]

No Faulkner?

Perhaps. I think you need two specialist spinners for a tour of the UAE so Faulkner only comes into contention for the tour side if you're willing to travel across with just the 3 paceman + Faulkner. If you get an injury to a paceman and a pitch that doesn't warrant a 2nd spinner do you pick Faulkner? Perhaps but I'm not sure if I quite rate him high enough as a bowler to fill that role ahead of, say, Siddle or Pattinson.

 

[Ian Dargie]

Perhaps. I think you need two specialist spinners for a tour of the UAE

How likely is that really?

Would you really drop one of our quicks to accommodate our second-best spinner? Is that O'Keefe at this stage?

So Faulkner only comes into contention for the tour side if you're willing to travel across with just the 3 paceman + Faulkner. If you get an injury to a paceman and a pitch that doesn't warrant a 2nd spinner do you pick Faulkner? Perhaps but I'm not sure if I quite rate him high enough as a bowler to fill that role ahead of, say, Siddle or Pattinson.

I reckon there's room for four quicks and Faulkner in a 15-man squad, even if you insist on picking a second spinner as well.

I basically see Faulkner as being on permanent standby for Watson, who is now clearly not being picked on the strength of his batting alone.

I'd pick best XI – I think 9/10 of those are obvious, with a big question mark over No.3 and some conjecture over Siddle v Pattinson.

For the other four spots, I'd pick Faulkner, the fourth quick, a back-up batsman and then another spinner – that spinner may be a spinning all-rounder rather than a specialist.

People talk about players "demanding selection". Faulkner could almost justify a spot on his bowling alone. He's 23 with 142 FC wickets at 23. That's impressive – better than Starc or Coulter-Nile, for example. And we know he can be effective as a lower-order hitter. Whether he gets picked as a bowling all-rounder batting at No.8 or pushed up to No.6 as a bit of a gamble, I reckon he should be kept in the mix.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Hughes will be exposed against Pakistan, would be horrible for his long term future.

I'm scared that he will play.

On the low slow spinning tracks in the UAE Ajmal will eat Hughes for breakfast

 

[Turboman1994]

Drop doolan shuffle everyone up and being in maxwell

Warner
Rodgers
Clarke
Smith
Watson
Maxwell
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle/Harris
Pattoman
Lyon

 

[gbatman]

Harris will be getting a clean out, which might mean he puts his feet up for a month maybe less. He will play.

Hope some of our boys can get some first class cricket in somewhere. Pattinson needs to play some long format cricket, he wasn't near his best in that SA Test. Siddle also needs some cricket under his belt though some time away to get things right wouldn't hurt.

Still a place in that side for a middle order batsman. May consider playing Maxwell, his batting for Victoria in shield cricket has been sensational and his games for Australia in other formats have been good. A bit like Warner, can hit the ball in all formats. He's a golden arm bowler, this could be handy, especially in the UAE.

 

[gbatman]

Warner
Rogers
Clarke
Smith
Maxwell
Watson
Haddin
Johnson
Patinson
Harris
Lyon

Siddle
Marsh
O'Keefe
Faulkner
(North/Voges/Lynn/Cooper)

North probably the pick, can bowl handy off spin. Lynn is a terrific up and comer will play a heap of cricket for Australia, great striker of the ball in all formats. Would nearly have one of these two in the team.

Voges had a great season and Cooper has had a good year and made the most shield runs.

Could always drop a quick, use Maxwell as the all rounder and play North/Lynn.

 

[matty p]

Warner
Rogers
Hughes
Clarke
Smith
Henriques
Haddin
Johnson
Pattinson
Harris (if fit)
Lyon

Doolan
Faulkner
O'Keefe
Siddle/Bird
Coulter-Nile (if Harris isn't fit)

 

[Belnakor]

Irrespective of his mediocre first class stats the selectors have set the stall with Doolan meaning they have to give him an extended run in the side.

The pitches will spin from ball 1... Doolan isn't great against spin from what i've seen, could be a hughes type problem.

 

[HBF]

16 Man squad

Warner
Rogers
Doolan
Watson
Clarke
Smith
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Pattinson
Lyon

Bird
Faulkner
Marsh
Hughes
North (assuming he makes runs in county cricket)

 

[1990crow]

Warner
Rogers
Clarke
Smith
Maxwell
Watson
Haddin
Johnson
Patinson
Harris
Lyon

Siddle
Marsh
O'Keefe
Faulkner
(North/Voges/Lynn/Cooper)

North probably the pick, can bowl handy off spin. Lynn is a terrific up and comer will play a heap of cricket for Australia, great striker of the ball in all formats. Would nearly have one of these two in the team.

Voges had a great season and Cooper has had a good year and made the most shield runs.

Could always drop a quick, use Maxwell as the all rounder and play North/Lynn.

Sorry but Maxwell isn't a top 6 test batsmen. He's a number 7. Which means we need a keeper to bat in the top 6, so pass thanks.
I agree with Lynn, can't wait to see him playing for us. I'd back him in now, whilst we're moving up the rankings. Don't wait until Clarke, Watson, Rogers are gone.

 

[Surkin]

Warner
Rogers
Clarke
Smith
Maxwell
Watson
Haddin
Johnson
Patinson
Harris
Lyon

Siddle
Marsh
O'Keefe
Faulkner
(North/Voges/Lynn/Cooper)

North probably the pick, can bowl handy off spin. Lynn is a terrific up and comer will play a heap of cricket for Australia, great striker of the ball in all formats. Would nearly have one of these two in the team.

Voges had a great season and Cooper has had a good year and made the most shield runs.

Could always drop a quick, use Maxwell as the all rounder and play North/Lynn.

Really like this. No reason Clarke and Smith can't bat at 3 and 4 in the UAE. Both are fantastic players of spin. Allows us to play Maxwell who also himself is a pretty good player off spin as well as offering his bowling.

 

[gbatman]

Sorry but Maxwell isn't a top 6 test batsmen. He's a number 7. Which means we need a keeper to bat in the top 6, so pass thanks.
I agree with Lynn, can't wait to see him playing for us. I'd back him in now, whilst we're moving up the rankings. Don't wait until Clarke, Watson, Rogers are gone.

Wasn't that long ago you could have said the same about Smith, I just get the feeling he's on the up, he's a huge talent. Sure wouldn't be against giving Lynn the next series. Few years time both he and Maxwell will be in the test team.

 

[Sylvia Saint]

After the brilliant summer we've had, it's hard to fathom no test cricket for 7 months.

Warner
Rogers
Doolan
Clarke
Smith
Watson
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon

Maxwell
Faulkner
Marsh
Bird

- Assumes Harris won't be back.
- Would be very tempted to play Maxwell ahead of Siddle, and Faulkner ahead of Watson (who's bowlings days look numbered)
- Not convinced with Doolan, but he did just enough to get another chance.
- Can't see Mitch being as effective over there, will need a big series from Lyon.

Who have we got for the next Aussie season? I'm guessing we're due for a soft summer.

 

[Showbags]

After the brilliant summer we've had, it's hard to fathom no test cricket for 7 months.

Warner
Rogers
Doolan
Clarke
Smith
Watson
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson
Lyon

Maxwell
Faulkner
Marsh
Bird

- Assumes Harris won't be back.
- Would be very tempted to play Maxwell ahead of Siddle, and Faulkner ahead of Watson (who's bowlings days look numbered)
- Not convinced with Doolan, but he did just enough to get another chance.
- Can't see Mitch being as effective over there, will need a big series from Lyon.

Who have we got for the next Aussie season? I'm guessing we're due for a soft summer.

India at home for the tests and the World Cup

 

[Showbags]

My squad:

Dave Warner
Chris Rogers
Shaun Marsh (decent player of spin and better than Doolan imo)
Michael Clarke
Steve Smith
Shane Watson
Brad Haddin
Mitchell Johnson
Steve O'Keefe
Ryan Harris
Nathan Lyon

Marcus North
Matthew Wade
Peter Siddle
James Pattinson

They are going to produce real dust bowls over there in the UAE to negate Johnson so we need to back our two best spinners in the country and guys that can bowl stump to stump reverse swing.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I hope we give Doolan this tour. Sometimes it just takes a big innings and everything could click for him. Maxwell will go on this tour as will Starc. I hope we rest Harris from this tour to keep him fresh for the home summer.

 

[bird_man]

Sorry but Maxwell isn't a top 6 test batsmen. He's a number 7. Which means we need a keeper to bat in the top 6, so pass thanks.
I agree with Lynn, can't wait to see him playing for us. I'd back him in now, whilst we're moving up the rankings. Don't wait until Clarke, Watson, Rogers are gone.

Maxwell bats at 5 for Victoria not 7, with an average of 42.

 

[blaze036]

Rogers
Warner
Hughes
Watson
Clarke
Smith
Haddin
Johnson
Pattinson
Lyon
Bird

Siddle
Maxwell
Doolan
and last spot of the tour goes to one of the promising up and coming spinners (Muirhead?)