Australian Frank Worrel Trophy & Ashes squad - 2015

[Badesumofu]

I have to assume that Faulkner is not available for selection or he would have made the A squad. I'd have him on the fringe of making the main squad, probably leaning towards not making it.

Maxwell and Faulkner are both super-talented and in my view could both make excellent Test cricketers in the future. But neither one is there quite yet. I hope they both get to play a decent amount of FC over the next 12 months now that the World Cup is done and we can forget about caring how we go in ODIs for a couple of years.

Also want to add that I am happy that the selectors have chosen to reward Shield performance without regard to age. You should never take a 'play the kids' approach to Test Cricket as every series is important. It's not like AFL or limited over Cricket where you focus on being as good as you can at the right time to win a cup. Or cups.

 

[Bumpswithagrin]

Forgot to say, good to see Siddle back as well

 

[Hudu Gurusingha]

Warner
Rogers
Smith
Voges
Clarke
M. Marsh
Haddin
Johnson
Starc/Siddle
Hazlewood
Lyon

S. Marsh
Watson
Ahmed
Neville
Harris

Harris not in the starting XI? Bish please

 

[ioppolo]

Harris not in the starting XI? Bish please

That's my selection for the Windies tour, Harris won't be available. For the Ashes, Harris in for Starc/Siddle.

 

[The_Reaper]

I have to assume that Faulkner is not available for selection or he would have made the A squad. I'd have him on the fringe of making the main squad, probably leaning towards not making it.

Maxwell and Faulkner are both super-talented and in my view could both make excellent Test cricketers in the future. But neither one is there quite yet. I hope they both get to play a decent amount of FC over the next 12 months now that the World Cup is done and we can forget about caring how we go in ODIs for a couple of years.

Also want to add that I am happy that the selectors have chosen to reward Shield performance without regard to age. You should never take a 'play the kids' approach to Test Cricket as every series is important. It's not like AFL or limited over Cricket where you focus on being as good as you can at the right time to win a cup. Or cups.

Faulkner was available for selection.

The selectors quite justifiably prefer Mitch Marsh for tests.

And they're going for two spinners in India with the A team

 

[eth-dog]

Over the moon for Voges and Ahmed. Well deserved.

Shane Watson though? FFS.

yon has an inferior average and strike rate to Hauritz now. Time to get a bowler in who can create more chances. Almost fell asleep just then thinking about Lyon.

Yet only 2 spinners took more wickets than him in 2014

 

[The 747]

Voges hasn't had 15 years of being not good enough.

Before this shield season even started he had the best record outside the Test XI of any shield batsman, except Cosgrove and D.Hussey and D.huss has been short of runs for 4 years now.

How's his record in Test cricket then? Do you mean we have a Test batsman sitting around for 15 years and haven't picked him?

 

[Kyptastic]

Since the 99 tour, we've played two spinners in just about half the tests we've played in the West Indies. Given that Marsh or Watson will be in the top 6, it's fairly likely that Ahmed will get a run in one of the two tests against the Windies.

 

[FRUMPY]

Agree with this although I don't think either player is good enough. I would have preferred they pick the young player who might give us ten years than a bloke having a shiny season after a 15 years of being not good enough. But in principle the idea of picking the best bowler and batter in domestic is appealing.

Not worried about the bowlers who weren't picked, there will inevitably be injuries.

It tells the other younger players that they need to lift their games in order to get higher honors. one 100 a season isnt going to cut it, you need 1000 runs a season to get a gig in the test side

 

[eth-dog]

It tells the other younger players that they need to lift their games in order to get higher honors. one 100 a season isnt going to cut it, you need 1000 runs a season to get a gig in the test side

That's unsustainable.

 

[1892]

Burns out is an interesting one as he didn't do a lot wrong when in the team. It seems he's in consideration along with Bancroft to replace Rogers and his non test selection/a selection seems to suggest that the selector's would prefer him to audition in that role in new conditions rather than tour and not play in the test team. I reckon it's between Voges and M. Marsh for the last spot in the top 6 depending on the conditions/tactics. It might be an option to use Voges' part time spin instead of Ahmed.

 

[eth-dog]

If Ahmed doesn't play, Smith will be the second spinner.

 

[Borderline]

Glad to see Ahmed got the nod. Met his cousin in a shop in Barcelona of all places.

 

[Hudu Gurusingha]

Yet only 2 spinners took more wickets than him in 2014

No one went for more 100's than him in world cricket last year. And hes done squat in the sub continent.

 

[eth-dog]

No one went for more 100's than him in world cricket last year. And hes done squat in the sub continent.

Shane Warne averaged 43 in India. He's statistically one of the best spinners in the world right now.

 

[Docker82]

Faulkner has improved his batting over the last 18 months (a little bit to the detriment of his bowling IMO) but hasn't had a chance to show it - only 5 shield games in 2 seasons - as he is always in the one day and T20 squads or the waterboy for the test squad.

The problem is that his technique like Maxwell is slightly unorthodox (ok maxwell is more than slightly unorthodox). Given their spot in the odi side it's unlikely either will get a realistic chance to get in the test side through form in the shield. The best they can really hope for is for us to have a heap of injuries and have no other option but to pick them. They'd have to take that chance big time to keep their spot in the side.

At this point though Henriques would also be ahead of Faulkner imo as he has actually shown the ability to bat top six. If he'd played as good as he had last season this season he may have been on that plane instead of Mitch Marsh and perhaps even have pushed Watson out of the side.

 

[Hudu Gurusingha]

Shane Warne averaged 43 in India. He's statistically one of the best spinners in the world right now.

Apart from wickets - what else? Strike rate and average are poor. As I said, worse than Hauritz. And thats saying something.

Time for Australia to get back to being aggressive with their spinning options and give a wrist spinner a crack. Someone who can turn it.

 

[southernswannies]

Pattinson - got outperformed by Siddle when they played together in the shield and never really fired a shot in test cricket outside of Australia. His time will come though.

I don't know... a 5fer on Indian soil never goes astray.

 

[eth-dog]

Apart from wickets - what else? Strike rate and average are poor. As I said, worse than Hauritz. And thats saying something.

Time for Australia to get back to being aggressive with their spinning options and give a wrist spinner a crack. Someone who can turn it.

Time for you to accept that Lyon is clearly the #1 spinner in Australia by a long way.

 

[Scotland]

Our last test XI:

Rogers
Warner
Watson
Smith
S Marsh
Burns
Haddin
Starc
Harris
Hazelwood
Lyon

Obviously Clarke and Johnson come back in and Harris and Burns are out for the next test in the WI.

Is it as simple as those two changes or do the selectors have something else in mind? I'll be pretty disappointed if Watson stays at 3. I'd move Smith to 3, have S Marsh or Voges at 4, Clarke at 5, M Marsh or *groan* Watson at 6 then Haddin and the 4 bowlers. I'd love to see Starc turn his ODI form into test form, but I just have a feeling he won't.

 

[The_Reaper]

Since the 99 tour, we've played two spinners in just about half the tests we've played in the West Indies. Given that Marsh or Watson will be in the top 6, it's fairly likely that Ahmed will get a run in one of the two tests against the Windies.

On the other hand, for most of the players (Johnson, Starc and Hazlewood) it's the only first class cricket they will play since the Sydney test. Given that we should have no issues beating the Windies it might be best going with the structure we plan to use in the Ashes.

 

[Kyptastic]

On the other hand, for most of the players (Johnson, Starc and Hazlewood) it's the only first class cricket they will play since the Sydney test. Given that we should have no issues beating the Windies it might be best going with the structure we plan to use in the Ashes.

It may also be a good idea to see how Ahmed copes at Test level. You can make an argument for both cases.

 

[1990crow]

Burns > S.Marsh

 

[bird_man]

I think not picking Burns was a fair call, the selectors know he most likely wont be in the first 11 so he is better off gaining some experience in India. Same goes for Maxwell, he has only played one FC games since UAE and needs some red ball cricket but the way Marsh was talking he is definitely there abouts.

No real surprises in the squad, I think the only thing I thought may happen was Maxwell in for Watson but the selectors have stuck with Watson through worse times so I shouldn't be surprised. Great to see Ahmed and Voges in the squad.

First Test West Indies
Warner
Rogers
Smith
Voges
Clarke
M Marsh
Haddin
Johnson
Hazlewood
Lyon
Ahmed/Starc

 

[Lebbo73]

Over the moon for Voges and Ahmed. Well deserved.

Shane Watson though? FFS.

yon has an inferior average and strike rate to Hauritz now. Time to get a bowler in who can create more chances. Almost fell asleep just then thinking about Lyon.

I would of taken O'Keefe and Ahmed and left Lyon at home. I am sick of that dumb campaigner bowling around the wicket most of the time!