Khawaja as opener?

[Baby_Jenks]

Is this a viable option? He went to NSW hoping to open and was told that 3 was the closest he'd get with the swag of openers they had and made it his own. Now he's in the australian team and Marsh has produced better results at 3 than he has. Time to bump him up a spot?

P.S. This wasn't meant as a let's bash Hughes thread, so if we could all restrain ourselves please.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

He is a good option.

 

[The Speaker]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

A thousand times yes.

 

[Yabba]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

Definately a good option to open. As has been mentioned he has opened before. Opens in grade cricket apparently. It doesn't really help solve the problem of Watson, Marsh & Ponting in the same team though.

Unless Watson continues to open of course.

 

[deledio7]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

Watson
Khawaja
Marsh
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin

Pretty simple I would of thought.

 

[Yabba]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

Watson
Khawaja
Marsh
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin

Pretty simple I would of thought.

It is except for Watson wanting to go down the order if he is bowling more.

 

[Baby_Jenks]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

It is except for Watson wantingto go down the order if he is bowling more.

I think watson will have to be dragged kicking and screaming down the order. I've yet to see or hear anything that it will be his idea. He's always been quoted as wanting to open and thinking that it's his best position. Incorrect in my opinion as he should be bumped back to 6, but then we need another opener.

 

[Kyptastic]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

A good number three is basically an opener anyway, since they may be in from as early as the second ball of the match.

 

[Ducky Tie]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

I think watson will have to be dragged kicking and screaming down the order. I've yet to see or hear anything that it will be his idea. He's always been quoted as wanting to open and thinking that it's his best position. Incorrect in my opinion as he should be bumped back to 6, but then we need another opener.

You've been listening to the channel 9 commentators too much. He said on Inside Cricket the time migt of cometo move down and he sounded genuinely open to it.

 

[Tassieboy]

Watson has conceded he needs to move down the order. And yes to Usman.

 

[mattymac]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

I think watson will have to be dragged kicking and screaming down the order. I've yet to see or hear anything that it will be his idea. He's always been quoted as wanting to open and thinking that it's his best position. Incorrect in my opinion as he should be bumped back to 6, but then we need another opener.

he hasn't stopped mentioning it for the last month or two

uzi or marsh with warner for mine, although i'm not convinced marsh is a long term prospect, for similar reasons to harris -ie- injuries

 

[Tassieboy]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...avy-bowling-load/story-e6frey50-1226154261077

 

[Baby_Jenks]

I'm absolutely delighted to be proven wrong. Best news for everyone that he has seen the light.

 

[Bombertastic]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

Watson
Khawaja
Marsh
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin

Pretty simple I would of thought.

This. Although Wade for Haddin if he doesn't consistantly produce this summer.

 

[Daz]

Khawaja
Marsh
Ponting
Watson
Clarke
Hussey

 

[The Passenger]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

I think watson will have to be dragged kicking and screaming down the order. I've yet to see or hear anything that it will be his idea. He's always been quoted as wanting to open and thinking that it's his best position. Incorrect in my opinion as he should be bumped back to 6, but then we need another opener.

i reckon watson's best role is at 4. 3 and 4 is where he has done his best work in first class cricket.

he's too good at number 6 for mine.

and i agree i don't think it'll be his idea to go down the order... the closest i've seen him to even considering the idea was when he stated that he has to "work on his concentration with batting when he has bowled a lot of overs because i haven't scored many runs on occasions when i've bowled more than a handful of overs"

unfortunately we just lack options in the opening role, and we really need the stability he offers up there, even if he isn't posting massive scores.

if this is ponting's last summer we need to work out which blokes make up our ideal top four. watson and marsh are shoe-ins, while khawaja just needs a big score or two to get his confidence up and he'll also be another... has the technique - does he have the power and confidence... fourth spot is very much up for grabs for warner or hughes... cowan is floating around. i would absolutely love one of the young blokes maddinson, lynn or burns to go on a heater for the rest of the summer.

 

[frankrizzo]

In his short test career an issue is that khawaja has been in and out of the team and shunted up and down the order, i personally feel with his talent if he was given the summer to prove himself as an opener he will come good.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

In his short test career an issue is that khawaja has been in and out of the team and shunted up and down the order, i personally feel with his talent if he was given the summer to prove himself as an opener he will come good.

Only way that can be done is if Punter goes back to 3 - which seems a bit stupid as Clarke obviously wanted him out of the spot - and Watson therefore can go to 4.

That way, you've got Hughes and Khawaja opening, Punter at 3, Watson 4 and the other two as is. It would make a lot of sense as I don't think that Hughes is going anywhere and nor is Punter.

Shaun Marsh, when fit, is the only person gumming up those works.

 

[Yabba]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

i reckon watson's best role is at 4. 3 and 4 is where he has done his best work in first class cricket.

he's too good at number 6 for mine.
...

I don't understand why people think that Watson should be batting at 6. Kallis bats at 4. Flintoff batted at 6 becasue he wasn't a good enough bat to warrant being higher in the list.

I agree that he is the logical number 4 in the team. That just leaves the big question of Ponting, Khawaja, & Marsh*. Difficult decisions to be made.

(*I do not want Ponting dropped)

 

[The Convert]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

Marsh is a major problem. We cannot afford a bloke who misses every third test in our team particularly as a critical No 3. He needs to play a few games and prove he is right to go or he cannot be picked as batsmen in particular need to be playing 19 out of 20 matches

 

[Natho]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

I would love to see him open. I think he is a good option for the future.

Not sure what Watson is going to do. Either becoming an opening bat who doesn't bowl alot. Or a middle order bat who bowls a fair bit. Hope he stays an opener though.

 

[mattymac]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

I don't understand why people think that Watson should be batting at 6. Kallis bats at 4. Flintoff batted at 6 becasue he wasn't a good enough bat to warrant being higher in the list.

I agree that he is the logical number 4 in the team. That just leaves the big question of Ponting, Khawaja, & Marsh*. Difficult decisions to be made.

(*I do not want Ponting dropped)

its half got to do with the fact that, with us, batting at 4 is often akin to opening given our current line up, meaning if hughes and whoever go cheaply again watto is straight in without having had time to chill. this could be resolved if we had a reliable opening pair that did the job of taking the shine off the ball and frustrating/tiring the bowlers

also got to do with where to put the others. khawaja for example is too good for 6. marsh should be up the order. ponting too. this could also be resolved by moving marsh and/or khawaja up to open

also suits his style of hitting quick flamboyant fifties. rarely hits a big ton so doesn't need that long at the crease. handy thing to have at 6 facing a tired attack, taking the game out of their hands and demoralising them

but i would definitely still prefer him at 4 to opening. opening with him is just silly

 

[Underarm]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

I like the look of Usman, from most innings i have seen he values his wicket, he only has one score under 20, but lacks the big score that we know he can make.

On the other hand, Hughes is all or nothing. when he gets going he is great to watch. but too many times he goes out in that 0-20 range (16/30 times!).

The team is such a connundrum, especially when everyone comes back in. Watto will open, and I think either Marsh or Usman will be with him, the other at 3. With Ponting and Hussey still going around, Marsh, Usman and hughes can't be in the same side.

 

[Underarm]

Re: Kawaja as opener?

also suits his style of hitting quick flamboyant fifties. rarely hits a big ton so doesn't need that long at the crease. handy thing to have at 6 facing a tired attack, taking the game out of their hands and demoralising them

but i would definitely still prefer him at 4 to opening. opening with him is just silly

i think if you put watson at 6 like a genuine allrounder is, his mindset would change and he would lose the focus that he has already got. he would sway towards a Bowling alrounder and as the years go on he will suffer because his bowling will fall due to age. honestly i think we need to keep him up the order because his batting is what will last the longest....

 

[The Governor]

Here is my TEST XI for Hobart:

David Warner
Usman Khawaja
Ricky
Michael Clarke (CAPTAIN)
Michael Hussey
Daniel Christian
Brad Haddin
James Pattinson
Peter Siddle
Mitchel Starc
Nathan Lyon

BOXING DAY

David Warner
Shane Watson
Usman Khawaja
Ricky
Michael Clarke
Daniel Christian
Brad Haddin
James Pattinson
Peter Siddle
Patrick Cummins
Nathan Lyon