Team for Hobart.

[boncer34]

To those clambering for Steve Smiths inclusion he has 2 things going for him

1) He's young
2) Warnie likes him

11 wickets @ over 75. Yeah lets bring him in.

 

[Plugger35]

To those clambering for Steve Smiths inclusion he has 2 things going for him

1) He's young
2) Warnie likes him

11 wickets @ over 75. Yeah lets bring him in.

As much as you might joke that will probably go a long way to him being selected.

Let's face it, Warne is now considered a spinning guru. Selectors like Merv Hughes and Hilditch don't know jack shit about spin bowling so if someone like Warney gives them the heads up they will probably go along with his advice.

FWIW I think Smith still needs a year or two in Shield cricket before he is ready for test cricket but he definitely has potential and should be a test regular in a few years. Off spinners are a dime a dozen but a good leg spinner is worth their weight in gold as Kaneria showed today.

 

[Sman-21]

as ive said elsewhere sometimes u need to ignore stats and give them a go based on talent.

Warnes stats were terrible when he made his debut for australia they were only slightly better than Smiths if i remember correctly.
Watson is our best performing batsmen right now , he wouldnt be playing based on stats.
Same for Johnson.

Smith already has better control than macgill did and look what macgill was able to do for aus with little opportunity.
Smith will not be as great as Warne but i think he will be macgill like but can bat.

To those saying Smith wont be any good look at stats you will be like the mllion people who said the same thing about Warne when he was first selected

 

[Rids]

Agree Smith has great potential but comparing him to Warne on the basis of both having poor Sheffield Shield statistics but great potential is not quite right.

Warne only played a couple of games for Victoria prior to getting selected. It was for the Australia "B" and "Australian XI" sides where he was impressing (and his stats for those representative sides certainly backed it up) and it was on that basis that he got picked in the test side.

Hauritz has done a fine job this summer (plenty of wickets and handy with the bat) and I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would be calling for his head at this stage.

I really hope that Smith one day does get his bowling to a level where he is our number one test spinner because having sen him bowl he is most impressive ... but I suspect that time is someway off yet based on Smith's FC performances to date and Hauritz's impressive summer.

 

[ROOKIED]

Have I missed where Cameron White has made so many runs that he should be considered again for test selection? One Day runs shouldn't count for Test selection if they aren't been backed up at Shield level.

For those calling for Haddins head, think about how many test keepers Australia has used over the last 10-20 years, they don't change keepers unless there is a replacement smashing down the door (which there isn't at the moment) or there is a injury.

 

[Innit]

May be biased as a Vic, but surely Rogers has the runs on the board for a crack again..
Cam white as the all rounder

 

[ROOKIED]

Im starting to sound like a White basher, but how can you call him a allrounder when he doesn't bowl for his state? Shaun Marsh bowled last night, is he now a allrounder?

 

[Wally Carter]

Let's face it, Warne is now considered a spinning guru. Selectors like Merv Hughes and Hilditch don't know jack shit about spin bowling so if someone like Warney gives them the heads up they will probably go along with his advice.

Forget about "spinning guru", Warne is the best cricket brain in the country. Period.

In fact, he should still be playing and captaining his ~ 100th test by now, if it wasn't for the powers that be, being swayed by all the bad P.R. bullshit.

I don't think Warne would be calling for Smiths inclusion yet. Playing him against the Pakistanis right now would be throwing him to the wolves.

However, the sooner they make the man the chairman of selectors, the sooner Australian cricket will move forward.

 

[Wally Carter]

Im starting to sound like a White basher, but how can you call him a allrounder when he doesn't bowl for his state? Shaun Marsh bowled last night, is he now a allrounder?

White isn't a test all rounder, he is a solid batsman, brilliant fieldsman and excellent captain, that can bowl half a dozen overs on the odd occasion.

 

[Innit]

Much like North, who only bowls on the odd occasion

 

[Wally Carter]

Much like North, who only bowls on the odd occasion

The only time you would bowl White in a test match would be on a fourth innings crumbler, or for 3 or 4 overs to help break a partnership.

North is fractionally more a front line bowler, but not by much.

 

[krusden]

Watson
Hughes
Kat
Clarke
Punter
Huss
Haddin
Hauritz
Johnson
Siddle/Hilfy (if fit)
Doug the rug

IN my view:
- Leave hughes at the top. he's the long term opening option. give him a bit o' faith
- If Kat's okay then why not put him at 3?
- time for punter to go down the order. I like that middle order. even if australia is 4 for not many punter is there to sure things up with huss.
- North goes back to shield to get form.

The top order is fine, it's our middle that's being let down. we need to sure things up there (see relative failures from north and pup yesterday) - even if hughes fails we have kat next and this gives time for him to develop as a batsman without too much pressure. i like punter coming in down the order later in his career.

 

[The 747]

To those clambering for Steve Smiths inclusion he has 2 things going for him

1) He's young
2) Warnie likes him

11 wickets @ over 75. Yeah lets bring him in.

Also averages 46 with the bat. Was suggesting he comes in at number 6 not at the expense of Hauritz.

 

[medhurstISGOD]

Watson
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
McDonald
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle
Bollinger
12: McKay

 

[rhaz]

it'll be a cold day in hell when ponting is shifted from #3

 

[DIG]

If I had my way (even thought it's unrealistic) I'd love to see this team on the park

Watson
Hughes
Ponting
Katich
Clarke
Klinger
Smith
Paine
Johnson
Siddle (would drop him for Hilfy if fit)
Bollinger

It will never happen cos that number of changes is impossible, but I love the blend of youth and experience and it's about looking to the future, the days of picking players on repuation are absolutely gone in my book

People dropping Hussey must be taking the piss.

 

[The King!]

my guess at the team (not who i would pick)

katich
watson
ponting
hussey
clarke
north
haddin
johnson
hauritz
siddle
bollinger


think the team is written in permanent marker in the selection panels shared flat

 

[XFactor1979]

you have to wonder what the pakistan full strength team would be like injury free, form issues, personality conflicts etc

the current squad is comfortably playing in test status

i can list forgotten names:
younis khan - the "other" world class player other than yousuf
shoaib malik - can bat, can bowl, former captain- not playing???
shoaib akhtar - we know, we know...
sohail tanvir - unique bowling action. bowls off the wrong step. didnt he play for south australia last year?
shahid afridi - typifies the pakistani flair. will definitely be in the odi series
naved "rana" ul-hasan - he might feature in the odi series

other names to throw in the hat: mohammed hafeez, imran nazir

 

[deledio7]

you have to wonder what the pakistan full strength team would be like injury free, form issues, personality conflicts etc

the current squad is comfortably playing in test status

i can list forgotten names:
younis khan - the "other" world class player other than yousuf
shoaib malik - can bat, can bowl, former captain- not playing???
shoaib akhtar - we know, we know...
sohail tanvir - unique bowling action. bowls off the wrong step. didnt he play for south australia last year?
shahid afridi - typifies the pakistani flair. will definitely be in the odi series
naved "rana" ul-hasan - he might feature in the odi series

other names to throw in the hat: mohammed hafeez, imran nazir

I can't understand why Khan, Malik and ul-hasan aren't in the test team. Mind blowing.

 

[XFactor1979]

I can't understand why Khan, Malik and ul-hasan aren't in the test team. Mind blowing.

even worse is the inclusion of lesser players misbah, faisal and in the first test abdur rauf (?!??!?!)

 

[deledio7]

even worse is the inclusion of lesser players misbah, faisal and in the first test abdur rauf (?!??!?!)

Spot on. Misbah is utterly hopeless at test level and playing Rauf at Melbourne instead of ul-hasan or even Tanvir is incredible. Rauf is a nothing bowler.

On topic, I think Siddle needs to be rested. Has only taken 6 wickets this summer and doesn't look dangerous as he did last summer. If Hilf isn't fit I'd give a youngster like George a go.

I'd also keep Hughes in the side and maybe play Katich at 6 at the expense of North.

 

[boncer34]

Any team with Hauritz isn't a good team. Only spin from Hauritz you'll see is in his press confrences.

Thanks for motivating him. No doubt you'll be wanting to retract your comments now.

 

[wavefall21]

I think the only 2 possible changes that should be made is Katich for North, North just isn't getting the job done and I think keeping Hughes will only help his confidence rather than him being in and out of the side constantly

The 2nd is maybe dropping Siddle, obviously Siddle's effort with the bat was courageous, but lets be honest he's in the side to get wickets and he hasn't been doing that all summer unfortunately, I think he needs a rest and we should give either Jon Hastings or Ben Cutting a go, both good line and length bowler and more than handy with the bat

 

[Dez!]

I think the only 2 possible changes that should be made is Katich for North, North just isn't getting the job done and I think keeping Hughes will only help his confidence rather than him being in and out of the side constantly

Hughes would have known that he would go straight out once Katich was fit it won't do a thing to his confidence. However if he were to stay then I'd like to see him chucked into the middle order and given a go, let's him stay in the side but gets a little bit of protection as well.

The 2nd is maybe dropping Siddle, obviously Siddle's effort with the bat was courageous, but lets be honest he's in the side to get wickets and he hasn't been doing that all summer unfortunately, I think he needs a rest and we should give either Jon Hastings or Ben Cutting a go, both good line and length bowler and more than handy with the bat

If Siddle gets dropped it's for a fully fit Hilfenhaus who has had some form of match practice (which is unlikely before the next Test starts) or Clint McKay, there's no way that either Cutting or Hastings have done enough for a Test call up.

 

[Zacisonfire]

How far away is Hilfy?