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While we pray for rain also pray that Warne gets his nose out of Clarkes arse sometime in the future.Our batsman are very good at making a pitch with movement into a minefield. Any chance of a lot of rain?
Apparently Clarke has been retired.
Rogers & Smith I presume. Who's the 3rd... Warner?Australia has 3 of the top 4 scoring batsman with England having only one batsman averaging more than 40. And yet we 3-1 behind in the series. The rest of the batsman have offered virtually nothing.
Yeah Warner.Rogers & Smith I presume. Who's the 3rd... Warner?
Aside from Smith at Lords, where he was brilliant. I've only liked how Rogers and Neville have gone about it.
Even by average we still have 3 of the top 4 batsman.Australia's batting twice to England's once though.
Similar story with the bowlers... Broad tops the wicket takers, followed by the Australian bowling lineup.Even by average we still have 3 of the top 4 batsman.
Will be interesting to see if Cummins plays at the Oval. Being the future, i think he should. Prob as a replacement for Hazlewood. Would also love to see Fawad Ahmed, but can't see us playing two spinners - and Lyon certainly doesn't deserve to be dropped.
So who are the player Ponting are referring to who won't play another test after the Ashes? I assume - Clarke, Rogers, Haddin, Watson, Siddle, S Marsh and Voges
Marsh has talent but his problem
Has always been between the ears. By 30 if you can't average 40 at Sheils level you know there must be a fundamental flaw.
However look around Sheild level and you have guys like ferguson, kawaja, cooper etc. performing at only a slightly higher level. Despite the higher pedigree of those players in theory then maxwell, maxwell averages the same or better. I would have picked burns for West Indies tour because I think he has great fortitude under pressure and thus the right temperament for test cricket. Did nothing wrong when in the test team plus his Sheild level is very good. Not Voges good but he is at the opposite end of his career and I think you need a perfect blend of talent, reflexes and experience to succeed at test level. The doubt about any batsman over 35 is does he still have the reflexes.
Nic Maddison has to be our opener. Recon he is on the verge of becoming a star. Got injured on the Australia a tour but has performed in almost every international game he has played for Australia a etc which is a good sign. Can play all forms of the game.
Chris Lynn is another we should look at. Averages 45 is Sheild and I think if not for missing the first half of last season he would have put his name up as a potential test player. Hope he gets it together soon.
I think the selectors will seriously consider maxwell at 6 if marsh doesn't kick on. The guy is so talented they could probably tell him to learn how to bowl medium pace and he would come back a week later able to swing it both ways. I have no doubt about his ability to play at test level but a massive doubt on his temperament.
Bancroft also performed well in India. May be a bolter. Few other talented guys like handscomb who are probably a year or two away. Very interested to see if the selectors have the nerve to pick some youth after trialling experience for years.
Yes Burns is not perfect but he is the kind of player to rise to the occasion and I think once in the national squad they could continue to improve his technique. My only gripes with Khawaja is that his average has been going backwards since he was 23-24 and he struggled to score at test level (SR 40). His technique looks very robust so could have just been a confidence issue for the later issue. As for his average, it was about 50 by age 24 but has slumped to just under 40. He is 28 now so just hitting his peak and I can forgive him some of that drop due to his knee injury but I wonder what else it reveals about him that such a good technique fails to get him the runs. 29 50s in 89 matches for only 13 centuries. Meanwhile his 50 cricket seems to have taken off. Does he lack patience?I really, really like the look of Kawaja's game. Love his technique , his back foot play and the general way he plays. it seems that he's now putting it together from a batting temprement angle now too.
The thing that worried me about Burns is that flick shot he plays outside off stump where his feet don't really move.