Team for Hobart.

[Cousin Jed]

There is more to being captain that performance. Performance is not Michael Clarke's problem. To be the Australian Cricket captain you usually have to have the complete bag - top line player, top line strategist, top line leader. By all reports his leadership skills are shakey. He needs to man up a bit and stop being a flog.

Would they be the reports of both Nathan Hauritz and Mitchell Johnson saying a talk from Clarke helped turn some of their form around?

 

[Belnakor]

Ask Katich what he thinks about Clarke's leadership

I think Clarke has gotten better, back in the day i remember Clarke ruffling a few feathers when he got VC, thinking he was suddenly one step below Punter, iirc he annoyed Haydos quite considerably, but ended up getting sorted out.

 

[ILY Leonard]

any update on the hilf? wud be devo if he missed his home test

 

[Jimthegreat]

I think that a player of his standards batting at 5 for Australia should not be relying a few good starts and settling with that.. aside from innings in Melbourne I don`t think that he or anybody would be happy with performances.

He still needs to up the ante, he shouldn`t rely just what on could be and now go for what he SHOULD be.

Let's hope he's not settling for that. As I said, disappointing he's not going on after getting starts.. Getting starts hopefully means a big one is coming.

 

[Jimthegreat]

There is more to being captain that performance. Performance is not Michael Clarke's problem. To be the Australian Cricket captain you usually have to have the complete bag - top line player, top line strategist, top line leader. By all reports his leadership skills are shakey. He needs to man up a bit and stop being a flog.

You're right about the essentials to captaincy. Just not sure how you've determined he's a flog though. Sometimes we stereotype people too easily.

 

[The_Reaper]

You're right about the essentials to captaincy. Just not sure how you've determined he's a flog though. Sometimes we stereotype people too easily.

I'd go as far as to suggest that selecting someone else as captain would damage the team far more.

Although I'm not sure why Clarke was handpicked as the heir (I'm guessing it was because he was the only guy in the team who would retire after Ponting), he has done enough that we can't not give him a go

 

[Yoda_]

any update on the hilf? wud be devo if he missed his home test

I agree. I would of actually felt ok had Hilfenhause come in for Siddle.

Siddle averages something like 70 with the ball this summer. Hilfenhause was the leading wicket taker in the Ashes and was one of our best bowlers this summer before he got injured. So, I would like the selectors to man up, if Hilfenhause is fit select him and send Siddle back to Victoria and tell him to keep taking wickets. Yes Siddle "won" us the match, but truth be told, he is in the side as a "bowler" which means taking wickets. Now before everyone starts rambling on about how unlucky he was and so forth etc, you still need to be taking wickets, He is not?

Hughes should be gone, He is no good. Hard hands, nervous starter, plays only outside off. 2 slips, gully, deep backward point and a ring inside the circle and you will dry up the runs. Simple. Until he learns to play the hook shot, or that around the corner shot ala Steve Waugh or even now, Simon Katich, he will always be a very good state player with loads of potential to play at the highest level.

And North. Well, lets just say if he wasnt WA captain he wouldnt be their. Remember when they were trying to select an 'Allrounder' they went for North and his 'Off Spin', 6 wickets at 40 with a best of 4 - fa is not that crash hot, in fact not being able to bowl, bat or take a straightforward slips catch only compounds his problems. Less than 15 in the second innings. A number 6 should be able to anchor an innings if things have gone horribly wrong, or take up the run rate if need be. He I feel is unable to do both at test level.

Katich has to come back in, he and Watson are something special. Katich can play his game, accumulate while Watson goes for it, then anchors if we lose a few wickets.

My side would be.

Watson
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Michael Klinger
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Hilfenhause
Bollinger

Play Klinger. He has been stellar since he moved across from Victoria to South Australia. Pumping out runs like Macdonalds does heart attack victims. I think the idea of playing North is stupid. Yes he can bat, but that is just that; he
can. Klinger is in form, has been for the past 3 years and I feel that he should know be given a go. If not young Usman Khawaja a New South Welshman who is having a superb season for the Blues and has posted two hundreds and averages over 60. How bout it hey?

That would be my ideal lineup for the Australian Cricket Team at the moment.

 

[The_Reaper]

I agree. I would of actually felt ok had Hilfenhause come in for Siddle.

Siddle averages something like 70 with the ball this summer. Hilfenhause was the leading wicket taker in the Ashes and was one of our best bowlers this summer before he got injured. So, I would like the selectors to man up, if Hilfenhause is fit select him and send Siddle back to Victoria and tell him to keep taking wickets. Yes Siddle "won" us the match, but truth be told, he is in the side as a "bowler" which means taking wickets. Now before everyone starts rambling on about how unlucky he was and so forth etc, you still need to be taking wickets, He is not?

Hughes should be gone, He is no good. Hard hands, nervous starter, plays only outside off. 2 slips, gully, deep backward point and a ring inside the circle and you will dry up the runs. Simple. Until he learns to play the hook shot, or that around the corner shot ala Steve Waugh or even now, Simon Katich, he will always be a very good state player with loads of potential to play at the highest level.

And North. Well, lets just say if he wasnt WA captain he wouldnt be their. Remember when they were trying to select an 'Allrounder' they went for North and his 'Off Spin', 6 wickets at 40 with a best of 4 - fa is not that crash hot, in fact not being able to bowl, bat or take a straightforward slips catch only compounds his problems. Less than 15 in the second innings. A number 6 should be able to anchor an innings if things have gone horribly wrong, or take up the run rate if need be. He I feel is unable to do both at test level.

Katich has to come back in, he and Watson are something special. Katich can play his game, accumulate while Watson goes for it, then anchors if we lose a few wickets.

My side would be.

Watson
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Michael Klinger
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Hilfenhause
Bollinger

Play Klinger. He has been stellar since he moved across from Victoria to South Australia. Pumping out runs like Macdonalds does heart attack victims. I think the idea of playing North is stupid. Yes he can bat, but that is just that; he
can. Klinger is in form, has been for the past 3 years and I feel that he should know be given a go. If not young Usman Khawaja a New South Welshman who is having a superb season for the Blues and has posted two hundreds and averages over 60. How bout it hey?

That would be my ideal lineup for the Australian Cricket Team at the moment.

Hilfenhaus isn't fit at the moment

also Klinger should bat at 3, Ponting isn't up to number 3 any more

 

[XFactor1979]

kamran akmal has been given the ar..

it was a shame because the akmal brothers were the heart and soul of the team. two brothers combining their powers.

its much like, the rawling brothers when jade finally got his wish or the motlop brothers at the kangaroos, or the parker brothers at the dockers, or the mooney brothers

hmm... maybe not

 

[jwolf]

Hilfenhaus isn't fit at the moment

also Klinger should bat at 3, Ponting isn't up to number 3 any more

Only a fool rights off Australia's best bat since Bradman.

 

[Yoda_]

Hilfenhaus isn't fit at the moment

also Klinger should bat at 3, Ponting isn't up to number 3 any more

Klinger will only bat at 6 if he is required

 

[The_Reaper]

Only a fool rights off Australia's best bat since Bradman.

Greg Chappell retired about 25 years ago

Ponting although great in the past, has lost his edge and needs to realize this and change his game accordingly.

Unless he does that he isn't capable of batting at number 3

 

[Yoda_]

Greg Chappell retired about 25 years ago

Ponting although great in the past, has lost his edge and needs to realize this and change his game accordingly.

Unless he does that he isn't capable of batting at number 3

Only when he retires or is not captain anymore will he not bat at number three

 

[The_Reaper]

Only when he retires or is not captain anymore will he not bat at number three

that is truth

but he should not be number three

 

[Yoda_]

that is truth

but he should not be number three

Watson at 3?? Ponting at 6?? Clarke is set at 5 and Hussey has just reinvigorated himself with a fine hundred at 4. Where does Ponting bat then?? The only other position that seems to be up for grabs... number 3.

 

[Dez!]

that is truth

but he should not be number three

No it isn't the truth, it's your opinion.

There's a difference.

 

[The_Reaper]

No it isn't the truth, it's your opinion.

There's a difference.

what i said was truth was that Ponting would bat number 3 until he retired

I disagree with that but it is reality

 

[Bombers_Forever]

I still don't understand why Hughes looks like playing the next match. North is having a bad run but to think he might miss because of Hughes is a joke. Hughes made a duck and 31........hardly impressive. So much talk about age etc - Hughes is not in the best 6 batsmen in the country at the moment.

 

[The_Reaper]

The Ponting I saw batting in the ODI's a few months ago was the Ponting during his dominating period between 2002 - 2007.

Has it occured to anyone here, and I realise this may be a long shot, but has it occured to anyoen here that maybe his struggling because of his elbow injury?

Just a thought.

he has averaged about 40 with the bat since 2007
which is about 20 less than what he average from 2002-2007

He hasn't had an elbow injury for the entire period

 

[The_Reaper]

He averaged 49 in the recent Ashes series, and looked pretty damn good in the following one day games.

that is true

I don't think he is the player he used to be and I don't think I am alone in thinking so.

He is however, by playing a different game, capable of returning to the top 10 in the world.

I would prefer someone like Klinger at number 3 though

 

[XFactor1979]

i want to point out the player umar gul because most people here cant tell the difference of people in different countries.

gul is a common name for the Pashtun people of central asia/ the eastern part middle east. ie persians from iran and afghanistan.

but for the most case, the persians seem to have taken muslim names such as abdullah and mohammed such is the influence of islam

 

[danielnajdek]

North isn't going anywhere Neilson has basically guaranteed him his spot going by a Sky News active piece. So it looks like Hughes will get the chop once again if Katich is fit and North gets off scott free. Just shows you that if you're buddies with the right people you'll never get criticized

 

[stickman11]

North isn't going anywhere Neilson has basically guaranteed him his spot going by a Sky News active piece. So it looks like Hughes will get the chop once again if Katich is fit and North gets off scott free. Just shows you that if you're buddies with the right people you'll never get criticized

Shocker of a decisions. Just goes to prove the selector are two faced losers. Tell a young kid to piss off after two bad innings, keep an old player who hasn't made a score for an entire summer, because he made some runs a sometime back. Hughes made two centuries in one match.

Just goes to prove the Australian team is a little boys club. The sooner Australian cricket gets a cleanout at all levels, the better.

 

[stickman11]

I still don't understand why Hughes looks like playing the next match. North is having a bad run but to think he might miss because of Hughes is a joke. Hughes made a duck and 31........hardly impressive. So much talk about age etc - Hughes is not in the best 6 batsmen in the country at the moment.

He made 37, probably mor than North all summer. North wouldn't be in the top 10 best batsmen in Australia.

 

[krusden]

Hilfenhaus isn't fit at the moment

had a grade game a little while ago IIRC and the knee still isn't right.

if they rush him. i reckon they will create a permanently injured player. he will sit out all summer from the looks which is terrible for him

EDIT: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...r-of-new-zealand/story-e6frg7mf-1225817484925

looks like he's not back until NZ