Mega Thread 2022/23 Off-Season Sports Thread

Docker82

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I think they've explicitly said Harris will open.

Personally I would have gone Usman opening and Head at 5. Harris I think is one of those guys ala Handscomb whos technique is good enough for domestic but not international level.

You could probably put Head in the same basket but I think it's more excusable in someone who bats at 5, not to mention he already averages 40 at test level.

Outside of Smith, Warner and Labuschagne no ones averaged much more than 40 for Australia for around five years.

Averaging 40 obviously doesn’t mean much as Head and Khawaja have both been dropped despite doing so.
 

TheMcManusNose

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Outside of Smith, Warner and Labuschagne no ones averaged much more than 40 for Australia for around five years.

Averaging 40 obviously doesn’t mean much as Head and Khawaja have both been dropped despite doing so.

Yeah exactly, 40 is pretty bloody good given what we've dealt with over the last little while. Hence why I would much rather the aforementioned players than Harris.
 

Docker82

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Yeah exactly, 40 is pretty bloody good given what we've dealt with over the last little while. Hence why I would much rather the aforementioned players than Harris.

I’d rather almost every regular opener in the shield than Harris tbh. There’s a number of middle over players I’d give a go over him in that position too. I’d even pick 37 year old Shaun Marsh ahead of him.

Don’t rate him whatsoever.
 

TheMcManusNose

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Yeah it's a pity Renshaw has only really found form again as a middle order bat but I think you could do a lot worse than someone of his ilk. Really keen to see the Aus A matches, I hope the intrasquad practice is a fully fledged match and not hit and giggle.

There's going to be a lot of spots opening up through and after this summer. Warner not getting any younger, Paine ditto. Starc really should be on the outer as a test bowler.
 

Square Peg

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I don't know much about cricket, but is Paine really the best keeper batsman in Australia? I thought the only reason he was in the team was because he was captain. Why would he still stay in the team now?
 

holybishop

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I don't know much about cricket, but is Paine really the best keeper batsman in Australia? I thought the only reason he was in the team was because he was captain. Why would he still stay in the team now?
He's "available for selection" but you're right, he's not the best keeper in the Country. Inglis should get the nod.
 

DeanS

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Plus if the incident warrants resigning the captaincy how does it not warrant resigning from the team? Must be a very fine line.
 

Paracleet

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Yeah, whether Paine wants to admit or not, he's done.

He was in the team almost entirely due to captaincy. This has just removed the last 6 months of his career.

It's over to Inglis or Carey (and it should be Inglis IMO)
No they will play him, otherwise it's tacitly admitting they were wrong to exonerate him and not disclose the process.

However he will be dropped at the first loss of form. Or he'll retire at the end of the series.
 

Square Peg

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I just read that he's never scored 100, in like 10 years and 35 test matches, never. How has he survived this long? I'm genuinely fascinated to hear why from lovers and followers of the game.
 

TheMcManusNose

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I just read that he's never scored 100, in like 10 years and 35 test matches, never. How has he survived this long? I'm genuinely fascinated to hear why from lovers and followers of the game.

Well bear in mind that he played tests as the 'keeper of the future' in 2010/11 before the serious finger break ruled him out for 4-5 years, so he's been around longer in public conciousness than he actually has played.

But the sandpaper gate saga was perfect timing for him.

In 2016 we had just dropped Nevill not long ago who had had a bit of a slump with both bat and gloves. Nev unfortunately went through a form slump with the bat when he went back to shield as well so well and truly had ruled himself out (If i recall his 179* that year was poorly timed and what drove his average in the context of not much else) .

So we went back to Wade had improved his keeping since his first stint but he wasn't able to average more than about 24 with the bat over the next 10 tests or so.

No real other options at the time - Hartley was about to retire/was 37. Rohrer had already retired. Carey didn't have the shield record, Peirson didn't have the shield record, Whiteman didn't have the shield record and ended up cooking his finger.

So Paine was a shot out of the blue. Had previously played for Aus, had decent BBL runs, one of the better pure keepers at the time (not out and out the best IMO but near). He averaged about 35 over his first two years back in tests as well.

Then came sandpaper gate in his first year back and you had a bloke averaging 35 as a keeper, who had captained his state before and was clearly the biggest 'lock' in the side who wasn't a bowler with the Smith and Warner suspensions. So he's now captain in a disrupted side over the next 2 years and acquits himself in an ok manner as a player with no clear and obvious challengers until the last shield season.

TBH this would probably have been his last season even without the dick pics.
 

Square Peg

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Well bear in mind that he played tests as the 'keeper of the future' in 2010/11 before the serious finger break ruled him out for 4-5 years, so he's been around longer in public conciousness than he actually has played.

But the sandpaper gate saga was perfect timing for him.

In 2016 we had just dropped Nevill not long ago who had had a bit of a slump with both bat and gloves. Nev unfortunately went through a form slump with the bat when he went back to shield as well so well and truly had ruled himself out (If i recall his 179* that year was poorly timed and what drove his average in the context of not much else) .

So we went back to Wade had improved his keeping since his first stint but he wasn't able to average more than about 24 with the bat over the next 10 tests or so.

No real other options at the time - Hartley was about to retire/was 37. Rohrer had already retired. Carey didn't have the shield record, Peirson didn't have the shield record, Whiteman didn't have the shield record and ended up cooking his finger.

So Paine was a shot out of the blue. Had previously played for Aus, had decent BBL runs, one of the better pure keepers at the time (not out and out the best IMO but near). He averaged about 35 over his first two years back in tests as well.

Then came sandpaper gate in his first year back and you had a bloke averaging 35 as a keeper, who had captained his state before and was clearly the biggest 'lock' in the side who wasn't a bowler with the Smith and Warner suspensions. So he's now captain in a disrupted side over the next 2 years and acquits himself in an ok manner as a player with no clear and obvious challengers until the last shield season.

TBH this would probably have been his last season even without the dick pics.
I don't know who more than half these people are but thanks for the info.
In summary, is it fair to say he Bradbury-ed it?
 

TheMcManusNose

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I don't know who more than half these people are but thanks for the info.
In summary, is it fair to say he Bradbury-ed it?

Not so much bradbury I think. More he Mason Cox'd it maybe? In that he's not great but the least worst option in a key position. Sandpaper gate gate was a Bradbury moment I will concede.

He was genuinely the best all round keeper bat under 35 at the time we picked him. Played 2-3 good years in the test team where he was the best option on merit.

But it is the captaincy that has kept him in since late 2019ish otherwise he would have been dropped for Carey who was in good batting touch 2019-2020ish and clearly the next in line at the time.
 
At the risk of upsetting a few and turning this thread upside down. The biggest victim in the Tim Paine thing is comfortably his wife who has to deal with his cheating for the 2nd time and in public now. She's a more forgiving person than I am.

I cant agree him sending the pick is sexual harassment going off the supposed chat that's being leaked, they were clearly sexting with words even before the pic was sent and I'm pretty sure no one says "can I send you a pick of <insert sexual body part here>" if they are sexting. Both Paine and this chick are twats, I have empathy for neither
 
At the risk of upsetting a few and turning this thread upside down. The biggest victim in the Tim Paine thing is comfortably his wife who has to deal with his cheating for the 2nd time and in public now. She's a more forgiving person than I am.

I cant agree him sending the pick is sexual harassment going off the supposed chat that's being leaked, they were clearly sexting with words even before the pic was sent and I'm pretty sure no one says "can I send you a pick of <insert sexual body part here>" if they are sexting. Both Paine and this chick are twats, I have empathy for neither
I 100% agree with you Snuffy.

Paine is paying the numpty tax he should have paid in 2018.

I also woudnt put this past CA being behind the leak IMO.

They've just had a new CEO, excellent opportunity to clean house and for him to stamp his authority.

Its good for optics for the board in an Ashes year to lead in an Ashes year ( especially given the English captain walked past institutional racism at Yorkshire and has been enabled by the ECB.
 
I 100% agree with you Snuffy.

Paine is paying the numpty tax he should have paid in 2018.

I also woudnt put this past CA being behind the leak IMO.

They've just had a new CEO, excellent opportunity to clean house and for him to stamp his authority.

Its good for optics for the board in an Ashes year to lead in an Ashes year ( especially given the English captain walked past institutional racism at Yorkshire and has been enabled by the ECB.
I wouldnt think it was CA, Paine was out at the end of the Ashes anyway I'd guess, no need to shoot themselves in the foot just cause England went ahead early
 
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