Rolling Ashes Squad Thread, now featuring Haddin XII v Hick XII beginning p. 147

[JackOutback]

Pucovski is struggling with being away from home for a week, I would hardly be taking him away to another country for months.

And I don think Patterson is a lock, this hundred needs to be kept in context. If he doesn’t perform in the second half of the Shield season, I’d have no qualms in punting him for the time being. If he outperforms Khawaja, then he may hold his spot.

 

[gbatman]

Khawaja's footwork looks terrible. I enjoyed watching Patterson and Burns bat, thought they looked good. Head played well too. I think we need to persist. I think these players come from a really poor state competition where they need time to improve their game and that takes a long time.

 

[Golden_6]

D. Warner
M. Harris
J. Burns
S. Smith
T. Head
K. Patterson
T. Paine
P. Cummins
J. Richardson
N. Lyon
J. Hazlewood

U. Khawaja
M. Labuschagne
M. Stoinis
M. Starc
C. Tremain
J. Holland

Spot on to me. In favour of this.

 

[The Passenger]

D. Warner
M. Harris
J. Burns
S. Smith
T. Head
K. Patterson
T. Paine
P. Cummins
J. Richardson
N. Lyon
J. Hazlewood

U. Khawaja
M. Labuschagne
M. Stoinis
M. Starc
C. Tremain
J. Holland

Looks pretty much bang on to me, but we'd likely take a keeper over a second reserve batsmen and I'd take Matt Wade's batting (on current form which hopefully will hold strong) over Labuschagne anyway.

With the XI, I think Khawaja will hold his place over Harris with Burns opening but Usman will be very much under the gun. I don't think Burns will be anything but an opener - with his batting style it goes against all cricketing logic, but he just performs considerably better opening than anywhere else. I think it was Stuart Law who said he used to get himself too nervous waiting to bat so they just threw him into open for Queensland and its worked out much better. If Harris was to come in for Usman, I think Harris would bat #3.

With the bowlers... They seem wedded to Starc who I think will hold his spot. I think the 3rd seamer spot is between Haze and Richardson, and I reckon the latter might win out to be honest.

Both Haze and Starc have been flat for a while now. I'd drop Starc before Haze, but I think the selectors will want the left arm option.

 

[Pykie]

These bowlers aren’t Bumrah and Shami standard. Great innings don’t get me wrong but let’s not go overboard

Burns slayed Boult, Southee and Wagner in New Zealand, not a very easy achievement recently.

As Vaughan said today, that’s as good as you can get for your CV for an away Ashes series given the familiarities in conditions.

 

[bird_man]

Another concerning thing about Khawaja is that he only averages 30 outside of Australia and 33 against the Poms.

He averaged just 19 playing in England

He would want to be in some cracking FC form if he's going to play the first test imo because if he's not making runs in Australia I don't see him doing it overseas.

 

[bird_man]

Burns slayed Boult, Southee and Wagner in New Zealand, not a very easy achievement recently.

As Vaughan said today, that’s as good as you can get for your CV for an away Ashes series given the familiarities in conditions.

I'd be ****ing filthy if I were Burns and was dropped. He was dropped after one match for Aaron Finch even though he was close to the most in form FC batsmen over the last couple of years. He's got a decent test record and has shown he can make hundreds.

 

[eth-dog]

Holland didn't do much in the UAE, and he may have been picked as one of the non-BBL fill-ins.

He's been the #2 spinner for the last two tours away and played the CA XI game. All the evidence points to him being the #2.

 

[bird_man]

I'm not sure who else would be in line as the 2nd spinner besides Holland?

I think the selectors have moved beyond SOK.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

We shouldn't be picking guys based on what they did 3-5 years ago, or unrealised potential from their early 20s. Realistically, Whiteman has shown nothing recently that's even deserving of a mention.

I'm more than happy to have him in "A" teams, etc, to see if he can recover to what he was. That is what A teams are for, a mix of 2nd XI and future. (This is different from rushing "potential", "X-factor" and "no-rounders" into the Test team, which is always a rubbish move.)
Because if he does get back to that, he would again be the best gloveman in the country. But, yes, he does have to show that form with the gloves before being considered for full national duties. If the "A" tour of England is long enough, maybe he can do that - but it starts wit Carey as the default back-up.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

IF we pick this top 6 all will average above 40! Very interesting territory for us
Warner
Burns
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Patterson

Far too much being read into runs against a second string Sri Lanka attack, where even the absent first choice bowlers aren't that good.
Only Smith would be highly likely to average 40 in a series in England. Perhaps Warner, outside chance of Head. Maybe Burns if not opening.

 

[Damon_3388]

I'm more than happy to have him in "A" teams, etc, to see if he can recover to what he was. That is what A teams are for, a mix of 2nd XI and future. (This is different from rushing "potential", "X-factor" and "no-rounders" into the Test team, which is always a rubbish move.)
Because if he does get back to that, he would again be the best gloveman in the country. But, yes, he does have to show that form with the gloves before being considered for full national duties. If the "A" tour of England is long enough, maybe he can do that - but it starts wit Carey as the default back-up.

Personally, I'd like him to at least play and show some good form in the Shield before even being considered for the A squad. It's just been too long since he's done anything worthwhile.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Personally, I'd like him to at least play and show some good form in the Shield before even being considered for the A squad.

Which is a fair enough assessment, especially if the A team is being used for Test squad selection and if it is to be a short tour. In that case there would only be one keeper.
I'd just like to get him playing whatever long form, and non-competition games allow for some flexibility.

 

[Achilles Heel]

Pucovski is struggling with being away from home for a week, I would hardly be taking him away to another country for months.

And I don think Patterson is a lock, this hundred needs to be kept in context. If he doesn’t perform in the second half of the Shield season, I’d have no qualms in punting him for the time being. If he outperforms Khawaja, then he may hold his spot.

Easy fix for him

 

[Achilles Heel]

Lab work every time he clearly hits, waits for the decision not to be given, sense of entitlement

 

[Voice of the G]

Agree. What we have now is 'Australia' and in theory Warner and Smith should be earning their spot back (which they will).
Australia
Marcus Harris
Joe Burns
Usman Khawaja
Marnus Labuschagne
Travis Head
Kurtis Patterson
Tim Paine
Pat Cummins (world cup)
Mitchell Starc (world cup)
Jhye Richardson (world cup)
Nathan Lyon

Australia A
Matt Renshaw
David Warner (world cup)
Will Pucovski
Steve Smith (world cup)
Jason Sangha
Marcus Stoinis (world cup)
Jake Doran (I suppose)
Michael Neser/Chris Tremain/Scott Boland
Peter Siddle
Josh Hazlewood (world cup)
Jon Holland

No Maxwell in either side surprises me.He has done little wrong in shield and test cricket over the 6 months or so because he has not been given the opportunity to play.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

No Maxwell in either side surprises me.He has done little wrong in shield and test cricket over the 6 months or so because he has not been given the opportunity to play.

He’s 100-1 to be in the Ashes squad. Head is a better version, don’t need two.

 

[Voice of the G]

He’s 100-1 to be in the Ashes squad. Head is a better version, don’t need two.

He might not make the ashes squad but surely would make a 2nd squad.Let him play real cricket and test out whether he is up to playing test cricket instead of this shorter version of the game.Luke do you think he will make World Cup team?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

He might not make the ashes squad but surely would make a 2nd squad.Let him play real cricket and test out whether he is up to playing test cricket instead of this shorter version of the game.Luke do you think he will make World Cup team?

Absolute certainty to be in the WC team.

Wouldn’t be available for the A tour anyway

 

[Voice of the G]

Who would want to be a selector for the ashes squad,a tough job it will be.Blokes that failed in the 1st innings get runs in the 2nd and guys that got big scores in the 1st innings fail in the 2nd against a very poor bowling attack.

 

[JackOutback]

No Maxwell in either side surprises me.He has done little wrong in shield and test cricket over the 6 months or so because he has not been given the opportunity to play.

More likely a reflection of the fact that people realise the selectors won’t pick him.

 

[Voice of the G]

Absolute certainty to be in the WC team.

Wouldn’t be available for the A tour anyway

Do you mean the A tour to England,Maxwell ,Burns,Siddle,Bancroft to name a few Aussies will be playing county cricket over there.

 

[74561347]

you know
i know
australia needs deano

 

[Sylvia Saint]

Top 7 is locked in you'd think.

If everyone is fit, then I envisage Richardson will miss out.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Do you mean the A tour to England,Maxwell ,Burns,Siddle,Bancroft to name a few Aussies will be playing county cricket over there.

Correct. If Maxwell was a chance he’d have to tour there. Won’t be there as the WC is on