Analysis The Cricket Thread 2025/26

[Chris25]

This Australian team didn’t deserve a 5-0 victory. It won’t happen, but would be nice to see some proactive changes with nothing on the line.

 

[gungho]

I have not followed the Aussie test team closely but surely we have better batsmen out there?
Apart from Smith and Head the other guys are not great.
Where is Maxwell, or Mitch Marsh, or surely there is a good performer at state level out there? Even Konstas, what happened to him?

 

[Chris25]

I’d go with…

Khawaja
Weatherald
McSweeney
Smith
Head
Carey
Webster
Starc
Murphy
Richardson
Boland

With Connolly and Neser in the squad.

Khawaja is of course dependent on him announcing his Test retirement. I’d stick with Weatherald because I don’t view Head as a long term solution at the top, and ideally you don’t want to be looking for two new openers next Test.

 

[serial_thrilla]

I’d go with…

Khawaja
Weatherald
McSweeney
Smith
Head
Carey
Webster
Starc
Murphy
Richardson
Boland

With Connolly and Neser in the squad.

Khawaja is of course dependent on him announcing his Test retirement. I’d stick with Weatherald because I don’t view Head as a long term solution at the top, and ideally you don’t want to be looking for two new openers next Test.

I'm pretty sure McSweeney is injured. Hurt his ankle in the BBL.

 

[Docker82]

I'm pretty sure McSweeney is injured. Hurt his ankle in the BBL.

I'm willing to give Labuschagne a little more time tbh. Might just be the next test match but still.

Weatherald has shown what a 'gun' shield player performs like at test level - still worse than Labuschagne. And Labuschagne has shown he'll go back to shield level and score hundred after hundred and trick us into thinking he'll be the gun from a few years ago again.

With a T20 WC the next thing on the horizon spends the second half of the summer at shield level anyway. That and maybe a county stint might get him back in touch again.

 

[Chris25]

I'm pretty sure McSweeney is injured. Hurt his ankle in the BBL.

Yeah not exactly sure when he’s back. It was sounding more a short term thing the last I read.

I just want Labuschagne dropped again. His 2025 has been as bad as anyone.

 

[BStaff17]

Would like a test that goes at least 3 days.

I can occupy the crease and have a hit for myself but gee any chance the 22 blokes representing there countries can have 2 cracks and try to manage to last longer then myself.

 

[Barnabus]

I would be tempted to blood some youth for the next test. Something like:

Renshaw
Kellaway
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Carey
Connolly
Starc
Richardson
Murphy
O'Neill

It is crazy left field choices but might be worth it in the long run.

 

[Dockeroo]

The irony here is that Whateley sounds exactly like those whinging poms he moans about.

 

[DQ 4EVER]

I would be tempted to blood some youth for the next test. Something like:

Renshaw
Kellaway
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Carey
Connolly
Starc
Richardson
Murphy
O'Neill

It is crazy left field choices but might be worth it in the long run.

O'Neill would be batting at least above Richardson, if not Starc, but I like it.

 

[anchor man]

I would be tempted to blood some youth for the next test. Something like:

Renshaw
Kellaway
Khawaja
Smith
Head
Carey
Connolly
Starc
Richardson
Murphy
O'Neill

It is crazy left field choices but might be worth it in the long run.

Wont happen. Far too drastic for changes.
Weatherald will play Sydney. Maybe Renshaw. Connolly .. no. Leave him another season. His lefties will be slaughtered. But he is as good as any of the youngsters going around.
There are some good younger quicks going round and who knows. But there are heads on the blick if they make too many changes, as you propose. They, the selectors will be lioking after their Rses.

 

[E Shed]

Green needs to get his head right if he's even capable of doing so.
Marnus is cooked. Keeps getting out the same way.
Usman is going ok but only really looks good because no one else is scoring any runs either.

 

[anchor man]

Green needs to get his head right if he's even capable of doing so.
Marnus is cooked. Keeps getting out the same way.
Usman is going ok but only really looks good because no one else is scoring any runs either.

I can see Green being the kicking boy if he were a Dockers player.
Green has batted from opener down to number seven. Yes in every position. I know his form is not good.Opener, 3, 4 , 5, 6,7 , he has occupied ALL tjhose spots so far.
Is it any wonder that he is confused!
And when bowling he is told by Captain Pat and the selectors, to bowl short shit, every time he gets a bowl.
Bowl short shit, get us a wicket and then go sit in the naughty corner. And he got wickets most times in his first and some times his only two overs.
Again, any wonder he is confused!!

 

[E Shed]

I can see Green being the kicking boy if he were a Dockers player.
Green has batted from opener down to number seven. Yes in every position. I know his form is not good.Opener, 3, 4 , 5, 6,7 , he has occupied ALL tjhose spots so far.
Is it any wonder that he is confused!
And when bowling he is told by Captain Pat and the selectors, to bowl short shit, every time he gets a bowl.
Bowl short shit, get us a wicket and then go sit in the naughty corner. And he got wickets most times in his first and some times his only two overs.
Again, any wonder he is confused!!

I’m sure all that is true but it doesn’t change the fact he seems to make stupid decisions regularly.
Ridiculous talent just not sure he’s got it upstairs. Starting to remind me of Shane Watson.
Same could be said of Konstas.
It’s got a lot to do with T20 but some young players just can’t seem to go very long without playing a ramp or other premeditated shots.
I still think there’s room for playing each ball on its merit and playing orthodox shots.

 

[freoextra]

I’m sure all that is true but it doesn’t change the fact he seems to make stupid decisions regularly.
Ridiculous talent just not sure he’s got it upstairs. Starting to remind me of Shane Watson.
Same could be said of Konstas.
It’s got a lot to do with T20 but some young players just can’t seem to go very long without playing a ramp or other premeditated shots.
I still think there’s room for playing each ball on its merit and playing orthodox shots.

Just a little bit, Watson did receive a lot of criticism but at the same time he achieved far more than Green in both batting and bowling. It just doesn’t feel like Green is going to get anywhere close to Watson’s impact unless something changes soon.

 

[theGav56]

Green needs to get his head right if he's even capable of doing so.
Marnus is cooked. Keeps getting out the same way.
Usman is going ok but only really looks good because no one else is scoring any runs either.

Agree, but if others were getting runs I think Usman would go up a gear. But it doesn't really matter. We need to bring in the next layer of batsmen, and he should finish in style in Sydney.

 

[BStaff17]

This pitch will be the best road in Sydney next week.

 

[Paracleet]

This pitch will be the best road in Sydney next week.

I think they may decide to lean on the curators to make it flattish but dry so we have some chance of spinning them out in the second dig as well as going 4 days plus.

My tip in those circumstances: Weatharld* dropped for Slug, Usman to open in his last test with Murphy in for Richardson.

We can't take too much for that last game it was an Indian style shit tip. What were they thinking?? The Subi Floreat seconds deck at Alderbury my daughter plays u14s on looks better than that.

*Not test standard as I tipped months ago (not that I'm happy I'm right)

 

[BStaff17]

Not a fan that Uzzie decided to throw former players under the bus for criticism over his back spasms in the perth test and link that back to Racial undertones.

I have been a fan of his whole career and thought from Mickey Arthur to Lehmann and especially Justin Langer treated him poorly with some selection calls.

Like we played Marcus Harris, Joe Burns and Matthew Wade ahead of him for a 30 month period which really was horrendous from JL.

But the moment you start whinging about every little bit of critisicm has a racial undertones it becomes slimey and pathetic.

Forget the cesspool that is social media where no doubt racial comments were thrown his way on instagram and that

Fair enough you dont agree with the critisicm from former players but to accuse them and tar them with the same brush as idiots on social media was pretty piss poor when proper questions had to be asked about his preparation.

 

[Chris25]

I think it’s brave he called out that classic stereotype of players born in the subcontinent not being focused enough on cricket.

 

[anchor man]

Not a fan that Uzzie decided to throw former players under the bus for criticism over his back spasms in the perth test and link that back to Racial undertones.

I have been a fan of his whole career and thought from Mickey Arthur to Lehmann and especially Justin Langer treated him poorly with some selection calls.

Like we played Marcus Harris, Joe Burns and Matthew Wade ahead of him for a 30 month period which really was horrendous from JL.

But the moment you start whinging about every little bit of critisicm has a racial undertones it becomes slimey and pathetic.

Forget the cesspool that is social media where no doubt racial comments were thrown his way on instagram and that

Fair enough you dont agree with the critisicm from former players but to accuse them and tar them with the same brush as idiots on social media was pretty piss poor when proper questions had to be asked about his preparation.

My memory at that time was that Uzzie was told to go away and work on his fielding. He along with Joe Burns were horrendous fieldsmen. Slow, hardly chased, couldn't catch a cold.
Uzzie to his credit improved. But is still far from the best fieldsman in the team. I didn't see that as being racist.
And begore you have crack at me, look for my Uzzie post re his retirement.

 

[King Huskii]

Not a fan that Uzzie decided to throw former players under the bus for criticism over his back spasms in the perth test and link that back to Racial undertones.

I have been a fan of his whole career and thought from Mickey Arthur to Lehmann and especially Justin Langer treated him poorly with some selection calls.

Like we played Marcus Harris, Joe Burns and Matthew Wade ahead of him for a 30 month period which really was horrendous from JL.

But the moment you start whinging about every little bit of critisicm has a racial undertones it becomes slimey and pathetic.

Forget the cesspool that is social media where no doubt racial comments were thrown his way on instagram and that

Fair enough you dont agree with the critisicm from former players but to accuse them and tar them with the same brush as idiots on social media was pretty piss poor when proper questions had to be asked about his preparation.

He might have some good points that people gloss over because they don’t care. He wasn't my favorite player but he speaks his mind instead of trying to keep everyone happy.

Even if I don't agree with him at least he's honest in his opinions. At least he stands for something

 

[Spirit Level]

Yeah I dunno, I'm pretty tired people being labelled racist for having legitimate views which aren't racially motivated.

I've had issues with Usmans preparation and conduct this summer, none of which has anything to do with the part of the world he comes from or his ethnicity.

If Steve Smith had conducted himself the same way I'd have the same views too.

 

[anchor man]

especially Justin Langer treated him poorly with some selection calls.

Strange this quote.
I read where Uzzie was full of praise for JL in telling him how good he was at playing spin.

 

[freoextra]

My memory at that time was that Uzzie was told to go away and work on his fielding. He along with Joe Burns were horrendous fieldsmen. Slow, hardly chased, couldn't catch a cold.
Uzzie to his credit improved. But is still far from the best fieldsman in the team. I didn't see that as being racist.
And begore you have crack at me, look for my Uzzie post re his retirement.

It’s annoying that we all have to vet any comments we make so carefully in case some obscure person might find a racist connotation.