- Warner
- Cowan
- Khawaja
- Hussey
- Clarke
- Watson
- Nevill
- Pattinson
- Siddle
- Starc
- Lyon
A team to take on the poms in the back-to-back Ashes series.
Warner and Cowan have shown enough to persist with and offer a nice blend together. Hope they can lock in for the next few years.
At least one of Ponting/Hussey had to go and I chose Ponting who I think is deteriorating quicker in terms of technique. I think his natural replacement at #3 is Khawaja who has a better temperament and technique than Marsh whose FC record would suggest he is not the solution.
Hussey moves up to fill the gap at 4 which allows Clarke to stay at 5 and for Watson to play as a genuine all-rounder at 6 bowling good overs and facing the 2nd new ball. All lefties in the top four is not ideal but not enough of a reason to change (unless you swapped Watson and Hussey).
I've picked Nevill as the keeper on the basis of ABH (anyone but Haddin) along with the fact that I think Paine is gone and Nevill's glovework is superior to Wade's (which must be the first criteria in picking your keeper).
Pattinson looks the goods to lead the attack for a long time and make handy lower order runs (like Broad for England). Siddle stays in the team with his new bowling approach and to provide experience and takes #9 which I think is his natural spot in the batting order notwithstanding his recent improvement.
I've opted for Starc ahead of other choices - Cummins (not yet ready), Harris (too injury prone), and Hilfenhaus (unlucky) - because I think his rate of improvement is massive and he adds balance to the attack as a left-hander.
Lyon is the spinner at 11 which again is based on his encouraging performances overall to date, scope for further improvement and team balance.
