Changes for 2nd Test

[frankrizzo]

He wishes.

yeah not sure where i got 36 from.

 

[eth-dog]

Bring in Wade, he's better than Khawaja

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Not really. Joe Burns maybe in the near future, but the cupboard is very bare. Silk has shown some good signs early but needs to follow up it next season. Maddinson has smashed some tons of late but would prefer him to grind out some hard runs as well. Still think Mitch Marsh will put his hand up once he finds consistency in the Shield, but that may take a while.

Steve Smith and Phil Hughes perform as well as anyone else out of the younger players. That's why they are getting chances.

 

[bird_man]

lol.. we're not that desperate!

yet..

Why is that funny? He already has 2 centuries compared to Cowans 1 in 6 less tests.

 

[Selective Retention]

Who follows domestic cricket here? God, are Khuwaja and Cowan all we have? Are there any young batsmen that look likely to come good for us?

Players that made 500+ runs @ an average of 40 or more last season.

Ponting - 911 runs @ 75.91
Rogers - 742 runs @ 49.46
Doolan - 715 runs @ 42.05
Hughes - 673 runs @ 56.08

Small club.

 

[Super Hans]

Who follows domestic cricket here? God, are Khuwaja and Cowan all we have? Are there any young batsmen that look likely to come good for us?

Joe Burns, but he probably needs to play this season out in the shield to show he can do it t consistently.

 

[Super Hans]

It's funny, 75% of bigfooty was calling for Ponting to be dropped, now that he has retired people want him back in the team

 

[Phone]

that's not including Doolan's 161 in the Aus A game. He really should have been the one called into the squad to cover Clarke for the boxing day test, but they didn't and now they're stuck with a guy they seemingly wanna keep an eye on but don't really wanna see play

 

[Super Hans]

I think Doolan would be playing this test if he was in England. I like Khawaja and think he's got a massive future, but he still needs to work on the things that got him dropped in the first place.


Rogers
Watson
Doolan (Khawaja)
Smith
Clarke
Hughes
Haddin
Agar
Siddle
Patto
Bird

I'd be happy with that lineup.

 

[Hellgood]

What is people's reasoning in picking Bird over Harris? I understand and agree with Bird being selected over Starc as he brings accuracy and stability into our bowling attack, but why would you have Bird over Harris when Harris is much more proven at test level and is just as accurate as Bird but with a bit more pace and aggression?

 

[eth-dog]

Maybe because we probably will bring Harris in for J-Pat in the third test?

 

[smasha]

Starc and Cowan will improve.

Cowan was crook before the first test.

One more chance.

 

[bird_man]

Starc and Cowan will improve.

Cowan was crook before the first test.

One more chance.

18 tests is a fair old chance. He hasn't showed much improvement.

 

[bird_man]

Maybe because we probably will bring Harris in for J-Pat in the third test?

Not sure why everyone is so keen to drop our bowlers. They are the one part of the team that keeps us competitive. First it was Siddle who has been great for us for nearly 3 years, Starc still has some improving to do but he got some really important wickets for us and Pattinson is arguably our best bowler when on song. Madness.

The only change I would think about is Starc for Bird but I think he deserves another go.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

What makes him a coward?

His failure to man up and sack himself

 

[Kayaz]

Maybe because we probably will bring Harris in for J-Pat in the third test?

Drop pattinson? LOL okay.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Cowan was crook before the first test.

Presumably Cowan considered himself fit to play. If he wasn't, very poor form not fessing up because he was overly concerned with his personal game instead of the team.

 

[eth-dog]

Drop pattinson? LOL okay.

Because he hasn't played 3 tests in a row without breaking down, ever?

 

[western royboy]

There's been a huge issue at #3 for probably two years. Within this current squad the Captain should put his hand up to address this problem as he is the only truly elite batsman.
Captains lead, so lets see him do just that.

For everyone campaigning for Clarke to bat at No.3 READ THIS - the go look at the tape, then draw your own conclusion.

There is a reason Michael Clarke prefers to bat at No.5, both statistical and technical. When he gets forward he plays over a straightened front leg, not a bent knee as most people are taught. It is Clarke's technical kryptonite and one of the few flaws in his game. If you can get a bowler to land a good outswinger or get one to go off the seam early against him then like all players he is a chance of getting knocked over because he doesn't transfer his weight and once the ball moves he's in trouble.

If you don't believe me - look at the tape.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

What is people's reasoning in picking Bird over Harris? I understand and agree with Bird being selected over Starc as he brings accuracy and stability into our bowling attack, but why would you have Bird over Harris when Harris is much more proven at test level and is just as accurate as Bird but with a bit more pace and aggression?

Surety that he won't break down mid-test would be one factor.

Bird is a line and length bowler.

McGrath made it fashionable and Stuart Clark followed suit albeit for only a few years.

Lords slopes massively. Having a guy who can regularly put it on a postage stamp and let the angle of the pitch and natural variation move the ball around will be highly valuable.

The one thing Bird will bring is a miserly economy. So even if he isn't getting wickets he won' t be dispatched.

I don't think Harris is as consistent with his line and length. We already have Patto and Siddle to bowl firebrand if we need it. We need a guy who can pound down one end and nibble it both ways.

Starc has his moments where he swings in the new ball and looks unplayable - however we don't see it enough and he does nothing when the ball isn't moving. He's the new Brett Lee. Sensational with the white ball, adequate with the red one.

Alderman and McGrath have shown that bowling a quality line and length delivers wickets and lots of them.

The guy most suited to that in our entire country is Jackson Bird. He has demonstrated that in shield cricket and also his limited international exposure.

 

[Kayaz]

Because he hasn't played 3 tests in a row without breaking down, ever?

yeah okay, We better drop him then.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

There is a reason Michael Clarke prefers to bat at No.5, both statistical and technical. When he gets forward he plays over a straightened front leg, not a bent knee as most people are taught. It is Clarke's technical kryptonite and one of the few flaws in his game. If you can get a bowler to land a good outswinger or get one to go off the seam early against him then like all players he is a chance of getting knocked over because he doesn't transfer his weight and once the ball moves he's in trouble.

If you don't believe me - look at the tape.

You do realise that weight transfer and balance issues early in innings is most batsmen. Ponting's balance early in is innings was terrible.

He'd often get LBW or caught in the cordon whilst transferring his weight too early and would often be walking at the ball.

As seems to be our want over the past 3 years - Clarke is coming in at 3/20 anyway with the new ball still fresh and swinging.

So he still has to face a swining/seaming ball regardless.

None of our batsmen can play the swinging ball which seems to be half the problem. Rogers genuinely looks the most adept in our present set-up and Hussey prior. It's probably no great surpise then that these guys have made runs in county cricket by the thousands.

The premise of Clark batting 3 or 4 is that he is our best batsmen and can hopefully stop the rot before it sets in.

 

[HBF]

Players that made 500+ runs @ an average of 40 or more last season.

Ponting - 911 runs @ 75.91
Rogers - 742 runs @ 49.46
Doolan - 715 runs @ 42.05
Hughes - 673 runs @ 56.08

Small club.

Only Doolan was the one I had in the back of my mind to come in to the squad. Can't do much more than make 715 runs @ 42. Exciting batting prospect though. Maybe one to keep an eye out for this Summer.

 

[bluespooner]

Huge error in not including the best young batsman in the country, in Joe Burns in the Ashes squad. If he were available I would bring him in to bat at 3.

I would then be dropping both Cowan and Smith, the latter despite his runs in the last test is technically an average bat and is not good enough to earn his spot as a specialist bat. I would also bring in both Bird and Harris for the Lords test match, Siddle is not much more then a straight up and down bowler of average pace who has little upside.

My side:
Watson
Rogers
Burns
Hughes
Clarke
Khawaja
Haddin
Agar
Pattison
Harris
Bird

That's a side that would roll England.

 

[eth-dog]

yeah okay, We better drop him then.

Okay, him missing one test because his body will probably break down given his history is far better than him breaking down and missing for the majority of the return Ashes. If he breaks down in the third test when we didn't rest him you'll probably be the one who says that we should have rested him because of his history