Changes for the 3rd Test

[Doodlesweaver]

don't really have a problem with our cordon, excluding haddin, Watson is usually pretty reliable, Pup has an immaculate pair of hands (there was that one that got between them at TB, but an isolated incident)
Smith and Hughes are also capable in the 3rd/4th slip/gully region as well, they're all good catchers.

Haddin has to set the tone though, and he's not

Pup is immaculate to the left, not so much the right. Watson is solid within limits, he's not in the league of someone like Shane Warne or Taylor.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

We have a specialist VC in the team, maybe next time we can pick a specialist slip fieldsman/VC. Who's the best slip fieldsman in FC?

Cam White? I haven't seen him recently but he used to be brilliant.

 

[iluvparis]

don't really have a problem with our cordon, excluding haddin, Watson is usually pretty reliable, Pup has an immaculate pair of hands (there was that one that got between them at TB, but an isolated incident)
Smith and Hughes are also capable in the 3rd/4th slip/gully region as well, they're all good catchers.

Haddin has to set the tone though, and he's not

Not sure if serious - but our slip cordon has basically barely been grade cricket level for the last 2 years. Haddin is gun shy, Clarke has a bad back and Watson seems to have the vision of an 80yo pensioner when fielding in the slips.

 

[Slax]

Our slips are awful and not at all helped by having Haddin - who has watched balls whistle past before in his career - as keeper. We haven't had decent or settled slipsmen for a long time.

The one thing I have noticed in the first two test matches is how close 1st slip is standing to the keeper. When Gilchrist & Healy (to a lesser extent Wade) were behind the stumps 1st slip would be a good 5-6 feet further around to about half way between current first & second slip. this meant that 2nd slip was also further around and so further, thus we were covering much more ground. Every single current slip fieldsman loses out to any counterpart of the last 25 years.
Healy/Gilchrist > Haddin/Wade
Taylor/Hayden/Ponting > Watson/Clarke
M. Waugh/Ponting > Clarke
Border/Warne/Ponting > whoever is there now.

In terms of fielding the only player who currently could compete with the team of 90s/00s is Warner, the rest are below par (probably bit harsh on some of the current bowlers)

 

[bird_man]

We're gone this series get over it, all about Australian summer now. my team for the home series (providing everyone's fit):
1. chris rogers- great FC record, can seriously play.
2. shane watson- under performed so far, should be a star.
3. shaun marsh- our 2nd best batsman behind clarke.
4. usman khawaja- technically immaculate, a lot of potential.
5. michael clarke- best bat, arguably the worlds finest.
6. david warner- the matchwinner in the lineup, can turn a test in a session.
7. matthew wade- australia's best wk/ bat with age on his size.
8. james pattinson- future superstar, fine bowler and can bat.
9. peter siddle- workhorse of the attack, bowls his heart out.
10. ryan harris- arguably our best bowler when fit.
11. jackson bird- fine bowler, moves it and is quick enough or
nathan lyon- australia's most reliable spinner. (depending on wicket)

unlucky:
phill hughes- best is great, worst is shocking. still needs to sort out technical flawes.
mitchell starc- raw talent, could be anything but not ready yet.
steve smith- handy cricketer, must keep working on his leggies.

You are kidding me right? What has he done to say that he is the 2nd best batsman in Australia? IMO he is extremely lucky to be getting a gig for Aus A at the moment. He's 30 now and he has a FC average of 35 and a test average of 27.

 

[Rookie]

I don't think the right decision would be to drop Hughes. Let's give him all the chances he needs to come good. He has the talent, and now just needs consistency and belief. He needs a prolonged run in the side, and as our potentially most prolific batsman we can't just keep pushing him up, down, in and out. FFS, stick with him for this Ashes, he either makes it or we can exile him to state cricket and reevaluate him in three years time if he has added 1000s of runs and 50+. We have to avoid the reactionary churn that defines terrible teams that go nowhere.

All our batsmen should perform better once we win a toss and bat 1st and 3rd instead of 2nd and 4th.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

The one thing I have noticed in the first two test matches is how close 1st slip is standing to the keeper.

I noticed this a bit as well, particularly when Clarke is at first (which usually means Watson is bowling, so that by otself might explain it). I'm not sure if having first slip so close is leading Haddin to confusion about whether he should go or not; or whether first slip is standing closer because Haddin doesn't go. Probably the second, but could be a bit of both.
Healy has said he used to like first slip wide, so he had no doubts abut whether a catch was his or not and just went for it. I think Marsh was much the same in trying to push the slips wider.

 

[bird_man]

I don't think the right decision would be to drop Hughes. Let's give him all the chances he needs to come good. He has the talent, and now just needs consistency and belief. He needs a prolonged run in the side, and as our potentially most prolific batsman we can't just keep pushing him up, down, in and out. FFS, stick with him for this Ashes, he either makes it or we can exile him to state cricket and reevaluate him in three years time if he has added 1000s of runs and 50+. We have to avoid the reactionary churn that defines terrible teams that go nowhere.

All our batsmen should perform better once we win a toss and bat 1st and 3rd instead of 2nd and 4th.

We also have to pick the best side to win, and he is a poor player of spin.

 

[carnthemlions]

We also have to pick the best side to win, and he is a poor player of spin.

Clarke, Smith and Haddin are our only batsmen who aren't poor players of spin.

 

[frankrizzo]

marsh...christ.

The last time our bats all performed was when the indians toured and served up a feast of pies, everybody cashed in except for marsh who averaged 3.

 

[bird_man]

Clarke, Smith and Haddin are our only batsmen who aren't poor players of spin.

So then Smith gets the nod over Hughes.

 

[Showbags]

marsh...christ.

The last time our bats all performed was when the indians toured and served up a feast of pies, everybody cashed in except for marsh who averaged 3.

Not really. From memory we were still always 2 or 3 for not many in most of those Tests and got saved by Clarke, Ponting and Hussey.

The difference between this series and that one was we had Ponting and Hussey to save us. If there was no Ponting and Hussey against India the series would of been much closer.

Apart from that 180 in Perth Warner didn't do that much. Cowan did not much all series and Haddin was absolutely diabolical (funny how that disgraceful performance has been overlooked).

 

[Tyberious Funk]

In terms of fielding the only player who currently could compete with the team of 90s/00s is Warner, the rest are below par (probably bit harsh on some of the current bowlers)

Working on improving fielding was a hallmark of the Simpson/Border rebuild in the 80s. IMHO, it should be a major area the team works on.

 

[Mateyman]

The one thing I have noticed in the first two test matches is how close 1st slip is standing to the keeper. When Gilchrist & Healy (to a lesser extent Wade) were behind the stumps 1st slip would be a good 5-6 feet further around to about half way between current first & second slip. this meant that 2nd slip was also further around and so further, thus we were covering much more ground. Every single current slip fieldsman loses out to any counterpart of the last 25 years.
Healy/Gilchrist > Haddin/Wade
Taylor/Hayden/Ponting > Watson/Clarke
M. Waugh/Ponting > Clarke
Border/Warne/Ponting > whoever is there now.

In terms of fielding the only player who currently could compete with the team of 90s/00s is Warner, the rest are below par (probably bit harsh on some of the current bowlers)

Smith is also an excellent fielder

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Any side with wade in the side is a POOR side, the bloke was abysmal behind the stumps to spin...and on the spin friendly pitch of Old Trafford you want him keeping. Absolutely insane. Lets not forget Haddin has been keeping our batting looking half respectable!

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Any side with wade in the side is a POOR side, the bloke was abysmal behind the stumps to spin...and on the spin friendly pitch of Old Trafford you want him keeping. Absolutely insane. Lets not forget Haddin has been keeping our batting looking half respectable!

No the bowlers have.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Smith is also an excellent fielder

He usually is but he was one of the worst offenders at Hove.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

No the bowlers have.

Yet Haddin almost saved our you know whats in the 1st test. He has been good. Unless you plan to bring Paine or Hartley in, I don't want to replace the keeper!

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Yet Haddin almost saved our you know whats in the 1st test. He has been good. Unless you plan to bring Paine or Hartley in, I don't want to replace the keeper!

Well I agree. But Haddin's keeping has been pretty off.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Well I agree. But Haddin's keeping has been pretty off.

You remember Wade's keeping....it was BEYOND ABYSMAL!

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Side has been leaked anyway:

1. Watson
2. Rogers
3. Khawaja
4. Smith
5. Clarke
6. Warner
7. Haddin
8. Starc
9. Siddle
10. Harris
11. Lyon

 

[Blue Dimension]

Can't believe we've dropped Hughes again. Seems like we won't ever learn.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Can't believe we've dropped Hughes again. Seems like we won't ever learn.

Did you see his dismissals last test- clueless against spin.

I have always said this about Hughes and it is very simple- he is an opener. He opens or he doesn't play. Stop trying to invent him at number 3/4/5/6...these positions you need to play spin well and whilst Phil has improved, he isn't great!

 

[Underdog]

FFS, no Agar!

 

[nobbyiscool]

Yet Haddin almost saved our you know whats in the 1st test. He has been good. Unless you plan to bring Paine or Hartley in, I don't want to replace the keeper!

Yep, I think there's a lot of agreement with that. We stopped looking for 'keepers after Gilchrist, we started looking for a bloke who wears gloves, but who will score regular centuries.

But even in doing that, we picked the wrong guys!

Much as I'm a fan of the bloke, and I'm a very parochial Tasmanian, Paine is not the guy at the moment. We've been waiting 6 years for him to grow into the batting potential that we all knew he had, and I know that he was injured for a while - but to be honest, he was given massive opportunities by Tassie and still hasn't made the most of his potential.

I've gone from being Paine's biggest fan to now thinking that Nevill is the one that we need to try and develop.

Side has been leaked anyway:

1. Watson
2. Rogers
3. Khawaja
4. Smith
5. Clarke
6. Warner
7. Haddin
8. Starc
9. Siddle
10. Harris
11. Lyon

I'm formally announcing that I'm out of the boat if this is the team.

I can kind of handle Hughes being dropped... again. They want Warner in this side, and they aren't going to drop either of the guys that probably least deserve to play because Boof almost staked the establishment of his new regime on those guys (Watson and Rogers).

But I can't handle Agar being dropped. Lyon shouldn't have been dropped - but having been dropped, he's done nothing to deserve a recall. Agar hasn't taken a hell of a lot of wickets - but he's 19 years old, what do they expect from him?!

And I left Starc over Bird til last because... well, I'm so angry about that I can't even describe it. If i'd addressed that first, I would've just pissed myself off to the point of not replying. This is a joke, it's a disgrace, and in an era where I've been more forgiving than most, because I recognise that you do not, and you can not have the best players in the world all the time - this is an embarrassing and outrageous decision that makes me question whether the selectors actually want to win matches, and makes me legitimately question whether they actually have any plan for this team.