Changes for the Melbourne Test.

[Pippen94]

Siddle won’t play. They will play both Neser and Patto as they can both bat. Paine will bat 6 and one of Wade or Head will drop out

I like but won't happen

 

[Pippen94]

The selectors seem to rate him highly and his FC form has been strong for two years but Abbott should still be a fair way back in the queue. Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc, Pattinson and Jhye make a very good top five for the next few years. Neser is ahead of Abbott in the immediate term as well. . Siddle will probably be popping up when he's 40 too. Abbott is in that next bracket with Tremain and Meredith. I reckon Kelly will join the mix in the next few years as well.

I agree - but should be conversation considering form. Has his chance in odi's.

 

[Ducky Tie]

I agree - but should be conversation considering form. Has his chance in odi's.

In the conversation for what though? He’s not jumping ahead of the top 6 any time soon for test selection.

 

[Pippen94]

In the conversation for what though? He’s not jumping ahead of the top 6 any time soon for test selection.

bowlers get injured - he's taking wickets

 

[LukeParkerno1]

bowlers get injured - he's taking wickets

There’s about 10 in front of him at least

 

[corbies]

Barring India they do actually it’s a pretty weak era of flat track home bullying from all sides. South Africa have been dreadful since ABDV retired. Markham has barely got a run either.

My point is more you are discounting Head's hundred because its against Sri Lanka but given you think everyone bar India is rubbish and the Test team plays a lot of matches not against India, that's the standard we are picking teams for.

 

[cricketnut14]

Batting average after 15 Test matches

Travis Head - 40.82
Ricky Ponting - 40.78
Michael Clarke - 40.31
Justin Langer - 37.16
Steve Smith - 35.22
Mark Waugh - 34.65
Matthew Hayden - 33.88
Steve Waugh - 29.68

#AUSvNZ https://t.co/BrbCd3KIqm

interesting read that.

3 of the above 8 ended up averaging 50+ (and no doubt smith will)
6 of the above 8 played over 100 tests (and no doubt smith will)

i guess most of them got a go at test cricket when they were young and selectors saw something in them.

 

[Westend]

Looking forward to seeing how the MCG pitch holds up this test...Lets hope its not a road like the past couple of years

Patto will get the run...will be great to see him in front of his home fans ...will provide pace and aggression

Lets hope the aussie's come up with a plan to fight the short ball....This let the ball hit your body and wait for your elbow to be broken is not how you play the short ball Mr Wade....lets see a bit of intent from all players and use the willow please

The pressure has moved to Head...lets hope he keeps it tight and not throw away his wicket needlessly

Going to be a good game....Boult back for the kiwis will make them stronger....reckon this is going to be close

 

[Pippen94]

There’s about 10 in front of him at least

On par with siddle who got brought in

 

[TY24]

In: J. Pattinson
Out: J. Hazlewood

/thread

 

[LukeParkerno1]

On par with siddle who got brought in

No he’s not- not in 4day cricket. There’s others outside the squad that are ahead

 

[RookiePick]

Recruiting the curator from a ground that had become the flattest pitch in Australia was a strange move if they wanted to produce a pitch with more life in it

Possibly covered already but there was a lot of top down pressure to make 5 day tracks. The WACA relies/d entirely on a good test to pay for the rest of the year. The prior WACA curator got ousted because he refused to put up roads and they got someone in who would toe the company line.

 

[Not Important]

In: J. Pattinson
Out: J. Hazlewood

/thread

absolute deadset certainty.

 

[Wedge McManus]

South Africa are terrible especially now ABDV is retired and Amla is past his best.

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the windies should be playing test cricket in division 2 with the minnows imo

 

[big_e]

Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the windies should be playing test cricket in division 2 with the minnows imo

Yay, let's put test cricket in divisions so we play the same ******* four sides every ******* time.

 

[cricketnut14]

Yay, let's put test cricket in divisions so we play the same ******* four sides every ******* time.

we pretty much do at the moment anyways:

the last 20 years:
55 england
44 india
33 south africa

132 (above) W 64 L 46 D 22
99 the rest (see below) W 76 L 10 D 13

26 west indies
23 pakistan
23 new zealand
18 sri lanka
6 bangladesh
2 zimbabwe
1 icc world xi
0 ireland
0 afghanistan

 

[Wedge McManus]

Yay, let's put test cricket in divisions so we play the same ******* four sides every ******* time.

If it means that the games played are mostly competitive then why not? Have a promotion relegation system to ensure pathways to the top for improving second division teams and everyone's happy. I just solved world cricket's issues in under a minute.You're welcome

 

[Gough]

If it means that the games played are mostly competitive then why not? Have a promotion relegation system to ensure pathways to the top for improving second division teams and everyone's happy. I just solved world cricket's issues in under a minute.You're welcome

Hello Wedge, nice to see you back lad.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Looking ahead, we've discussed what may happen next year if the MCG produces another bad pitch.

Has CA got a contingency plan in case the SCG is unplayable due to smoke? Its supposed to be a lot cooler looking ahead, but not much rain. The fires could still be burning and Sydney is very much a health hazard. Adding to that is the smoke, with its own health issues.

 

[Wedge McManus]

Hello Wedge, nice to see you back lad.

Thanks mate. Good to be back for the BBL

 

[big_e]

If it means that the games played are mostly competitive then why not? Have a promotion relegation system to ensure pathways to the top for improving second division teams and everyone's happy. I just solved world cricket's issues in under a minute.You're welcome

It will end up like the English Premier League - no, even worse, the Scottish Premier League - where everyone competes for the right to be beaten by Australia and India, with the occasional shot at the top by South Africa or England. And given Australia, India and England control the ICC, the number of teams per division will be set at a level that ensures those teams are always safe. So probably six or seven, with one going up and down. Rather than establishing pathways, you in fact banish a bunch of cricket nations to permanent second-class citizens.

It might work dollars-wise in the short-term (cos no-one will lose money by having to broadcast Australia vs Bangladesh) but in the long-term it hurts it, as people will get bored with it. And it doesn't give a real chance for the currently lesser teams to break into the top division, so frankly some of them won't bother. And if you were just outside test status now, what real chance do you have of making it? And we'll end up with eight test playing teams again, which means the second division will wind up, and we'll be back to square one, even we will then have even fewer countries playing long-form cricket.

 

[Wedge McManus]

It will end up like the English Premier League - no, even worse, the Scottish Premier League - where everyone competes for the right to be beaten by Australia and India, with the occasional shot at the top by South Africa or England. And given Australia, India and England control the ICC, the number of teams per division will be set at a level that ensures those teams are always safe. So probably six or seven, with one going up and down. Rather than establishing pathways, you in fact banish a bunch of cricket nations to permanent second-class citizens.

It might work dollars-wise in the short-term (cos no-one will lose money by having to broadcast Australia vs Bangladesh) but in the long-term it hurts it, as people will get bored with it. And it doesn't give a real chance for the currently lesser teams to break into the top division, so frankly some of them won't bother. And if you were just outside test status now, what real chance do you have of making it? And we'll end up with eight test playing teams again, which means the second division will wind up, and we'll be back to square one, even we will then have even fewer countries playing long-form cricket.

You've basically just said one thing and repeated it fifty times there. Like I made clear before, if teams had the chance to get promoted from division 2 then they could quite easily get there by beating other teams. If they couldn't compete with teams in division 2, what would be the point of them playing the top four teams in division 1 regularly?
Also, why are we operating on the assumption that the top four test teams are always going to be in division 1? India have the potential to go back to being useless away from home if their quicks get injured, same with us, SA have serious issues now and England are struggling big time in tests. If Bangladesh for example, were forced to play more games against div 2 sides and became competitive in that pool then it would do them much more good than getting thumped away from home all the time as is currently the case. Then, by the time they ever made it to the top they'd be in a much better position to challenge. People would want to watch THAT. Not the nonsense uncompetitive test matches we see today (SA v SL recent test series excluded)

 

[Hamingja]

Batting average after 15 Test matches

Travis Head - 40.82
Ricky Ponting - 40.78
Michael Clarke - 40.31
Justin Langer - 37.16
Steve Smith - 35.22
Mark Waugh - 34.65
Matthew Hayden - 33.88
Steve Waugh - 29.68

#AUSvNZ https://t.co/BrbCd3KIqm

I always hate this sort of approach.

Hayden's first 15 tests for example included 8 against the Windies with an attack of Ambrose, Walsh and Bishop, 4 away to South Africa with an attack of Donald, De Villiers and Pollock and 2 away to India when Harbhajan was at his absolute peak.

 

[Kram]

interesting read that.

3 of the above 8 ended up averaging 50+ (and no doubt smith will)
6 of the above 8 played over 100 tests (and no doubt smith will)

i guess most of them got a go at test cricket when they were young and selectors saw something in them.

The only interesting thing about it is it shows how pointless stats can be.

 

[deanc]

No he’s not- not in 4day cricket. There’s others outside the squad that are ahead

Luke, a bit surprised our current leading wicket taker thus far in the Sheffield Shield, Jackson Bird, is not even in any conversation...?

OK, the fact that he is 92yo doesn't help, but still he has form....?