Changes For the sydney test

[stickman11]

Watson has come on in leaps and bounds since the move to open. They wont change that. Even though he doesn’t go on to make the big scores, he occupies the crease for good time and takes the shine off the ball.

Trouble is watson is a 50 run player. We need openers who can score regular 100's like tubby, slats, Boonie, Marsh. Watson isn't really an opener.

 

[eddiesmith]

Oh god this could be a world record smashing

Hughes still there, Khawaja in at 3 against Englands attack, Clarke remains at 4 and Smith retains his spot at 6, hahaha

 

[The Passenger]

hughes (if katich is fit, it will be a 50/50 call)
watson
ponting
clarke
hussey
smith
haddin
hauritz/o'keefe/beer (should be one of the first two, but the selectors may not want to back away from their strange selection of beer)
siddle
two of johnson, hilfenhaus, bollinger or copeland (with the first two the most likely)

hughes is going to stay in the team regardless
ponting injured so khawaja comes in
selectors sticking with beer
johnson and hilfenhaus retain spots

pretty ****ing predictable

 

[courtjester]

Wont happen, but should. God knows I should be the Australian selector.

M. Hussey
N. Maddinson
U. Khawaja
S. Watson
M. Clarke
S. Marsh
B. Haddin
S. O'Keefe
M. Johnson
P. Siddle
T. Copeland

 

[benny_cousins]

I would rather an opener who scores 50 most matches and protects the middle order from the new ball than an inconsistant opener any day. He is our best batsman so why change it?

 

[Axel.]

Wont happen, but should. God knows I should be the Australian selector.

M. Hussey
N. Maddinson
U. Khawaja
S. Watson
M. Clarke
S. Marsh
B. Haddin
S. O'Keefe
M. Johnson
P. Siddle
T. Copeland

Very nice team.

 

[Gazza_11]

Hughes
Watson
Khawaja
Clarke
Hussey (Ponting)
White/Ferguson
Haddin
Smith
Johnson (Copeland)
Siddle
George

The ones in brackets are the players who should come in for our first test match after the Sydney game.

 

[peternorth]

if katich was fit, and so was ponting, would the selectors drop hughes? or would they find reasoning to drop hussey?

 

[benny_cousins]

Trouble is watson is a 50 run player. We need openers who can score regular 100's like tubby, slats, Boonie, Marsh. Watson isn't really an opener.

By the way, Shane Watson has a better test average whilst opening than all the names you've thrown in their.

 

[legend166]

Squad announced:

Michael Clarke (c), Brad Haddin (vc), Doug Bollinger, Michael Beer, Phillip Hughes, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Shane Watson.

From that I guess this is the team they'll play:

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Clarke
Hussey
Smith
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Beer
Bollinger

 

[peternorth]

would they drop hilf for bollinger?

 

[The Gerbil King]

Squad announced:

Michael Clarke (c), Brad Haddin (vc), Doug Bollinger, Michael Beer, Phillip Hughes, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Shane Watson.

From that I guess this is the team they'll play:

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Clarke
Hussey
Smith
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Beer
Bollinger

Bit of a "meh" side. The only two changes are forced by injury. I dont think that the new chum should bat at three - too much too soon. Let Clarke show some leadership and go at first drop.

 

[Northern_Swan]

would they drop hilf for bollinger?

Because Hilf has taken 4 wickets for the series an has been basically cannon fodder for the poms

 

[Spiritof82]

Bit of a "meh" side. The only two changes are forced by injury. I dont think that the new chum should bat at three - too much too soon. Let Clarke show some leadership and go at first drop.

Clarke has no spine to bat anywhere below about 10, so there's no hope of him finding any leadership in the short term, he's too concerned about his looks and the way the media sees him to worry about being a cricketer.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Did I read this correctly...

Michael "nuffy" Beer still there....and Bollinger over Copeland.

We will get flogged, and righly so with these selectors.

 

[Donners]

I was actually hoping Butterworth would get a gig, as the most experienced of the in-form pacemen. No such luck.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Wouldn't have been against Butters being given a go really, we could do much worse.

 

[BarryG]

Hussey has to go just on age.

Glad you are not a selector, that is the dumbest thing I have read on this site. Age should never be a factor, we are about winning and form is what we need.

 

[dumb]

As a boy Usman Khawaja waited for the SCG gates to open so he could watch his heroes for free. On Monday he will have another priceless experience there when he plays his first Test as the injured Ricky Ponting's replacement at No 3.

Khawaja, who will become the first Muslim to receive a baggy green, moved to Australia from Pakistan when he was three and as he grew up, his family couldn't afford match tickets. So he would hang around at the entrance until the gatemen let him in for a peek at Steve Waugh and Co.

When he enters the ground over the next week he will be treated like royalty by the home fans and as a target by England. "It's been a childhood dream for me," he said at the SCG. "Ever since I can remember I wanted to play for Australia."

Khawaja, 24, is a graceful, wristy left-hander who has impressed team-mates with his calm maturity. He is already a qualified pilot and is now in charge of navigating Australia from first-drop in an Ashes Test. Not since Justin Langer in 1992-93 has a debutant stepped out at No.3.

ruh-roh

hopefully jihad on the english bowlers.

 

[Damon_3388]

ruh-roh

hopefully jihad on the english bowlers.

Needs an Amla-esque beard.

 

[TheMase]

Clarke has no spine to bat anywhere below about 10, so there's no hope of him finding any leadership in the short term, he's too concerned about his looks and the way the media sees him to worry about being a cricketer.

Seriously, the amount of ridiculous and unqualified comments around Clarke is astounding.

You'd think many here had intimate knowledge of Clarke himself and the Australian cricket team.

 

[BarneyBent]

ruh-roh

hopefully jihad on the english bowlers.

He probably skipped the landing lessons.

/racism

 

[Damon_3388]

Graeme Swann saying what needed to be said.

 

[BarneyBent]

Graeme Swann saying what needed to be said.

Off-topic, that is some of the worst writing I've ever seen in a major publication.

 

[legend166]

This will be Michael Beer's first ever game at the SCG.

He's gone from being in the squad at the WACA because of 'home ground advantage' to debuting at a place he's never even been before.