Changes For the sydney test

[benny_cousins]

People are mentioning him because he's the best opener in Shield cricket this season - 510 runs (65% of which have come from boundaries) @ 56.66, with a strike rate of 71.22 - and is still young enough (26 years old) to have a future at Test level, rather than being "Stopgap of the Month" a la Marcus North.

You can't pick players on form, that's crazy!!!

 

[Bombertastic]

OUT
Hughes (looks terrible)
Clarke (same)
Smith (as Warne said, when he plays we're going in with one less batsman and one less bowler)
Hilfy (2 wickets in a series isn't good enough, even if he is bowling tight)

Marsh
Watson
Ponting (c)
D Hussey
M Hussey
White (vc)
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Harris
Siddle

Our batting needs a shake up. Hughes' selection was always a joke, Clarke has been struggling for a long time and Smith looks out of his depth. We need a spinner for the SCG and Hauritz is still our best option unfortunately. Hilfy is only good if the ball is really swinging and hasn't got enough wickets to earn his spot for the last test.

I agree with all of this apart from the D Hussey inclusion. I have a lot of time for him but we need to groom a young player that can offer more then 2 or 3 years. D Huss is one of my favourite players of all time but unfortunately like the reason it took Mike Hussey until he was 30 he just came by at the wrong time. If they were say 23 and 25 now could you imagine how great the next 10 years would be.

So Khawaja for me. Rest is good. Tempted about Maddinson but wouldn't want to rush the young man.

 

[russea]

MY XI
M. Hussey, Cosgrove, Kawaja, White, D. Hussey, Watson, Haddin, Harris, Hauritz, Siddle, Hilfenhaus/Coppleand

Aussie selctors XI
Hughes, Watson, Ponting, Clarke, M Hussey, Smith, Haddin, Johnson, Hauritz, Harris, Hilfenhaus
Just a guess really

 

[Goldencats]

I can't wait to see what XI is picked for the Syd test now that the series is gone

 

[sherb]

People are mentioning him because he's the best opener in Shield cricket this season - 510 runs (65% of which have come from boundaries) @ 56.66, with a strike rate of 71.22 - and is still young enough (26 years old) to have a future at Test level, rather than being "Stopgap of the Month" a la Marcus North.

Can someone explain this assertion to me, given that Cosgrove has opened in only one Shield match this season and batted at number 5 in his other five Shield matches?

 

[Daytripper]

S Watson
M Hussey
U Khawaga
C Lynn
M Clarke
R Ponting
B Haddin
M Johnson
P Siddle
R Harris
M Beer

Lynn and Khawaja in as they are the two best u23 batsman in Australia at the moment and nobody else is exactly knocking the door down either. Play them. We've got nothing to lose and its more likely than unlikely that they will be fixtures in the team in 5 years time.

M Hussey to open as he has a good solid technique and hell he may as well be opening now anyway as he is generally coming in after 10 overs anyway. We need a grinding type at the top of the order.

Clarke goes down a spot to ease some pressure. He is probably our best batsman but he's just in a horrible form slump. Should persist with him.

Ponting simply can't play 3 anymore and he is much better suited to 5 or 6 now.

Our spinners are shitehouse but seeing as the selectors have picked Beer they may as well give him a go.

Would like to give Paine a go but Haddin is probably our 2nd best batsman at the moment and whilst his keeping is nowhere near someone of Boucher or Prior's standards, its still reasonable enough.

Don't know why Smith is in the team. He is not good enough with the ball and he is not in the top 5 middle order batsman in Australia.

Hughes's technique is terrible for an opener. Needs to either decide to play one day and T20 permanently or give those forms away all together and work on the long form of the game.

 

[skipper kelly]

P. Hughes (will make 100 in the 2nd dig)
S. Kelly
M. Hussey
M. Clarke
R. Ponting
S. Watson
B. Haddin
M. Johnson
N. Hauritz
R. Harris
P. Siddle

 

[BarneyBent]

Choosing the best 11 players for Sydney, with no regard for player psychology, team continuity, etc (in other words, totally impractical):

Watson
Hussey/Cosgrove
Ponting
Cosgrove/Hussey
Clarke
Khawaja
Haddin
O'Keefe (or Hauritz, but I wouldn't mind taking the punt)
Johnson
Siddle
Bollinger/Hilf/McKay (or even Pattinson, if we really want to roll the dice)

With the current team set-up in mind (i.e. somewhat realistic team):

No change except maybe Hilf for Dougeh/McKay. Khawaja as cover.

 

[Daytripper]

I'm actually amazed there is no love for Lynn.

He averages 45 in Shield cricket and 51 so far this season.
He also can chip in with a bit of left arm orthodox as well.

Gives guys like Cam White etc a cold as far as ability is concerned IMO.

 

[BarneyBent]

I'm actually amazed there is no love for Lynn.

He averages 45 in Shield cricket and 51 so far this season.
He also can chip in with a bit of left arm orthodox as well.

Gives guys like Cam White etc a cold as far as ability is concerned IMO.

Looks good, but like Maddinson now, and Hughes and Khawaja before him, he needs to put 2-3 good seasons of FC cricket together before he comes into contention.

 

[Knight Ryders]

The irony is we should be getting ODI matches into the likes of Maddinson, Khawaja and co, but with the World Cup coming up, it's very unlikely that we will do so.

 

[Cousin Jed]

P. Hughes (will make 100 in the 2nd dig)
S. Kelly
M. Hussey
M. Clarke
R. Ponting
S. Watson
B. Haddin
M. Johnson
N. Hauritz
R. Harris
P. Siddle

Took me a good 10 seconds to work out who this guy was

I'm actually amazed there is no love for Lynn.

He averages 45 in Shield cricket and 51 so far this season.
He also can chip in with a bit of left arm orthodox as well.

Gives guys like Cam White etc a cold as far as ability is concerned IMO.

Still lacks consistency, would offer something similar to Marcus North

 

[LukeParkerno1]

1. Maddinson (why the hell not, home pitch punt on the best opener we have seen in a few years)
2. Phil Jaques (purely as I fail to see another opener in form)
3. Shane Watson (capt.)
4. Mke Hussey (farewell test)- replaced by Usman Khawaja at the next series
5. Ricky Ponting (farewell test)- replaced by Mark Cosgrove at the next series.
6. Michael Clarke
7. Brad Haddin
8. Trent Copeland
9. Cameron Boyce
10. Mitchell Johnson
11. Ryan Harris
12th Josh Hazelwood/James Pattinson/Peter Siddle

 

[Doodlesweaver]

1. Maddinson (why the hell not, home pitch punt on the best opener we have seen in a few years)
2. Phil Jaques (purely as I fail to see another opener in form)
3. Shane Watson (capt.)
4. Mke Hussey (farewell test)- replaced by Usman Khawaja at the next series
5. Ricky Ponting (farewell test)- replaced by Mark Cosgrove at the next series.
6. Michael Clarke
7. Brad Haddin
8. Trent Copeland
9. Cameron Boyce
10. Mitchell Johnson
11. Ryan Harris
12th Josh Hazelwood/James Pattinson/Peter Siddle

Why would anyone want Watson as captain on top of batting in the top order and pitching in with bowling? He also stands at first slip. There is only so much pressure a player can carry.

 

[skipper kelly]

Took me a good 10 seconds to work out who this guy was

Has been crying out for years to get a game.

 

[LITTLE STINGA]

Still lacks consistency, would offer something similar to Marcus North

No cricketer is that bad!

 

[LITTLE STINGA]

1. Watson
2. Hussey
3. Ponting
4. Ferguson
5. Khawja
6. White
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Harris
10. Siddle
11. Beer
12. Hauritz

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Why would anyone want Watson as captain on top of batting in the top order and pitching in with bowling? He also stands at first slip. There is only so much pressure a player can carry.

Want me to give you the honest answer- he is the only one that has an inch of captaining ability. Plus for a one off test with nothing to lose, it is well worth the punt. Worst comes to worse, we pick another captain for the next series anyway. I have dropped Watson to 3 to protect him somewhat, I'd be happy to drop him to 4 to do the same thing. I personally don't want him bowling much.

 

[damochandler]

i just find it humerous that people would have cosgrove in their side as opener when he has only had 2 innings there this year and ahead of ferguson and marsh

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Want me to give you the honest answer- he is the only one that has an inch of captaining ability. Plus for a one off test with nothing to lose, it is well worth the punt. Worst comes to worse, we pick another captain for the next series anyway. I have dropped Watson to 3 to protect him somewhat, I'd be happy to drop him to 4 to do the same thing. I personally don't want him bowling much.

If he wasn't bowling, it would be different, But at the SCG, he might come in useful with the ball.

 

[Russian]

People are mentioning him because he's the best opener in Shield cricket this season - 510 runs (65% of which have come from boundaries) @ 56.66, with a strike rate of 71.22 - and is still young enough (26 years old) to have a future at Test level, rather than being "Stopgap of the Month" a la Marcus North.

He's only played one game as an opener, same as Marsh, who is only 11 months older.


There's no more Test cricket (probably) until June so, assuming we don't pull off some miraculous recovery, selection for Sydney should be all about the World Cup. Rest Watson, don't risk Ponting, Clarke and Harris making their injuries any worse, don't rush Katich back for a dead rubber.

Hughes
Marsh
Khawaja
Hussey
Ferguson
Smith
*+Haddin
O'Keefe
Johnson
Siddle
Copeland
Hilfenhaus

 

[LukeParkerno1]

i just find it humerous that people would have cosgrove in their side as opener when he has only had 2 innings there this year and ahead of ferguson and marsh

None of them are openers, Sean Marsh is a woeful 4 day opener.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

If he wasn't bowling, it would be different, But at the SCG, he might come in useful with the ball.

I don't want Watson bowling. Kallis has batted 3 and bowled a heck of a lot for South Africa- it can be done. Watson may not be Kallis, but so long as his workload is managed with the ball, no reason why he can't be captain!

 

[damochandler]

none of them are openers, sean marsh is a woeful 4 day opener.

what makes you think he is a full time openeri find it even more funnier anyone would pick him ahead of those 2 any where in the squad.

 

[Jimthegreat]

He's only played one game as an opener, same as Marsh, who is only 11 months older.


There's no more Test cricket (probably) until June so, assuming we don't pull off some miraculous recovery, selection for Sydney should be all about the World Cup. Rest Watson, don't risk Ponting, Clarke and Harris making their injuries any worse, don't rush Katich back for a dead rubber.

Hughes
Marsh
Khawaja
Hussey
Ferguson
Smith
*+Haddin
O'Keefe
Johnson
Siddle
Copeland
Hilfenhaus

5th Test is not a dead rubber even if the Ashes are gone. Can be tied. That's important. 2-2 would be a great result and p1ss the Poms off no end.Tying with a pretty weak Aussie side won't make them that happy. Ashes or not you're here to win the series.