Jackson Bird

[Ohitsthatguy]

Your bowling attack averages 140 kmph

You bring in a bowler who struggles to reach 135kmph and expect results.

Please tell me you don't blame him for not taking wickets, especially on this MCG road.

Do fast medium bowlers even have a chance anymore in this country?

 

[Ronnie Baby]

Don’t give me excuses, give me results!

 

[Chuckie357]

The bird is NOT the word

 

[Scotland]

Leading Shield wicket taker, 34 wickets in his previous 8 tests.

Who should they have picked?

 

[JG22]

Right selection.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Leading Shield wicket taker, 34 wickets in his previous 8 tests.

Who should they have picked?

Personally would have picked Chris Tremain who is in great form and is a notch quicker than Bird. Would have considered Sayers but not in Melbourne.

 

[eth-dog]

Leading Shield wicket taker, 34 wickets in his previous 8 tests.

Who should they have picked?

Sayers. Cos despite the fact he's exactly the same as Bird without the success at test level, he would have been better

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Sayers. Cos despite the fact he's exactly the same as Bird without the success at test level, he would have been better

It's a bit hard to achieve success at Test level if you're never given the opportunity. I wasn't against Bird's selection for the Melbourne Test, but let's face it, he failed miserably. Time to look elsewhere.

 

[eth-dog]

It's a bit hard to achieve success at Test level if you're never given the opportunity. I wasn't against Bird's selection for the Melbourne Test, but let's face it, he failed miserably. Time to look elsewhere.

Christ, you're about as dumb as Chappelli, no wonder you have a hard on for him. One bad test on a pitch that literally gave nothing to any bowler and he's carted? Please. He's still better than Sayers and should continue to get games ahead of him.

 

[Scotland]

Before the test the vast majority of people were calling for Bird to be picked. Took 4 wickets last year and 4 wickets in his previous MCG test.

The reason the attack looked shit is because Cummins wasn't 100% and was down on pace (which is his thing) and the pitch was flat and slow so we had 3 right armers bowling 130s with Hazlewood getting into the 140s a bit and the ball doing nothing.

 

[PhatBoy]

Bird aside, because this seems to apply to literally any player who ever pulls on a national shirt - when did one shit match make you a shit player?

It’s the most f***ing stupid attitude in sport. And it pervades this forum (and sporting culture in general) like f***ing AIDS.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Said it before the test, I would have rather had Tremain play. He's in form, home ground, and he's a good two yards quicker.

Would have helped had we gave Cummins the new ball- who was the bloke who decided to not give Cummins the new ball?

 

[Scotland]

Bird has more wickets in fewer matches with a better average and strike rate than Tremain this season.

For a last minute 'hey we need a guy' Tremain would've been fine, but for a guy to be in the squad the whole time as the 4th seam option Bird was the word.

If Tremain was a left armer he would've been a show, though.

 

[The_Reaper]

Not picking Bird would have been extremely odd.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I can accept picking him (at a stretch), but what I cannot accept is why on earth wasn't Cummins taking the new ball. No shock that Bird completely wasted the new ball on a wicket that you had 10 overs (maybe) where the ball did anything with the new ball.

 

[PhatBoy]

I can accept picking him (at a stretch), but what I cannot accept is why on earth wasn't Cummins taking the new ball. No shock that Bird completely wasted the new ball on a wicket that you had 10 overs (maybe) where the ball did anything with the new ball.

Why would you give the new ball to a bowler who rarely swings it and relies on pace and bounce, over a metronomic slower bowler who needs it to move to be effective?

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Why would you give the new ball to a bowler who rarely swings it and relies on pace and bounce, over a metronomic slower bowler who needs it to move to be effective?

Cummins can swing it as well, plus the new ball he might have done something! After the first new ball you could have at least tried Cummins with the 2nd new ball.

 

[DaRick]

Nothing wrong with picking Bird on paper. Leading Sheffield Shield wicket-taker, did well on a rather flat MCG pitch last year, Test experience.

Problem is that he struggled with his line-and-length a bit while the pitch itself was considered even worse than last year's.

It's just a case of a reasonable-looking selection which didn't pan out, as happens from time to time.

 

[Torz]

Nothing wrong with picking Bird on paper. Leading Sheffield Shield wicket-taker, did well on a rather flat MCG pitch last year, Test experience.

Problem is that he struggled with his line-and-length a bit while the pitch itself was considered even worse than last years.

It's just a case of a reasonable-looking selection which didn't pan out, as happens from time to time.

This is it. Simple case of right process, wrong result. He was the logical choice.

 

[Hellgood]

This is it. Simple case of right process, wrong result. He was the logical choice.

I'm staggered it's still being discussed when it was such an obvious call on all fronts.

 

[Gough]

For the most part I think people are being harsh, he bowled badly on a pitch that sucked. That shouldn't be enough to mark his cards.

 

[Damon_3388]

Bird aside, because this seems to apply to literally any player who ever pulls on a national shirt - when did one shit match make you a shit player?

It’s the most f***ing stupid attitude in sport. And it pervades this forum (and sporting culture in general) like f***ing AIDS.

Joe Mennie got this treatment last year, despite performing better in his lone Test (didn't get carted, just didn't take many wickets) than Bird did this Boxing Day. Apparently he was never good, and there was never any basis for his selection, despite being the reigning leading wicket-taker in Shield cricket (51 wickets @ 21.21 in 2015/16), and continuing with pretty much the same quality form when returning to South Australia since, and adding another string to his bow by being the co-leading wicket-taker in the JLT Cup this year (after previously being a fairly mediocre limited-overs bowler).

 

[PintSzedSlasher]

Joe Mennie got this treatment last year, despite performing better in his lone Test (didn't get carted, just didn't take many wickets) than Bird did this Boxing Day. Apparently he was never good, and there was never any basis for his selection, despite being the reigning leading wicket-taker in Shield cricket (51 wickets @ 21.21 in 2015/16), and continuing with pretty much the same quality form when returning to South Australia since, and adding another string to his bow by being the co-leading wicket-taker in the JLT Cup this year (after previously being a fairly mediocre limited-overs bowler).

Except he was picked because he could bat too, wasn't even the best bowler in his state side.

 

[TassieEagle]

Bird was the right and only choice in Melbourne. If one bad innings is enough to stamp his papers even with proven performances and state and test level then eff me.

Bird should continue to be the 4th quick for the foreseeable future (ie at least the SA tour)

 

[Damon_3388]

Except he was picked because he could bat too, wasn't even the best bowler in his state side.

Except at the time, Mennie was the best bowler in SA, because Chadd Sayers was coming off a pretty average and inconsistent couple of seasons (32 wickets @ 27.78 in 2015/16, 12 wickets @ 31.50 in 2014/15) compared to what he eventually produced in 2016/17. That he isn't a complete bunny with the bat is an added bonus (seem to recall him being touted as a bowling all-rounder in his early days, but results with the willow haven't really bore out anything more than standard #9 batsman results).

Even factoring in Sayers' big year in 2016/17, Mennie's strike rate and economy rate in Shield cricket over the past 2 1/2 years are virtually identical to him. The idea that Sayers is somehow several levels above, and that CA "accidentally picked the wrong one", or that there was NSW bias at play (Mennie is a New South Welshman originally) is silly. He performed in the Shield, and was deservedly next in line.