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Fantasy Footy Notice Image Round 4
SuperCoach Rd 4 SC Talk - Trade Talk - Capt/VC ,//, AFL Fantasy Rd 4 AF Trades - AFF Talk - Capt/VC
Australia are most likely going to draw the series 1-1. Lets not get carried in terms of rolling the changes.
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Simon Katich
Shane Watson
Ricky Ponting (CAPTAIN)
Michael Clarke
Usman Khawaja
Stephen Smith
Brad Haddin
Nathan Hauritz
Mitchell Johnson
Clint Mackay
Doug Bollinger
Callum Ferguson will be in the team by the end of the season. Obviously he will have to put in the time at SA after coming off a lengthy layoff, but I'm expecting a big season from him. Plus he has actually shown he is capable at international level.
I think a lot will depend on what happens with Haddin and Hauritz. If they are both fit, then I wouldn't be surprised to see Khawaja get the first chance in India. But if Paine and Smith are still in the team, I'd expect them to stick with North solely to avoid such an inexperienced middle order.
Callum Ferguson will be in the team by the end of the season.
Ferguson had one good season which was preceded by a lot of seasons where he did not hit the mark. Yes, he did a great job when he pulled on the green and gold, but he's got to not only come back from a long layoff but also consistently put runs on the board. Phil Jaques is an example of how hard it is to do, and Jaquesy is a quality batsman. I'm betting it'll take Ferg a long while before he plays for Australia in Test cricket.
**** sake. He has this annoying habit of popping up with handy runs or wickets right when he is most likely about to be dropped.
On another note, when was the last time an Australian player was so maligned after taking 6 wickets in any form?
Happened when Mike Hussey went through a lean patch... took him ages but he finally came through with a ton. Difference is, this isn't Mr Cricket, it's Marcus North.
Jonty Rhodes used to be like this for South Africa... picked for his fielding, when his position was questioned, he'd peel off a century and show he was still useful.
Michael Bevan.
It's different with Huss. He's got credit in the bank from other formats as he can really adapt. North only plays test cricket and plays like a drain most of the time. His catching isn't even what it could be for a man who has been sitting in slips for WA for I don't know how long.
God this last match was weird. Really fine catchers like Huss and Watson dropped sitters and North took difficult ones.![]()
Difference is, this isn't Mr Cricket, it's Marcus North.
I figure that if Ponting, Hussey and Katich all suddenly retire, the selectors dont want to leave Clarke with just Watson and no one else.
People keep spruiking Khawaja and Ferguson (and i'm sure they're good), but if the three above retire in the next 12 months, it leaves us a bit bare:
1. Watson
2. ????
3. ????
4. Clarke
5. ????
6. North or ????
I know North isn't making runs, but i'm sure his experience counts for something...
I totally agree with you on this one and I have blogging away for the past 18 months about the lack of forward planning by Andrew Hilditch, Ricky Ponting, Tim Nielsen, David Boon, Jamie Cox and Merv Hughes!!
Ever since the retirement of McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist, Hayden and Langer, the selectors have adopted stop gap selection decisions. These decisions include the selection of Marcus North and the continual persistence of using Mr Cricket.
Gee, under Trevor Hohns, we would have seen the sudden exits of Mr Cricket and the Master Chef from the Australian side ie Michael Hussey and Simon Katich for the long term interests of Australian cricket.
Can you honestly think that Katich, Hussey and North would tour the UK in 2013? Will they be in their prime of their careers? I don't think so.
The selectors have a wonderful opportunity to partner Shane Watson with Phil Hughes at the top of the order; play Usman Khawaja at number 5 and bat Stephen Smith at no 6. I have identified 3 players who have at least 10 years of test match cricket in their blood.
And, there is Aaron Finch from Victoria. Aaron Finch, in my opinion, is the ideal replacement for RIcky Ponting at the first drop position. He can attack, defend and he has all of the shots to bat at number 3!! He reminds me of a young Ricky Ponting back in 1995 to 1997.
Since 2007, Australian cricket has gone backwards. We lost the Ashes last year; struggled to beat the West Indies and Pakistan during 2009-2010 season and Pakistan beat us in the test match where Ricky displayed the captaincy traits of Kimberly John Hughes and William Morris Lawry!!
If Hussey, Katich and Ponting retire within a 12 month period, we will experience another dark period in Australian cricket. Where are the replacements? What has happened to the forward planning processes to allow young players like Smith, Finch, Hughes and Khawaja to learn from Ponting and Hussey? Andrew Hilditch and his fellow selection panel members are leaving in a fantasy world!! Gee, wake up!!
The selectors have followed the path of the West Indian selectors back in the late 80s and 90s by picking players for the short term instead of the long term interests of the test side. ENgland did not get anywhere from 1982 to 2003 until RW Marsh gave England a huge kick up the backside by forcing ENgland to pick Flintoff, Pietersen, Harmisson, Hoggard, Strauss and Cook.
In conclusion, if Stephen Smith, Usman Khawaja and Phil Hughes are not picked for the test match series against Sri Lanka and England this season, I am going to declare that AUSTRALIA WILL NOT RECLAIM THE ASHES AND RICKY PONTING WILL BE SACKED AS AUSTRALIAN TEST CAPTAIN!!
And, we can thank the Stephen Rodger Waugh legacy for RIcky's failure to become an imaginative and creative captain!!
THE GOVERNOR
You so sure Huss would retire? I am pretty sure he'll be a real cling-on and have to be forced out with a tazer.
Katich is still reliable and his bowling comes in extremely handy at the odd moments when Punter is prepared to bowl him. I was really surprised he hasn't been given a twirl in this series. But then I love watching Kat bowl, probably more than any of our other bowlers apart from Johnson on the rare occasions that he is on song.
You can count Watson opening as another stop gap decision in my books. If they want to get overs out of him, they are mad to have him opening and sitting at first slip most of the time. This is a very injury prone player, he's not in Kallis' league in terms of quality and he is carrying quite a load in terms of the requirement of concentration. I really do think our selectors are so paranoid about losing that they literally think one series ahead.
With lots of young players at once, we'll have to put up with a fair few losses for at least a year or so, but that bullet has to be bitten to form a cohesive squad. This idea of debuting players at the age of 30 gets so far up my nose, it's coming out of my ears.
Michael Hussey has to retire!! Gee, Trevor Hohns forced out David Boon, Mark Taylor, Craig McDermott, Mark Waugh and Ian Healy with a tazor gun whilst Andrew Hilditch prefers to walk his players along the beach with his Golden Retriever!!
I would leave Shane Watson as an opening batsman. Gee, he has the best defensive and offensive technique for a top order batsman and I would leave him there!
Simon Katich only has 12 months of good cricket ahead of him. Gee, he has scored an abundance of runs but will he be around in 2013?
We have to plan for the future instead of picking players to fill in the gaps whilst we are a top side.
We are not a top side anymore. People have to remember that!! England and India are the top two test nations at the minute even though I detest India!!
THE GOVERNOR
In conclusion, if Stephen Smith, Usman Khawaja and Phil Hughes are not picked for the test match series against Sri Lanka and England this season, I am going to declare that AUSTRALIA WILL NOT RECLAIM THE ASHES AND RICKY PONTING WILL BE SACKED AS AUSTRALIAN TEST CAPTAIN!!
Australia is so far off getting any sustained success at the moment is aint funny. Look at the power house at the moment which is South Africa. They where not afraid to make the big calls about 24 to 36 months ago about some of the older players. Now look at them. England and India have had a similar approach.It will be quite embarrassing if North keeps his spot in the team, that will tell you one of two things
a) we have absolutely **** all batting depth in Australia or
b) the selectors and captain have no faith in blooding new players
I can't understand the notion of sticking with dead wood, surely if a player is not performing he doesn't deserve his spot in the team, cricket must be the only sport in Australia where you can be very confident of keepig your spot in the team despite a poor run of form