Ongoing Test match XI speculation thread.

[Cubs2Lions]

I’d have Phillpee, Pope out with Inglis, Sweepson in and Carey captaining but not much different

Yeah I was thinking of putting Inglis and Swepson in as well both seem good at enough to transfer their skills to the next level.

 

[hawkman]

Harris was Pucovski's opening partner for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield earlier this season and the pair shared a record-breaking stand of 486 against South Africa with Harris making 239. He followed that with scores of 71 and 45 against West Australia then made 35, 25 not out, 26 and 5 for Australia A in the two warm-up matches.

South Africa have fallen away but they haven't fallen to the South Australian level yet

 

[Cubs2Lions]

Someone will emerge, Paine came from not playing to Captain within 6 months. If Paine goes after the Ashes i think Cummins is favourite.

Yeah I think so too.

It will very interesting when the time comes I say who is selected

 

[Perth bloke]

Harris was Pucovski's opening partner for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield earlier this season and the pair shared a record-breaking stand of 486 against South Africa with Harris making 239. He followed that with scores of 71 and 45 against West Australia then made 35, 25 not out, 26 and 5 for Australia A in the two warm-up matches.

Lmao south Africa

 

[eddiesmith]

I think if Head can conquer his spot in the test XI and score a mountain of runs, he will become the captain of the Test team no matter what given his experience and ability with South Australia.

I think by 2025, this would be the lineup that would best represent Australia, ability wise in the Test Arena:

Pucovski (28)
Whiteman (33)
Labuschange (32)
Head (C) (33)
Phllipee (WK) (28)
Green (26)
Carey (VC) (34)
Cummins (32)
Richardson (Jhye) (29)
Pope (26)
Hazlewood (35)

Can’t see Hazlewood still being there at 35, hes probably only got a couple of years left

 

[11kgm]

South Africa have fallen away but they haven't fallen to the South Australian level yet

Cricinfo getting the two teams badly confused

 

[Cubs2Lions]

Can’t see Hazlewood still being there at 35, hes probably only got a couple of years left

Yeah true. Although Anderson is still looking strong at 38 anything is possible

I just don't know any other more quick bowlers coming through the pathway these days. Maybe Evans or Bartlett could be a better alternative.

 

[Redline]

I think we will see an even bigger rotation of players through the various Australian teams in the next 12 months. Players just don't want to qurantine three to four times a year but at the same time don't want to be away from home for such long periods. Also with various COVID bubbles touring will continue to be difficult for a while yet.

 

[Run n Spread]

Players over 30
Warner 34
Smith 31
Wade 33
Paine 36
Starc 31
Lyon 33
Now form permitting but you don't want a situation where they all go at once.
Nothing to do with Monday but I reckon it's time to pull the trigger on Paine and Wade. Wade averages 30 and Paine is getting slow on reflexes. And while he is no Gilchrist Gilchrist and Haddin were 36 Healy 35 so how much longer does he realistically have?
Also would bring Richardson to SA as next cab and look at Sweepson for the subcontinent with a view of succeeding Lyon in the next couple of years

 

[Run n Spread]

I think Pucovski will be a career opener for us but his body is just so bloody fragile. Maybe give him a spot in the slips so he doesn’t throw his shoulder out. We could really do with Carey in the team as much for his leadership qualities as for his batting. Give him a spot as a specialist batsman in Wades spot and let Inglis take the gloves when Paine calls it quits. Long term I can see something like this eventuate with Harris and Head on the fringes

He reminds me of a Collingwood player. Gun with goat potential but always injured to the point you wonder if it will stuff him.
Still only young and look at Cummins but still frustrating as hell

 

[Run n Spread]

Someone will emerge, Paine came from not playing to Captain within 6 months. If Paine goes after the Ashes i think Cummins is favourite.

Select the 11 then captain. Paine I reckon is expendable and time for rejuvenation.
Unpopular but give it to Smith (he has been punished enough and other guilty captains got nowhere near the flack) also shocked he's still only 31 thought he was older.

Or else Cummins. If a keeper can do it with concentration/fatigue so can a Bowler. Plus with all the analysis and support staff hardly like he's on his own. Keeper/slips can do reviews if he's at fine leg

 

[frankrizzo]

Do people really not remember smiths captaincy before the sandpaper?

he just wasn't a good skipper, he has done his time and if he was a good leader then yes bring him back but he was a very poor leader so move on.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

Do people really not remember smiths captaincy before the sandpaper?

he just wasn't a good skipper, he has done his time and if he was a good leader then yes bring him back but he was a very poor leader so move on.

100% agree, very good batsman but very poor leader.

 

[eddiesmith]

There won’t be any change to keeper or captain until the Ashes. There is no one for either atm so nothing will change for SA if the series go ahead. Gives them 9 months to find a replacement.

 

[Redline]

There won’t be any change to keeper or captain until the Ashes. There is no one for either atm so nothing will change for SA if the series go ahead. Gives them 9 months to find a replacement.

I could be proved wrong but I just can't see South Africa going ahead, in fact I don't think we will travel much at all in 2021 which will make it interesting.

 

[Stopher]

Nothing against Cummins per se, but the ultimate decision to use DRS resting in the hands (signal) of a fired up fast bowler off his own bowling? Recipe for disaster, right there.

 

[Westend]

Agree with your comments about Warner,might focus on T20 and even 1 day cricket.

Nah I reckon its going to be the other way round focus on test and spend time with the family and forget the IPL and more Big bash as he gets older ....he's made enough money anyway

There was talk early last year that he was considering stepping away from the one of three formats first....I reckon it will be in the ODI arena followed by t20...watch this space

 

[hawkman]

Nothing against Cummins per se, but the ultimate decision to use DRS resting in the hands (signal) of a fired up fast bowler off his own bowling? Recipe for disaster, right there.

Can't be worse than Paine

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

great sharing - genuine question though

aren’t we all on the spectrum?

isn’t that why it is a spectrum - as opposed to a few simple boxes ?

What specifically is it about him that gives you that impression? Other than him hitting himself on the pads 200 times before facing up

sorry, yes by on the spectrum I meant it the colloquial manner, as in just someone who has an autistic condition or aspies.

and not just that. Yes I noticed his tics from day dot (when he was an 18 year old leggie) and started to pay attention. I have relatives involved in the grade cricket scene one particularly involved in the junior rep scene in Sydney who I immediately asked about him.

they said yes he’s a freak and they’d heard that at that age (15-16) he was already putting in at least 3 hours a day minimum. There’s the hyperfocus.

what they also said he was prone to massive tantrums when performances didn’t go his way. not your typical teen angst outbursts, but, in tears in the rooms for an hour afterwards, not talking to anyone bar himself for hours afterward, just muttering to himself about what he did wrong while looking at the ground. Oh yeah he’d also cry if a game got washed out.

FWIW I’ve heard he’s still prone to such reactions.

Also I know he was under immense pressure at that press conference when he got home, but just looking at the way he got overwhelmed I thought shit, I’ve been there, that’s a meltdown.

again obviously I’m not having a go at him, as I have autism as I mentioned. I also wouldn’t call him a sufferer as I don’t refer to myself that way. Yes it makes things hard sometimes seeing the world through a totally different lens but if Steve has it, in his case, it’s contributed to him being the cricketer he is. Just as it’s contributed in me being successful in the pursuits I’m passionate about. (Wish mine made me millions though!)

 

[Woody15]

what they also said he was prone to massive tantrums when performances didn’t go his way. not your typical teen angst outbursts, but, in tears in the rooms for an hour afterwards, not talking to anyone bar himself for hours afterward, just muttering to himself about what he did wrong while looking at the ground.

Classic cricket nerd behaviour.

We all had that guy in our team. Had all the gear. Slip fielder. Usually a little podgy. Tantrums when given out. Took everything ultra seriously. Usually wheeled out the portable when the cricket was on. Parents would sit all day on the boundary with their fold out chairs.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

Classic cricket nerd behaviour.

We all had that guy in our team. Had all the gear. Slip fielder. Usually a little podgy. Tantrums when given out. Took everything ultra seriously. Usually wheeled out the portable when the cricket was on. Parents would sit all day on the boundary with their fold out chairs.

Yeah that was me too to be honest. I played a pretty good level of rep..would’ve been a nightmare for everyone around me.

 

[CrazyJoeFevola]

I’ll just say everything about cricket makes it probably the most subconsciously alluring sport for those of us with autism. There’s just so many aspects within the different sets of your own gameplay you can analyse and tweak. You still have near total control over your own contributions (a big big big thing for me personally) unlike footy and you get the blokey contact with teammates a lot of us secretly crave even though it is hard to deal with and to learn to navigate. To this day I don’t think I’d be able to meet Up with my friends at a bar or a pub if I hadn’t spent my teens learning social cues around a cricket club. Hell I don’t think I ever would’ve made any friends at all.

and then there’s the stats and history.

what a great game

 

[whats_at_stake]

I could be proved wrong but I just can't see South Africa going ahead, in fact I don't think we will travel much at all in 2021 which will make it interesting.

Sri Lanka just toured there. England due to tour India and India is here. Players will have to go into a bubble and given they went in for the IPL and will probably do this year should hear no complaints from the players on going to South Africa. Particularly as the attitude here seems to be to get on with it in the current series.

I really do hope the series goes ahead. Staffers and Aus is always interesting to watch!

 

[JackOutback]

Interesting part on Patterson was he stole Pucovskis spot in the side, set him back 2 years.

Didn’t steal anything, Pucovski gave it away.

 

[allrighty]

He reminds me of a Collingwood player. Gun with goat potential but always injured to the point you wonder if it will stuff him.
Still only young and look at Cummins but still frustrating as hell

He will need great mental strength to get through. Strangely it is so far so good.