Ongoing Test match XI speculation thread.

[Tugga27]

The problem is who else would you put in then that is classed as "new blood" cause there really isn't anymore banging that door down.

Yep, no one is banging the door down but I'd prefer to try a younger player as a smokey.

Nothing will change if we keep going to guys like Burns, Harris ect.
People suggesting Nick Maddinson, he's more of the same IMO.

Even give someone like Ben McDermott a crack.

 

[dogs105]

Yep, no one is banging the door down but I'd prefer to try a younger player as a smokey.

Nothing will change if we keep going to guys like Burns, Harris ect.
People suggesting Nick Maddinson, he's more of the same IMO.

Even give someone like Ben McDermott a crack.

Ben McDermott is 26 and averages 34 in FC cricket.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

New blood,would you at the current Australian World U19 squad and take say a Jake Fraser-Mc Gurk along and give him some experience of training with the senior players or is he to young.

I wouldn't pick a Fraser-McGurk imo just cause I would like him to bang down the door first before anything.

The one player I would choose for the NZ tour who you could class as new blood would be Tanveer Sangha. He could be one I wouldn't mind gaining experience giving how well he has performed this BBL.

Look of how Pucovski and Green got picked in the Test Squad for example. Yes they are young but they were also banging down the door with big centuries and runs for the past couple of season.

They deserved to be picked for the runs as it was.

 

[Tugga27]

Ben McDermott is 26 and averages 34 in FC cricket.

OK, he's not young but at least he's scoring runs this year.

My point is, don't keep going back to guys like Harris and Burns who have shown they're not up to it.

I don't mind Bryce Street even though he's not knocking the door down.

 

[Voice of the G]

I wouldn't pick a Fraser-McGurk imo just cause I would like him to bang down the door first before anything.

The one player I would choose for the NZ tour who you could class as new blood would be Tanveer Sangha. He could be one I wouldn't mind gaining experience giving how well he has performed this BBL.

Look of how Pucovski and Green got picked in the Test Squad for example. Yes they are young but they were also banging down the door with big centuries and runs for the past couple of season.

They deserved to be picked for the runs as it was.

I agree with that comment and Fraser-Mc Gurk was not selected in the 2 Shield games Victoria has played.Perhaps his big chance will be when the shield resumes with all these players overseas in the earlier part of the shield resumption.

 

[hawkman]

Ben McDermott is 26 and averages 34 in FC cricket.

Can really see why Shane Warne thinks he is next in line

 

[Cubs2Lions]

I agree with that comment and Fraser-Mc Gurk was not selected in the 2 Shield games Victoria has played.Perhaps his big chance will be when the shield resumes with all these players overseas in the earlier part of the shield resumption.

Yeah don't get wrong, if he bangs the door down when the Shield returns, then I would put him the squad cause he seems like a good talent the bloke.

But I would really want him and all the other players around him his age to bang down the door in getting wickets or runs before being able to gain experience in the International stage.

Like I say, you don't get anything unless you work hard for it, you need to do the hard work in scoring heavily or taking lots of wickets before being able to experience the next level of cricket otherwise it will just be a failed experiment imo.

Look at the amount of years Michael Hussey for example spent at domestic level before being in the Australian Set-Up and look at how well it helped him in the International Stage. You don't need to rush a 18 year old to play at the big-time. Let him find his natural style of playing and then let him bang down that door at domestic level before anything else.

 

[dogs105]

Can really see why Shane Warne thinks he is next in line

Is it because Warney's a dumb campaigner?

 

[Seagrave_Holmes]

It's the beginning of the end for Warner (34 years old) and Wade has stamped his own papers today.

I reckon Warner can play out his last 12 months at 5 in place of Wade. Warner can come in down the order against tired bowlers/fielders and counter attack.

Bring another young opener to bat with Pucovski and build for the future.

Burns/Harris are clearly not the answer.

 

[Pippen94]

It's the beginning of the end for Warner (34 years old) and Wade has stamped his own papers today.

I reckon Warner can play out his last 12 months at 5 in place of Wade. Warner can come in down the order against tired bowlers/fielders and counter attack.

Bring another young opener to bat with Pucovski and build for the future.

Burns/Harris are clearly not the answer.

He got done with good ball. He's not moving anywhere

 

[Cubs2Lions]

It's the beginning of the end for Warner (34 years old) and Wade has stamped his own papers today.

I reckon Warner can play out his last 12 months at 5 in place of Wade. Warner can come in down the order against tired bowlers/fielders and counter attack.

Bring another young opener to bat with Pucovski and build for the future.

Burns/Harris are clearly not the answer.

I wouldn't be shocked if both Warner & Paine both retire at the end of the 2021/2022 Ashes along with Anderson from England.

 

[big_e]

It's the beginning of the end for Warner (34 years old) and Wade has stamped his own papers today.

I reckon Warner can play out his last 12 months at 5 in place of Wade. Warner can come in down the order against tired bowlers/fielders and counter attack.

Bring another young opener to bat with Pucovski and build for the future.

Burns/Harris are clearly not the answer.

He will want to retire after the Ashes, due next season, I think.

Couple of others (Paine, for one) have nominated they want to play in final of the test championship.

With both of those events around the corner, I can't see them messing with the side like that.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

He will want to retire after the Ashes, due next season, I think.

Couple of others (Paine, for one) have nominated they want to play in final of the test championship.

With both of those events around the corner, I can't see them messing with the side like that.

You would bet that when Paine does indeed retire, they will give the wicket-keeping position to Carey first up given his history with the National setup in the ODI/T20 Arena.

I do worry though like before that after Warner does retire, we don't have any suitable replacements to open with Pucovski in the future as I don't feel Harris, Bancroft, Khawaja & Burns all have the ability at the National level to make it.

 

[big_e]

You would bet that when Paine does indeed retire, they will give the wicket-keeping position to Carey first up given his history with the National setup in the ODI/T20 Arena.

I do worry though like before that after Warner does retire, we don't have any suitable replacements to open with Pucovski in the future as I don't feel Harris, Bancroft, Khawaja & Burns all have the ability at the National level to make it.

Agree on both counts.

Then again, I didn't think David Warner had the temperament to be a test opener yet here is is with more runs than Greg Chappell and the third highest batting average for an Australian opener, behind only Hayden and Ponsford.

Let's hope we can pull one of the hat again.

 

[eddiesmith]

It's the beginning of the end for Warner (34 years old) and Wade has stamped his own papers today.

I reckon Warner can play out his last 12 months at 5 in place of Wade. Warner can come in down the order against tired bowlers/fielders and counter attack.

Bring another young opener to bat with Pucovski and build for the future.

Burns/Harris are clearly not the answer.

Second highest scorer has stamped his papers?

 

[JackOutback]

Second highest scorer has stamped his papers?

Yes.

 

[Chaisa]

Second highest scorer has stamped his papers?

When was the last time he had an innings of significance?

And more importantly, when was the last time he had an innings of significance that actually mattered?

 

[eddiesmith]

Yes.

His shot was no worse than Labs...

 

[Chaisa]

His shot was no worse than Labs...

That doesn't exactly say much though? Both shots were absolutely terrible. It's just that Marnus had scored 60 more runs when it happened.

 

[Cubs2Lions]

When was the last time he had an innings of significance?

And more importantly, when was the last time he had an innings of significance that actually mattered?

Probably that 110 in the second innings vs. England on the 1st Test in 2019.

But I agree that he is probably on his last legs atm in his international career.

His good innings are just far and few between them and he is just too inconsistent for me sadly.

 

[JackOutback]

That doesn't exactly say much though? Both shots were absolutely terrible. It's just that Marnus had scored 60 more runs when it happened.

Not to mention an average of 60.

Wade was playing for his career, unlike Marnus, so to play that shot was the height of stupidity.

 

[eddiesmith]

When was the last time he had an innings of significance?

And more importantly, when was the last time he had an innings of significance that actually mattered?

5th test of Ashes.

But unlike previous years, atm there isn’t a large number of batsmen at shield level making runs. The best batsman at shield level can’t buy a run at test level.

 

[JackOutback]

5th test of Ashes.

But unlike previous years, atm there isn’t a large number of batsmen at shield level making runs. The best batsman at shield level can’t buy a run at test level.

On the contrary, there's 17 batsmen averaging over 50. Only issue is many of them either have a line through them or aren't seen as being international quality. Possibly influenced by roads in SA.

 

[Chaisa]

Probably that 110 in the second innings vs. England on the 1st Test in 2019.

But I agree that he is probably on his last legs atm in his international career.

His good innings are just far and few between them and he is just too inconsistent for me sadly.

I mean he did score 2 centuries in that Ashes series. Problem is that both of them were 18 months ago, which is kind of my point. He's had 9 Tests since then when he's done basically nothing.

And neither of them seemed particularly influential either (Australia were already on top for that ton in the first Test, whereas England had clearly won the Test for the other century), which was sort of my point as well.

__________________________________________________

Alas the #5 slot is pretty awful no matter which way we look at it. Since Wade got back in the team he's averaged 33 (which isn't as bad as I expected but only 3 scores over 50 and none of them have come recently), whereas Head's average minus that Sri Lanka series (where they basically couldn't bowl at all) is 31. That is not the level of a Test standard batsman. But the alternatives are poor TSTL:

* Khawaja - how often has he batted below 3 in any form of cricket? Would have to be very rare. His ability against spin means he would struggle down there regardless.
* S Marsh - already 37, generally been a failure at Test level. A huge step back.
* Patterson - has he even scored any runs since his time in the Test team? A shame too as I thought he had the potential to be at least decent.
* Renshaw - one decent innings does not burn the stench of two awful Shield seasons on the trot. Needs at least one excellent season to get back in the frame.
* McDermott - come back to me when he can convert a start.
* Solway - very little track record thus far and isn't young.
* Maddinson - would've been an ideal option but recent form is untested, he failed for the A-team and failed in his first crack at Test level.
* Henriques - something about it just doesn't feel right. At best he'd be a stopgap at his age and he failed in his first crack at Test level. And unlike Maddinson I'm not sure he's a better batsman now then he was in his first Test stint.

You could also move Pucovski down there but I really hate the idea of fiddling around with his batting position at this point in his career, especially as the alternative opening options are either failures or in their mid 30's.

 

[Docker82]

People dismissing guys averaging 35 for their career like we have players actually doing significantly better... We don't.

We need to look at form over the last 2-3 seasons. Who cares about what a 27 year old averaged when he was 21 or 22. Form over a lesser period means almost nothing.

Selectors also need to earn their money and judge whose game will translate to test level. To my eye Marcus Harris will never do so - just my opinion.

Selecting players for the test team isn't simple atm. It's unfair to slam the selectors too much. Would've loved their job around 2000. I couldn't think of a more thankless job in cricket these days...