Fixture PM's XI vs Pakistan. 6-9 December @ Manuka Oval

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Shaheen Shah and Hasan Ali will probably take the new ball in the first Test (not playing in this game).
Probably looking for a medium pacer or two between Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza and Faheem Ashraf
Haris Rauf is playing BBL and Naseem Shah is injured

Probable 1st Test XI
1 Imam-ul-Haq
2 Abdullah Shafique
3 Shan Masood (c)
4 Babar Azam
5 Mohammad Rizwan (+)
6 Saud Shakeel
7 Agha Salman | pure ar | os
8 Faheem Ashraf | bowl ar | med
9 Shaheen Shah Afridi | pure bowl | lf
10 Hasan Ali | pure bowl | rmf
11 Abrar Ahmed | pure bowl | ls
Safraz is currently the first choice keeper.

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Yep
Because 50 is a fail.

Ok......
I agree 50 is not a fail, but my point is that it's not good enough to get back in the Australian side. He had a golden opportunity to build upon it and force the selectors hand but he didn't have the mettle to get the job done, and that sums up his career for mine. The same as Burns, Harris, Renshaw. All very good Shield cricketers, but not our answer as an Australian opener.
 
I agree 50 is not a fail, but my point is that it's not good enough to get back in the Australian side. He had a golden opportunity to build upon it and force the selectors hand but he didn't have the mettle to get the job done, and that sums up his career for mine. The same as Burns, Harris, Renshaw. All very good Shield cricketers, but not our answer as an Australian opener.
Well if it's not Bancroft, Renshaw or Harris, tell me who it is.
And please don't say MM, Green or Labs.
 
Well if it's not Bancroft, Renshaw or Harris, tell me who it is.
And please don't say MM, Green or Labs.
I think we've had this discussion before, and it's leftfield, but I'd love them to take a punt on Will Pucovski against the Windies. Doesn't have the runs on the board unfortunately, so it won't happen, but given he's the future I would love to them play him over a bunch of 30+ year old hacks. Has his health issues but he's proven he can bat at test level, so just play him already.



 
I think we've had this discussion before, and it's leftfield, but I'd love them to take a punt on Will Pucovski against the Windies. Doesn't have the runs on the board unfortunately, so it won't happen, but given he's the future I would love to them play him over a bunch of 30+ year old hacks. Has his health issues but he's proven he can bat at test level, so just play him already.



Have you watched him bat in the shield this season though? Constantly knicking off getting caught on the crease because he looks like he has it in his head that he is going to get a short ball every few balls. Needs another year in the shield and away from the spotlight before they look at him at all imo. The 60 odd he made last week was a good start but he doesn't look like a man in a position to be rushed back.
 
Have you watched him bat in the shield this season though? Constantly knicking off getting caught on the crease because he looks like he has it in his head that he is going to get a short ball every few balls. Needs another year in the shield and away from the spotlight before they look at him at all imo.
only innings i saw was against SA when he batted bloody well for 60 odd to lift Victoria out of deep trouble.
 
only innings i saw was against SA when he batted bloody well for 60 odd to lift Victoria out of deep trouble.
Yeh, that was a good knock. Hopefully see more of it in the next year or so. If I makes runs and remains injury free between now and whenever Usman decides he has had enough he will walk in to the team
 
I think we've had this discussion before, and it's leftfield, but I'd love them to take a punt on Will Pucovski against the Windies. Doesn't have the runs on the board unfortunately, so it won't happen, but given he's the future I would love to them play him over a bunch of 30+ year old hacks. Has his health issues but he's proven he can bat at test level, so just play him already.



"Leftfield".
More like ridiculous.

No one doubts Pucovski has talent.
But he's had numerous concussions, heath issues and time away from the game.

So you want to pick someone whose averaging 21 this year compared to some else averaging over 50?
That's just madness.

Also wouldn't be fair on Puck.

Let him get some confidence back and some runs on the board before you want to throw him to the wolves.
 
Looking up and down the Pakistan bowling for this game, they all bowl medium (the pacers). Not sure mediums will cut it out here, there is going to a massive reliance on Afridi, who relies a lot on swing, and it don't swing much in Aus.

Have there been any medium quicks that have done well in Australia?

Doesn’t Stuart Clark have 95 test wickets at 23 and a half?

Siddle was also thoroughly medium quick for 75% of his career
 

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It is more so the fact his head falls across constantly, a massive technical flaw which will get exposed at test level. A technical flaw he has never fixed...
Yep, that will absolutely get sorted out by good test bowlers. He's at least earned another go through weight of runs imo, just not sure how well he will go. All 3 options have their issues, Renshaw still knicks off to bowlers coming around the wicket (not as much as he used to though), Harris's scoring zones usually massively favour playing through point and gully (test level bowlers figure guys like that out quickly, Phil Hughes comes to mind) and Bancroft obviously falls over his front pad. I just hope whoever is picked gets a decent go and isn't moved on immediately if they don't perform straight away, no use shuffling the deck chairs for players of similar abilities and first class records, give the first cab off the ranks some time to settle
 
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"Leftfield".
More like ridiculous.

No one doubts Pucovski has talent.
But he's had numerous concussions, heath issues and time away from the game.

So you want to pick someone whose averaging 21 this year compared to some else averaging over 50?
That's just madness.

Also wouldn't be fair on Puck.

Let him get some confidence back and some runs on the board before you want to throw him to the wolves.
Nah * it, roll the dice. Otherwise it feels like we're squandering a precocious, generational player. Yes he has the health issues, but he's playing for Victoria, so he's one step away. Yes he doesn't have the runs on the board, but he literally just played a match-winning innings last week. Or let's wait till he turns 30 and go the safe option of Bancroft or Harris, and we can all tell our grandchildren I was there to see Bancroft when he scored 50 in the test against West Indies. It's not madness, it's a gamble and it'll breathe some life into a series that otherwise doesn't have much of a narrative
 
Nah * it, roll the dice. Otherwise it feels like we're squandering a precocious, generational player. Yes he has the health issues, but he's playing for Victoria, so he's one step away. Yes he doesn't have the runs on the board, but he literally just played a match-winning innings last week. Or let's wait till he turns 30 and go the safe option of Bancroft or Harris, and we can all tell our grandchildren I was there to see Bancroft when he scored 50 in the test against West Indies. It's not madness, it's a gamble and it'll breathe some life into a series that otherwise doesn't have much of a narrative
No its stupid and it totally undermines the shield competition and says to players who have been slugging there arses off for years in the shield such as Harris Renshaw bancroft that shield/pm 11/AUS A runs means nothing

You talk about squandering a generational player?...well Green is on the bench and has to work his way back in but F88k that lets pick Puck instead.

Let me remind you that Puck likes to headbutt the ball every 2nd innings he plays and struggles with his health...give him some time FFS to get it right. Even he would admit that it would be grossly unfair for play ..he is one hit away from his career ending.

I like Puck and want him to succeed but he needs to be ready ....his form/health needs to be the priority. He needs a solid season in the shield hopefully averaging over 50 before being considered for higher honours

Whats age got to do with it ?? so what if he is 30 if it takes that long ..you pick players when in form regardless of age...Look at Hussey..had over 10 years in First Class cricket....got picked and was one of the best middle order players we had for years averaging 50 plus

and seriously wtf if wrong with bancroft scoring 50 against the windies if he gets picked ??? would you rather him score a duck ?
 
No its stupid and it totally undermines the shield competition and says to players who have been slugging there arses off for years in the shield such as Harris Renshaw bancroft that shield/pm 11/AUS A runs means nothing

You talk about squandering a generational player?...well Green is on the bench and has to work his way back in but F88k that lets pick Puck instead.

Let me remind you that Puck likes to headbutt the ball every 2nd innings he plays and struggles with his health...give him some time FFS to get it right. Even he would admit that it would be grossly unfair for play ..he is one hit away from his career ending.

I like Puck and want him to succeed but he needs to be ready ....his form/health needs to be the priority. He needs a solid season in the shield hopefully averaging over 50 before being considered for higher honours

Whats age got to do with it ?? so what if he is 30 if it takes that long ..you pick players when in form regardless of age...Look at Hussey..had over 10 years in First Class cricket....got picked and was one of the best middle order players we had for years averaging 50 plus

and seriously wtf if wrong with bancroft scoring 50 against the windies if he gets picked ??? would you rather him score a duck ?
Slogging their arses off all while getting no where. Pucovski did the hard yards too, made the team and looked like he belonged from the get go. It was 2021, yes, but he's proven he has what it takes and I like to think selectors have the balls to back that kind of talent. The fact is that he is probably one hit away from retirement, so if he's on borrowed time even more reason to roll the dice.
Before you lost your s**t any further, it's a leftfied idea, and it won't happen. Someone asked me an idea for an opener who wasn't Bancroft, Harris or Marsh, and I mentioned him as he's actually one who could score runs for Australia. As for Bancroft, what I meant was that he is not a player I'd pay to see where a raw talent like Pucovski is.
 
For the integrity of the shield, you just feel like they have to pick Bancroft for weight of runs even though I can see him having difficulties at senior level again. If they do pick him (and to go along with what people have already said) see how he goes for a year. That way we will definitively know whether he has what it takes. He does well then fantastic, he does poorely then atleast we know not to go there again. Also please please please don’t make Green open. His spot for the minute is 6 (ahead of Marsh imo). If he is our next young generational talent, he can bind his time there with weight of runs like Ponting did at 6 until someone like Smith retires and the number 4 spot opens up. Labs and Head are perfect in their current positions.
 
Glad to see Sarfaraz Ahmed back in this side. Reminds of an old school Pakistani cricketer from the 80s
 
For the integrity of the shield, you just feel like they have to pick Bancroft for weight of runs even though I can see him having difficulties at senior level again. If they do pick him (and to go along with what people have already said) see how he goes for a year. That way we will definitively know whether he has what it takes. He does well then fantastic, he does poorely then atleast we know not to go there again. Also please please please don’t make Green open. His spot for the minute is 6 (ahead of Marsh imo). If he is our next young generational talent, he can bind his time there with weight of runs like Ponting did at 6 until someone like Smith retires and the number 4 spot opens up. Labs and Head are perfect in their current positions.
Bancroft hasn't exactly set the world alight with his recent Shield form, so dunno about that.
 

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