Ponting's replacement

[Bradesmaen]

Should read qld, getting embarassing loses mixed up.

All good. I didn't remember the QLD game either.

 

[The_Reaper]

Hughes at 3. Watson at 4.

 

[Yidaki]

Usman by a country mile. As soon as Hughes in the the Australian side, he will crumble like a packet of cookies underneath an elephant.

 

[Belnakor]

Usman by a country mile. As soon as Hughes in the the Australian side, he will crumble like a packet of cookies underneath an elephant.

hughes has actually scored tons at the highest level. He averages 50 against SA.

Usman had a similiar record to Punter, who just retired.

 

[Belnakor]

anyway, from what i've seen this season, usman has not done anything about being unable to respond if you consistently bowl a tight line and length around off-stump (eg proper test match bowling). That time he went over a hour without scoring a single during one of his 50's in the recent nsw match a prime example. I still don't see Usman anywhere near the test team, and am quite hopeful Doolan is in front of him.

agree 100%.

Usman doesn't have the game to score off good deliveries, and turn the strike over. He waits for the bad ball. If he gets all good balls, he doesn't score, which is why he falls into a rut during his innings.

At test level you might get 1 genuine "4 ball" every couple of overs (unless your facing tahir, then you'll get about 3 an over). If your lucky. Thats why Usman's strike rate at test level is 39. Ed Cowan "the stonewaller"'s strike rate is 44, and he also opens.

 

[TheTigerEffect]

Probably Hughes and then Khawaja. I'd like to see Joe Burns get a shot. He's form isn't as good as Hughes at the moment but feel he should get an opportunity at some stage

 

[Yidaki]

hughes has actually scored tons at the highest level. He averages 50 against SA.

Usman had a similiar record to Punter, who just retired.

It doesn't matter. His technique is still horrible.

 

[peternorth]

should selectors look at shield form (despite always telling players to make runs in SS)? hazelwood hardly took the SS by storm this year.

anyway, uzzie.

 

[Super Hans]

Hughes is in great touch. Usman hasn't been great this year, I'd rather see him take Husseys spot after next years ashes.

 

[Phone]

It's easier to over-look less than impressive stats for bowlers than it is batsmen. It's hard for a batsman to make a great looking duck, but it's perfectly reasonable for a selector to lodge a positive report about a bowler despite him taking 0/60 off 23 overs or whatever

on the flip side, it's easier to dump a bowler based on 1-2 games of bad form than it is to dump a batsman based on 1-2games

 

[Belnakor]

It doesn't matter. His technique is still horrible.

and bradman's technique wasn't textbook!

if you make runs consistantly your technique is good enough.

people say uzy has a good technique - he can't score any bloody runs at test level.

 

[damochandler]

i don't think hughes knows where his off stump is. he still gets out the same way ever time and he's still struggles with that short ball.

usman needs more than a couple of tests here and there to prove himself. the fighting 50 against this same pace attack in johburg shows he's got a good temperament

 

[psychobrown]

I agree, time to bring back The Us Man.

 

[CAS79]

Folks, these great Australian teams of the late 80, 90s and 2000s all had something in common. A batsman from the small city of Launcestaun. You don't have to like em but it's a lucky charm.

Therefore Doolan

 

[CAS79]

Hughes is in great touch. Usman hasn't been great this year, I'd rather see him take Husseys spot after next years ashes.

Played one of the best innings of the summer so far.

 

[DaRick]

It doesn't matter. His technique is still horrible.

Well at least Hughes tries to move his feet, unlike someone like Sehwag.

I would say the biggest issue is how the old NSP messed with his head.

Either Hughes or Khawaja at #4 would make some sort of sense IMO. Khawaja because he's used to batting there and Hughes because he has been batting well this season full stop.

 

[Super Hans]

Played one of the best innings of the summer so far.

So did Ponting with his 164* but almost everyone wanted his head.

 

[Ducky Tie]

Well at least Hughes tries to move his feet, unlike someone like Sehwag.

When then by all means, put him in...

I would say the biggest issue is how the old NSP messed with his head.

I would say the biggest issue is that his technique was rubbish.

 

[Bucking Beads]

It will be interesting how they go with replacing Punter. Do they bring back Quiney? Doolan, Hughes and Khawaja all have claims or do they spring a surprise selection? Brad Haddin as a batsmen or maybe even Steve Smith.

 

[DaRick]

I would say the biggest issue is that his technique was rubbish.

Bear in mind that his technique, unorthodox though it was, was enormously successful for him up until his tour of England at both domestic and international level. He was then dropped 3 Tests after scoring twin hundreds, one of which was in relatively bowler-friendly conditions, and wasn't the same since. For that reason, I can't help thinking that the old selection panel messed with his head.

I don't believe that he's an absolute lock or anything (Khawaja/Doolan merit consideration), but you could do worse than consider him for number #4.

 

[Righteo]

It will be interesting how they go with replacing Punter. Do they bring back Quiney? Doolan, Hughes and Khawaja all have claims or do they spring a surprise selection? Brad Haddin as a batsmen or maybe even Steve Smith.

Please don't, it hurts too much

 

[Plugger35]

Shaun Marsh

 

[bunsen burner]

I'd be putting Hughes in at 5

Clarke at 3 and Hussey at 4 - Watson at 6

I agree with Clarke. Must bat at 3.

Warner
Cowan
Clarke
Hussey
Hughes
Watson

 

[BluesMan]

You can make runs in SS, but that some people just can't follow that into the next level. Happens with bowlers to. I'd like to see Ussie given another go, because I feel he is a long term 3 or 4 bat, whilst Hughes is an opener, and not a long term 3 or 4 prospect.

But in saying that, I still think Hughes will get the gig.

 

[Cousin Jed]

on the flip side, it's easier to dump a bowler based on 1-2 games of bad form than it is to dump a batsman based on 1-2games

Unless your name is Quiney...