Ponting's replacement

[Phone]

Really, sorting out where to bat Watson and what his role is and all that is a bigger issue than Ponting's replacement

 

[frankrizzo]

I would like him at 6 and bowling a bit more.

His claims to being a top order pick are pretty weak right now, he has an awful 50/100conversation rate and seems to be a consistent lbw candidate.

The powers that be have said he's an allrounder or he's nothing so i like the idea of moving him down and hopefully getting more out of his bowling.

 

[The Speaker]

Not at all. But he can no longer mask his idiocy with on-field brilliance.

I would trust Warne to do something with a team already selected. I wouldn't trust him to select the team.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Watson has to be at 5 or 6. Whoever replaces Punter has to be a number 3 who the selectors actually view as a first drop and who can be expected to be a 10 year player. We need to develop a future captain as well as get a quality batsmen in the side.

 

[Slax]

Looking at where Watson is at with both his fitness and bowling it has to be asked really what is he in the side for?

He is not bowling anywhere near enough overs to call him an allrounder and his batting is not anywhere near the quality to be a top order batsman.

For something different my line up for Melbourne Test match.

Cowan
Warner
Khawaja
Doolan
Clarke
Hussey
Wade
Starc
Siddle
Hilfenhaus
Lyon

If they can get some proper spin work in Warner and help him find some consistency we have a spin bowling allrounder there for the asking, so in future years with Warner and Clarke we can go into Perth with 4 quicks.

 

[The Speaker]

I presume you are temporarily keeping Watson out of your team until he builds up his fitness more?

 

[Slax]

I presume you are temporarily keeping Watson out of your team until he builds up his fitness more?

Yes, 9 overs out of 112 is not enough from an allrounder, especially when it all comes in 2 or 3 over spells. Until he can bowl some 5 over spells then he's out because his batting is not good enough by itself for mine. Upon returning he goes back down the order.

 

[Hoffy95]

Also, I'd like to see Warner screwed off out of the Test team as soon as possible. He can't play Test matches, doesn't have the temperament of technique to hang in there and a quick-fire century once a season is not enough. Cowan at least bats within himself, recognises his weakness and tries to make sure his wicket doesn't go cheaply. Warner is always going to be a liability

Warner can turn a game in a single session. I think they compliment each other very well.

I'm not a massive Warner fan but if he's there you have to take the good with the bad. The way he plays wins matches and other times he will look like an idiot going out to a loose shot. It's not just the runs either, it's the ability to dismantle and ruin the confidence of the bowling attack that has an immeasurable value in itself.

 

[The_Reaper]

Warner can turn a game in a single session. I think they compliment each other very well.

I'm not a massive Warner fan but if he's there you have to take the good with the bad. The way he plays wins matches and other times he will look like an idiot going out to a loose shot. It's not just the runs either, it's the ability to dismantle and ruin the confidence of the bowling attack that has an immeasurable value in itself.

Can we afford to pick a bloke who has one good innings a series and is mediocre for the rest?
I'd persist with him for now but we're picking a team to win tests and we might not have the luxury to carry a bloke who performs once in a blue moon, especially not as an opener.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Can we afford to pick a bloke who has one good innings a series and is mediocre for the rest?
I'd persist with him for now but we're picking a team to win tests and we might not have the luxury to carry a bloke who performs once in a blue moon, especially not as an opener.

Cowan performs as often as Warner. The problem is these blokes are the best we've got at the moment. Who are the alternatives that we can actually bank on to perform?

 

[Slax]

Can we afford to pick a bloke who has one good innings a series and is mediocre for the rest?
I'd persist with him for now but we're picking a team to win tests and we might not have the luxury to carry a bloke who performs once in a blue moon, especially not as an opener.

We've got a bloke batting at #3 doing less so why not get rid of him first.

 

[Lethal44]

Won't happen, but I'd like to see Hughes opening with Cowan, Warner for me, hasn't got the temperament required, Watson to stay at three, Khawaja at four, Clarke to remain at five and though he has been good of late, I'd replace Mike Hussey, with Mitch Marsh, who not only brings explosive batting but takes the pressure off Watson to bowl continuely, Wade holds on to the gloves, Starc would be my choice of the left armers, Siddle is the general, Pattinson gets the nod ahead of Cummins and Lyon is the obvious choice as spinner.

Squad to England- Clarke ( c ), Watson ( vc ), Hughes, Cowan, Quiney, Khawaja, Burns, Marsh, Wade, Nevill, Johnson, Starc, Siddle, Pattinson, Cummins, Lyon, Holland.

 

[Hoffy95]

Can we afford to pick a bloke who has one good innings a series and is mediocre for the rest?
I'd persist with him for now but we're picking a team to win tests and we might not have the luxury to carry a bloke who performs once in a blue moon, especially not as an opener.

Why not?

We've carried Watson there for a long time. We carried Ponting the last two years.

 

[Pykie]

Warner can turn a game in a single session. I think they compliment each other very well.

I'm not a massive Warner fan but if he's there you have to take the good with the bad. The way he plays wins matches and other times he will look like an idiot going out to a loose shot. It's not just the runs either, it's the ability to dismantle and ruin the confidence of the bowling attack that has an immeasurable value in itself.

This.

I'm not his biggest fan either, but he's like Gilchrist. You take the good with the bad, make no mistake, along with Clarke, Warner is the prize wicket most sides want back in the shed very early on his innings, he can destroy 5 days of a test match in 30 minutes.

Add to that, he's our best fielder and a very handy part timer, with scope for improvement, and he's what, 25?

I don't mind the thinking of dropping him to 6, but he's going to play the same way whichever number he comes in at, he might average more against a softer older ball, but then again, don't mistake how demoralizing it is for a side to get flayed around in the first session.

Really he's not too dissimilar to Sanath Jayasuriya, he will probably only average around 40 in test matches, maybe clock up 15 or so centuries, but he's a ****ing dangerous batsman that can take the game away from a side in a single session, that's worth having purely for that ability....

 

[Wacky Tiger]

Certainly in for some interesting times. When Huss hangs them up in a year or two we could be very young. Im all for giving some untried talent a crack at it. Doolan, Ferguson etc.

Have to say im not a Warner fan although i can see why he is there.

What a weird era we now find ourself in with the last 20 years we had players coming out of everywhere who could have stepped in and played well.

 

[Bucking Beads]

What chance is Ferguson of getting the gig?? He bats 4 I believe and has been in the runs this year. He just seems so inconsistent and very loose outside off stump a bit like Clarke.

 

[Natho]

Watson needs to lose 5 kilos. Cant run and does a hammy or calf every 2 weeks.

Hoping kawaja comes into the side and they give him a good go at it.

 

[Jimthegreat]

Watson opening. It's the only place in the order where he has made runs so play him there. Opens with Cowans. Khawaja in at 3. Love Warner at 5 or 6 playing a Gilchrist type role but Clarke and Hussey are the only 2 highly consistent things in our batting line up in their positions so I'm loath to change that too. So maybe Warner at 4. If we wanted to put Warner at 5 then maybe Clarke at 4 but I'm reluctant.

Thing would work better if our top 5 bowlers, Pattinson, Cummins, Harris, Siddle and Hlifenhaus could play too. We were down to a 3rd string pace line up and SA. Hard to bowl that type of side out twice.

 

[Jimthegreat]

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

Ponting made his on a road, Khawaja made a briilliant 138 (?) on a green pitch where everyone else made nothing.

 

[Super Hans]

It has to be either Hughes or Khawaja. Watson does seem like a problem atm though.

 

[Wacky Tiger]

What chance is Ferguson of getting the gig?? He bats 4 I believe and has been in the runs this year. He just seems so inconsistent and very loose outside off stump a bit like Clarke.

Heard an interview with big Merv on SEN last week and interesting thing he said when Harf was throwing up names he said Ferguson is the one to watch. Now i know hes not a selector at the moment but id still say Merv has his finger on the pulse.

Cant really understand why they dropped Ferg from the ODI side as the limited games he played he looked impressive.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Ponting made his on a road, Khawaja made a briilliant 138 (?) on a green pitch where everyone else made nothing.

That knock could get him over the line. Whoever they pick has to work because we need some stability in our top order before the Ashes. Another reason to move Watson down to 6 is because it is easy to bring in a bloke to bat at 6 compared to number 3 or 4.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Cant really understand why they dropped Ferg from the ODI side as the limited games he played he looked impressive.

I still can't figure out why the selectors did drop Ferguson. He is brilliant in the ODI format instead we got Pete Forrest and George Bailey in the middle order.

 

[Kyptastic]

I still can't figure out why the selectors did drop Ferguson. He is brilliant in the ODI format instead we got Pete Forrest and George Bailey in the middle order.

He got injured and when he was fit he wasn't performing well enough domestically to be recalled. Still was an odd decision, but somewhat understandable.

 

[PAFCsince1870]

I agree. It's dragged on for so long, I'm a bit meh about it. The entire top 4 are dodgy and it probably will remain that way for some time to come.

Pretty much this.

There's issues with our top order that run far deeper than Ponting.