Selectors Are Completely Clueless

[The Fonz]

Nothing they do seems to make sense.

Is this the end of Nathan Hauritz? If they didn't pick him now, when would they pick him? On what basis do they pick Beer? Is it because he is a left-armer?

If they were going to go left-field and pick Beer, why not Copeland or Cameron?

How would you feel if you are Khawaja or Ferguson or David Hussey or Cameron White and North is dropped but they don't replace him with anyone?

Neither Haddin or Smith is strong enough to bat at 6.

I wonder which person in the 12 man squad won't play because none of them seem to work. I guess ultimately it will be one of the quicks and that will leave 3 quicks, Beer, Smith and Watson to bowl.

They need 6 bowlers in order to bowl out England but it leaves the batting very short-handed. The irony of dropping Hauritz was that the Gabba and Adelaide pitches would have been good for him.

The irony of dropping North was that he was the best spinner. They could have picked him as a specialist bowler and batted him at 8. Would have given the team a lot more balance and strengthened up the tail considerably.

 

[alfy!]

How would you feel if you are Khawaja or Ferguson or David Hussey or Cameron White

I would take up bowling left arm off spin, or leg spin and forget about batting.

 

[potatomasher]

This all reminds me of a Chaser's War On Everything song about how people become top blokes when they die, although Hauritz didn't die. Ever since he's been dropped he's somehow been remembered as Warne, Muralitharan and a touch of Clarrie Grimmett all rolled into one. Michael Beer may not be the answer to our spinning woes, and he probably won't even play, but at least he's an unknown. Hauritz was known to be pretty obviously not the answer.

 

[Sid]

This all reminds me of a Chaser's War On Everything song about how people become top blokes when they die, although Hauritz didn't die. Ever since he's been dropped he's somehow been remembered as Warne, Muralitharan and a touch of Clarrie Grimmett all rolled into one. Michael Beer may not be the answer to our spinning woes, and he probably won't even play, but at least he's an unknown. Hauritz was known to be pretty obviously not the answer.

Half agree with what you say, but its a bit cynical. He appeared to be quietly spoken and I think people just felt sorry for him. I wouldn't go as far as putting him anywhere near Warne, but I think he was the obvious choice as spinner. I didn't mind the Doherty decision because I thought it was a gamble worth taking. Obviously it didn't work out though.

 

[Borisdog]

Is this the end of Nathan Hauritz?.

Jesus I hope so.

He was clearly an ordinary bowler. Picking other pie chuckers doesn't mean we should go back to the pie chucker we discarded.

And the same goes for Johnson.

 

[The Fonz]

This all reminds me of a Chaser's War On Everything song about how people become top blokes when they die, although Hauritz didn't die. Ever since he's been dropped he's somehow been remembered as Warne, Muralitharan and a touch of Clarrie Grimmett all rolled into one. Michael Beer may not be the answer to our spinning woes, and he probably won't even play, but at least he's an unknown. Hauritz was known to be pretty obviously not the answer.

I agree with you - he wasn't very good but he was the best there was. He was in the original 17 man squad, he takes 5 wickets in Perth and then makes a century. His confidence would have been higher than it ever was.

Picking Beer just seems crazy. And like I said, if you are going to discard your incumbent spinner and go for some nobody, why not do the same with the quicks?

They drop Johnson and Hilfenhaus and then bring them back straight away?

 

[potatomasher]

Half agree with what you say, but its a bit cynical. He appeared to be quietly spoken and I think people just felt sorry for him. I wouldn't go as far as putting him anywhere near Warne, but I think he was the obvious choice as spinner. I didn't mind the Doherty decision because I thought it was a gamble worth taking. Obviously it didn't work out though.

It's always the obvious choice to keep the line-up you already have. But when it's not working and the team is losing, sometimes you have to shake shit up a bit. I thought Doherty deserved a longer go, but I'm also kind of glad, as a Tasmanian, that the arguably two best spinners in the country are both playing for my state after getting dumped on the basis of two tests each.

Hope Beer does well though if he gets a game. Hope he doesn't get a game in Perth, as I'd rather us take four pacemen in. Go on the attack for once, we're 1-0 down for crying out loud.

For what it's worth, I quite like the squad. Finally Steven Smith has been recognised as a batting all-rounder rather than a bowling all-rounder, and the selectors are making educated gambles looking towards the future.

 

[potatomasher]

I agree with you - he wasn't very good but he was the best there was. He was in the original 17 man squad, he takes 5 wickets in Perth and then makes a century. His confidence would have been higher than it ever was.

Picking Beer just seems crazy. And like I said, if you are going to discard your incumbent spinner and go for some nobody, why not do the same with the quicks?

They drop Johnson and Hilfenhaus and then bring them back straight away?

I'm not impressed with Johnson getting his spot back at all, but it was predictable. The selectors have golden kids and he's been one of them since Dennis Lillee started creaming himself over him. Bollinger should feel pretty hard done by, he had a better Test than Johnson has had for a long time, as ordinary as it was.

Hilfy shouldn't have been dropped in the first place, so I don't mind that one.

 

[Underdog]

They drop Johnson and Hilfenhaus and then bring them back straight away?

Hilfy shouldn't have been dropped in the first place...

Though I suspect it was primarily due to injury.

 

[demon21]

I dont think there is much between White or ferguson and smith on batting alone.

I like the idea of playing Smith and then playing the 4 quicks and you also have Watson gives you plenty of options.

The question is tho the fast bowlers they picked are they the best options that we have there would be different opions on that.

 

[The Fonz]

You would think that Siddle and Harris would play meaning it comes down as a choice between Hilf and Johnson. Surely they would go with Hilf?

 

[Doodlesweaver]

You would think that Siddle and Harris would play meaning it comes down as a choice between Hilf and Johnson. Surely they would go with Hilf?

I wouldn't try second guessing the selectors. It sounds like they are letting Shane Warne pick the squad now.

 

[The Governor]

Governor, you have written some crap over the years, but your vitriolic rant over "racist" Indians really takes the cake. Have you been there and met the people there? They are good people.

Mods should clean that post up and you should wake up to yourself Governor.

The funny thing is the "crap" I wrote over the years has come true!! We are 1-0 down and we have no hope of regaining the Ashes!!!

In reference to the second half of my rant, Australian cricket has allowed the flow of Indian dollars to control the state of cricket. Indian cricket is basking in the glory whilst our state of cricket is suffering.

I have met people of Indian descent. Most of them are decent people. However, Cricket Australia cannot submit to Indian cricket. We have to look after our own domestic backyard.

And, the first step is to keep the 5 Day Shield Final. The Baggy Green Cap is the ultimate prize for any cricketer and we cannot let Twenty Twenty Cricket to dominate our cricket schedule.

If we want our test team to become the number 1 test match nation, we have to increase the standard and quality of our Shield competition to produce test cricketers. This should be our number 1 priority.

 

[alfy!]

yes now those are good points, when you type it without all your trolling comments

 

[Phone]

why the **** do any of you even read The Governor's post anymore? Terrible, terrible user.


And yes, the selectors are insane and I would have preferred them take a punt on a seamer than a spinner.

 

[krusden]

Is this the end of Nathan Hauritz? If they didn't pick him now, when would they pick him? On what basis do they pick Beer? Is it because he is a left-armer?

How would you feel if you are Khawaja or Ferguson or David Hussey or Cameron White and North is dropped but they don't replace him with anyone?


The irony of dropping North was that he was the best spinner. They could have picked him as a specialist bowler and batted him at 8. Would have given the team a lot more balance and strengthened up the tail considerably.

is it the end of hauritz? i hope so. nothing but a fill in bowler. get rid of him, put in a young bloke and leave him for the next couple series

ferguson???? cameron ferguson was out for a year with a severe knee injury. if they play him now he could easily break down. fergie is a player of the future but not the present. same as peter george btw. and khawaja.
white and dussey should feel "the test team has passed me by".

and in the form north IS in and HAS been in he would not have "strengthened the tail considerably", he would have been cannon fodder at 8 the same that he would be cannon fodder if we'd retained him in the side at 6.

 

[Cousin Jed]

why the **** do any of you even read The Governor's post anymore?

You won't have to for a little while.

 

[BACCS]

You won't have to for a little while.

Cousin Jed for mod of the year.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I thought Doherty deserved a longer go.

The only people disappointed by Doherty's axing are yourself, Doherty and his family, the English Test team and all English cricket supporters.

 

[mattymac]

the selectors are a bunch of nuffies but the thing that worries me the most is the coaching. if you look at hilf, johnson and siddle, fair enough they were poor in england but now, in our own conditions, they're absolutely hopeless. we should be in the advantage but the english are showing us up. all our bowlers have gotten worse under the tutelage of the nielsen regime

same as our bats. most oz wickets are roads these days. poms aren't known for their bowling on lifeless pitches yet we're making them look like maestros. there is simply no mental application there. we should be belting them on our bland lifeless pitches, instead we're getting run out for diamond ducks and doing our best to make cook and strauss look like legends of the game.

and don't get me started on the fielding

so many coaches and experts and advisors and what not and we're just not doing the basics at all. too many cooks. tail wagging the dog. call it what you like, but as long as they are in charge we're doomed, cos even if the selectors manage to pick some good kids, after a year with nielsen and co they'll be shithouse. and some bright spark just gave him a 3 year bloody contract

 

[dumb]

hauritz the new dean jones?

he may not have been great, but i think some are being very hard markers.

 

[damochandler]

these selectors have been clueless for year. we all thought holmes was a w***er. but he at least dumped players when they were well out of touch in cricketing form. mark waugh, ian healy

 

[damochandler]

the new dean jones?

he may not have been great, but i think some are being very hard markers.

i have no doubt he will be the first bloke to put up his hand for a selectors role if any become available

 

[Borisdog]

Sometimes we just have to face facts and say that we just don't have the cattle.

I backed the Poms to win this series 18 months ago because I thought we were ordinary and getting worse by the game. I feel dirty being vindicated but the wallet will look OK

The selectors at some point must decide between getting some young guys in and giving them an extended run or doing the reactive stuff they're doing now.

We've been here before and we will be again but it's just that sometimes you skip a generation before some quality emerges and, frankly, you have to give some of these yong guys a go at the highest level to see if they're up to it or not.

The selectors' task here is to pick who they think is the best bet for the next 10 years of Aussie Cricket and give them a go. The selectors have a way harder job than all of us experts - none of our opinions are subject to daily '' Death by Media ''

The selectors will make mistakes, but they'll also have their share of triumphs.

It's just, like the players, the selectors appear a little out of form at the minute.

 

[jc37]

Australia need to make the batting more solid. Whilst Phil Hughes (who is my favourite player to watch) has potential he is out of form. How he got picked after making 0 and 4 does not make sense especially if the wicket will be bouncy. Shaun Marsh in form averaging around 70 was the best bet to replace katich. David Hussey should be at 6. he averages 55 after a 150 first class games, has been consistent this year on difficult wickets without dominating and is a match winner. Than pick 4 quicks it is clear our spinners are not good on wickets they have been given assistance let alone none. No one knew who Beer was in his 25 years before he was picked in October. he has done nothing since but lets pick him for Oz. What the F*8k.

England have prepared well for our bowlers so why not chuck in a Copeland or cameron. Copeland would be different as he is tall, can swing it and keep things tight. If you chose a spinner, I thought Okeefe (who bowls left arm) and took 4-88 against England and averages 24 and 55 with the bat might be an option worth looking at.

I like Steve Smith but he needs to play when the top 5 are firing and it is too much of a risk with Hughes out of form. the wacca is apparently a hard place to bowl. why ruin his confidence if he gets smacked around.

Our selectors and coaching staff bar Langer whom I like need to go.