Squad for 5th Test

[smasha]

Wood, Yallop, Hughes, Hogg, Dymock and either of the spinners would get in the current team. Alan Hurst would also give it a nudge.

Higgs is distantly related to my old mans family.

When I used to go to Kyabram family gatherings,he'd sometimes be there.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Pup will probably get a ton, now that the Ashes are gone. And he'll be hailed by his sponsors and CA as the wunderkind.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19862833&postcount=149

Clarke fails - "He failed again under pressure! We could've at least won this test and drawn the series, but Clarke fails under pressure again. Drop him!"

Clarke tons up - "Pfft that's nothing, the Ashes are gone. Who cares about drawing the series. Century with the pressure off yet again. Drop him!"

I've already been able to use this post twice, and the match hasn't even started yet.

 

[Hellgood]

What the hell was the point of bringing back Bollinger?? He's getting on and was pathetic in Adelaide, why not somebody newer, younger, better? Pattinson? Faulkner? COPELAND?? George?

Stupid selection! Whilst I'm not much of a Clarke fan, if he's the vice captain and the captains injured... he has to be the captain. It's just how it is. He's in shocking form at the moment (possibly injured?) it's not a great time for him to have another burden. Whilst it's pretty clear he isn't a great leader of men, I hope he'll be better tactically than Ponting. Ponting's the opposite, great inspiring leader, yet his tactics and field placings are very ordinary.

 

[mattymac]

*facepalm*

 

[Runk]

Can't wait to see Khawahjajajajajaahaahamj=pq@#nmwa play.*
Can't wait to see Clarke make a solid 12 runs in each innings.
Can't wait to see Doug Bollinger on Hot Spot & getting no wickets.
Can't wait to see Graeme Swan getting knocked out one day.

Other than that this test is going to crap.
















*I think that's how you spell his name??

 

[Cousin Jed]

I can just see Clarke make a ton when the pressure is off and will get another set of 9 lives.

Now if he was a Vic,he wouldn't even be in this test.

FACT.

THe ****ing selectors.

Hate their guts.

Where do the ****ers live.

Enough's ****ing ENOUGH.

Hilditch WANTED.

Calm down, or I'll make you calm down.

 

[BACCS]

What the hell was the point of bringing back Bollinger?? He's getting on and was pathetic in Adelaide, why not somebody newer, younger, better? Pattinson? Faulkner? COPELAND?? George?

Because before the Ashes (and he has only played in Adelaide for goodness sakes), he was our best bowler this year, and sits 13th in the Test rankings for the year. That could be the reason, but I'm not totally sure... Some of the posts in this thread have been funny reading, please, continue.

 

[grizzlym]

A puzzling side to say the least.

 

[Runk]

I can't wait for Bill Lawry to just come out and say that this is the worst Test Team he's seen in thirty years and jettiuson utter derision at the entire team except Siddle.
I can't wait for England to change their name to Great Africa.
I can't wait to see Peter Siddle do it all himself.
I can't wait for January 7...when it's all over officially.

 

[smasha]

I wish D.Hookes were still around.

He'd put the dopey selectors back in their box.

 

[eddiesmith]

Because they're already in the team?

He did say talented

Anyway very funny squad and to think some English fans were worried that they might only draw the series now the urn had been retained as they wont take the last game seriously

 

[GreekLunatic]

Do we have to put up with that revenge of the nerd look a like Tim Nielsen for 3 years. Its a dead rubber we should have blooded more youngster. I hope Kahwaja scores a century.

 

[BarneyBent]

Making wholesale changes would have done more bad than good. This isn't the best XI players in the country at this point in time, but as much as we may hate it, selecting the Test side isn't that simple. The side has already undergone a major overhaul, with North and Hauritz (and later, Doherty) getting the boot, and Katich, Harris and Ponting forced out with injuries. That's a lot of changes in a short space of time, and making further drastic changes would be a huge destabilising influence.

Smith shouldn't have replaced North, Hughes is borderline given there are no other openers to replace him, but those decisions have been made now. The selectors can't undo that. Dropping them would be terrible for a team morale which is already pretty damn low. Dropping the (vice) captain would be even worse.

As for Dougeh, he was rubbish in Adelaide, but he was under an injury cloud. He went back to NSW, bowled quick, bowled tight and took wickets. He deserves to be back in the squad. It wasn't long ago that he was our best seamer, remember?!

Beer's selection in the squad was always a bad decision, but he's yet to play a Test. The selectors could have quietly replaced him with SOK or Hauritz, citing their knowledge of the SCG conditions, but they've stuck with him, probably for the same reason they stuck with Hughes and Smith.

Khawaja is the leading Shield run scorer, and is the most deserving of a spot, even if his form hasn't been entirely convincing. Hard to argue with that one.

I'm sure the selectors are just as frustrated with the players as we all are, but what else can they do?

 

[Outshined]

I'm sure the selectors are just as frustrated with the players as we all are, but what else can they do?

So really, they are just covering for their own stupid mistakes? i.e. selecting Beer and Hughes.

Seems that although the team has undergone some changes over the series, there would never be a more perfect time to give some game time to those deserving of selection (Copeland, Hauritz, O'Keefe) or even those with potential (Ferguson, Lynn, even Maddinson!)

 

[Bombertastic]

I didn't like his selection (Beer) and as critical as I've been about Hauritz over the years would prefer to see him in instead. However Beer is in the squad so play him FFS. Hughes, Smith, Khawaja and Beer are all young and inexperienced and to me that's a step in the right direction, it's also enough young blood and a start.

I'm not sure about Smith and the best way to proceed with him. I think he will be a super star but perhaps we're rushing him into the test squad. I'm a big believer that you pick your 6 best batsman and your 4 best bowlers. If one of then can do the other as well great. At the moment Smith doesn't fit into either category.

 

[benny_cousins]

The Koala is probably the most deserving NSWman to be given a game for a fair while. Good luck to him, he is very talented and has a lot of form behing him. 100 on debut, then hopefully they drop Smith for Ponting and Clarke for White.

 

[dumb]

would have liked to see a couple more changes but pretty much what i expected (in the other thread), bollinger and usman. beer will probably play given that it's sydney you'd think? i guess i have to ask again, how many wickets does he need so the general public can hype the shit out of him and have him fail like doherty.

not totally against the few changes... last test, why not make them all at the start of a series. i don't think we'd really see what they are capable of in a one-off situation. i hope the next series there are a few new faces.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

White should have been selected before Smith , but he plays for the side on the wrong side of the Murray !!

 

[Jimthegreat]

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19862833&postcount=149


I've already been able to use this post twice, and the match hasn't even started yet.

Let’s see. Michael Clarke under pressure...

Jan 2008: Makes 81 when chasing 413 for victory in a losing Test against India in Perth. Lose by 72.

Oct: 2008: Makes 69 from 195 when all collapse around him in the 2nd Test against India when chasing 516 for vistory.

Nov 2008: Makes 98 out of 210 when everyone fell down around him on a raging green seamer against NZ at the Gabba.

Dec 2008: Australia 3/15 against SA Clarke comes in, bats for 203 min and 141 ball for a patient 62 to help get us out of deep strife. Ended up at 375. Had good partnerships with Katich, then Symonds.

Losing series he makes 62, 88no and 138.

Feb 2009: Comes in with Aust in great trouble at 3/38 in the return series against SA over there, makes 68 to start the recovery, which saw us get to 466 and win the Test.

July 2009: Comes in at 3/78 at Lords against England when we need 522 for victory. We don’t win but Clarke makes 136 and we at least end up with 406.

Ends up leading runscorer in a losing series with consecutive Test performances of 83, 136, 103, and 93.

July 2010: Scores 77 from 349 in the 2nd inning against the Pakis in England to at least give us a chance after being bowled out for 88 in the first innings.

Hmmmm…Seems he can find something, at least when in form, when the team needs him.

People with short memories.

Just shows the average poster really doesn't know at all. But still, let's not let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Just waiting for the spin now to suit people's argument on all those innings....lol!

 

[Jimthegreat]

He did say talented

Anyway very funny squad and to think some English fans were worried that they might only draw the series now the urn had been retained as they wont take the last game seriously

Poms will be right into it. Urn or not winning the series always comes first. Retaining the Urn with a tied series would also feel a little hollow. You do want to win a series when you play it. No ifs or buts there.

 

[Cleavy]

Let’s see. Michael Clarke under pressure...

<snip>

Just waiting for the spin now so suit people's argument on all those innings....lol!

he wasn't captain at the time

 

[LukeParkerno1]

White should have been selected before Smith , but he plays for the side on the wrong side of the Murray !!

Yeah..White averaging 28 this season is MUCH better than Smith..lol.

 

[Jimthegreat]

he wasn't captain at the time

Hopefully he'll get so "engrossed" in the captaincy he'll forget his batting form and bats with more freedom.

Still, if he makes a duck, skippers well though,get the players behind him playing with discipline and commitment then i can live with that.

His time has time, see how he goes. Not sure what we'll glean off one Test but we'll hopefully see something. We need better captaincy than what we've had.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

The captaincy SUERLY can't be worse...seriously. Ponting without superstars has been woeful. Sure it helps to have them, but I look at Stephen Fleming who led a rather ordinary NZ team and was one of the best captains I have seen with inoovative and surprising field settings.

 

[Jimthegreat]

Yeah..White averaging 28 this season is MUCH better than Smith..lol.

I'd only have White if he went straight in as captain. Wouldn't worry as much about the average then. Top notch captaincy overrides that. Not good having him in just as a player though as we have plenty of blokes not playing averaging 50+.