Steve Smith

[Father Jack]

so essentially we are in the tail now with Haddin out?

 

[Andrew Mc]

McDonald looked like a bunny at test level.

He seemed to have no idea how to handle the short ball - really looked completely out of his depth against it.

 

[Jolldo87]

Somehow I suspect that Smith will be given a LOT more leeway than McDonald ever got.

Smith is young with a heap of potential so obviously he's going to been given more leeway than McDonald.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Smith shouldn't be playing test matches yet. He had one good season at state level, but he's been nowhere near it this season. Averaging 28 in all first class matches (includes Australia A and Australian matches), his technique is not good enough for test cricket either. One of the new brand who thinks technique is overrated because of T20.

 

[ManWithNoName]

McDonald looked like a bunny at test level.

Man looks nervous on test debut.

STOP THE PRESSES!

 

[ROSEMVP]

if mcdonald played this series we would be all tied up. the guy is the best allrounder in australia. should be in the team even as a bowler.


lol smith another failure. karma to the aus selectors. white or hussey should have been given the spot.

lol at khwaja 37 being raved like he is messiah. HE FAILED. Same with Hughes Same With Clarke and Same with Smith and Same with haddin.

the nsw players are the players that let australia down.

 

[Jolldo87]

if mcdonald played this series we would be all tied up. the guy is the best allrounder in australia. should be in the team even as a bowler.

Hard to play when you're injured though.

lol smith another failure. karma to the aus selectors. white or hussey should have been given the spot.

White maybe, Hussey is too old now. We have to look to the future and develop a side that can win us the Ashes in 2013 and beyond.

lol at khwaja 37 being raved like he is messiah. HE FAILED. Same with Hughes Same With Clarke and Same with Smith and Same with haddin.

the nsw players are the players that let australia down.

It's not the score that matters, it's the fact that he looked like he has the ability as a test player at a young age. 37 is decent on debut as well especially considering what the rest of them have done.

 

[Bourky23]

Some of the posting in this thread has got me tearing my hair out.

I'd hate to play for Australia at the moment, it's as if people expected Hughes and Smith to come straight into the side and both make double tons every innings?

Be realistic for gods sake and give them a ****ing chance.

The best XI in Australia now isn't the best in the world anymore, deal with it.

Who did you want the selectors to replace North and Katich with? Hayden and Gilchrist? FFS people get a grip.

Smith and Hughes have hardly "failed" compared to everyone else this series/innings and need to stay in the side.

/rant

 

[Bradesmaen]

Some of the posting in this thread has got me tearing my hair out.

I'd hate to play for Australia at the moment, it's as if people expected Hughes and Smith to come straight into the side and both make double tons every innings?

Be realistic for gods sake and give them a ****ing chance.

The best XI in Australia now isn't the best in the world anymore, deal with it.

Who did you want the selectors to replace North and Katich with? Hayden and Gilchrist? FFS people get a grip.

Smith and Hughes have hardly "failed" compared to everyone else this series/innings and need to stay in the side.

/rant

Oh don't be so melodramatic. You expect bastmen to come in and make runs. But what has Smith done? Khawaja has come in and made a higher score in one innings.. same can be said about Hughes. Both have failed in four out of five innings. Marcus North had an average of that really.

 

[Masto]

Some of the posting in this thread has got me tearing my hair out.

I'd hate to play for Australia at the moment, it's as if people expected Hughes and Smith to come straight into the side and both make double tons every innings?

Be realistic for gods sake and give them a ****ing chance.

The best XI in Australia now isn't the best in the world anymore, deal with it.

Who did you want the selectors to replace North and Katich with? Hayden and Gilchrist? FFS people get a grip.

Smith and Hughes have hardly "failed" compared to everyone else this series/innings and need to stay in the side.

/rant

How long do you give him? 5 tests? 10 tests? What happens if he still stinks? We need to get all these weak, underperforming NSW pretty boys out of the team. The ladies stand may give them a standing ovation but it won't win against the best in the world. Khawaja earned his place in the team the hard way and should have been in long before this clown. He may be from NSW but you can tell he has the temperament and the technique to succeed where the others don't.

 

[Bourky23]

Yes, but they are young and clearly have talent.

I don't see the point of bringing in 30+ year olds who will make 40-50 each innings for two years then retire?

people need to realise we don't have eleven players in the country right now that can beat England/India/South Africa in a series.

Play the kids for a few years and no doubt we'll be strong again.

As a Vic, I'd love nothing more than to see Hodge and Huss get a go because they've been stiffed big time by selectors, but it's just not a sensible call for the longevity of Australian cricket.

you bring those guys in, they make an extra 30 odd each innings, but we still lose and in a couple of years we are left with nothing.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Yes, but they are young and clearly have talent.

I don't see the point of bringing in 30+ year olds who will make 40-50 each innings for two years then retire?

people need to realise we don't have eleven players in the country right now that can beat England/India/South Africa in a series.

Play the kids for a few years and no doubt we'll be strong again.

As a Vic, I'd love nothing more than to see Hodge and Huss get a go because they've been stiffed big time by selectors, but it's just not a sensible call for the longevity of Australian cricket.

you bring those guys in, they make an extra 30 odd each innings, but we still lose and in a couple of years we are left with nothing.

Cricket isnt about a period of win then a period of losing. It's about winning all the time. Selecting the best possible team. We lost some good batsmen/Bowlers between eras of Waugh and Ponting yet we kept winning.

 

[Spudregus_87]

The best XI in Australia now isn't the best in the world anymore, deal with it.

This.

Although it's hard to tell when the selectors refuse to play the best XI.

*Cue highjacking into a 'Best XI' thread

 

[Bourky23]

Cricket isnt about a period of win then a period of losing. It's about winning all the time. Selecting the best possible team. We lost some good batsmen/Bowlers between eras of Waugh and Ponting yet we kept winning.

Go with that theory but I bet you my life savings we still lose to the three sides I mentioned.

what's the point of stagnating for 10 years when we can be as equally shit for 3 years and then back up the top then after?

 

[Partridge]

Smith and Hughes have hardly "failed" compared to everyone else this series/innings and need to stay in the side.

/rant

Smith - 105 runs in 5 innings at an average of 21.
Hughes - 84 runs in 5 innings at an average of 16.8.

Hussey, Watson and Haddin are all averaging at least 47.

 

[Zahasouvlakis]

Smith - 105 runs in 5 innings at an average of 21.
Hughes - 84 runs in 5 innings at an average of 16.8.

Hussey, Watson and Haddin are all averaging at least 47.

Yep, you just named the only 3 batsmen who have had a respectable series.. It's not disproving his point.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Go with that theory but I bet you my life savings we still lose to the three sides I mentioned.

what's the point of stagnating for 10 years when we can be as equally shit for 3 years and then back up the top then after?

What are you basing these assumptions on? Stagnating? We hardly stagnated when Hussey started playing for us and he was already 30.

 

[Adz87]

The Australian XI is the best 11 in the country.

Age is irrelevant.

 

[Father Jack]

if the young fellas aren't up to the job let them develop in the Shield and put some blokes in there that are up to the job, regardless of age. I can't see the point of putting players in there based solely on their age. I think the problem has been too many speculative selections and not enough merit selections. If the best number 6 is 34 yo with daylight between him and the young stagers then go with the 34 yo.

 

[Bourky23]

What are you basing these assumptions on? Stagnating? We hardly stagnated when Hussey started playing for us and he was already 30.

Fair difference between the side he came into and the one we've got now.

I'm all for bringing in those sorts of players when we are up there, but we ain't mate.

you honestly think we have eleven cricketers in the country who can beat England/India/South Africa in a series?

If you do then I'm just gonna stop arguing because you're clearly delusional.

 

[mattymac]

has a long way to go. consistently plays ridiculousy far from his body. its amazing he's gotten to this level without that having been sorted out by someone along the way

 

[Tyberious Funk]

Yes, but they are young and clearly have talent.

I'm sorry, but what exactly does "talent" really mean?

I know that Smith had a really good Shield last year with the bat. But I didn't see any of those innings, so I can't comment on the quality of the bowling and the state of the game at the time. From what I HAVE seen of his Test match playing though, he has a technique you could drive holes through. Good teams, with disciplined bowlers will take him to the cleaners. And his bowling is decidedly mediocre.

With Hughes, we at least have seen him score some big runs against South Africa. But again, his technique has proved to be easily exploitable by a good side with a disciplined bowling attack.

But apparently both are "obviously" talented. So I'm trying to figure out what being "talented" actually means. Does it simply mean performing well at a young age? Because the world is full of junior sporting superstars that never made it at the highest level.

 

[Adz87]

Fair difference between the side he came into and the one we've got now.

I'm all for bringing in those sorts of players when we are up there, but we ain't mate.

you honestly think we have eleven cricketers in the country who can beat England/India/South Africa in a series?

If you do then I'm just gonna stop arguing because you're clearly delusional.

I’ll go the other way and say you’re clearly delusional.

The Baggy Green isn’t a place for young talent who may or may not flourish, it’s an honour reserved for the best players in the country at any given time.

That’s what shield cricket is for. To develop the next crop, to weed out who has the capabilities as a test player and who doesn’t.

A perfect example is Hussey. He was made to earn his place and when he came in he was in incredible form. He had had his technique challenged at Shield cricket, had played in an array of positions, eventually finding his groove.

By simply handing out golden tickets to young blokes with some talent, without the form to back it up, over an extended period, surely that is sending the wrong messages to those vying for a test birth.

It’s not a development side. It’s reserved for the best of the best. Or at least it once was.

 

[big_e]

The Australian XI is the best 11 in the country.

Age is irrelevant.

The best eleven in the country at the moment is England.

I agree with you about The Age, though. Those circulation numbers just keep dropping, don't they?

 

[Bradesmaen]

The best eleven in the country at the moment is South Africa A.

I agree with you about The Age, though. Those circulation numbers just keep dropping, don't they?

Fixed