T20 Selection

[gbatman]

Just had a thought when watching Brad Hogg out there staring for Australia. Our selection philosophy has been all wrong for T20 cricket. It's not a young man's game, it's the older players who generally do the best and because it's such a short match the old bodies will be able to get through it fine. It also allows our up and comers to focus on longer format cricket. Also playing the past stars would draw more people to the games just to see them. Plus it's a nice retirement package and keeps our gun players in the game.

This is what our T20 team should have been up until recent times.

1. Gilchrist
2. Hayden
3. Langer
4. Watson
5. D Hussey
6. M Hussey
7. Symonds
8. Hogg
9. Warne
10. Lee
11. McGrath
12. Hodge

Granted most of these guys would have been retired by now but had they finished up and focused purely on T20 cricket, as most of them did any way in the IPL. Then we very well would have been a much better T20 side instead of a very poor one over the last few years and likely would have won world cup.

What do people recon? Should it be a format where players retire to or should we be using it to bring our young players into international cricket like we are doing a bit? IMO 1 day cricket is the format we should be playing our young players.

 

[Torz]

Don't know about Langer. I know he played a bit of county T20, but I think there'd be better options in this version of the game.

 

[4evablues]

Wish Hodge got more of a go in Australia full stop! Feel for the guy! Not sure about Langer as well, replace him with Bevan or is that going too far back!

 

[Ducky Tie]

There's a difference between not being a young mans game, and not picking a single young player.Warner in for Langer.

 

[gbatman]

There's a difference between not being a young mans game, and not picking a single young player.Warner in for Langer.

Good call. All the recently retired stars, mixed in amongst them, the best young talent.

 

[MG MG]

Don't know about Langer. I know he played a bit of county T20, but I think there'd be better options in this version of the game.

Agreed about JL

 

[MG MG]

My team wouldn't be so old. Would like a bit more like

1 Gilchrist
2 Warner
3 Hayden
4 Watson
5 D.Hussey
6 M.Hussey
7 Maxwell
8 Lee
9 Hogg
10 Starc
11 Nannes (????)

 

[dajesmac]

My team wouldn't be so old. Would like a bit more like

1 Gilchrist
2 Warner
3 Hayden
4 Watson
5 D.Hussey
6 M.Hussey
7 Maxwell
8 Lee
9 Hogg
10 Starc
11 Nannes (????)

Gilchrist is cooked. Very ambitious.

Nah, I think the only player who should be in the squad at the moment but isn't is Mitch Marsh.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

We need to make sure all our players are available for the Big Bash. How do we know who our best T20 cricketers are? The test and OD Aussie players don't play the domestic stuff. Block off the Boxing Day and New Years tests and program the Big Bash either side of these. Every Aussie player available plus just the best of the overseas imports.

 

[gbatman]

Just to clarify, I'm not saying that the team I listed in the OP should be the current team. A lot of those players are done. It should have been the team over the last 5 or so years. Just saying that we have gone completly the wrong way about T20 cricket by playing up and comers instead of the retired stars who have gone out and played T20 cricket any way yet we let all that go to waste.

Then there is also the theory that playing too much T20 cricket hampers the development of our cricketers for other formats. Further backing up my point of playing our retired test and one day stars.

For example Ponting will be retired soon from all formats. He'd be a good international T20 if he was to focus on the game.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Then there is also the theory that playing too much T20 cricket hampers the development of our cricketers for other formats. Further backing up my point of playing our retired test and one day stars.

I've never subscribed to this. Surely if you're any sort of cricketer you can adjust your game depending on the situation.

 

[gbatman]

I've never subscribed to this. Surely if you're any sort of cricketer you can adjust your game depending on the situation.

Yeah I don't know what to think, you would think that would be the case.

 

[MG MG]

Gilchrist is cooked. Very ambitious.

Nah, I think the only player who should be in the squad at the moment but isn't is Mitch Marsh.

Yea me too but where does he fit in?

 

[dajesmac]

Yea me too but where does he fit in?

Might take Christian's spot at 8 (even though he can bat in the top six). Isn't Doherty in the squad aswell as backup spin? Even if Hogg went down I'd prefer to have Marsh over Doherty.

 

[BarneyBent]

I've never subscribed to this. Surely if you're any sort of cricketer you can adjust your game depending on the situation.

Technique. In T20, moving around the crease and being unpredictable is an advantage. In Tests, it's a liability. You move around too much in T20, your footwork gets sloppy when it comes to the long stuff. It's not even psychological, it can be muscle memory as much as anything.

It's not just a matter of switching attack mode on and off, it's everything that comes with it, and it can spill over, which can be dangerous for young batsmen whose techniques are still developing.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Yep.. That's why I'm really glad that they've got older guys in the T20 team. 20 year olds need to be cementing their technique and learning the discipline required in first class cricket to bat long, not learning to hack at every ball regardless of it's merits.

Imagine Mitch Marsh's season if he had gone to the World T20.

September - World T20, October - T20 Champions League, December/half of Jan - BBL.

That kid will never end up a decent first class batsman at that rate. He won't get the chance.

 

[courtjester]

D. Warner
S. Watson
B. Hodge
G. Bailey
D. Hussey
M. Hussey
D. Christian
G. Maxwell
B. Hogg
P. Cummins
M. Starc

 

[Torz]

D. Warner
S. Watson
B. Hodge
G. Bailey
D. Hussey
M. Hussey
D. Christian
G. Maxwell
B. Hogg
P. Cummins
M. Starc

Who's keeping?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Technique. In T20, moving around the crease and being unpredictable is an advantage. In Tests, it's a liability. You move around too much in T20, your footwork gets sloppy when it comes to the long stuff. It's not even psychological, it can be muscle memory as much as anything.

It's not just a matter of switching attack mode on and off, it's everything that comes with it, and it can spill over, which can be dangerous for young batsmen whose techniques are still developing.

Rubbish.

The quality players are adept at all formats

 

[BarneyBent]

Rubbish.

The quality players are adept at all formats

Nice mounting of an argument there.

Firstly, not all quality players are adept at all formats. Michael Clarke, for example. However, of those that are adept at all formats, quality MATURE players will be able to cycle between the three without too much trouble.

The problem is that quality YOUNG players, with potential in all formats, are still developing. And splitting their development between three formats can be problematic. If you look at the very best batsmen across all three formats, they all start with an orthodox base, or at least use the same base across all formats. Michael Hussey is a perfect example. He's one of the best T20 batsmen in the world, and he's also one of the most "proper". Now, it takes a long time to get your technique and your decision making to that point. Now, young players are going to improvise, they move around, they play unorthodox shots (think Steve Smith), and while these can be effective, they are extremely bad habits for a developing batsman. A mature batsman who has built a good technique and temperament can do it without it changing their good technique. For a young batsman, it's much more of a risk.

 

[courtjester]

Who's keeping?

Oops....Wade is for Dussey or Maxwell...

 

[MG MG]

Might take Christian's spot at 8 (even though he can bat in the top six). Isn't Doherty in the squad aswell as backup spin? Even if Hogg went down I'd prefer to have Marsh over Doherty.

Yea can't argue with any of that. I dislike Dan Christian and would take Mitch Marsh over him anyday. But Christian didn't make my team! And yea, Doh is a spud

 

[MG MG]

Rubbish.

The quality players are adept at all formats

No mate he is right. T20 cricket is completely different to Test Cricket. It's all about the technique. Notice Pup Clarkes retirement. Still pretty young to retire but the game is to big for his style, not saying he is slow like Cowan or Khawaja but to slow for t20. I also believe Bailey shouldn't even play let alone captain coz he is a bit slow. Imagine Cowan and Khawaja in t20. They are pretty solid batsmen but not t20 style. He is very right mate

 

[MG MG]

Oops....Wade is for Dussey or Maxwell...

Put Wadey in for Christian

 

[dajesmac]

Imagine Mitch Marsh's season if he had gone to the World T20.

September - World T20, October - T20 Champions League, December/half of Jan - BBL.

That kid will never end up a decent first class batsman at that rate. He won't get the chance.

Very good point. Mind you if it weren't for his CoE(?) mishap he'd probably be in Sri Lanka right now.