Team for Hobart.

[The_Reaper]

Play Klinger, not many in domestic cricket in better form, and move Ponting down to 6. If Hilfenhaus was fit Siddle would be gone. Siddle looks unlucky because his length is wrong. On a seaming pitch, if you're too short you'll beat lots of outside edges without getting a touch.

I'm liking Johnson's bowling since he started bowling close to the stumps and his natural skills and ability. Learnt to play to his strengths. Dangerous now he's swinging the ball away from the right hander rather than trying to swing it into them, which he struggle with. Likely to get alot of edges. Way more accurate and dangerous. Bollinger can be the one to bring it back into the right hander. Makes a nice blend. Can't complain about Hauritz right now. He's getting wickets when it counts and is alot more dangerous looking.

Klinger should be our number 3

In regrads to Rogers, yes he is in the top 6 batsmen, however our openers are working well and in a one off situation you may as well put the experience into the youngster

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Highly unlikely to be any changes for the test match.

Not sure why everyone is calling for Hughes to be retained - did hardly anything to show he was fit for test cricket. No doubt he will be - but there is something seriously wrong with his feet movement at the moment.

North will stay, but doesn't deserve to - needs a big score to keep his spot.

The only batsmen to come in would be Rogers or Marsh. Klinger doesn't seem to have the exapnsive game required for test cricket - though he is piling on runs.

Bowlers are all pretty average at the moment. All seem to be rookies taking wickets. In fact our short term depth in bowling is horrendous.

 

[aussie1st]

Calling for Hughes being retained is more the fact hes already in the side and so more likely to replace North than the other guys.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Seriously, it's just mind boggling how Rogers isn't in the current test side.

Ahead of who? He doesn't deserve to replace Watson or Katich as an opener.

 

[legend166]

Assuming fitness:

Katich
Watson
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Hughes
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle (well, I'm not assuming Hilfenhaus' fitness)
Bollinger

We have to start using number 6 to blood new batsman like we used to. The idea that Hughes should only bat as an opener is a ridiculous idea.

 

[stickman11]

Assuming fitness:

Katich
Watson
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Hughes
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle (well, I'm not assuming Hilfenhaus' fitness)
Bollinger

We have to start using number 6 to blood new batsman like we used to. The idea that Hughes should only bat as an opener is a ridiculous idea.

Katich won't be playing. Struggling

 

[stickman11]

Highly unlikely to be any changes for the test match.

Not sure why everyone is calling for Hughes to be retained - did hardly anything to show he was fit for test cricket. No doubt he will be - but there is something seriously wrong with his feet movement at the moment.

North will stay, but doesn't deserve to - needs a big score to keep his spot.

The only batsmen to come in would be Rogers or Marsh. Klinger doesn't seem to have the exapnsive game required for test cricket - though he is piling on runs.

Bowlers are all pretty average at the moment. All seem to be rookies taking wickets. In fact our short term depth in bowling is horrendous.

Hughes has shown plenty in his short stay. Who is to say he won't make a big score.

You can Hussey hadn't shown much for the last three years to deserve his place. Now he is superman.
North hasn't shown anything, could make a hundred this week
Ponting hasn't shown he is fit to play test matches either this season.

I thought Hughes was starting to look much better in the second innings after his first 50 balls. If we can be patient with Hauritz who tooks some absolute floggings, not sure why we can't give a younger batsman sometime to prove himself.

 

[HBF]

North OUT, Katich IN. We have to give Hughes more time to learn at the highest level.

Watson
Hughes
Katich
Clarke
Ponting
Hussey
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle
Bollinger

 

[legend166]

Don't people think Hughes would go alright at number 6? As others have said, I see no reason to break up Katich/Watson. They've been the most consistant partnership all summer.

Hughes can obviously face the new ball well enough, so as a number 6 that would be a good quality. He can grind out innings as well as play shots, as shown by some of his form in 20/20 games. He can also play spin well enough.

I think playing him at 6 would take the pressure off and allow him to play his natural game. I still think being dropped from the team in England is playing on his mind.

Obviously he can bat. He got two hundreds in South Africa against Steyne, Morkel and Ntini. That says enough about his talent. I mean his first class average is still 57.3 He's only 21 and has already scored 3211 first class runs. I really think batting him at 6 is a good idea. We used to blood new batsman there all the time. Ponting ring a bell.

On top of all that, he can keep, according to Cricinfo. Did it for NSW when Haddin got injured. That would mean we'd never have to take Graham Manou on a tour ever again. Surely that alone warrants selection.

 

[jwolf]

Don't people think Hughes would go alright at number 6? As others have said, I see no reason to break up Katich/Watson. They've been the most consistant partnership all summer.

You tell me why he'd go ok at 6. Personally I think he could bat at 8 and captains would still instruct their bowlers to aim at his ribs and lock him up.

It's just a massive technical flaw he needs to fix before he can be considered a genuine option in the Australian team.

On top of all that, he can keep, according to Cricinfo. Did it for NSW when Haddin got injured. That would mean we'd never have to take Graham Manou on a tour ever again. Surely that alone warrants selection.

Oh absolutely, he's a back up keeper. That's vitually sealed the deal.

 

[DIG]

Don't people think Hughes would go alright at number 6? As others have said, I see no reason to break up Katich/Watson. They've been the most consistant partnership all summer.

Hughes can obviously face the new ball well enough, so as a number 6 that would be a good quality. He can grind out innings as well as play shots, as shown by some of his form in 20/20 games. He can also play spin well enough.

I think playing him at 6 would take the pressure off and allow him to play his natural game. I still think being dropped from the team in England is playing on his mind.

Obviously he can bat. He got two hundreds in South Africa against Steyne, Morkel and Ntini. That says enough about his talent. I mean his first class average is still 57.3 He's only 21 and has already scored 3211 first class runs. I really think batting him at 6 is a good idea. We used to blood new batsman there all the time. Ponting ring a bell.

On top of all that, he can keep, according to Cricinfo. Did it for NSW when Haddin got injured. That would mean we'd never have to take Graham Manou on a tour ever again. Surely that alone warrants selection.

I don't see the keeping as relevant but everything else you've said here is absolutely spot on.

 

[Jimthegreat]

Just announced.

Same 13 man squad including Katch, Hughes, North and McKay.

 

[legend166]

I don't see the keeping as relevant but everything else you've said here is absolutely spot on.

Ha, it was just a joke to have a jab at Manou

 

[didak04]

Hope Katich can get himself fit and get back into the team as an opener. The partnership between he and Watson at the top of the order has been one of the only things holding the batting together all summer.

North will be close the axe if he can't contribute something with the bat this test. He'd be gone already if Ferguson was fit.

 

[justin75]

I would like to see M. Clarke given a serious wake call. Since all the talk about him being the next Test captain he has not delivered in either series this summer, against as people were saying very ordinary opponents.
Everyone that goes on about his form in England are more interested in seeing Lara on TV. The next test he NEEDS to make a big hundred and show that he can be the leader of the test team.
Current form is required not this crap from 6 months ago.

As for Cosgrove great state player but really theres a better chance of seeing him sitting in the stands with Mick eating KFC rather than playing for Australia.

 

[krusden]

North OUT, Katich IN. We have to give Hughes more time to learn at the highest level.

exactly. we'll stuff his confidence entirely if we don't.
and kat is 35 this year. i'd like to see him bat on but he's getting around the time where cricketers think of retirement.
If hughes is not given time we may find ourselves up the creek if kat says "ya know, I've had enough" sometime this year.

 

[Axel.]

Team will look like this:

Watson
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Hughes
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle / McKay
Bollinger

Or:

Watson
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
North
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle / McKay
Bollinger

imo McKay deserves another go, but Siddle needs the match fitness.

 

[lemon chicken]

You tell me why he'd go ok at 6. Personally I think he could bat at 8 and captains would still instruct their bowlers to aim at his ribs and lock him up.

It's just a massive technical flaw he needs to fix before he can be considered a genuine option in the Australian team.

Isnt this what opposition capts did to Steve Waugh? Cant think of a batsman that doesnt have at least 1 technical flaw. Ponting has been our best batsmen since Bradman yet opposition bowlers have easliy figured out his weaknesses. The bigger problems i see as him as an opener are he doesnt leave enough balls/know where his stumps are. For this reason alone he would be far better off down the order.

 

[Stormers]

Well if you ever want the definition of faith, then the Australian selectors are it, North has been reprieved, and the only possible change will be Katich for Hughes

 

[Jimthegreat]

I would like to see M. Clarke given a serious wake call. Since all the talk about him being the next Test captain he has not delivered in either series this summer, against as people were saying very ordinary opponents.
Everyone that goes on about his form in England are more interested in seeing Lara on TV. The next test he NEEDS to make a big hundred and show that he can be the leader of the test team.
Current form is required not this crap from 6 months ago.

As for Cosgrove great state player but really theres a better chance of seeing him sitting in the stands with Mick eating KFC rather than playing for Australia.

Not in great touch but Clarke has averaged 43 so far this summer. He's had only 2 real failures (under 20) so where he has been a bit disappointing is continually get starts (20's, 30's, 40's) and not not continues. If he gets starts he can't be far away from a good score.....hopefully. But so far it's a bit frustrating. His 37 in Melbourne in the second innings got him into a decent partnership with Watson with helped get us out of the sh1t but liked him to go on from there.

 

[justin75]

Not in great touch but Clarke has averaged 43 so far this summer. He's had only 2 real failures (under 20) so where he has been a bit disappointing is continually get starts (20's, 30's, 40's) and not not continues. If he gets starts he can't be far away from a good score.....hopefully. But so far it's a bit frustrating. His 37 in Melbourne in the second innings got him into a decent partnership with Watson with helped get us out of the sh1t but liked him to go on from there.

I think that a player of his standards batting at 5 for Australia should not be relying a few good starts and settling with that.. aside from innings in Melbourne I don`t think that he or anybody would be happy with performances.

He still needs to up the ante, he shouldn`t rely just what on could be and now go for what he SHOULD be.

 

[bunsen burner]

In what universe is Clarke behind North?

Just in general manliness.

 

[bunsen burner]

I would like to see M. Clarke given a serious wake call. Since all the talk about him being the next Test captain he has not delivered in either series this summer, against as people were saying very ordinary opponents.
Everyone that goes on about his form in England are more interested in seeing Lara on TV. The next test he NEEDS to make a big hundred and show that he can be the leader of the test team.
Current form is required not this crap from 6 months ago.

There is more to being captain that performance. Performance is not Michael Clarke's problem. To be the Australian Cricket captain you usually have to have the complete bag - top line player, top line strategist, top line leader. By all reports his leadership skills are shakey. He needs to man up a bit and stop being a flog.

 

[danielnajdek]

Well if you ever want the definition of faith, then the Australian selectors are it, North has been reprieved, and the only possible change will be Katich for Hughes

Yep don't know what's going on. Not sure what the selectors have been watching this summer. He has been useless this summer with the bat and even more so with his bowling or should I say lack of bowling. Ponting must love him to still be in the team or just giving him enough tests to get that hundred that will see him play in the Ashes next year. I tend to go with the latter

 

[Plugger35]

I'd back North to keep his spot ahead of Hughes now that he's been retained in the squad. Surely if he was going to be axed they would have left him out of the squad altogether.

North would want to make a score, ie. at least a fifty, to keep his spot beyond Hobart though.