Who Plays in The Ashes

[Damon_3388]

Since the Hobart debacle last year Australia has:

Beaten SA in the 3rd and Pakistan
Performed admirably in India
Had 1 shocker against Bangers when they were under prepared and distracted

This is why I don't really think there's a need to reinvent the wheel with the line-up, or make any drastic changes.

The only "eyebrow raiser" I'd go with would be pulling the trigger on Tim Paine in the Test team. Yeah, his batting has been mediocre over time, and it goes against my usual ideal of a good sample size of Shield form leading to Test selection, but I think he has the skillset we need from a keeper right now (safe hands, patience with the bat), and is still young enough that he could turn it into an extended run if it works out well.

This is my line-up for the First Test:

1. Matthew Renshaw
2. David Warner (VC)
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Steve Smith (C)
5. Peter Handscomb
6. Hilton Cartwright
7. Tim Paine (+)
8. Pat Cummins
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Nathan Lyon
11. Josh Hazlewood

I think showing faith in that line-up, and not constantly looking for the next "hot hand" to rotate in, or acting like we need to be handing out new Baggy Greens (particularly to fast bowlers, when those three are perfectly adequate and capable when fit) will see us win The Ashes back.

Let's have our ballsy move be doing an International Cricket Captain in real life, and playing that exact line-up in all formats all summer, barring injury, and regardless of form and results

 

[Damon_3388]

I have never understood the selectors obsession with all-rounders, especially when we have had no one of world-class putting their hand up.

Surely with this as well, they would need to look at how the captain uses them bowling-wise, and either accept some input from the captain, or just make the call that there's no need for the 5th bowler. They can't realistically keep claiming it as a "need", if the captain doesn't want to use it. And if there's a disconnect between what selectors think and what the captain and coaches want and need and use tactically, then they need to start getting on the same page more often.

What was weird is that the most "broken down" all-rounder we've used in recent years, Shane Watson, actually bowled the most. You'd think younger horses like Mitch Marsh and Hilton Cartwright would be given a bit more workload (particularly Marsh, who is one of the better bowlers among Australian all-rounders right now), to rest up the quicks and just because their bodies can handle it a bit. Instead we'd give 8-10 overs an innings to Watto, who between his movement, bowling action and facial grimaces, looked like he was about to break in half with every ball he bowled.

 

[Damon_3388]

Siddle? It's not 2010 you know. What about Hilfenhaus? Behrendorff is definitely on the rung below Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood, along with Sayers and NCN. Probably on top of that rung as well.

Siddle had one poor-ish Test (was very economical, just didn't take that many wickets in tough bowling conditions) on limited preparation, and he's discarded forever apparently. We probably don't need him now that Cummins is fit, but he's hardly the worst fall-back, particularly if he continues his good JLT Cup form into the start of the Shield season.

Don't understand why Chris Tremain isn't more in the frame, if we're looking at newer guys too. He had just as good a strike rate and economy rate as Chadd Sayers last Shield season (had better performing teammates around him, so got to bowl a lot less overs and thus took less total wickets), is younger and quicker.

People like to talk about Sayers being a long overdue selection, but they overlook his inconsistency, from game-to-game and season-to-season as well. He would follow up his 5-fers last year with innings where he would take just one or no wickets, and he averaged 30 with the ball the season before last, and really hadn't had a big full season for about 2-3 years before the start of last summer.

I'm one of the few who doesn't think Joe Mennie did a lot wrong in his lone Test either, and has shown excellent Shield form either side. I wouldn't be crossing his name out forever. Just don't think we need to be picking guys like him (and Daniel Worrell) in the ODI side without form in the limited overs formats (although Mennie has arguably been the best bowler in the JLT Cup comp this season so far).

I say all this as a born-and-bred South Australian, by the way, in case people are going to claim state bias.

 

[Van_Dyke]

Siddle had one poor-ish Test (was very economical, just didn't take that many wickets in tough bowling conditions) on limited preparation, and he's discarded forever apparently. We probably don't need him now that Cummins is fit, but he's hardly the worst fall-back, particularly if he continues his good JLT Cup form into the start of the Shield season.

One of the issues with Siddle these days is that he's seemingly being breaking down a lot more than he ever used to the last the few

He has made something like 3 centuries in a good decade of pro cricket.

His only first class ton, came in a game where he wasn't even keeping iirc.

Stoinis?

Very lucky to get a game for the Bushrangers for all of last season.

Didn't seem to bother the selectors in flying him to India though.

 

[The_Reaper]

Siddle had one poor-ish Test (was very economical, just didn't take that many wickets in tough bowling conditions) on limited preparation, and he's discarded forever apparently. We probably don't need him now that Cummins is fit, but he's hardly the worst fall-back, particularly if he continues his good JLT Cup form into the start of the Shield season.

Don't understand why Chris Tremain isn't more in the frame, if we're looking at newer guys too. He had just as good a strike rate and economy rate as Chadd Sayers last Shield season (had better performing teammates around him, so got to bowl a lot less overs and thus took less total wickets), is younger and quicker.

People like to talk about Sayers being a long overdue selection, but they overlook his inconsistency, from game-to-game and season-to-season as well. He would follow up his 5-fers last year with innings where he would take just one or no wickets, and he averaged 30 with the ball the season before last, and really hadn't had a big full season for about 2-3 years before the start of last summer.

I'm one of the few who doesn't think Joe Mennie did a lot wrong in his lone Test either, and has shown excellent Shield form either side. I wouldn't be crossing his name out forever. Just don't think we need to be picking guys like him (and Daniel Worrell) in the ODI side without form in the limited overs formats (although Mennie has arguably been the best bowler in the JLT Cup comp this season so far).

I say all this as a born-and-bred South Australian, by the way, in case people are going to claim state bias.

Siddle was discarded solely because of his lack of fitness.
He has broken down in like his last five tests.

 

[Damon_3388]

Siddle was discarded solely because of his lack of fitness.
He has broken down in like his last five tests.

True, I did forget that he's broken down during games too.

I think he forgot at some point that you need to do more than running and change your diet to stay fit and strong.

 

[Damon_3388]

Won't be a spot for them, we've got to fit Xavier Doherty in.

And then Michael Beer

Easily the most farcical, least-justifiable Test selection in recent memory. The fact that he got an overseas tour and a second Test is even more ridiculous.

 

[Gough]

W.N. Phillips in Perth against India is still the weirdest one I can remember. AB cracked the shits so hard about Geoff Marsh being dropped that he refused to field on the last morning in Adelaide, sending Paul Reiffel out instead.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Well we can all agree that the dickhead ratio in the Australian XI would be much bigger if Stokes was in it.

The level of dickhead may be raised, possibly reaching Peak Dickhead, but given who he would likely replace the dickhead ratio would probably be the same.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Apparently, Tim Paine is in contention for keeper.

That is highly unlikely. He's going to be captaining the Tas Futures League team, Wade is playing the ListA Cup and will "keep" for Tas in the opening Shield rounds. And maybe rightly so, Paine's keeping has been pretty poor for a while now. Wade-level-bad? Contentious, but possible from what I've heard (streams on crap internet don't give a great indication of wicket-keeping).
edit: he's 30, I can't remember how many over-23 players FL teams are allowed

 

[JackOutback]

Siddle had one poor-ish Test (was very economical, just didn't take that many wickets in tough bowling conditions) on limited preparation, and he's discarded forever apparently. We probably don't need him now that Cummins is fit, but he's hardly the worst fall-back, particularly if he continues his good JLT Cup form into the start of the Shield season.

Don't understand why Chris Tremain isn't more in the frame, if we're looking at newer guys too. He had just as good a strike rate and economy rate as Chadd Sayers last Shield season (had better performing teammates around him, so got to bowl a lot less overs and thus took less total wickets), is younger and quicker.

People like to talk about Sayers being a long overdue selection, but they overlook his inconsistency, from game-to-game and season-to-season as well. He would follow up his 5-fers last year with innings where he would take just one or no wickets, and he averaged 30 with the ball the season before last, and really hadn't had a big full season for about 2-3 years before the start of last summer.

I'm one of the few who doesn't think Joe Mennie did a lot wrong in his lone Test either, and has shown excellent Shield form either side. I wouldn't be crossing his name out forever. Just don't think we need to be picking guys like him (and Daniel Worrell) in the ODI side without form in the limited overs formats (although Mennie has arguably been the best bowler in the JLT Cup comp this season so far).

I say all this as a born-and-bred South Australian, by the way, in case people are going to claim state bias.

As alluded to in other posts, my only real knock on Siddle is age and injury, plus the wealth of talent ahead of him (when not injured). I agree that guys like Tremain and Mennie should remain in the selectors' eyes but there is no doubt a little x-factor in picking bowlers that can make the leap to international level, which is why guys like McGrath, Warne and Cummins were picked on limited Shield experience. There's obviously a feeling that guys like Behrendorff, NCN and Sayers are more likely to step up.

 

[Donnie Darko]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cr...mins-warns-England-bouncers-Ashes-series.html

Cummins claims England will face a barrage of pace and bouncers. No surprise given the conditions down there..
So why the hell did our Head selector Whittaker make the exact same mistake as the previous tour and not pick any pace? just a couple of tall plodders to back up the usual attack .
We could have had Footitt and Curran.

 

[Hellgood]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cr...mins-warns-England-bouncers-Ashes-series.html

Cummins claims England will face a barrage of pace and bouncers. No surprise given the conditions down there..
So why the hell did our Head selector Whittaker make the exact same mistake as the previous tour and not pick any pace? just a couple of tall plodders to back up the usual attack .
We could have had Footitt and Curran.

Lol, you are still rabbiting on about this one.

 

[eth-dog]

Why is Glenn Maxwell being dismissed? He got a ton like 4 games ago.

 

[Mitchell54]

Renshaw
Warner
Smith
Handscomb
Khawaja
Maxwell
Paine
Starc
Cummins
Lyon
Hazlewood

Taking a punt with Paine. None of our keepers have performed of late so think we need to look for a new one.
Also would prefer Smith as 1st drop to take control of the innings for Australia if we lose one early or put the pressure on the English bowlers which will help the batsmen towards the middle of the order

 

[eth-dog]

If Tim Paine gets selected I will be infuriated. The bloke shouldn't even get a game for ******* Tassie.

 

[eth-dog]

If Tim Paine gets selected I will be infuriated. The bloke shouldn't even get a game for ******* Tassie.

Who are ******* s**t too.

 

[JackOutback]

Why is Glenn Maxwell being dismissed? He got a ton like 4 games ago.

Mostly because we don't need a spinning all rounder, which means people are weighing him up only on his batting. He did score a hundred, but generally there seem to be question marks on him as a specialist bat. If he makes runs in the Shield, he should keep his spot.

 

[Donnie Darko]

Lol, you are still rabbiting on about this one.

Kills me seeing that a gun talent was overlooked for players who will do nothing.
Shame our selection panel dont post in here.

 

[eth-dog]

Mostly because we don't need a spinning all rounder, which means people are weighing him up only on his batting. He did score a hundred, but generally there seem to be question marks on him as a specialist bat. If he makes runs in the Shield, he should keep his spot.

I'd say he's likely to play.

 

[JackOutback]

I'd say he's likely to play.

I don't think Lehmann or CA are in love with the idea of Maxwell at 6; if someone knocks down the door, I reckon they will replace him.

 

[eth-dog]

I don't think Lehmann or CA are in love with the idea of Maxwell at 6; if someone knocks down the door, I reckon they will replace him.

That seems to conflict with evidence. He got selected on the Indian tour after having a poor Shield season and was brought into the side as soon as Marsh went down.

 

[JackOutback]

That seems to conflict with evidence. He got selected on the Indian tour after having a poor Shield season and was brought into the side as soon as Marsh went down.

Because a spinning all rounder made sense in India. He hasn't been treated with a lot of love in any form of the game.

 

[ROOTA#6]

Didn't seem to matter what type of bowler the all rounder was..smith hardly bowled the bastard anyway. Pick a genuine batsman at 6 for christs sake

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Didn't seem to matter what type of bowler the all rounder was..smith hardly bowled the bastard anyway. Pick a genuine batsman at 6 for christs sake

Agreed as it is we don't score enough runs