WTC Final 2025

[evolved2]

I prefer Konstas over Green if we can only fit one in the XI.

 

[PhatBoy]

Konstas is the incumbent opener. Before they went horses for courses. Green last played how ever long ago. It's a no brainer

Well that means he’s not the incumbent opener.

 

[magpiemaniac44]

He doesn't. Hasn't done enough to be a walk up start.
Konstas
Khawaja
Inglis
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Cummins
Start
Lyon
Boland
is your side

Inglis won't play and if he does zero chance its at 3

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Not 100% sure where he bats but Green has to play, he is easily in our best 6 bats.

 

[corbies]

This has to be the last hurrah for this team, Konstas and Green are the only ones under 30.

Just keep playing them until someone better turns up. Let blokes debut at 31 and kill it.

 

[Westend]

He doesn't. Hasn't done enough to be a walk up start.
Konstas
Khawaja
Inglis
Smith
Head
Webster
Carey
Cummins
Start
Lyon
Boland
is your side

Not enough tons for you run and spread ?

3 in his last 5 county games plus a 60

170no 2nd last test against the kiwis to win us the game before he got injured

Greenie has done what is required from him coming back from injury . Can’t do much more

If he had struggled scoring no runs I could see your point

 

[Westend]

Inglis won't play and if he does zero chance its at 3

If Josh plays it will be at six for webbie but I would go webbie for the extra bowling option as greenie is not bowling

 

[Run n Spread]

Not enough tons for you run and spread ?

3 in his last 5 county games plus a 60

170no 2nd last test against the kiwis to win us the game before he got injured

Greenie has done what is required from him coming back from injury . Can’t do much more

If he had struggled scoring no runs I could see your point

Hasn't done it at test level. Webster the incumbent and hasn't put a foot wrong.
There is a plethora of options now. He's time will come.

 

[PhatBoy]

Hasn't done it at test level. Webster the incumbent and hasn't put a foot wrong.
There is a plethora of options now. He's time will come.

Aside from the fact that he can bowl, has hit two incredibly good test centuries overseas against good opposition in tough circumstances in NZ and India, no he’s never done it at test level. You know, like when he put on 116 with Hazlewood for the last wicket at the Basin and hit 174 out of 380 when the next highest score in the innings was 40?
Or at 4-170 chasing 570 against India featuring Ashwin and Jadeja.

He’s not Bradman but dismissing him as having ‘never done it’ while picking Inglis in your side for coming in at 3-400 and hitting a century at a run a ball as though he’s proven himself (yes I realise you might not be lining those two up against one another directly) is somewhat unfair

 

[DaRick]

Hasn't done it at test level. Webster the incumbent and hasn't put a foot wrong.
There is a plethora of options now. He's time will come.

He'd be replacing Inglis, not Webster.

 

[DaRick]

Just keep playing them until someone better turns up. Let blokes debut at 31 and kill it.

Yeah, picking youth just for the sake of it doesn't improve team performance and risks messing with their head when they're still developing.

That said, you always need to keep an eye on the future when sides age together. Ideally, you want to manage players out slowly, rather than have them retire in clumps ala 2006/07.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

Hasn't done it at test level. Webster the incumbent and hasn't put a foot wrong.
There is a plethora of options now. He's time will come.

He has more runs on the board at shield/county level and test level. He bats 3 or 4, Smith bats the other. The only debate should be who opens with Koala

 

[DaRick]

He has more runs on the board at shield/county level and test level. He bats 3 or 4, Smith bats the other. The only debate should be who opens with Koala

I don't expect a whole lot from anyone who partners Khawaja TBH, but Konstas is seemingly the most effective foil.

Not just for the RH/LH combination, but because his pyrotechnics take some pressure off Khawaja.

 

[Sonny Hayes]

I don't expect a whole lot from anyone who partners Khawaja TBH, but Konstas is seemingly the most effective foil.

Not just for the RH/LH combination, but because his pyrotechnics take some pressure off Khawaja.

Yeah I think I would pick him, I just see no world where Marnus opening works but I can live with it for a one off test.

 

[DaRick]

Yeah I think I would pick him, I just see no world where Marnus opening works but I can live with it for a one off test.

I like Labu, but he's totally shot technically and probably mentally.

IMO he needs a spell out of the side, but that won't happen.

 

[JackOutback]

Read an article saying Inglis is at least being considered to open rather than Marnus. Pretty wild call but Marnus looks cooked and they don't seem to have faith in Konstas. Personally, if they don't think Marnus is up to it, just back in the youth in their preferred position and be done with it. Let Konstas play and see if he can make it. Every alternative is a gamble.

 

[DaRick]

Read an article saying Inglis is at least being considered to open rather than Marnus. Pretty wild call but Marnus looks cooked and they don't seem to have faith in Konstas. Personally, if they don't think Marnus is up to it, just back in the youth in their preferred position and be done with it. Let Konstas play and see if he can make it. Every alternative is a gamble.

His aggressive style would complement Khawaja well, so I can live with it as a one-off, I guess.

Although I don't like his technique against the moving ball.

 

[Westend]

Read an article saying Inglis is at least being considered to open rather than Marnus. Pretty wild call but Marnus looks cooked and they don't seem to have faith in Konstas. Personally, if they don't think Marnus is up to it, just back in the youth in their preferred position and be done with it. Let Konstas play and see if he can make it. Every alternative is a gamble.

I love josh but he will not and should not open ...never has in his career ...ODI games yes but not the creams. Number six yes but I would go webbie for this test

I think marnus will get the nod as the opener ...a last chance saloon. We also have to remember that we will fairly soon next summer if not before be looking for another opener as Ussie retires.....So that's two openers we will need

I think long term the selectors will be wanting marnus and konstas as the pair. They will be hoping marnus goes okay up the top and then look to bring in Konstas for the West indies and aussie summer

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Aside from the fact that he can bowl, has hit two incredibly good test centuries overseas against good opposition in tough circumstances in NZ and India, no he’s never done it at test level. You know, like when he put on 116 with Hazlewood for the last wicket at the Basin and hit 174 out of 380 when the next highest score in the innings was 40?
Or at 4-170 chasing 570 against India featuring Ashwin and Jadeja.

He’s not Bradman but dismissing him as having ‘never done it’ while picking Inglis in your side for coming in at 3-400 and hitting a century at a run a ball as though he’s proven himself (yes I realise you might not be lining those two up against one another directly) is somewhat unfair

Is he back bowling yet Phat? I thought that was still a few months off.

Batting wise he’s in great nick. Honestly I’d have him and Webster in instead of Labs

 

[cricketnut14]

I love josh but he will not and should not open ...never has in his career ...ODI games yes but not the creams. Number six yes but I would go webbie for this test

I think marnus will get the nod as the opener ...a last chance saloon. We also have to remember that we will fairly soon next summer if not before be looking for another opener as Ussie retires.....So that's two openers we will need

I think long term the selectors will be wanting marnus and konstas as the pair. They will be hoping marnus goes okay up the top and then look to bring in Konstas for the West indies and aussie summer

if they do go with marnus opening, it'll be interesting to see what they do a week later in the 1st test in the west indies.

if marnus does well, they'll stick with him and konstas may have to wait - unless usman makes an announcement or webster is squeezed out.

the opening debate continues since the warner retirement.

it's interesting because prior to the green injury last year, the selectors came out and said that smith would bat at 4 and they would run with the 'same 6' - usman, green, marnus, smith, head, marsh (from the nz series) - they never qualified who would be opening. then came the green injury and we went down the mcsweeney path.

to me that says was green was in the selectors minds to open perhaps ? if it was marnus, head or marsh it would've happened at the start of last summer you would've thought.

 

[JackOutback]

Don't think Green has even been in consideration as an opener and nor should he be.

 

[crows dude]

if they do go with marnus opening, it'll be interesting to see what they do a week later in the 1st test in the west indies.

if marnus does well, they'll stick with him and konstas may have to wait - unless usman makes an announcement or webster is squeezed out.

the opening debate continues since the warner retirement.

it's interesting because prior to the green injury last year, the selectors came out and said that smith would bat at 4 and they would run with the 'same 6' - usman, green, marnus, smith, head, marsh (from the nz series) - they never qualified who would be opening. then came the green injury and we went down the mcsweeney path.

to me that says was green was in the selectors minds to open perhaps ? if it was marnus, head or marsh it would've happened at the start of last summer you would've thought.

Webster wont be out as Green cant bowl yet. Green is coming in as a batsman.

Usman
Konstas
Green
Smith
Head
Webster

 

[RookiePick]

I prefer Konstas over Green if we can only fit one in the XI.

It is far more likely that Marnus opens and Konstas is omitted than Greendog missing. Cam has the best current/exposed form of any of our top 6 options.

 

[JackOutback]

Webster wont be out as Green cant bowl yet. Green is coming in as a batsman.

Usman
Konstas
Green
Smith
Head
Webster

I suppose the question is, do we actually need a chop-out bowler given the green tops England tends to produce.

 

[RookiePick]

I suppose the question is, do we actually need a chop-out bowler given the green tops England tends to produce.

Definitely, if we pick Haze. I worry about his body holding up these days.