Your Australia Test XI

[Hodgepodge]

Ok here's mine.

Openers
Hughes
Katich

Middle order
Khawaja
Hussey

All rounders/wickie
Watson
White
Haddin

Attack
Johnson
Sids
Crazy
Bollinger

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Watson - solid contributer, however needs to make more 'big' runs
Hughes - has put in a lot of work on his temperament and technique over these last 3 matches, anyone who can't see his improvement is a fool... has a future in the game this kid
Khawaja - solid as a rock at three on debut... that should be indication enough of the kid's talent
Hussey - our most consistent bastman this series
Clarke (c) - clearly our best batsman when on form, in a terrible form slump and should be moved back to where he made all his runs
Ferguson - great talent, although a little short of performance in the shield (averaging 51-2 this season though) excellent performances in ODI's as well hold him in good stead
Paine - much better with the gloves than haddin, and we should be beggining to shape our team for the future
Harris - our best bowler
Krejza - the most talented spinner in the country
Siddle/Hilfenhaus - both could be good test bowlers
Bollinger - very good fast bowler

 

[ROSEMVP]

depends if a test started next week


Watson
Hill
Katich
D.Hussey
M.Hussey
C.White (C)
Wade/Paine
Mcdonald
Okeefe
Johnson
Siddle

You get alot of batting talent and 6 good bowlers.

 

[Snoop Dog]

Times up - the new 11

Apols if this belongs in another thread but couldnt see one. Frankly have had enough of watching our current line up and feel compelled to start a discussion on folks preferred teams and rationale. Here is mine.

Hilditch - has to go. Has made to many blunders and ignored to many promising cricketers in his time.

Nielsen - staggered he got 3 more years. has let to many blokes with technical deficiencies stay in the side.

Current 11

Watson - should not be opening. hates playing back and teams have started to figure out he will come fwd to balls he shouldnt and is always a chance to be caught behind stumps. Should be playing 6 and would allow some more focus on his bowling which has waned.

Hughes - the best australian openers have always valued their wickets and until this bloke starts to do that and fix his technical issues he wont make it. bit left fieldish but if you didnt want to play with his technique then i would think about him batting lower where he will have more freedom.

Ponting - love the bloke but the best thing he could do for australian cricket is retire. when Border commenced the rebuild he was a few years younger and could offer 4-5 years. Punter cant and hence he should retire. Make him coach and pay the other bloke out! Kawaja is his replacement.

Clarke - will get smashed by the NSW fanatics but he has real problems. Is a class bat though and should be left in and given time to work through. Wouldnt have him capt but there aint anyone else. personally i think he has a technique to open.

Hussey - he is the bloke who should be capt and offers an ability to stick with team. could also open and protect those lower.

Haddin - had a good series but is another who at times I just dont think values his wicket like he should. work with the gloves is good and from all reports well liked in the dressing room. Wade and Paine arent far behind though IMO.

Smith - if he is the 6th best bat in Australia then I know nothing about cricket. If in as an all rounder I get it but I wonder why we have two all rounders in the side. Has real technique problems and whilst has scored some handy 30's is another that doesnt stick it out. For me there are a number of better bats. also should be able to take a wicket or two and doesnt look like it.

Johnson - should be left in and just have to accept he will have good days and bad.

Siddle - Should be left in but would be great if he could get more bounce and more consistently cut the ball.

Hilfy - Was a huge fan but the results arent there.....unfortunately. maybe just lacks a yard.


My side (little left field)

1. Michael Hussey / Shaun Marsh - whilst not an advocate of stuffing around with players when going well in their spots he has opened early in his career and has the technique to do it easily. Opening is our weakest spot to and would allow Watson to drop lower where I think he will go to the next level. Otherwise Shaun Marsh looks good and would allow Hussey to stay at 5.

2. Michael Clarke - needs a change and has a terrific technique for opening which he has shown us in the 1 dayers. When a suitable replacement can be find could be moved. For me its either Hughes or Rogers but maybe age works against Chris.

3. Usman Kawaja - Has the technique and the ability to play fwd and back which a number three needs.

4. Callum Ferguson - A real talent for mine and has shown he can step up to national level. should be fast tracked in.

5. Hussey (if not opening) or a number of possibilities here - White obvious but has technique troubles needs a dominant shield season. Bailey unlucky bc seems to have the shots and ability to step up. Wade and Paine are keepers who also impress me as blokes who could come in as bats bc of their techniques. kids Lynn and Maddinson show a heap but leave out for a bit.

6. Shane Watson - Would thrive here and allow more focus on bowling. Number 6 needs to handle a new ball and he can do that.

7. Brad Haddin - stays but could go to next level with bat.

8. Mitch JOhnson - stays

9. Peter Siddle - stays

10. Bollinger / Copeland / Cameron / Nannes / Faulkner - I like Nannes bc he genuinely unsettles but is to old. Bolly the pick but needs more consistency. The other three very exciting young kids as well.

11. Jason Krezja - admittedly i am not an expert with spinners but he is the one that looks to have vairiety in flight, pace, turn etc. Hauritz had his chances and failed. Interested to see Beer. Also Holland has gone missing after being in the frame. Love to see Smith focus on spinners and be the guy.

 

[Jolldo87]

Watson
Hughes - Will improve when he gets confidence. Hopefully he plays county cricket this winter and makes a heap of runs.
Khawaja
Hussey - Give him one more year to add some stability to the side then retire him to make way for whoever's youngish and performing well in first class cricket
Clarke (c) - Needs to find some form though
White - Give him a chance to prove if he's good enough or not before it's too late
Haddin - Probably give him 2 more years and replace him with one of Paine and Wade
Haurtiz - Our best spinner at the moment imo
Harris - If he can recover properly from his injury
J. Pattinson - Got the game for international cricket. Still a bit raw but we should back the kid in and develop him. Will be a gun imo.
Bollinger/Siddle - Bollinger when fit otherwise Siddle

Johnson can play if he finds some consistency.

 

[Gooka]

Re: Times up - the new 11

Your 11 has 15 names in it...

 

[saint_larry]

Watson - May not make the big 100's, but consistently gives us good starts.
Katich - Just for 1 more season, we are too prone too collapses without him.
Khawaja - Looks very good.
M Hussey
Clarke
D Hussey - Can tie down an end with the offies, great FC record, would be good at batting with the tail.
Haddin
O Keefe - Best record for a spinner in the country. Looks good with the bat.
Johnson
Siddle
Harris/Bollinger - Ideally Harris, but too injury prone.

I suppose Clarke has to be captain, mainly due to a lack of options. And I'm sure he'll come good soon enough.

 

[Surkin]

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Haddin
Johnson
Krejza
Harris
Siddle

 

[andy_99]

1. Shane Watson
2. Phil Hughes
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Nic Maddinson
5. Chris Lynn
6. Callum Ferguson
7. Matthew Wade/Tim Paine
8. Steve O'Keefe
9. Mitchell Johnson/James Faulkner
10. James Pattinson
11. Josh Hazlewood

 

[Mego Red]

Hughes
Katich
Khawaja
Watson
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
O'Keefe
Johnson
Siddle
Copeland

Watson can be a longterm number four. Katich replaced by Maddison and Hussey by White/Ferguson/Lynn etc in twelve months. Not sure if we want Khawaja to stay at three in the shortterm.

 

[krusden]

Hughes
Watson - I'd have Kat, but i think he may be on the cusp of retiring.
Khawaja
Clarke
Hussey
Ponting
Haddin
Johnson
Sids
Hilfy
Beer

This allows for the retirements of Ponting/Hussey in 12 months and their eventual replacement by Ferguson and Marsh as direct swaps. Ferguson for one and george for 2 are NOT ready to play in the team. Beer is replaceable as are most bowlers.
In 12 months I'd expect Paine to be breathing down the neck of Haddin if not in, Peter george to be fitter, and copeland to be possibly in.
The one thing is the next aussie captain in clarke isnt left with a team full of young uns. he needs senior players to assist him in the side. so if ponting/haddin/katich retired next week for example he'd require another year or so out of hussey and a big help from watto.

 

[puntnut]

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
M.Hussey (c)
D.Hussey
Clarke
Paine
Johnson
Krejza
Harris
Siddle

 

[i_hate_scams]

the most under pressure are: clarke, Smith, Hilf and Beer

clarke as he is not scoring runs
smith i think will be good in the future but is just not a test bat or bowler atm.
Hilf not enough wickets
Beer - given the treatment of spinners hes only one or two bad perfomances from being dropped.

 

[aneale]

Next test

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Ponting (unless retires)
Hussey
Clarke
Paine
Smith
Johnson
Siddle
Copeland

12-18 months

Hughes
Marsh/Watson
Khawaja
Lynn
Ferguson
Clarke (c) /Watson
Paine
Smith
Johnson
Copeland
George

I see Watto as a floater, to me they still haven't found his spot. He's not a natural opener and is a 40-90 scorer, which isn't quite what is needed. You need someone who is capable to stay there for the entire day or score big centuries like Hayden, Langer, Taylor could

 

[Axel.]

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
White (vc)
Clarke (c)
Marsh/Ferguson/Smith
Paine (wk)
O'Keefe
Johnson
Siddle
Bollinger/Copeland

 

[Thommo 42]

Maddinson
Hughes
Kawajha
Watson
Ponting (c)
Hussey
Haddin
Hauritz
Johnson
Copeland
Siddle

In 2 years time

Maddinson
Hughes
Kawajha
Watson
Clarke
Lynn
Paine
Hauritz
Johnson
Copeland
Siddle

You can raffle toe captaincy from that lot, but we could take a leaf from SA and appoint a young tyro if one of them has 2 good years before Punter bows out.

 

[Super Hans]

Watson
Hughes
Khwaja
M.Hussey
Ponting
Clarke
Haddin
Okeefe
Siddle
Copeland
McKay/Pattingson/Starc

 

[OneEyedPie7]

Watson
Katich (Hughes improving, but Kat still the best option)
Khawaja
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Haddin
Johnson
Any spinner who has ever bowled a ball
Siddle
Harris

I think that is the strongest side we can field at the present time. At the end of next summer I would expect most, if not all of Ponting, Katich and Hussey to be gone. I think Hughes has enough to work with to replace Katich, but Maddison will also be in contention. Replacing Punter and Hussey is far more difficult, with Ferguson obviously one of the first in line. Chris Lynn will be another who comes under consideration if he can replicate his current shield form for another season. I feel that Smith will have to toil away in shield cricket for another crack. I have no doubt he will play a lot of test cricket, but he has a couple of areas to work on in both disciplines.


The bowling department has greater depth, particularly in the pace ranks.

 

[Donners]

The side I'd play in Bangladesh in April:

Cosgrove - Safe slip fieldsman and run accumulator. I don't care about his skin folds - he can play.
Watson - Reliable enough to hang around for a while and offer some helpful bowling
Khawaja - Has shown sufficient technique and confidence to suggest a long future
D.Hussey - Run machine and long overdue.
Clarke (c) - Has to break out of the form slump, and returning to his old spot may do the trick
M.Hussey - Has done well enough at 6 to be around a bit longer
Haddin - Paine will be pushing for his spot, but Haddin's form justifies a few more games
Johnson - Frustrating though he is, his batting is handy and he can turn a game with the ball
Hauritz - Helpful batsmen and the best and most experienced spinner in the country
Butterworth - Another player who can bat, and has an excellent record with the ball
Siddle - Inconsistent, but two six-wicket hauls makes him one of our better options

12th: McDonald - Top batsman and very capable bowler.

 

[Knight Ryders]

Next Test:

Hussey
Katich
Khawaja
Watson
Clarke
Ponting (C)
Haddin
Hauritz (if not him, SOK surely)
Butterworth
Siddle
Swan

2013

Maddinson
Hughes
Khawaja
Ferguson
Clarke
Watson
Paine
SOK
Butterworth
Siddle
Pattinson

 

[Thommo 42]

Swan is a 30 year old plodder, how can you seriously pick him ahead of someone like Copeland?

 

[Donners]

Swan can actually swing the ball, which is a talent that seems to be lacking in Australia these days.

 

[PumpyChowdown]

Openers

1. Maddinson - Katich is just about done, time to really bite the bullet and inject the best youth.
2. Hughes - All the talent in the world, but some obvious flaws which I expect he'll overcome.

Middle Order

3. Khawaja - Has the runs on the board, best state batsmen of the last couple of years and impressive Test debut.
4. Clarke - Will be a long term Captain and will turn this current form slump around.
5. Hussey - Deserves one more season, though now very long in the tooth - provides excellent experience and leadership.
6. Watson - Solid batsmen but will never be a star, drop down the order and perhaps increase his very good bowling.

Wicket Keeper

7. Haddin - No reason to be dropped...yet. Paine must be breathing down his neck though.

Allrounder

8. Faulkner - Best all-round prospect in the country along with Steve Smith - could probably interchange with Smith depending on the pitch.

Bowlers

9. Johnson - Needs consistency but extremely damaging when on and can bat well.
10. Hauritz - I looked at all the younger prospects and no one stacks up at the moment - still our best spin option and batting has improved to be almost an allrounder.
11. Copeland - Clearly our next fast bowler.

This side has a good mix of youth and experience, can bat down to 10 to provide excellent depth. Strike bowling is perhaps be a little thin and if that's the case, then Siddle/Hilfy could come in in place of Faulkner/Smith.

 

[matty p]

Watson
Hughes/Marsh (depends who is in form)
Khawaja
Ferguson
M. Hussey
White (c)
Haddin/Paine (depends who is in form)
O'Keefe
Johnson
Copeland/Hazlewood
Pattinson

 

[tomemy]

Next test:
P.Hughes
M.Hussey
U.Kawaja
S.Watson
R.Ponting
M.Clarke
T.Paine
M.Johnson
S.O'Keeffe
P.Siddle
P.George