futureblackcap
Well-Known Member
Oh geez, Steve Smith is in. 
Test XI Selection Thread
- Thread starter Boris
- Start date
futureblackcap
Well-Known Member
Yeah I saw that lol. Inverity saying that'd Doherty had improved lots in the longer format in recent times haha. More like justifying a dubious selection.
CLOCKER
Active Member
The selectors have made a number of mistakes with this touring team.
Jackson Bird should be saved for England. The tour of India will do him more harm than good.
Moises Henriques, well this is a NSW selection. Not good enough to play Test cricket.
Doherty will get smashed in India.Steve Smith? Another NSW mate selection.
Murali was asked earlier in the season about Australia's lack of spin bowlers.He made the observation that Australia has a lot of good young spinners, but once they get into the Academies they are coached into bowling a specific way and any hint of individuality or difference is immediately discouraged. Hence we have a bunch of academy robots. Any wonder interest in cricket is waning.
Jackson Bird should be saved for England. The tour of India will do him more harm than good.
Moises Henriques, well this is a NSW selection. Not good enough to play Test cricket.
Doherty will get smashed in India.Steve Smith? Another NSW mate selection.
Murali was asked earlier in the season about Australia's lack of spin bowlers.He made the observation that Australia has a lot of good young spinners, but once they get into the Academies they are coached into bowling a specific way and any hint of individuality or difference is immediately discouraged. Hence we have a bunch of academy robots. Any wonder interest in cricket is waning.
futureblackcap
Well-Known Member
Lol. I didn't know Australian cricket was so "state-ist" until now.
If Jackson Bird should be saved for England , then shouldn't starc also be saved as well, it's not like the ball is going to swing that well in India. I agree with you about Doherty though, he will get knocked all over the park, doesn't really get too much spin, only has good changes of pace. Now that has got me thinking about the Ashes. Who does everyone believe should be selected for the Ashes series? any outside chances on the mind?
CLOCKER
Active Member
Well Quiney was selected to play against the number 1 rated South Africans whilst Hughes(a former NSW pet) was protected so he could take on the mighty Sri Lankans.I wonder why that was? Didn't want the little precious to have to face Steyn and Morkel.
There is a saying that once you get your NSW cap they give you the Aussie Cap in a brown paper bag..Just waiting for Maddinson to given his Aussie cap as well. He has been underwhelming so far so he probably qualifies for a spot. Starc is a good prospect and he will learn there is a huge difference between the WACA and the flat dead Indian wickets. Hopefully it won't ruin his confidence. Any way looking forward to watching Moises bat in the middle order and Smith getting sunburn in his mouth.
'Though shalt no take young fast bowler to the subcontinent'-Rodney Hogg
ROYAL EAGLE
New Member
Nathan Coulter-Nile is a better all rounder than Moises Henriques, and Steve Smith is a joke selection, he devalues
the baggy green, cant beleive he was selected.
the baggy green, cant beleive he was selected.
CLOCKER
Active Member
Does anyone remember Dan Cullen and how they fast tracked him? Hope they give the kid a chance to get some experience before they burn him.
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Australia selectors to send teenage Western Australia spinner Ashton Agar on Indian tour
By Ben Dorries
The Courier-Mail February 06, 2013 8:15AM
Good prospect ... there are high hopes for Western Australian Ashton Agar. Source: Adam Armstrong / News Limited
John Inverarity the umpire took only a few seconds to be sold on 19-year-old spinner Ashton Agar.
Inverarity, the Australian selection boss, arrived to watch a Perth Scorchers practice match late last year only to be told he was required in an umpire's hat rather than sitting on the sidelines.
It was his first glimpse of Agar, the left-arm spinner of Sri Lankan heritage who had moved from Melbourne to Perth to try to get a foot in the door in first-class cricket.
Inverarity liked what he saw and the youngster's name went in a page of his little black book, which was opened again recently when Australian selectors picked a squad for the four-Test Indian Test series this month.
Despite the fact he is playing only his second first-class match, taking 2-47 in the first innings against Queensland at the Gabba, selectors are sending Agar to India for his development and to play a warm-up match next week.
It is an extraordinary rise to national prominence for Agar, who also has another enormous fan in his corner in Test great and youth cricket advocate Greg Chappell.
Yet another fan is Agar's West Australian coach Justin Langer, the former Test batsman, who likened the spinner's style to that of Kiwi Daniel Vettori.
"Ashton reminds me very much of a young Vettori, he is very loose in the way he bowls and bats and fields," Langer said.
"He is a very aggressive spin bowler. He spins the ball, he loops it up, he has got a good arm ball and he is looking to take wickets. That's a great combination."
Agar is being fast-tracked through the system with Australia crying out for young spinners.
Like many left-arm orthodox spinners, Agar is not a massive turner of the ball but can give it the occasional big rip to surprise an unsuspecting batsman.
And he is a focused and intelligent youngster - having to postpone a law degree at university to further his cricket.
********************************************************************************
Australia selectors to send teenage Western Australia spinner Ashton Agar on Indian tour
By Ben Dorries
The Courier-Mail February 06, 2013 8:15AM
Good prospect ... there are high hopes for Western Australian Ashton Agar. Source: Adam Armstrong / News Limited
John Inverarity the umpire took only a few seconds to be sold on 19-year-old spinner Ashton Agar.
Inverarity, the Australian selection boss, arrived to watch a Perth Scorchers practice match late last year only to be told he was required in an umpire's hat rather than sitting on the sidelines.
It was his first glimpse of Agar, the left-arm spinner of Sri Lankan heritage who had moved from Melbourne to Perth to try to get a foot in the door in first-class cricket.
Inverarity liked what he saw and the youngster's name went in a page of his little black book, which was opened again recently when Australian selectors picked a squad for the four-Test Indian Test series this month.
Despite the fact he is playing only his second first-class match, taking 2-47 in the first innings against Queensland at the Gabba, selectors are sending Agar to India for his development and to play a warm-up match next week.
It is an extraordinary rise to national prominence for Agar, who also has another enormous fan in his corner in Test great and youth cricket advocate Greg Chappell.
Yet another fan is Agar's West Australian coach Justin Langer, the former Test batsman, who likened the spinner's style to that of Kiwi Daniel Vettori.
"Ashton reminds me very much of a young Vettori, he is very loose in the way he bowls and bats and fields," Langer said.
"He is a very aggressive spin bowler. He spins the ball, he loops it up, he has got a good arm ball and he is looking to take wickets. That's a great combination."
Agar is being fast-tracked through the system with Australia crying out for young spinners.
Like many left-arm orthodox spinners, Agar is not a massive turner of the ball but can give it the occasional big rip to surprise an unsuspecting batsman.
And he is a focused and intelligent youngster - having to postpone a law degree at university to further his cricket.
Notice Shane Watson has made it into the top ten ODI batting rankings according to this article - Watson top ten betting rankings - not a bad jump to get in there, hes been doing well with his batting recently...seems to tie in with dropping his bowling for a while.
Howard Littlejohn
Member
It really shows how weak our spin stocks are, and how little confidence anyone can have in Wade's ability to keep to them.
I'm not a fan of having an "all-rounder" who is not top six with the bat or top four with the ball, but with so many in the (poorly chosen) squad it was inevitable at least one would play.
Expect Smith to play ahead of Khawaja if Watson comes home mid-series as expected.
I'm not a fan of having an "all-rounder" who is not top six with the bat or top four with the ball, but with so many in the (poorly chosen) squad it was inevitable at least one would play.
Expect Smith to play ahead of Khawaja if Watson comes home mid-series as expected.
futureblackcap
Well-Known Member
The lack of quality spinners from Australia does make the series more intriguing though from an outsider like me's POV. If Australia win (highly unlikely as you know) or win a match or two then it'll show teams that it's not all about the spin in India and that teams can do well if they have a great pace attack. I think Australia will struggle but goodluck all the same.
Caesar
Member
Henriques was picked for the squad on the basis of his first class form over the last 2 years, which has been well-deserving of it. The current Australian team needs someone who can bat in the top 6/7 and also send down a lot of overs. With Watson's bowling under a cloud and McDonald nowhere in sight, Maxwell and Henriques were always going to be on the plane.
Henriques' selection for this match was a matter of fortunate timing - he played very well in the tour matches, whilst Maxwell's bowling was extremely ordinary - but when he got his chance he played exactly the sort of innings NSW fans have come to expect from him. Forget the past - the current version of Henriques completely merits being in the mix for the Test team.
I agree that Steve Smith probably shouldn't be on the tour, but putting it down to NSW bias is ridiculous. At Smith's age, Cameron White was receiving just as many opportunities - and at that point, White was far less accomplished than Smith.
The reality is that Smith and White (and Henriques when he was younger, for that matter) are the types of players that get CA excited, so they receive a lot of opportunities based on potential rather than results. I don't totally agree with it, but it's got nothing to do with which state you play for.
CLOCKER
Active Member
One innings and he is a Test player? OK let's see what happens for the whole tour. He made a credible 68 but really should have gone on and made a century. As a bowler he has had zero impact and did not look upto Test standard. I hope he makes it, but just don't think he is a long term Test player.
I feel sorry for Lyon. He has not bowled too badly, and credit to Dhoni in deciding to go after him. Clarke has bowled 8 overs for this match which is baffling.Can't see the Aussies surviving the 2nd innings. Warner and Watson will struggle with the lack of bounce and right angle spin. Won't even bother about Hughes. It leaves Cowan,Watson and the rest to stand up. Australia had far too many who got starts in the first innings and just threw it away. Cowan, Warner, Watson, and Henriques all got starts.
Finally, if the selectors had a collective brain in their head they would send a couple home and send for for Fawad Ahmed:
Bulls skipper James Hopes, one of Ahmed's victims, said he was "exceptional".
"He's the best wrist spinner in the competition. We've got a couple of young ones coming along in 'Boycey' (Cameron Boyce) and (Adam) Zampa, but he's got 10 years' experience on them.
"He's got good variation (and) he never really gives you a break and on that kind of ... wearing pitch, he's hard to keep out.''
I feel sorry for Lyon. He has not bowled too badly, and credit to Dhoni in deciding to go after him. Clarke has bowled 8 overs for this match which is baffling.Can't see the Aussies surviving the 2nd innings. Warner and Watson will struggle with the lack of bounce and right angle spin. Won't even bother about Hughes. It leaves Cowan,Watson and the rest to stand up. Australia had far too many who got starts in the first innings and just threw it away. Cowan, Warner, Watson, and Henriques all got starts.
Finally, if the selectors had a collective brain in their head they would send a couple home and send for for Fawad Ahmed:
Bulls skipper James Hopes, one of Ahmed's victims, said he was "exceptional".
"He's the best wrist spinner in the competition. We've got a couple of young ones coming along in 'Boycey' (Cameron Boyce) and (Adam) Zampa, but he's got 10 years' experience on them.
"He's got good variation (and) he never really gives you a break and on that kind of ... wearing pitch, he's hard to keep out.''
Caesar
Member
If the innings came as a surprise then sure, but it's exactly what he's been doing for the Blues the last two years. Complaining that he didn't make a century is peevish. Watson has shown that even a chronic inability to convert 50s to 100s is no obstacle to being one of the better batsmen in the side.
Not sure what you're on about with him being not up to Test standard as a bowler. With no assistance from the pitch he did pretty much all you can ask from a medium pacer in those conditions - kept it tight and economical.
I am not saying the guy is not an automatic selection. I am just saying that his form for NSW merited his selection for the tour and his performance so far in this match shows that he clearly has what it takes to compete at Test level, therefore he deserves to be in the mix.
So for Henriques, who has played well for 2 years in the Shield, it's "NSW selection, done nothing to earn it", and for Ahmed it's "one good Shield match - get him on the plane, he should be in the side"?
CLOCKER
Active Member
Big difference between Ahmed and Henriques. One is(in the opinion of many qualified people) the best leg spinner in Australia by a mile. There are 4 spinners in India, Maxwell, Doherty, Lyon and ofcourse the love child in Smith. Now after seeing what they did to Lyon do you really believe the love child or any of the spinners has a chance? With respect to Moises, i think you have a bit of a man crush there, not that there is anything wrong with that. I said a while back he would get a Test cap because he has the coolest name in cricket. 50's/60's/70's in the sub continent are not enough. You have to make big hundreds or you are not going to win. BTW MH should be in the Australian ODI team as it suits his style. Time will tell about Tests.
The next New South Welshman to get picked will be Maddinson. He has almost an identical record to Henriques just needs some runs so they can justify his spot. He is another NSW prodigy who came through the system as did Henriques. The brown paper bag with the Aussie cap is in his bag......
Good to see a working class Victorian bowler like James Pattinson has just taken 5 wickets.
MatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100504s6sCtSt
Henriques record
First-class 39 65 8 1745 161* 30.61 3392 51.44 1 11 184 17 16 0
Maddinson record
First-class 21 38 2 1191 154 33.08 2309 51.58 3 5 159 6 13 0
The next New South Welshman to get picked will be Maddinson. He has almost an identical record to Henriques just needs some runs so they can justify his spot. He is another NSW prodigy who came through the system as did Henriques. The brown paper bag with the Aussie cap is in his bag......
Good to see a working class Victorian bowler like James Pattinson has just taken 5 wickets.
MatInnsNORunsHSAveBFSR100504s6sCtSt
Henriques record
First-class 39 65 8 1745 161* 30.61 3392 51.44 1 11 184 17 16 0
Maddinson record
First-class 21 38 2 1191 154 33.08 2309 51.58 3 5 159 6 13 0