Test XI Selection Thread
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nairbe
Active Member
I know Doolan is going ok but to be fair to bang him in at three is wrong. That is for the best test batsman, the one that can take control of the innings and guide the others around him. Yes sometimes a player is born to it but more often it happens more the way Ricky came to it. The young guys need a chance and some more shield, otherwise we will do them wrong as has been done to some of the current guys. Use Hughes for the dig, he can either do something or nothing has been lost.
Kram81
Well-Known Member
Yeah I highly doubt that they would debut 2 guys in the top 6 in the Ashes so I guess Hughes would come in. Watson might be able to play but not bowl which would be a bummer, if they play say Johnson and he has a bad day not having that genuine 5th bowling option is a disadvantage.
nairbe
Active Member
I know that Johnson is a favourite to start but your prediction of a bad day is a given in Johnson's case. He will take 4/150 and the commentary will say how great he is. 4 tailenders that is.
nairbe
Active Member
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The team is;
DA Warner
CJL Rogers
SR Watson.
GJ Bailey
MJ Clarke (Captain)
SPD Smith
BJ Haddin
MG Johnson
PM Siddle
RJ Harris
NM Lyon
JP Faulkner(12th man)
This is how i see the team lining up for the first test. I think they will play Johnson but i believe Falkner would be better. More guts and won't leak runs like Johnson. Bailey was a big call with poor red ball form, see this as a desperate move by CA to get a respected leader into the dressing room to lift spirits and give a sense they are playing for something.
The team is;
DA Warner
CJL Rogers
SR Watson.
GJ Bailey
MJ Clarke (Captain)
SPD Smith
BJ Haddin
MG Johnson
PM Siddle
RJ Harris
NM Lyon
JP Faulkner(12th man)
This is how i see the team lining up for the first test. I think they will play Johnson but i believe Falkner would be better. More guts and won't leak runs like Johnson. Bailey was a big call with poor red ball form, see this as a desperate move by CA to get a respected leader into the dressing room to lift spirits and give a sense they are playing for something.
CLOCKER
Active Member
DA Warner: Not a Test cricketer
CJL Rogers
SR Watson.
GJ Bailey: Not a Test cricketer
MJ Clarke (Captain)
SPD Smith: Not a Test cricketer
BJ Haddin: Past it and should be dropped
MG Johnson: English have smashed him before what will change? Only got in because of Clarke.
PM Siddle
RJ Harris
NM Lyon: Lack of courage to select a leg spinner.
JP Faulkner(12th man)
One day form now dictates Test selection. Why on earth would you select a team when there are Shield matches which are about to commence? At least hold off selection for three days to see if anyone performs and pretend that the selectors are remotely interested in looking at someone else. Selectors should be sacked.
CJL Rogers
SR Watson.
GJ Bailey: Not a Test cricketer
MJ Clarke (Captain)
SPD Smith: Not a Test cricketer
BJ Haddin: Past it and should be dropped
MG Johnson: English have smashed him before what will change? Only got in because of Clarke.
PM Siddle
RJ Harris
NM Lyon: Lack of courage to select a leg spinner.
JP Faulkner(12th man)
One day form now dictates Test selection. Why on earth would you select a team when there are Shield matches which are about to commence? At least hold off selection for three days to see if anyone performs and pretend that the selectors are remotely interested in looking at someone else. Selectors should be sacked.
futureblackcap
Well-Known Member
This would be my side although I'd still like Hughes in there:
DA Warner
CJL Rogers
SR Watson.
GJ Bailey
MJ Clarke (Captain)
SPD Smith
BJ Haddin
MG Johnson
PM Siddle
RJ Harris
NM Lyon
JP Faulkner(12th man)
I like having Johnson in there because he's a left armer and he adds more pace and aggressive swing. Faulkner is a good all-rounder option but I don't see him ever taking bags of wickets in the longer form of the game.
DA Warner
CJL Rogers
SR Watson.
GJ Bailey
MJ Clarke (Captain)
SPD Smith
BJ Haddin
MG Johnson
PM Siddle
RJ Harris
NM Lyon
JP Faulkner(12th man)
I like having Johnson in there because he's a left armer and he adds more pace and aggressive swing. Faulkner is a good all-rounder option but I don't see him ever taking bags of wickets in the longer form of the game.
Kram81
Well-Known Member
Why? Because he scores too quickly? Made Test runs before and he's in form and scored shield runs..
He's never had a shot how do we know? OK bad av of 18 last year, but he's had a long career and av 58 the year before and shown the ability to step up. I wouldn't have minded Doolan but I can see the logic behind the selection.
This is just strange, he's finally starting to show something..
Agree, I wouldn't have sent him to England but don't say Wade he is even worse.
Chancey selection especially if Watson can't bowl, but injuries have forced the selectors hand.
You want to pick Ahmed? Selecting him would be a mad gamble at this stage, based simply on him being a leg spinner and not much else.. Got some wickets against WA but our batting lineup is brittle (even White's innocuous bowling picked up a bag ffs) and he then struggled against decent batsmen for NSW. Lyon may not be a star but his record at Test level is solid, even in Australia traditionally a graveyard for many off spinners. Needs to bowl better to clean up the tail on wearing wickets though.
CLOCKER
Active Member
Selecting a bowler who has an excellent record in cleaning up teams is a mad gamble? All of the veterans in Shield cricket rate him the best spinner in the country by a mile.....but what would they know. The Poms have never enjoyed playing against a decent leg spinner. You rate Ahmed by one match and yet when it comes to the batsmen you rate their performances based on a hit and giggle series. The Poms know Lyon and he holds no fears for them. But you are right let's just continue with the same old approach which has cost us the last two Ashes series. Warner has no technique. Anderson will be licking his lips at getting another chance against his bunny. Yep he has a great eye and the hit and giggle is his game and he will continue to make a fortune. Please rate don't rate him as a genuine Test batsman. Bailey has struggled in Shield cricket because he has technique flaws which you can get away with in the hit and giggle rubbish. Watson has played 85 Tests and is yet to break 40 as an average. Enough said. Smith is a flash in the pan and will go the way of Moses Henriques. Haddin should not be in the team but Wade has been abysmal and does not deserve a spot. Probably got ahead of himself and started to believe all of the publicity. Paine needs to get some runs and he should be keeping, but again no one seems to want to the job. They can talk up Johnson all they like, he is a head case and has been all his career. How many times do we have listen to the build up and promises and bull dust. Australia needs Clarke to make runs and Rhino to take early wickets and get some support from Siddle. If Johnson implodes and Siddle or Harris have a bad day it is going to be a very long first Test. Shield cricket needs a desperate revamp and they need to give it a good clean out of players who are happy with their State contract. They should pick two or three very good kids out of each State and get them playing together in the ACT as a team and fast track their experience. Why isn't Maddinson getting a look in? Will we ever see Agar again? Clearly the kid can bat so why are they not developing this and getting him higher up the list? He can become a batsman who bowls spin. I am not sure what all these coaches are doing but they have lost the plot.
nairbe
Active Member
Don't agree, but do think he is our six, at this position he is seeing an old ball or a tired attach and can do the damage he is capable of in a constructive way.
Agreed (hope i will have to eat my words)
Totally with this guy, he has been the big improver over the last 12 months slowly building in competence and performance. His spot is earned and his continued improvement will be one of the important keys to the team rising back to competitiveness.
Oh yea, grandad is past it
Bluey Zarsoff
Active Member
What do you see as pass mark averages for the series for the 3 players you claim aren't test cricketers?
nairbe
Active Member
I would say for Bailey an average in the 30's with one ton in a debut series would be a pass but for Warner and Smith it has got to be 50. They have been around too long and if we are to have a win there has to be two or three more batsmen step up with some reliable big scores to support Clarke.
Kram81
Well-Known Member
Gee you aren't asking much
For me 40+ would be a pass but would be very happy if those guys could get around 50.
CLOCKER
Active Member
Warner highest score against the Poms is 71 and has an average of 23.00 against the Poms. Warner would need to make a couple of centuries before I would be satisfied that he is up to it. 76% of his dismissals have been caught, of which 23.7% is caught behind. He will give opposition teams a of opportunities because he hits in the air. Warner is hit and miss and he will get to 20 pretty quickly but Test cricket is different. The pitch, the field and the bowling tactics are different. They are using the Duke balls for this series so the ball may move around a little bit more which does not suit Warner.
George Bailey has never really taken the Sheffield Shield by the throat. He makes a lot of 30’s 40’s & 50’s but like most batsmen nowadays he just does not go on with it. Modern batsmen seem to have lost the ability. He seems to have some technical flaws which opposition teams can exploit. It’s all good watching him in full flight in a one dayer, but again Test cricket is different. Anything over a 50 will be a good start for Bailey, but with his experience you would hope he goes on with it.
Smith is a conundrum. His technique sometimes makes me wince. He averages 34.77 on the back of his 138 n.o. Interestingly he has been dismissed 40.90% either bowled or LBW. He has also been caught behind 22.7% of the time. Says a lot about his technique, however he has made a decent century which a lot of batsmen cannot claim. I am waiting for Marsh to put the glass of grog down and focus on his cricket. He has the heart of a pea and will end up wasting his career and potential. Cricket Australia should take a really tough line with some of these primma donnas and cancel or reduce their State contracts and let them understand the consequences.
Interesting to see Agar made 90 odd for WA albeit against South Australia. This kid is a better batsman than he is a bowler at this point of his life. His bowling will develop, but in the meantime get his batting right and fast track him.
Bluey Zarsoff
Active Member
What do you see as pass mark averages for the series for the 3 players you claim aren't test cricketers?
CLOCKER
Active Member
I want to see the Australian batsmen making big 1st inning scores and not making cheap runs in the 2nd innings when the game is over. Warner has to average 60+ this series, whilst Bailey and Smith need to be on the 50 mark.
CLOCKER
Active Member
I am rapped that Rogers has made runs for himself, but really we need to start looking at who is going to replace him.
Maddinson should be given a go as well as Klinger in the opening spot. He has made a lot of runs over a long period of time and has
never rewarded. He got chased out of Victoria because whilst he made runs the fascists that ran Cricket in Victoria had determined he was not up to Shield cricket because of his technique. Then you wonder why cricket has gone down the toilet.
Carters has to be looked at and if anyone trips up I would slot him straight in. Paine should be in ahead of Haddin with Paine nervously looking over his shoulder. Wade just made a century but his keeping has been very ordinary.
I want to see Warner some big 100's in Shield cricket not the one day rubbish, plus he totally derailed the Ashes tour with his behaviour and he needs to show he deserves a spot.
Just remember as soon as the Ashes end, we are off to South Africa. Clarke's career is quickly becoming series by series because of his back and we need to replace him.
Rogers
Klinger
Watson
Clarke
Maddinson
Smith
Paine
Faulkner
Siddle
Harris
Ahmed