gbatman
Member
The Ashes
What we will face:
Flatter wickets to Australia that bounce less and seam less.
Wickets that will turn more to Australia.
Conditions that will allow Swing and reverse swing.
Variable bounce?
THE SQUAD
Ricky Ponting, captain
Michael Clarke, vice-captain
Stuart Clark
Brad Haddin
Nathan Hauritz
Ben Hilfenhaus
Phillip Hughes
Michael Hussey
Mitchell Johnson
Simon Katich
Brett Lee
Graham Manou
Andrew McDonald
Marcus North
Peter Siddle
Shane Watson
Who's on their last chance:
Ponting, Lee, Hussey.
Review
Ricky Ponting
I raise serious questions as to whether he is still good enough. IMO I think he's finished and if he doesn't contribute this series he should be retired and not left to linger like Hayden was and cost us series.
Once his strength is now his weakness, going out pulling/hooking to rib high balls a lot recently either caught at deep mid wicket or top edging. Might be saved from the lack of bounce over there. He's been out driving and nicking full and wide balls a fair bit as well as LBW playing across the line of balls coming into him. Spinners that turn the ball into him have had it over him too, often taking too big of a step down the wicket and pushing hard at deliveries he'd be better playing back to.
He needs to take his game back to basics and play straight (in the V), at least until he gets a start. When he was in form and young he constantly got down the wicket to the spinners. He needs to use his feet, back his ability and get down the wicket and attack the spinners.
Michael Clarke
A good player but is he overrated? This will test his ability to be an A grade test bat. He's problem is he can't help driving at wide balls and his footwork isn't great (doesn't get over to the ball). Clarke is better off leaving the wide stuff, at least until he gets a start. Often goes out nicking to slip or in the air to covers.
Stuart Clark
On of the few bowlers that we have with bowling smarts and skills. He can move it both ways in the air and off the wicket. He bowls at a good pace to move the ball. This with his accuracy and bounce make him a very good bowler.
Brad Haddin
Batting is ok but his keeping is nothing special. When a ball grubs or a return throw is not perfect he "squibs it" (turns his head and takes his eye off the ball). I question his bravery when I see this, knowing keepers like Gilchrist or Boucher would catch it with their face to get a stumping or save a bye, so to speak. Hopefully his body and mind is fresh because he's going to be very important to us.
Nathan Hauritz
Bows accurate but doesn't turn the ball enough for a test bowler. He lacks variation in his flight, pace and direction of turn. Needs to bowl an arm ball, straight ball, top spinner (if he can) and vary his flight more often.
Ben Hilfenhaus
All talent, no brains. This guy played in a game in SA where he could have taken about 8 wickets but didn't have the smarts to and in the end only got respectable results. Why? Because he bowls the same delivery all the time and occasionally a bouncer. He's too predictable and all he needs to do is scramble the seam on the odd ball and make it go straight. He doesn't need an inswinger, although it would be handy. If he could bowl a straight seamed ball that would be good too. Players at the level aren't going to go out to the out swinger if they know that it's coming. The more it swings, the more variation balls he needs to use. He needs to keep the batsmen guessing.
Phillip Hughes
I have the feeling that if he doesn't get runs we won't win. I have no problem with his attacking game, he needs to play the game that got him to where he is today.
Michael Hussey
I think Hussey is finished. This series will decide his future. He needs to attack more as he went out a lot playing defencive and he played the game on the bowlers terms.
Mitchell Johnson
One of the most talented players we have with both ball and bat. Naturally bowls 145km/h off cutters that worked well last series in Australia. In SA they had his action a little different and he swung it which was great. He's aggressive, athletic, tall and beginning to have the skills to do it. He's very important to our chances and is our fastest bowler.
On another note I would have loved to change his grip on the ball so instead of having his fingers sitting on top of the stitching (conventional way), i would have had the seam turned so it was touching his ring finger, so with his natural action where he runs it down the side of the ball he would be running his fingers down the seam. That's how I bowl an out swinger, it works great. He would get his seam upright, plenty or angle for heaps of swing and he would still get that off-cut.
Simon Katich
Lost his spot in England last time but since then has transformed his game. Needs to continue his attacking ways. He's been just about our best batsmen lately and remains very important to us.
Brett Lee
It always annoys me hearing him in the press talking up his pace. This just shows that this guy, like Hilfy, has no cricket brain. When Dennis Lillie got slower he developed more tricks and he actually became a better bowler. The difference between Lillie and Lee is Lillie had cricket smarts. Lee is a short pace bowler with good (not great) pace who needs to improve his skills as a bowler. There was a time he bowled good swing and that was when he took a lot of wickets. Since then his seam has been scrambled or too straight. What's gone wrong? His bowling has lacked aggression in his attempts to become accurate. His inaccuracy and ability to bowl 155km/h when he was young was actually the reason he took a lot of wickets. At his current pace inaccuracy will do him more harm than good.
Lee needs to become a swing bowling specialist and develop a good yorker and bouncer. He's too short to be a seam bowler.
Lee needs to find a new approach and get wickets with skill and brains because the pace is gone forever.
Andrew McDonald
Needs to improve his batting, especially against quick bouncy stuff. Perhaps the English wickets will suite him better.
Marcus North
Needs to cement his spot. Is a good bat and a useful bowler.
Peter Siddle
Must play. I don't know how he does it but he can really move it off the seam a lot and both ways. He's been our best bowler of recent matches. Has genuine aggression and fits the Australian cricket mould well.
Shane Watson
Injuries. We will always be left wondering what could have been.
Other Comments
Jason krejza
Should be over there. He's the only spinner we have who can turn the ball. So what if he failed against the best team in the world on the worst spinning wicket in the world. Was that good enough grounds to drop him? England will turn more and they English players are generally more susceptible to spin. Our best bowler their last time was Warne and had we played McGill as well we might have never lost the series.
Him being dropped shows that we have a lack of understanding of spin bowling at coaching level. Krezja doesn't need more accuracy as much as he needs to bowl with variation more. He can bowl a good arm ball and top spinner but doesn't bowl it enough. He gets hit because he doesn't use his variation. The batsmen don't fear him enough because he doesn't bowl with variation like he can.
The Line up
My Predicted XI
1. Phillip Hughes
2. Simon Katich
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Michael Clarke
5. Michael Hussey
6. Marcus North
7. Brad Haddin
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Brett Lee
10. Peter Siddle
11. Stuart Clark
I would like to see a spinner played ahead of Lee. Preferable Krejza ahead of Hauritz but he's not there. I think not having a spinner/a good spinner will be the difference in the series. Carrying out of form batsmen like Ponting and Hussey might hurt us too, it did last time.
Nathan Hauritz
Ben Hilfenhaus
Andrew McDonald
What we will face:
Flatter wickets to Australia that bounce less and seam less.
Wickets that will turn more to Australia.
Conditions that will allow Swing and reverse swing.
Variable bounce?
THE SQUAD
Ricky Ponting, captain
Michael Clarke, vice-captain
Stuart Clark
Brad Haddin
Nathan Hauritz
Ben Hilfenhaus
Phillip Hughes
Michael Hussey
Mitchell Johnson
Simon Katich
Brett Lee
Graham Manou
Andrew McDonald
Marcus North
Peter Siddle
Shane Watson
Who's on their last chance:
Ponting, Lee, Hussey.
Review
Ricky Ponting
I raise serious questions as to whether he is still good enough. IMO I think he's finished and if he doesn't contribute this series he should be retired and not left to linger like Hayden was and cost us series.
Once his strength is now his weakness, going out pulling/hooking to rib high balls a lot recently either caught at deep mid wicket or top edging. Might be saved from the lack of bounce over there. He's been out driving and nicking full and wide balls a fair bit as well as LBW playing across the line of balls coming into him. Spinners that turn the ball into him have had it over him too, often taking too big of a step down the wicket and pushing hard at deliveries he'd be better playing back to.
He needs to take his game back to basics and play straight (in the V), at least until he gets a start. When he was in form and young he constantly got down the wicket to the spinners. He needs to use his feet, back his ability and get down the wicket and attack the spinners.
Michael Clarke
A good player but is he overrated? This will test his ability to be an A grade test bat. He's problem is he can't help driving at wide balls and his footwork isn't great (doesn't get over to the ball). Clarke is better off leaving the wide stuff, at least until he gets a start. Often goes out nicking to slip or in the air to covers.
Stuart Clark
On of the few bowlers that we have with bowling smarts and skills. He can move it both ways in the air and off the wicket. He bowls at a good pace to move the ball. This with his accuracy and bounce make him a very good bowler.
Brad Haddin
Batting is ok but his keeping is nothing special. When a ball grubs or a return throw is not perfect he "squibs it" (turns his head and takes his eye off the ball). I question his bravery when I see this, knowing keepers like Gilchrist or Boucher would catch it with their face to get a stumping or save a bye, so to speak. Hopefully his body and mind is fresh because he's going to be very important to us.
Nathan Hauritz
Bows accurate but doesn't turn the ball enough for a test bowler. He lacks variation in his flight, pace and direction of turn. Needs to bowl an arm ball, straight ball, top spinner (if he can) and vary his flight more often.
Ben Hilfenhaus
All talent, no brains. This guy played in a game in SA where he could have taken about 8 wickets but didn't have the smarts to and in the end only got respectable results. Why? Because he bowls the same delivery all the time and occasionally a bouncer. He's too predictable and all he needs to do is scramble the seam on the odd ball and make it go straight. He doesn't need an inswinger, although it would be handy. If he could bowl a straight seamed ball that would be good too. Players at the level aren't going to go out to the out swinger if they know that it's coming. The more it swings, the more variation balls he needs to use. He needs to keep the batsmen guessing.
Phillip Hughes
I have the feeling that if he doesn't get runs we won't win. I have no problem with his attacking game, he needs to play the game that got him to where he is today.
Michael Hussey
I think Hussey is finished. This series will decide his future. He needs to attack more as he went out a lot playing defencive and he played the game on the bowlers terms.
Mitchell Johnson
One of the most talented players we have with both ball and bat. Naturally bowls 145km/h off cutters that worked well last series in Australia. In SA they had his action a little different and he swung it which was great. He's aggressive, athletic, tall and beginning to have the skills to do it. He's very important to our chances and is our fastest bowler.
On another note I would have loved to change his grip on the ball so instead of having his fingers sitting on top of the stitching (conventional way), i would have had the seam turned so it was touching his ring finger, so with his natural action where he runs it down the side of the ball he would be running his fingers down the seam. That's how I bowl an out swinger, it works great. He would get his seam upright, plenty or angle for heaps of swing and he would still get that off-cut.
Simon Katich
Lost his spot in England last time but since then has transformed his game. Needs to continue his attacking ways. He's been just about our best batsmen lately and remains very important to us.
Brett Lee
It always annoys me hearing him in the press talking up his pace. This just shows that this guy, like Hilfy, has no cricket brain. When Dennis Lillie got slower he developed more tricks and he actually became a better bowler. The difference between Lillie and Lee is Lillie had cricket smarts. Lee is a short pace bowler with good (not great) pace who needs to improve his skills as a bowler. There was a time he bowled good swing and that was when he took a lot of wickets. Since then his seam has been scrambled or too straight. What's gone wrong? His bowling has lacked aggression in his attempts to become accurate. His inaccuracy and ability to bowl 155km/h when he was young was actually the reason he took a lot of wickets. At his current pace inaccuracy will do him more harm than good.
Lee needs to become a swing bowling specialist and develop a good yorker and bouncer. He's too short to be a seam bowler.
Lee needs to find a new approach and get wickets with skill and brains because the pace is gone forever.
Andrew McDonald
Needs to improve his batting, especially against quick bouncy stuff. Perhaps the English wickets will suite him better.
Marcus North
Needs to cement his spot. Is a good bat and a useful bowler.
Peter Siddle
Must play. I don't know how he does it but he can really move it off the seam a lot and both ways. He's been our best bowler of recent matches. Has genuine aggression and fits the Australian cricket mould well.
Shane Watson
Injuries. We will always be left wondering what could have been.
Other Comments
Jason krejza
Should be over there. He's the only spinner we have who can turn the ball. So what if he failed against the best team in the world on the worst spinning wicket in the world. Was that good enough grounds to drop him? England will turn more and they English players are generally more susceptible to spin. Our best bowler their last time was Warne and had we played McGill as well we might have never lost the series.
Him being dropped shows that we have a lack of understanding of spin bowling at coaching level. Krezja doesn't need more accuracy as much as he needs to bowl with variation more. He can bowl a good arm ball and top spinner but doesn't bowl it enough. He gets hit because he doesn't use his variation. The batsmen don't fear him enough because he doesn't bowl with variation like he can.
The Line up
My Predicted XI
1. Phillip Hughes
2. Simon Katich
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Michael Clarke
5. Michael Hussey
6. Marcus North
7. Brad Haddin
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Brett Lee
10. Peter Siddle
11. Stuart Clark
I would like to see a spinner played ahead of Lee. Preferable Krejza ahead of Hauritz but he's not there. I think not having a spinner/a good spinner will be the difference in the series. Carrying out of form batsmen like Ponting and Hussey might hurt us too, it did last time.
Nathan Hauritz
Ben Hilfenhaus
Andrew McDonald
