Australia in England - 2009 Ashes Tour

[sifter132]

Wouldn't Haddin be a better batsmen of the two, and I have a real strong feeling that if fit Lee will play in the first test.

Haddin has the better Test record, but Watson has the better First class record, ODI record, T20 record and the better technique. It's also felt that Watson has more potential. If he focused solely on his batting instead of trying to be an allrounder, it's quite likely he'd become a fine batsman in his own right.

Watson #6, Haddin #7 also suits the batting styles of each. Watson won't flay attacks as menacingly as Haddin will, so Haddin can afford to take the lower spot and it won't matter so much if he is left with the tail because he's quite attacking, whereas Watson is only moderately attacking.

Haddin should definitely bat above McDonald though if he happens to play (please no...:upray)

This is easily the worst Australia squad to come here for 30 years, though, regardless.

I think Ricky Ponting and the Aussies will be quite happy if they keep getting talked down for the next 2 months.

 

[formula1man]

Johnson has turned into what Lee was. So I cant really see two similar bowlers in the same side. Even though i would prefer Lee over Siddle.

 

[aussie1st]

Gotta love Hughes, the media were saying Strauss was spying on Hughes well they forgot that Hughes was doing some spying on Strauss. Obviously won't be as much to learn about him but good to see Hughes thinking about the team.

Run-plunderer Hughes confident he knows how to play Strauss - Cricket - Sport

 

[aditya123]

Haha, I love what Bob Willis has been saying.

Brett Lee "is nowhere near as fast as he was four years ago".

Nathan Hauritz "is not even fit to lace Robert Croft's boots now".

Andrew McDonald "is more like Ronald McDonald when it comes to being an all rounder".

Yeah, I saw that on the England Cricket Weekly show yesterday on Star Cricket. Hilarious!

 

[King Pietersen]

Cricinfo - Ponting warns England against half-fit Flintoff

LOL. So now we should pick Harmison and Vaughan, and not play Flintoff, Pietersen, Bopara or Onions. Bloody glad that Ponting's not an England selector. Flintoff and Pietersen are our 2 most important players, so they get in even if they're not 100% fit. I don't think any Test cricketer is ever 100% fit either, they're always playing with little niggles and small injuries, so any thought that neither should play and be rested to be 100% for later in the series is laughable. So the team that Ponting wants to face come Cardiff is:

Cook
Strauss *
Vaughan
Bell/another possible Pietersen replacement, as if he's not 100% fit as it could affect his performance
Collingwood
Prior +
Broad
Bresnan (The Flintoff replacement)
Swann
Harmison
Anderson

I can see his thinking, as that's a pretty poor side, but it's never going to come to fruition. You don't see Strauss coming out and saying that Australia are taking a gamble on Hughes, Johnson and Siddle, and that they should be picking Rogers, Lee and Gillespie. Think Ponting should give it a rest for a while. All his comments regarding England's selections have been downright laughable. He'll be telling us that Jimmy Anderson should be replaced by Andy Caddick next....

 

[Sureshot]

fluition?

Just like when I heard the term "an insoluble problem", it doesn't go away in water, you know!

 

[King Pietersen]

Fluition, fruition. Same meat, different gravy. Does 1 letter really make a huge difference? Seems I'm the idiom after all.

 

[Cricketman]

I like Vaughn though. I think he can give England a boost experience wise, and I have a feeling he's a Gangulyesque big stage player. If he gets a go again, it'll be a dramatic resurgence - like an Injured warrior.

Or maybe i'm too used to having an overdramatic Indian team to watch all the time .

 

[King Pietersen]

Ganguly was actually good though. Vaughan's offered very little bar his captaincy in the last 5 years. A measily average of 36, with just 7 hundreds in 38 games, and if you take out his runs against Bangladesh, he averages just 35 with 6 hundreds, 3 of those came against a pretty poor West Indies side, none of them away from home. Bopara has scored half as many centuries as Vaughan in his last 3 Tests, and 1 more than Vaughan away from England. Vaughan's not made many runs for Yorkshire either, he does not deserve a recall what so ever.

Here are his series averages in the last 5 years:

NZ in England- 84 runs at 28
WI in England- 330 runs at 55
England in SA- 246 runs at 30
Aus in England- 326 runs at 32
England in Pak- 82 runs at 20
WI in England- 251 runs at 62
Ind in England- 295 runs at 49
England in SL- 215 runs at 35
England in NZ- 123 runs at 20
NZ in England- 200 runs at 50
SA in England- 40 runs at 8

He's had 4 good series. 2 against a poor West Indies side, 1 against a pretty poor NZ side and 1 against a decent India side. If that makes him worthy of a call up, then sign Harmison, Bell and Panesar up as well.

 

[sifter132]

Cricinfo - Ponting warns England against half-fit Flintoff

LOL. So now we should pick Harmison and Vaughan, and not play Flintoff, Pietersen, Bopara or Onions. Bloody glad that Ponting's not an England selector. Flintoff and Pietersen are our 2 most important players, so they get in even if they're not 100% fit.

Hmmm don't see any mention of Bopara and Onions in there. Although I'm sure you know exactly what Ricky's thinking...

I actually think Ricky IS more scared of Vaughan than Bopara. Mainly for his leadership and effect on the side, plus he remembers 02/03 where they couldn't get Vaughan out. And Australia will ALWAYS back themselves to beat any new guys coming into the side that they haven't played before eg. Bopara/Onions/Broad/Prior.

Put it down to arrogance I suppose, but they kinda expect the inexperienced guys to crumble before the Australian machine. Perhaps that's lessened to some extent after the loss of some legendary players, but I think that attitude still lingers at least a bit. Australia fears no one unless that guy has hurt them in the past. It might work in England's favour though. Eg. Ponting absolutely owned James Anderson in 06/07, but if he tries to cart him again it's possible Anderson will surprise Ponting with his improvement.

As for Harmy, while I think Ricky isn't scared of Harmison, he probably should be given his batting habits of late. Ponting has struggled badly against Morne Morkel and Ishant Sharma when they get their length right. Tall bowlers who put it just full enough to Ricky so he can't pull. In response Ponting then tries to get a massive stride forward but all it does is stuff his balance up and makes him play bad shots/get out as he can't handle the extra bounce that far forward.

And finally I don't see the problem with Ponting's statement - it's fair enough for England not to want a half-fit Flintoff. Look what he averaged last Ashes, mid-40s with the ball with a dodgy ankle. Yeah I'm sure you guys want that again...


One thing I liked hearing recently though was that England won't let Australia play 12 guys in the lead up matches. That's good stuff, gets a bit of antsy feeling about the place. It's not England's job to cater to the Aussies every whim, so good on them for refusing.

 

[King Pietersen]

I don't think I need to know what Ricky's thinking, to presume that Bopara and Onions wouldn't be in his England side. He expects Harmison and Vaughan in the side, and the 2 players they'd replace would be Bopara and Onions. You can only get 11 players in a team after all.

Harmison wouldn't trouble Ponting the way he's been bowling this season. Down on pace and spraying the ball around. I actually think that Saj Mahmood would trouble him more. Been bowling genuinely quickly, and in the 2 matches I've seen him, hasn't performed too badly, he bowled very well in the Roses game the other night. If he gets his length right he's incredibly dangerous, gets some very nice movement. Think he could be a real option in a year or so if he can develop more consistency.

As for Flintoff, he won't be half fit. He's got more than enough time to get 100% fit and get some bowling for Lancs before the Ashes. He'll be ready.

 

[sifter132]

Yeah I could see Saj Mahmood giving Ponting some trouble, good thinking. But I guess he's down the pace bowling pecking order at the moment if Onions and Bresnan were looked at first.

 

[smssia0112]

I don't think I need to know what Ricky's thinking, to presume that Bopara and Onions wouldn't be in his England side. He expects Harmison and Vaughan in the side, and the 2 players they'd replace would be Bopara and Onions. You can only get 11 players in a team after all.

Harmison wouldn't trouble Ponting the way he's been bowling this season. Down on pace and spraying the ball around. I actually think that Saj Mahmood would trouble him more. Been bowling genuinely quickly, and in the 2 matches I've seen him, hasn't performed too badly, he bowled very well in the Roses game the other night. If he gets his length right he's incredibly dangerous, gets some very nice movement. Think he could be a real option in a year or so if he can develop more consistency.

As for Flintoff, he won't be half fit. He's got more than enough time to get 100% fit and get some bowling for Lancs before the Ashes. He'll be ready.

He's obviously playing mind games, it's all good and a bit of fun. Trying to unsettle the England team ahead of the series, and fair enough.

As for Flintoff, he might be fully fit but you never know what could happen, it could flare up again. Hopefully both sides will be at full fitness for the series so we can see a seriously good Ashes series again.

aus5892 added 0 Minutes and 15 Seconds later...

I don't think I need to know what Ricky's thinking, to presume that Bopara and Onions wouldn't be in his England side. He expects Harmison and Vaughan in the side, and the 2 players they'd replace would be Bopara and Onions. You can only get 11 players in a team after all.

Harmison wouldn't trouble Ponting the way he's been bowling this season. Down on pace and spraying the ball around. I actually think that Saj Mahmood would trouble him more. Been bowling genuinely quickly, and in the 2 matches I've seen him, hasn't performed too badly, he bowled very well in the Roses game the other night. If he gets his length right he's incredibly dangerous, gets some very nice movement. Think he could be a real option in a year or so if he can develop more consistency.

As for Flintoff, he won't be half fit. He's got more than enough time to get 100% fit and get some bowling for Lancs before the Ashes. He'll be ready.

He's obviously playing mind games, it's all good and a bit of fun. Trying to unsettle the England team ahead of the series, and fair enough.

As for Flintoff, he might be fully fit but you never know what could happen, it could flare up again. Hopefully both sides will be at full fitness for the series so we can see a seriously good Ashes series again.

 

[Gilly Fan]

Don't you have mind games over there in England Dan?

Can't wait for this series. Really had enough of T20 cricket.

 

[karnog]

Well i suppose Strauss could start talking about Shane Warne and how they should've picked Bollinger who ran through the SA ODI side on debut. And talk about Hodge and Andrew Symonds. Mind games boys. Lol somehow i don't see Strauss doing that. I agree Gilly Fan i can't wait till this fad fades away into oblivion.