War
Chairman of Selectors
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- Feb 10, 2010
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I like your enthusiasmbut there's no way this team happens. Cowan and Smith will be retained for getting close to 100. Certainly Khawaja at least wouldn't jump over either of them. Wade probably is a good chance to return as well, although I agree with you - I think Haddin's the better option. Henriques may get replaced as well, if Clarke is fit and a spot for Watson needs to be found. Then it might be 3 pacemen + Lyon, with Steve Smith as the 5th option. I'm not sure about Lyon either...I might just play Doherty. He's hardly threatening at all, but Doherty seems to keep the Indians under control a little better, and at this stage of the series that's about all I want out of the spinner - just don't get hammered.
And I'll just add that I still like my Ed Cowan as the new Mike Hussey theory. I think he could be a reasonable #5 for Aus, someone steady until they find someone better. And that would let Watson open again. Watson/Warner/Hughes/Clarke/Cowan/Khawaja - with Watson bowling again - would be my preferred top 6.
If this team doesn't happen, then the selectors would have guaranteed no chance of doing well in the Ashes, even with it already looking bad.
Presuming AUS loose this test regardless of the outcome, the last time AUS were whitewashed in S Africa 1969/70 - they did not make changes by the end of the 1969/70 tour. They kept the same squad for the 70/71 Ashes & lost.
That historical reference is a good indicator of why big chances are needed in this test before this years.
Cowan & Smith are not long term options unfortunately for the Ashes & beyond. Cowan was always a bandage option drafted in because of the top order struggles of Hughes & S Marsh. His body of work (not just his previous innings in Mohali in which he was dropped thrice) has not been good enough. If he keeps playing, it would mean sacrificing Watson as an opener & we can't allow that crap to continue. Watson must open.
Plus to be frank my friend, i see nothing in Cowan even to contemplate him as a middle-order option. He is too limited a player to ever replicate the versatility Hussey showed. Once he is dropped, like Marcus North before him, needs to be sent back to domestic cricket forever.
Smith too is not a long term. I don't anyone can seriously be confident about him playing in the Ashes. So he should be dropped. Past selection panels found crazy reasons to drop Brad Hodge & Michael Slater in the past after performing. Thus letting go limited player like Smith & Cowan should be a piece of cake.
Smith also won't work well in solid 5-man attack. He is a part time spinner. Henriques will be needed just in case on of the main 4-bowlers has a off session/day/innings to fill in the overs & potentially pinch a wicket.
If the 3 quicks bowl to potential & run through the Indian top 6 for once & can get Lyon into the attack with the score around 150/5 or something, he has the wicket-taking ability to get cheap wickets at the end. This was always the role Lyon had to play in this series, since he is no Graeme Swann who Clarke could depend on the lock down & end as a defensive + attacking bowler in IND conditions. If he keeps entering the attack with the openers/top order still batting he will struggle.
Doherty doesn't really tie the IND batsman down - he is a dud. IND batsmen just sit on him because they can. When they want to step up a gear & blast him around, its a easy transition.
Australia Cricket News: Australia news: Ed Cowan, George Bailey miss out on Australia contracts | ESPN Cricinfo
Do you recall the Australian contracted list for 2012/13?
quote said:
As you may recall & see, none of the talented young batsmen, even guys like Cowan or ODI regulars Bailey or D Hussey got contracted.
So negativity/lack of confidence has been around about the young players has been around all the time. Inverarity & Arthur did this to deliberately challenge the talented young batsmen to score heavily in the shield seasons & they have not reacted.
They even as you know hid Hughes for S Africa & went for what they perceived as the experience in Rob Quiney.
Thus if they award Rogers for example an Ashes place it will be rewarding him on merit because despite age is one of the best batsmen in AUS right now. Very simple. And picking him would also be consistent with the selectors reasoning, which in recent months has left much to be desired.
AUS used to have guys scoring thousands of runs season after season but couldn't get a call up. Those young players have to make compelling cases of similar ilk.
No sense backing all the young players over some solid experience players, just because they young.
Learn from 1969/70 & Ashes 70/71.
