Australia

[Varun]

Australia's squad is really missing Harris and Bollinger as the more steady bowlers. Sorry to bring it up again, but Bracken would have been pretty useful to have in the squad.

Yeah! Australian bowling without Bracken and Bollinger = Nearly FAIL. And they dropped Bracken's contract.

 

[Biggy]

Australia's squad is really missing Harris and Bollinger as the more steady bowlers. Sorry to bring it up again, but Bracken would have been pretty useful to have in the squad.

I definitely would have gone with Harris over Nannes, I don't find Nannes to be that good imo.


Anyway, my eleven would be:


Watson
Warner
Clarke* (I think he'll improve his T20 game)
White
D Hussey
M Hussey/Smith (Smith provides another bowling option if need be)
Haddin
Lee/Hauritz (depending on conditions, and Lee doesn't look to be in great touch)
Johnson
Tait
Nannes

 

[War]

I definitely would have gone with Harris over Nannes, I don't find Nannes to be that good imo.


Anyway, my eleven would be:


Watson
Warner
Clarke* (I think he'll improve his T20 game)
White
D Hussey
M Hussey/Smith (Smith provides another bowling option if need be)
Haddin
Lee/Hauritz (depending on conditions, and Lee doesn't look to be in great touch)
Johnson
Tait
Nannes

Before i ridicule this stunning statement can i ask why you dont find Nannes to be any good?

War added 3 Minutes and 57 Seconds later...

Australia's squad is really missing Harris and Bollinger as the more steady bowlers. Sorry to bring it up again, but Bracken would have been pretty useful to have in the squad.

Bollinger for sure of course. But i don't think Bracken will be missed much. After all he has hardly played much cricket in the last 6-8 months & i have a strong feeling he is past his peak anyway.

 

[pcfan123]

Yeah! Australian bowling without Bracken and Bollinger = Nearly FAIL. And they dropped Bracken's contract.

Thats rich coming from an Indian supporter

 

[aussie1st]

Bracken is probably pass it but no way they could pick him on the back of what hes done lately. Selectors should have picked Bollinger in the T20 squads before this tournament but since they didn't, he was never going to be picked. By the time he was killing it in the IPL, the squad had been selected and they could do nothing about it.

 

[Num]

Bracken is probably pass it but no way they could pick him on the back of what hes done lately. Selectors should have picked Bollinger in the T20 squads before this tournament but since they didn't, he was never going to be picked. By the time he was killing it in the IPL, the squad had been selected and they could do nothing about it.

What has Lee done lately? His IPL form wasn't exactly encouraging, nor was the fact that he wasn't bowling at full pace. Australia's bowling attack needs variety because I think we will find that Australia's express pace attack will leak runs by good T20 batsmen using the pace of the ball.

In my opinion, someone who takes the pace off the ball, can swing the ball, has a good yorker and plenty of variations (such as Bracken) will be more effective on slow and low pitches than a Lee who isn't bowling at full pace and was going for runs (and took no wickets) in the IPL. I'm a fan of Lee's, but I believe he should be given more time before returning to the Australian side.

I'd still take Harris and Bollinger over Bracken by the way, just saying he would provide good back up in the case that one of the pace bowlers gets injured/goes out of form.

 

[TumTum]

Before i ridicule this stunning statement can i ask why you dont find Nannes to be any good?

He is just an IPL bully imo. There are many of those these days.

 

[aussie1st]

What has Lee done lately? His IPL form wasn't exactly encouraging, nor was the fact that he wasn't bowling at full pace. Australia's bowling attack needs variety because I think we will find that Australia's express pace attack will leak runs by good T20 batsmen using the pace of the ball.

In my opinion, someone who takes the pace off the ball, can swing the ball, has a good yorker and plenty of variations (such as Bracken) will be more effective on slow and low pitches than a Lee who isn't bowling at full pace and was going for runs (and took no wickets) in the IPL. I'm a fan of Lee's, but I believe he should be given more time before returning to the Australian side.

I'd still take Harris and Bollinger over Bracken by the way, just saying he would provide good back up in the case that one of the pace bowlers gets injured/goes out of form.

Hes done nothing but again the selectors had picked the team before Lee bowled a ball in the IPL so again they could do nothing about this. If you are saying Lee should be given more time then so should Bracken as hes even more underdone than Lee.

 

[Num]

Hes done nothing but again the selectors had picked the team before Lee bowled a ball in the IPL so again they could do nothing about this. If you are saying Lee should be given more time then so should Bracken as hes even more underdone than Lee.

Well, he had four Ford Ranger Cup games.

 

[Robelinda]

Hate to say it but Lee doesnt inspire any confidence at all, his time is up or close to being up and it wont be a bad thing if he gets hammered and retires, unless we lose of course, no-one wants to see his crap bowling like last T20 WC, does no good except for Gayle's average.

How absurd that Bollinger isnt playing for Australia, insane beyond insane. Brilliant IPL.

 

[aussie1st]

If he bowls like he did for NSW in the CLT20 then we won't need to be worrying about him. He was economical, very hard to get away and picked up a few wickets. Probably would have got more but the opposition were too scared to lose their wickets to him. But yea hes looking average currently and he would have been better off pulling out through injury allowing us to pick Bollinger.

 

[sifter132]

Australia's squad is really missing Harris and Bollinger as the more steady bowlers. Sorry to bring it up again, but Bracken would have been pretty useful to have in the squad.

Not according to half the XIs selected in this thread. Harris ain't in the squad people

Yeah! Australian bowling without Bracken and Bollinger = Nearly FAIL. And they dropped Bracken's contract.

Umm yeah, we've done alright without them thanks... Sure they'd be nice to have but they're hardly the bedrock players.

What has Lee done lately?

Well to be blunt - a heck of a lot more than Bracken has! Lee bowled well last year in the British Lions game, the Ashes ODIs, the Champions Trophy and the Champions League. Lee's bowled pretty poorly in the IPL in his whopping 4 games so if you want to hang him for that I'll accept, but it's been the first competitive stuff he's played for 4-5 months so IMHO it would be harsh. Bracken hasn't even played as much as Lee let alone outbowled him when he's been fit. The last time Bracken had a good series was...when? 2008 v Bangladesh I make it. In 08/09 vs SA and NZ he was poor and in 09 in UAE and England, Bracken was fairly economical but toothless. If I'm gambling on a player I'd rather gamble on Lee than Bracken. Just my 2 cents...

sifter132 added 4 Minutes and 16 Seconds later...

Oh by the was Aussie residents: Does anyone know if ANYTHING of this tounament will be shown on Channel Nine? Or is it a FOX exclusive? From memory, we got the 2 Aussie games from the '09 one on Nine. Hopefully they pony up the cash to make it happen.

 

[Robelinda]

No Nine coverage, Fox has the rights soley. Man theyve been showing the ads for it non stop for weeks now!

 

[Num]

Not according to half the XIs selected in this thread. Harris ain't in the squad people



Umm yeah, we've done alright without them thanks... Sure they'd be nice to have but they're hardly the bedrock players.



Well to be blunt - a heck of a lot more than Bracken has! Lee bowled well last year in the British Lions game, the Ashes ODIs, the Champions Trophy and the Champions League. Lee's bowled pretty poorly in the IPL in his whopping 4 games so if you want to hang him for that I'll accept, but it's been the first competitive stuff he's played for 4-5 months so IMHO it would be harsh. Bracken hasn't even played as much as Lee let alone outbowled him when he's been fit. The last time Bracken had a good series was...when? 2008 v Bangladesh I make it. In 08/09 vs SA and NZ he was poor and in 09 in UAE and England, Bracken was fairly economical but toothless. If I'm gambling on a player I'd rather gamble on Lee than Bracken. Just my 2 cents...

sifter132 added 4 Minutes and 16 Seconds later...

Oh by the was Aussie residents: Does anyone know if ANYTHING of this tounament will be shown on Channel Nine? Or is it a FOX exclusive? From memory, we got the 2 Aussie games from the '09 one on Nine. Hopefully they pony up the cash to make it happen.

Fair enough, although I think you short changed Bracken a bit with the Australia vs Pakistan series. An economy rate of 3.12 is pretty good over four one day internationals. It would've created pressure on the batsmen and so wickets may have fallen from the other end. Bracken didn't bowl too badly against New Zealand in that series either, he averaged 24.22.

 

[IanG]

Someone should blow channel 9 up!!!