Australia's team this summer

[Howsie]

Aaron Heal in you go then.

My test team this summer:

Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Clarke
North
Watson
Haddin
Johnson
Lee/Hauritz
Clark
Siddle

You actually think Watson will still be fit during the middle of the summer Hooper

 

[Hooper]

No, but as we all do, we hope. We hope that the pussy that is Shane Wat-I'm-not-injured? can stay on the park. If not, then drop him, North stays at 5 and we bring in another number 6 batsman. Don't bother with Andrew McDonald but. Stay well clear of him. His batting is as good as Steve Harmison's and his bowling is as good as an Ian Bell seamer.

 

[Cricketman]

How in the world is that guy good enough to debut for Australia?

 

[piriyanth]

Once the oldies retire the team will be like this.

1)Hughes
2)Watson
3)Clarke
4) North
5) Paine
6) Mcdonald
7)Johnson
8)Hauritz
9) Siddle
10) Hilfenhaus
11)Bollinger

I will let Johnson bat at no.7 if he keeps his average above 30+ otherwise I will drop him to no.8.

And test team for this summer is

1) Hughes
2)Katich
3)Ponting
4)Clarke
5)North
6)Watson
7)Haddin
8)Johnson
9)Lee
10)Hauritz
11)Clark/Siddle

 

[Eon]

still cant see having mcdonald in the test team a good idea... i would prefer to have someone like dave warner there... he could do the job that gilly did... and apparently he can bowl a bit of leg spin too

 

[Jakester1288]

Once the oldies retire the team will be like this.

1)Hughes
2)Watson
3)Clarke
4) North
5) Pein
6) Mcdonald
7)Johnson
8)Hauritz
9) Siddle
10) Hilfenhaus
11)Bollinger

Everything I've seen has lead to Watson being our future number 3. The batting in that side is incredibly weak - Watson isn't going to amount to much, Paine (if that's who you were trying to write), McDonald and Johnson are all too high in the order.

 

[Hooper]

How in the world is that guy good enough to debut for Australia?

Who knows? Seriously, who feckin knows? He is a joke of a cricketer, barely good enough for state cricket then he gets thrown into a series against South Africa and realizes he can barely hold a cricket bat? He is shite.

 

[drainpipe32]

mate, when u average 33 with the ball, score a test fifty, win a game for ur country on the last day of ur debut and play 4 matches for the best cricket team in the world, playing a major role in one of the greatest series wins of the modern era, then u can criticise andrew mcdonald....

 

[Hooper]

When you average 33 from a handful tests, score the worst 50 in test history, somehow fluke your way into helping your country win a test on debut and then somehow get 3 more tests...You know your Andrew McDonald, probably the worst test all rounder of all time.

 

[drainpipe32]

My test team for this summer:

Hughes
Katich
Ponting (c)
Clarke (vc)
North
Watson
Haddin (wk)
Johnson
Hauritz
Siddle
Hilfenhaus

Back-ups:

Batsmen:
Callum Ferguson
David Warner
Matthew Wade (wk)

Bowlers:
Clint McKay
Jon Holland
Beau Casson

I've gone for youth in the back-ups, simply because we are playing two weak sides this summer. If an injury occurs, rush in a Jon Holland or Matthew Wade, where they'll play with nothing to lose, with no pressure on them and watch them star!

Clint McKay is a brilliant swing bowler, and the best quick under 27 in the country not playing for Australia. He can also swing a bat, with an average of 18. He was one of the main reasons for our Sheffield Shield win last season, and our should-have-beens in the limited over comps.

Callum Ferguson is a brilliant young batsman, who starred for his state last season, and also for the Aussies in the ODIs, being our only consistent bat in SA this year.

Warner of course has shone on the international stage, so if needed can step up to the plate and bash a few runs to add excitement to the Aussie team.

And finally, Beau Casson is I reckon the only spinner in Australia capable of winning a test match for Australia on the final day.

Unlucky omissions:

Stuart Clark, Brett Lee, Mike Hussey

While these guys are definitely still capable of winning games for Australia we have to look to the future, and our upcoming schedule (West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand) gives us a perfect, almost god-gifted opportunity to blood youth and still win games.

Other Youngsters to keep an eye on:

Tom Cooper (handy batsman, scored Sheffield Shield ton)
Peter Forrest
Ed Cowan
Burt Cockley
Steven Smith

Gazza_11 added 1 Minutes and 6 Seconds later...

When you average 33 from a handful tests, score the worst 50 in test history, somehow fluke your way into helping your country win a test on debut and then somehow get 3 more tests...You know your Andrew McDonald, probably the worst test all rounder of all time.

lol, id be happy with a one off T20....

Gazza_11 added 0 Minutes and 32 Seconds later...

......against america :laugh

 

[smssia0112]

^Well Siddle is probably 3rd peg now after Hilfenhaus' excellent series. Hilfy is particularly useful because he's ACCURATE. Mitch and Siddle and Brett Lee are not. Therefore in my book, Hilfy (or Stuart Clark) is a MUST for an attack.

But I have no problem with thinking that Brett Lee is a better attacking option than Siddle. It's not some crazy theory, Siddle is not quite there yet. It's just a question of if/how long the selectors want to play Brett Lee. Siddle is obviously the future, so Lee may be on the outer, especially this summer where it would be a good chance to make changes (because we are finally not playing England, South Africa or India).

Krejza? I dunno. If we played Clark AND Hilfenhaus, we could probably afford Krejza. But otherwise he's too expensive, he can't build pressure enough. Can bowl some good balls though.

Which is why it makes no sense to play Lee. What is he going to do, rip through the Windies and then break down again? Or last until the Twenty20 World Cup? Now is the time to experiment with youngsters, not past-it veterans.

 

[drainpipe32]

Which is why it makes no sense to play Lee. What is he going to do, rip through the Windies and then break down again? Or last until the Twenty20 World Cup? Now is the time to experiment with youngsters, not past-it veterans.

Exactly right, match winners is not what is needed this season, we need to mould youngsters to become a game breaker, during a summer in which we are playing some weak teams......

 

[Jakester1288]

Just disecting parts of your post Gazza.

Batsmen:
Callum Ferguson
David Warner
Matthew Wade (wk)

Bowlers:
Clint McKay
Jon Holland
Beau Casson

If we pick Warner in a Test match, I'm supporting the opposition. He has played 1 First Class match FFS, anyone who even considers playing him in a Test match is an idiot.

Wade isn't a back up wicketkeeper-batsmen, the selectors obviously don't have him in there short term plans, as Manou and Paine have been selected ahead of him on his Ashes tour.

I've gone for youth in the back-ups, simply because we are playing two weak sides this summer. If an injury occurs, rush in a Jon Holland or Matthew Wade, where they'll play with nothing to lose, with no pressure on them and watch them star!

No pressure at all. A youngster, with hardly any FC experience, expected to take the spinning role for Australia that no one has been able to successfully fill since Shane Warne, arguably the best spinner of all time. No pressure at all.

Clint McKay is a brilliant swing bowler, and the best quick under 27 in the country not playing for Australia. He can also swing a bat, with an average of 18. He was one of the main reasons for our Sheffield Shield win last season, and our should-have-beens in the limited over comps.

Agree.

Callum Ferguson is a brilliant young batsman, who starred for his state last season, and also for the Aussies in the ODIs, being our only consistent bat in SA this year.

Agree.

Warner of course has shone on the international stage, so if needed can step up to the plate and bash a few runs to add excitement to the Aussie team.

Dear god no! If he plays Tests for Australia, I will rip my hair out! If he plays ODI's, I can just bear it, and who gives a damn about Twenty20?

And finally, Beau Casson is I reckon the only spinner in Australia capable of winning a test match for Australia on the final day.

Maybe when he can put the ball on the pitch in FC cricket. Then, when he manages not to bowl at the batsman's head, he can bowl a good line and length consistently, and when he takes wickets at FC level, then be considered. Yeah?

Unlucky omissions:

Stuart Clark, Brett Lee, Mike Hussey

While these guys are definitely still capable of winning games for Australia we have to look to the future, and our upcoming schedule (West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand) gives us a perfect, almost god-gifted opportunity to blood youth and still win games.

None of them are too old, they all have a few good years left in them. However, I'd be dropping Hussey for good. Once he is gone, he isn't coming back.

Other Youngsters to keep an eye on:

Tom Cooper (handy batsman, scored Sheffield Shield ton)
Peter Forrest
Ed Cowan
Burt Cockley
Steven Smith

Cooper - Yes
Cockley - Yes
Smith - Yes
Cowan & Forrest - I'm not so sure about

 

[drainpipe32]

If we pick Warner in a Test match, I'm supporting the opposition. He has played 1 First Class match FFS, anyone who even considers playing him in a Test match is an idiot.

What I mean was in a one-off test match, when Simon Katich comes down with Swine Flu. Comes in, bashes a couple of runs and then exits, with the confidence that he can bat at test level

Wade isn't a back up wicketkeeper-batsmen, the selectors obviously don't have him in there short term plans, as Manou and Paine have been selected ahead of him on his Ashes tour.

But he should be!! The second most runs of the wicketkeepers in the comp, at the highest average and also the most catches picked up..... what more can he do, at 21, with 15yrs still left in him....

No pressure at all. A youngster, with hardly any FC experience, expected to take the spinning role for Australia that no one has been able to successfully fill since Shane Warne, arguably the best spinner of all time. No pressure at all.

Once again, a one off match where Hauritz breaks a leg, makes his debut on a spinning Adelaide wicket, picks up a few and then the quicks do the job. Next match Haury comes in and Hollands better off. Anyway, Casson is def ahead.....

Dear god no! If he plays Tests for Australia, I will rip my hair out! If he plays ODI's, I can just bear it, and who gives a damn about Twenty20?

See above^

Maybe when he can put the ball on the pitch in FC cricket. Then, when he manages not to bowl at the batsman's head, he can bowl a good line and length consistently, and when he takes wickets at FC level, then be considered. Yeah?

Remember last yr, vs the WI?? he bowled quite well, picking up a few effective wickets.....

None of them are too old, they all have a few good years left in them. However, I'd be dropping Hussey for good. Once he is gone, he isn't coming back.

But we're looking to the future, and they have no use against the teams we're coming up against this summer

Cooper - Yes
Cockley - Yes
Smith - Yes
Cowan & Forrest - I'm not so sure about

i just threw in the last two to sound impressive:rtfl

any caught ur eye??

 

[Bluebagger]

There will be no casualties from the Ashes and the only spot up for debate will be the opening position for Hughes or Watson and whether to bowl a spinner, however, I would go with this;

Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Clarke
North
Ferguson
Haddin
Johnson
Krejza
Siddle
Hilfenhaus

Krejza is far more likely to take wickets than Hauritz regardless if he goes for runs and if we're worried about spinners going for runs then we're already in bad shape.