Nov 17-20: Australia A v England XI at Hobart

[aussie1st]

Why Steven O'Keefe? He's not that good, or is it because he's young?

Steve O'Keefe | Australia Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | Cricinfo.com

Probably the best stats you will see for a spinner in Australian domestic cricket.

 

[Biggy]

Why Steven O'Keefe? He's not that good, or is it because he's young?

He's a gun in FC Cricket.

 

[lethalhughes]

He's a gun in FC Cricket.

Yes agreed , although i would be tempted to pick Doherty instead.I love the selection of Starc, would have also love Copeland there but its a good squad.

 

[Covvy]

After only 9 games everyone's saying that he's awesome?

 

[lethalhughes]

After only 9 games everyone's saying that he's awesome?

Mate all people on here are saying is in his short career he has been a gun so far.

 

[Covvy]

Sometimes I wonder whether the selectors are just going for a punt at random young blokes.

 

[angryangy]

It's worse when they pick guys who are no where near form.

 

[aussie1st]

It's worse when they pick guys who are no where near form.

*Pointed towards 3 people in particular*

 

[Covvy]

For instance, I reckon a domestic line-up would almost match the National side as far as Batsmen wise goes.

 

[lethalhughes]

For instance, I reckon a domestic line-up would almost match the National side as far as Batsmen wise goes.

1.hughes 1.Watson
2.C.Rogers 2.Katich
3.M.Klinger 3.Ponting
4.B.Hodge 4.Clarke
5.U.khawaja 5.Hussey
6.D.Hussey 6.North
7.T .Paine 7.Haddin

Which batting would be stronger?I think the domestic line up would be.Both batting line ups are up in age, though the domestic batting lineup has 3 guys under 25, the only problem would be Hodge ,Dussey and Rogers are mid 30's but so are Ponting, Mussey, and Katich.

 

[Ollie_H]

*Pointed towards 3 people in particular*

+ 1 person .

 

[angryangy]

1.hughes 1.Watson
2.C.Rogers 2.Katich
3.M.Klinger 3.Ponting
4.B.Hodge 4.Clarke
5.U.khawaja 5.Hussey
6.D.Hussey 6.North
7.T .Paine 7.Haddin

Which batting would be stronger?I think the domestic line up would be.Both batting line ups are up in age, though the domestic batting lineup has 3 guys under 25, the only problem would be Hodge ,Dussey and Rogers are mid 30's but so are Ponting, Mussey, and Katich.

I'd lean towards the Aus side on most recent form. Hughes is scratching around and Rogers isn't even getting picked, while Klinger also needs to do something. At least North's got his hundreds. Granted there are some nice career averages there, but there are quite a few nice first class records on the other side, so you end up asking the same questions.

If I was trying to guess some kind of Shield based All-Australian side at the moment, I might say

Shaun Marsh
Usman Khawaja
Mark Cosgrove
Callum Ferguson
David Hussey
Andrew McDonald
Chris Hartley

But then you go the other way a bit and you could say there are a few 'lesser' players, but nevertheless, several players who have represented Australia.

 

[lethalhughes]

I'd lean towards the Aus side on most recent form. Hughes is scratching around and Rogers isn't even getting picked, while Klinger also needs to do something. At least North's got his hundreds. Granted there are some nice career averages there, but there are quite a few nice first class records on the other side, so you end up asking the same questions.

If I was trying to guess some kind of Shield based All-Australian side at the moment, I might say

Shaun Marsh
Usman Khawaja
Mark Cosgrove
Callum Ferguson
David Hussey
Andrew McDonald
Chris Hartley

But then you go the other way a bit and you could say there are a few 'lesser' players, but nevertheless, several players who have represented Australia.

Chris Hartley????What has he done of any note?Wade has average almost 50 in his last few seasons with the bat also doing well this season.Wade is also a very good keeper.Paine is the back up to Haddin and he has had a very good start to his international career.Any one of those two guys please.I would back my batting order against yours but then again guys like Hussey cant play on both teams.

 

[angryangy]

Just talking about who is in form this summer.

No keeper has really done anything yet, picking Hartley is just to illuminate that. If Paine or Wade had a hundred, sure, but all other things being equal, I'll lean to the safer gloves. To be fair to Hartley, he does average 40 in his last 25 matches.

I'm not talking about how they went last year or two years ago, partly because that's not how All-Australian works, but more so because the longer the term, the more justifiable the current Australian team selection becomes, until ultimately you're trying to sew together a new player with 20k first class runs, like Frankenstein's monster.

So the strongest counter-argument must emphasise recent form. The point is that it's hard to make that case when you've got 4 players at the top who between them have 150 Shield runs this summer, early in the season as it may be.

 

[aussie1st]

Surely Copeland has to come in for Starc. If the selectors wanted to pick Harris they would have done so but I believe they are keeping him in cotton wool as you don't want him playing too many matches so soon after coming back from injury.