Nov 25-29: 1st Test: Australia v England at Brisbane

[Covvy]

I'm sure Brad Hodge was available for Thursday, after all he was already up there.....

 

[lethalhughes]

So Cameron White scores a 100 and Khawaja still gets called up as cover.

This is what it's like to be a Victorian. I know Khawaja was in the initial squad but he failed in both innings with his place on the line. White knew he had to make runs to force his way in and he did. Not only that, but with his team in strife on a second innings fourth day pitch! This is the Ashes, pick the in-form batsman!

Surely you not serious.Khawaja has been in great form.White only has this hundred to show. As I said previously , with White poor technique for test cricket,he'll have to score buckload of runs at domestic level for ateast 2 seasons to catch the selectors eyes.Ferguson ( or Khawaja) technically looks good so rightly or wrongly , unlike White, one or two hundreds might be enough to get selectors excited.Thats just how it is nothing to do with which state white plays for.Khawaja technically is very good for test so selectors will be on the look out, pus he has scored quite abit of runs.Sometimes selectors look for great temperament,look good at the wicket, before they look for truck load of runs.Sometimes it works out sometimes it doesnt.For example White advantages in terms of power hitting , that is his ability to hit 6's,meant selectors were always gonna give him enough opportunity to find his feet in odi.Another example of this was Symonds.

 

[aussie1st]

Once again the selectors have made a mess of this. If Smith is deemed good enough to replace North then he should be good enough to replace any batsmen in the side. They are making the same mistakes they made back when they first picked North, he was picked for his part time bowling rather than on his batting alone. Now I'm more than comfortable with Smith as a batsmen but the selectors aren't so they should have picked Khawaja from the start then.

God i hope either one of Khawaja, Hughes or Ferguson gets called up in by monday/tuesday if Clarke problem doesn't improve. The selectors really cannot be seriously considering a middle-order of Hussey/North/Smith 3-6, thats indeed suicide.

And I'd quote this for my next part on the rubbish selectors. What you have stated is exactly what the selectors feel. Now if they are feeling this way then clearly there is no confidence in Hussey and North. So if you aren't confident in them then why are they in the side? If that was Martyn/Lehmann and Steve Waugh there would be no problem with Smith replacing Clarke.

 

[ChefMan21]

Soooooo excited!!!!!!!!D


That pitch looked very green the other night. For the first test, I would probably go:

1. Watson
2. Katich
3. Ponting
4. Clarke/Khawaja
5. Hussey
6. North
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. McKay
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

I'm happy to give Hussey and North the first two tests but then that's it. Should they fail there is room permanently for Khawaja, Ferguson and/or Smith. I've picked McKay. He isn't in the squad but he is in form and provides more than Siddle does in my opinion. Bollinger I do have concerns about with his fitness.

 

[aussie1st]

McKay has fallen well down in the selection queue, his lack of pace makes him a bit too pedestrian on the flat tracks. Harris would be ahead of him and it seems George although he wasn't much better. If we wanted a tall bowler then Trent Copeland has to be the way to go.

 

[lethalhughes]

Once again the selectors have made a mess of this. If Smith is deemed good enough to replace North then he should be good enough to replace any batsmen in the side. They are making the same mistakes they made back when they first picked North, he was picked for his part time bowling rather than on his batting alone. Now I'm more than comfortable with Smith as a batsmen but the selectors aren't so they should have picked Khawaja from the start then.



And I'd quote this for my next part on the rubbish selectors. What you have stated is exactly what the selectors feel. Now if they are feeling this way then clearly there is no confidence in Hussey and North. So if you aren't confident in them then why are they in the side? If that was Martyn/Lehmann and Steve Waugh there would be no problem with Smith replacing Clarke.

Would you ever be confident with Hussey 4, North 5 and Smith 6?Selectors themselves ain't even sure why they're sticking to both Hussey and North imo.Its just that its the more conservative approach heading into' such a big series so being the conservative selectors they are ,they've stuck to the two experience yet underperformers.

 

[angryangy]

Clarke has trained, Smith released to play for NSW

 

[aussie1st]

So essentially Smith was there to train with the team. I'm hearing Bollinger has been released from the squad as well to play for NSW due to a lack of fitness. The selectors will find any old excuse to get Siddle into the side.

 

[AARRONN]

Cameron white should be in the test team get rid of north
white is much better bowler, fielder and white scores runs when needed!
(example AUS A vs ENG match recently)
and white is younger! and is amazing in the slips which is a big plus especially in test cricket!

 

[Biggy]

So essentially Smith was there to train with the team. I'm hearing Bollinger has been released from the squad as well to play for NSW due to a lack of fitness. The selectors will find any old excuse to get Siddle into the side.

Ugh, not a Siddle fan at all, get Dougie in!

 

[angryangy]

Ugh, that would be depressing. Bollinger has the best Test record out of anyone in the squad. He should play if he's physically fit. If anyone deserves the backing of the selectors, it's Doug, not North or Hussey or what have you.

 

[barmyarmy]

Definitely sounds like Hilf, Johnson, Doherty, Siddle. I really expected Bollinger to play. I see Paine is injured now too which should ensure that Haddin gets the whole series. Can't see Manou coming in,

 

[aussie1st]

Cameron white should be in the test team get rid of north
white is much better bowler, fielder and white scores runs when needed!
(example AUS A vs ENG match recently)
and white is younger! and is amazing in the slips which is a big plus especially in test cricket!

I suspect he has been thrown into the 'technique can't handle next level' pool. I believe that is what happened to Brad Hodge as he too had an issue outside offstump. Clint McKay is another that seems to have been put in that pool and George might be joining him.

aussie1st added 10 Minutes and 16 Seconds later...

Definitely sounds like Hilf, Johnson, Doherty, Siddle. I really expected Bollinger to play. I see Paine is injured now too which should ensure that Haddin gets the whole series. Can't see Manou coming in,

I pretty much expected it, Ponting really likes Siddle as do the selectors and I suspect they would have put that like over the performance of Bollinger. But we will never know since the 'underdone' excuse has played right into their hands.

As for backup I think Matthew Wade might have jumped the queue with his very consistent performances in Shield cricket over the past couple of seasons. Else they might go Hartley who is the best keeper in the country and his batting has headed north of late.

 

[barmyarmy]

I thought everyone's batting has headed North of late

 

[aussie1st]

Lol maybe the English only one way our batting is headed. In particular Marcus South.