West Indies in Australia Jan-Feb 2012/13

Haven't seen Narine bowl live before, so will be interested to see how he goes. Did well against us over in the WI's, and had a pretty good 2012. :)

I don't think his Big Bash went as planned, Narine took only 1 wicket in 5 games for the Sixers: 1/136 off 20 overs (6.8 RPO).

Could be important, because I think good spin bowling against Australia generally works very well - in any form of cricket.
 
Australia have named their squad for the ODIs vs West Indies:
Squad David Warner, Aaron Finch, Phillip Hughes, Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Matthew Wade (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Cutting, Mitchell Starc, Clint McKay, Xavier Doherty.
West Indies in Australia 2012-13 : Aaron Finch recalled, David Hussey dropped from ODI side | Cricket News | Australia v West Indies | ESPN Cricinfo

Just one change: David Hussey out, Aaron Finch in. I support this move. Hussey looked at sea up against the bounce and movement of Malinga and Kulasekara, but looked good at #5 or lower. That'd be OK if he was 25, but you can't hide a 35 year old guy down the order, especially when there are a couple of young lads on the scene who might be able to do his job. The general idea is to start building a core team for 2015, and while Maxwell may not be as polished a finisher as Hussey right now, but the only way he'll get better is to give him a chance.
 
Nice to see a move towards the future, been on that boat for awhile now. Finch definitely deserved another go, he wasn't playing his natural game in his last gig but his stats shows what he can offer.

Henriques isn't my ideal 7 he's a bit like Smith in that he needs time to get in and isn't a noted big hitter. That is more Maxwell but he really hasn't delivered since that 50 against Pakistan.
 
Australia have named their squad for the ODIs vs West Indies:

West Indies in Australia 2012-13 : Aaron Finch recalled, David Hussey dropped from ODI side | Cricket News | Australia v West Indies | ESPN Cricinfo

Just one change: David Hussey out, Aaron Finch in. I support this move. Hussey looked at sea up against the bounce and movement of Malinga and Kulasekara, but looked good at #5 or lower. That'd be OK if he was 25, but you can't hide a 35 year old guy down the order, especially when there are a couple of young lads on the scene who might be able to do his job. The general idea is to start building a core team for 2015, and while Maxwell may not be as polished a finisher as Hussey right now, but the only way he'll get better is to give him a chance.

Come on sifter, the axing of hussey is disgraceful in every facet.

Yes Hussey looked vulnerable to the swing, but in the last 4 years such vulnerability to the moving ball has been a collective problem. So why is Hussey being a scapegoat??. His technique has not changed ever since he became regular odi/t20 team member 4 years ago .

All of this eye on the future talk is just a smoke-screen talk. Since only 6 months ago - inverarity was speaking about players like hussey getting picked on merit & performances despite age - Australia in England 2012 : Australia in England 2012: 'They're the best we've got' - Inverarity | Cricket News | England v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo. Does this mean that if Brad Hodge makes a successful comeback in shield cricket - Australia Cricket News: Brad Hodge ponders Ashes bid | ESPN Cricinfo - they gonna ignore him because they "looking for the future".

Suddenly they have faith in all these youngsters that they were not sure about - which saw them hiding hughes & khawaja from south africa this season & picking an average player in rob quiney. :facepalm

This is just another cover up to the continued disgraceful use of hussey as player in the last year & general undervaluing of him throughout his international career. Age means nothing & he still a key part of the odi plans for the 2015 cup. Both him & Maxwell should be in the same team - for the life of me i don't see why the selectors or anyone can see them as two players playing for the same position.

Once again, australia's progress as team is not being hampered by lack of talent among its player - but very questionable selection policies. Everytime i see an aus squad announced i cringing at the possible crap selection instead of being excited about seeing the squad picked.:facepalm
 
I would say that Hodge will be ignored yes, even if he makes a 100 for the Vics. Just like Chris Rogers will be overlooked for younger options. I've got nothing against older players, but I'm not going to promote older players when they aren't anything particularly special. Hodge and Rogers aren't exactly Hayden and Ponting reborn.

To me, David Hussey doesn't fall into that category either. He's not like Ponting or Mike Hussey, older legends that the selectors should be willing to carry through poor patches of form. If Hussey were a good player, I might be upset. But he's not. David Hussey averages 32.65 in his ODI career - that's a touch under the average of all top 6 batsmen since the 2011 World Cup (33.56 - Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo ) So he's essentially an average player. Why should the selectors settle for an average, mediocre David Hussey who won't improve into anything better when they could try and develop a better player? Especially when Hussey showed some weaknesses that international bowlers will be happy to jump on - not just swing, but the short ball early in his innings.

And I certainly see he and Maxwell as competitors - neither are good enough technically to bat top 4, so they have to be a 5,6 or 7. Consider that Wade and Henriques (or other pace bowling AR) need to be fitted in those spots as well, and suddenly you've got 1 spot for 2 people. Both bowl part time off-spin, both are best as 'finishers' with the bat - why so implausible that they should compete for a spot?
 
I wouldn't think that this is sudden, because he was scratching to stay in the team over the winter. The best batsman in the world at the MCG, but other times he does leave one wanting. I was a little surprised that he was kept in the first squad when they said they were looking to the future. I think the rise of Hughes makes the team more assured about this move and without access to Watson, there are certain selection pressures on the lower middle.

However, if Finch finds his feet, then the top order is in a good position and that's a big stride forward, because Clarke and Mike Hussey have concealed the team's top order deficiencies for a while.
 
I would say that Hodge will be ignored yes, even if he makes a 100 for the Vics. Just like Chris Rogers will be overlooked for younger options. I've got nothing against older players, but I'm not going to promote older players when they aren't anything particularly special. Hodge and Rogers aren't exactly Hayden and Ponting reborn.

Lets look at this way my friend. Both of us a essentially fans of the cricket team. Our views as much as we debate them isn't going to have any influence on the selectors.

But one thing i expect selectors to do is be clear & consistentl about selections & the inverarity lead panel has failed to do that miserably since the t20 world cup.


As i showed in the link in the previous post - it was just during the 2012 tour to england that inverarity was saying that older players such as hussey, rogers etc despite age where in consideration for a test spot because they wanted young guys like hughes, khawaja to demand selection in the domestic season based on a mountain of runs. Which is why as you may recall Australia Cricket News: Australia news: Ed Cowan, George Bailey miss out on Australia contracts | ESPN Cricinfo - none of the young batsmen via there reasons was given a contract for this calendar year.

This policy continued by the hiding of hughes vs s africa & picking quiney.

So what now has changed in just 2 months that all the backing & focus is on the young players??

Rogers & Hodge don;t have to be ponting & hayden reborn. I have never understood why people like draw that correlation with great players.

Colin Miller was good enough to make his test debut @ 38 & give aus 3 very good years as an off-spinner, clarrie grimmet @ 33 & brad hogg was superb as a odi spinner after getting his recall @ 32

To me, David Hussey doesn't fall into that category either. He's not like Ponting or Mike Hussey, older legends that the selectors should be willing to carry through poor patches of form. If Hussey were a good player, I might be upset. But he's not. David Hussey averages 32.65 in his ODI career - that's a touch under the average of all top 6 batsmen since the 2011 World Cup (33.56 - Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo ) So he's essentially an average player. Why should the selectors settle for an average, mediocre David Hussey who won't improve into anything better when they could try and develop a better player? Especially when Hussey showed some weaknesses that international bowlers will be happy to jump on - not just swing, but the short ball early in his innings.

Disagree really, now way is dussey an average player. When looking at career you can't judge him on his overall average - since his career had two distinct phases, like so many players tend to have.

From the 2008 windies tour - to a one-off odi vs scotland in 2009, hussey was just in and out of the team. He was just called up in dead rubbers or insignificant series when australia looked to rest players & never played in a settled position.

He was then recalled just before the 2011 world cup during the home odi's vs england where during this extended run batting down @ # 6 where he has averaged 35, which is very solid given the position he played.

Gilchrist averaged 35 as an opener & we all know how he is great, which just highlights how good hussey's average is proportionately.

Plus his issues vs certain type is quick bowling which has been there is hardly relevant now even if it never goes away - since it was prevalent all the time. Indian batsmen like raina & yuvraj have had this problem forever, but yet while it bothers them in tests, they still get away with it in odi's.

Hussey could be undone by short-pitched bowling in odi's again no doubt - but that doesn't mean he will be incapable of making runs & being a key member of the odi/t20 en route to the 2014 & 2015 cups.


And I certainly see he and Maxwell as competitors - neither are good enough technically to bat top 4, so they have to be a 5,6 or 7. Consider that Wade and Henriques (or other pace bowling AR) need to be fitted in those spots as well, and suddenly you've got 1 spot for 2 people. Both bowl part time off-spin, both are best as 'finishers' with the bat - why so implausible that they should compete for a spot?

They should not be battling for the same spot because australia don't have a odi quality spinner of the level of a swann, ajmal, narine, herath, vettori, sakib who can either be a sure wicket-taking force or spinner who can be depended on to block up an end effectively.

Doherty is a joke & o'keefe is essentially a non-wicket taking threat with the ball - but can slog with the bat.

So Hussey in combo with maxwell with clarke should combine as spinners similarly to how india would use, yuvraj, raina, sehwag over the years & just let our army of solid quicks be the main wicket taking threats.

Best odi team imo:

warner, watson, hughes, clarke, hussey, wade, maxwell, henriques, cummins, starc, harris. bailey, m marsh, johnson, mckay
 
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Warner out so now we are looking at
Finch
Khawaja
Hughes
Clarke
Bailey
Wade
Faulkner

Await to see how Faulkner goes, displayed some good hitting in the PM game and we are still trying to find that all rounder who can do that.
 
aus team just doesn't look or feel right currently, so i won't be surprised if the windies are able to triumph in their first odi series win down under since 1993.
 
Wow. The Australian team all of a sudden looks so vulnerable, West Indies should take this series if they play to their potential. Anyone know what happened to Cummins? He did not play vs Sri Lanka, is he a part of the squad? He along with Starc are Australia's two best fast bowlers at the moment in my opinion.
 
Good to see Australia coming to their senses and not playing Doherty for once. Although likely only going to be one match before they lose their minds again and bring him back and they start losing again.

1. Phillip Hughes
2. Aaron Finch
3. Michael Clarke (capt)
4. Usman Khawaja
5. George Bailey
6. Matthew Wade (wk)
7. Glenn Maxwell
8. James Faulkner
9. Mitchell Johnson
10. Mitchell Starc
11. Clint McKay

----------

Surprised the decision to play the 3 left arm quicks though. Would have liked to see Cutting play instead.
 
The dropping/axing of Hussey. It may be warranted, but is it really that? Has anyone heard about the Mussey/Clarke disagreement? Maybe Dussey has taking the fall.
 

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