Test Squad (13)

[Billy Blogger]

Just announced

The 13 is:

Jacques
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Gilchrist
Lee
Johnson
Hogg
MacGill
Clark
Tait

[mjp]

So basically a non-decision by the selectors on the spinners position and a bowl off between Hogg and MacGill in the Gabba nets?

With the quicks, has anyone considered that Lee might not play? He would want to start taking some wickets at test level in the near future. Clark is in I guess - Lee is in for now I guess. I really have no idea who else they will take, but Tait and Lee in the same team still looks like a disaster to me.

[The Underdog]

So basically a non-decision by the selectors on the spinners position and a bowl off between Hogg and MacGill in the Gabba nets?

With the quicks, has anyone considered that Lee might not play? He would want to start taking some wickets at test level in the near future. Clark is in I guess - Lee is in for now I guess. I really have no idea who else they will take, but Tait and Lee in the same team still looks like a disaster to me.

You'd imagine Johnson over Tait if only for a point of difference.
The bowling line up won't scare anyone. Lee's hardly bowled for ages. Clark was good last summer but hasn't done much since. Johnson and Tait....whatever. Hogg on form should be in but history would say MacGill as he's been next in line forever. Could be a lot of runs from all teams this summer.

[Chops]

I see Jacques gets another chance. Sure to be the first of many chances.

[Mantis]

As mjp has rightly pointed out this summer is a huge test for Lee. He is an exceptional one-day bowler where he has the ability to swing the white ball away and bowl at pace. His record at test level is only fair and he would certainly come under pressure if he doesn't take bowl well this summer.

The selectors as usual have not shown there hand which I suppose is a bit piss poor, but with the first test still a week away it gives them the opportunity to have a closer look at them in the nets.

I would expect Tait and Hogg to miss from this list.

[Sockeye Salmon]

It seems to me that they haven't done their homework and have asked teacher for an extension.

[mjp]

It seems to me that they haven't done their homework and have asked teacher for an extension.

Seems to me that they have decided that they aren't going to pick MacGill but are going to try and let the decision make itself after a few days in the nets.

Hogg is in better form right now, but that is hardly the point.

[The Coon Dog]

If the pitch is a green deck, will they go with 4 quicks?

[Mantis]

If the pitch is a green deck, will they go with 4 quicks?

It's a possibility as they have Symonds and M.Clarke in the team who bowl some reasonable part time spin, but I would think they will play one of the full time spinners.

[GVGjr]

If the pitch is a green deck, will they go with 4 quicks?


The pitch is dry compared to the ones that they would normally serve up. They will play a spinner

[Griffen#16]

Tait has announced he's keen for a four-way pace attack. I get the feeling that MacGill will have to get the nod.

[The Underdog]

On RRR this morning (admittedly not the premier sports opinion in town) they were referring to Mitchell Johnson as "a modern day Brendan Julian" a good looking left arm paceman.
Also reflected on Julian's uncanny ability to put the ball in the spot where a batsman most liked it.

[Sockeye Salmon]

On RRR this morning (admittedly not the premier sports opinion in town) they were referring to Mitchell Johnson as "a modern day Brendan Julian" a good looking left arm paceman.
Also reflected on Julian's uncanny ability to put the ball in the spot where a batsman most liked it.

Julian had no ability to put the ball on any spot twice.

[Griffen#16]

I didn't mind Julian, not the greatest but reasonable.

WA had a pretty good side back in those days.

[GVGjr]

I didn't mind Julian, not the greatest but reasonable.

WA had a pretty good side back in those days.

Same here. When he was the U19 Australian captain he was a batsman who bowled.

His problem at the senior level was he bowled one hittable ball per over. He was a better batsman that he actually displayed.

[mjp]

On RRR this morning (admittedly not the premier sports opinion in town) they were referring to Mitchell Johnson as "a modern day Brendan Julian" a good looking left arm paceman.
Also reflected on Julian's uncanny ability to put the ball in the spot where a batsman most liked it.

Yes - I heard that as well...very amusing.

I thought Julian the bowler had one particularly good attribute - the ability to bowl the occasional (and later in his career, very occasional) simply unplayable, wicket taking delivery.

Yes, he served up some tripe. But he also bowled some of the meanest, late swinging, dipping, crunching, curving, ballistically bouncing stuff ever to hit the WACA pitch.

Good batsman who fell in love with the idea of hitting the ball hard. Lost all of his finesse and ability to create an innings by age 25 to become a slogger.

[Billy Blogger]

It seems to me that they haven't done their homework and have asked teacher for an extension.

Spot on. Normally they have 4 pacement and a spinner and you only have one of the pacement to miss. At the moment it's 50 cents each way and they have backed a couple of more horses.

[Billy Blogger]

I get the feeling that Hogg might have stepped ahead of MacGill.

Out of the two of them which player would you select?

[Dry Rot]

Heard today that Killer is in, Hogg back to domestic cricket.