2021 Tour of South Africa

[GVGjr]

I guess this series could still be cancelled but there are indications we will take an 18 man squad to SA but perhaps as high as 20

I'd be interested to hear what players should be added or removed from the one below?

Openers
Warner - Pucovski - Harris
Batsman
Labuschagne - Smith - Head - Green - Henriques - McDermott

Wicket keepers
Paine - Carey

Pace bowlers
Cummins - Hazlewood - Starc - Neser - J.Richardson
Spin Bowlers
Lyon - Swepson

We could easily drop Carey off this list and use McDermott as a back-up keeper and I suspect that spot might be better served by another specialist batsman. I haven't added Pattinson because I don't think he is ready yet
Could Maxwell force his way in as an all-rounder?

Interested to hear your thoughts?

[bornadog]

Article here why Finch and Maxwell may never play red ball cricket again.

They are seen as two much bash and crash style. I still think they both can play test, but I doubt they will get the opportunity.

[FrediKanoute]

I guess this series could still be cancelled but there are indications we will take an 18 man squad to SA but perhaps as high as 20

I'd be interested to hear what players should be added or removed from the one below?

Openers
Warner - Pucovski - Harris
Batsman
Labuschagne - Smith - Head - Green - Henriques - McDermott

Wicket keepers
Paine - Carey

Pace bowlers
Cummins - Hazlewood - Starc - Neser - J.Richardson
Spin Bowlers
Lyon - Swepson

We could easily drop Carey off this list and use McDermott as a back-up keeper and I suspect that spot might be better served by another specialist batsman. I haven't added Pattinson because I don't think he is ready yet
Could Maxwell force his way in as an all-rounder?

Interested to hear your thoughts?

I think its probably bang on, though why Head goes instead of Wade is up for debate. Henriques could easily drop off.

I would take Carey. If we are grooming him for the wicketkeeper spot then he should go. Left wing suggestion, is he good enough to bat at 5 or 6?

[jeemak]

I think its probably bang on, though why Head goes instead of Wade is up for debate. Henriques could easily drop off.

I would take Carey. If we are grooming him for the wicketkeeper spot then he should go. Left wing suggestion, is he good enough to bat at 5 or 6?

Is it left wing because it's not meritorious and more of an "everyone gets a turn" type thing?

I reckon they'll keep Wade in there.....such a great bloke.

[Axe Man]

Wade dropped from the test squad, will head to NZ for the T20s instead. Tim Paine backed in as captain with a nod to Alex Carey as an eventual successor as keeper. Steketee a surprise over Jhye Richardson in the test squad.

Test squad Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins (vc), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

T20I squad Aaron Finch (capt), Matthew Wade (vc), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Tanveer Sangha, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa

[FrediKanoute]

Head is a very lucky boy IMO. Must be on his last chance to really nail down the spot. A poor series and I think the selectors will look at the Ashes as an opportunity to look for some new blood.

There was talk about Puc batting at 5 and Harris opening. I would be inclined to flip it and let Puc keep opening and allow HArris to bat at 5. Harris' technique is not good enough against a moving ball and a new ball moves. He gets away with it at shield level mainly because he doesn't often have to face Australia's top line bowlers at Shield level. I would bat him at 5 and see how he goes.

Green is an interesting one. The selectors obviously want an all rounder in there, but he has to do more than what he showed v India. I like his batting, but his bowling lacks variety. He needs to work on his bowling craft and get some variation in there so that he is a danger with the old ball.

[bornadog]

Thought this would be the case:

Test tour of South Africa postponed due to ‘unacceptable’ health risk
After months of discussions with Cricket South Africa over biosecurity protocols, Cricket Australia has pulled the pin on the three-Test series.

full story here

[jeemak]

I wonder how much of this is player driven........

[FrediKanoute]

If the tour was to India or was to England and Ebola was out of control in both countries and there was a military coup, the TV money alone would make it safe.......

[comrade]

Sounds like South Africa were going to do everything in their power to protect the players but the mutant strain over there just wasn't worth the risk.

Can they not move the series elsewhere to a more COVID safe country? What if it was played in New Zealand or the UAE?

[Axe Man]

Can they not move the series elsewhere to a more COVID safe country? What if it was played in New Zealand or the UAE?

It would seem like an obvious solution but apparently not going to happen:

There are no contingencies in place, meaning it appears unlikely the series could be moved to another location like Perth or the UAE in the same timeslot, hence why there are catastrophic implications on Australia making the Test Championship Final in June.