Ashes - Second Test

[Mantis]

Re: Ashes - Second Test

Doherty was catapulted to the test team on the back of one decent performance in a meaningless ODI. He averages 47 in domestic first-class cricket FFS. Ponting has far too much influence in the make-up of the national team - he is the sole reason Hodge has not enjoyed a successful 5 year/60 test career and the Australian team is all the poorer because of it. Doherty was Punter's call as well.

Robert Craddock made that point in an opinion piece just recently.

Whilst Punter was (was NOT is) an extremely good batsman he will leave the game as a much maligned figure due to this innate ability to ruin ones career.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Ashes - Second Test

Whilst Punter was (was NOT is) an extremely good batsman he will leave the game as a much maligned figure due to this innate ability to ruin ones career.

Not to mention an entire dominant cricketing culture and era. Gotta love his persistence though, as it is contributing to his own downfall -- a smarter/shrewder customer would have retired on top and let someone else take the fall that was coming, but the dumb terrier just wants his way and will tear up the couch and his own reputation to get it.

We're no longer a dominant team, but no way we should be no.5. And no way should the no.4 team be made to look like Bradman, Sobers and Hobbs. Flip, they made a batsman who hadn't scored a run in two years look like Viv Richards.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Ashes - Second Test

I think my preferred team would be at fairly long odds to be the actual team.

For starters White would be my captain and Clarke would be dropped under the new 'no-wankers' rule.

Don't you hate when people stupidly condone his behaviour by saying that 'he's a young man with a lot of money, he's just living the life that everyone wishes they had'? For starters, you don't see Strauss or Graeme Smith or Kumble being dickheads off the field at any point in their careers. For another, he was anointed prematurely and has been living off that for years, only sporadically justifying the hype -- other players around his age show far, far more maturity on and off the field.

Oh, and he's not young, he's the same age as Graeme Smith and older than Cam White, both far superior human beings (and cricket captains, for that matter).

[Throughandthrough]

Re: Ashes - Second Test

If anyone cares, there's now a massive thunderstorm throughout Adelaide.

[Sedat]

Re: Ashes - Second Test

Oh, and he's not young, he's the same age as Graeme Smith and older than Cam White, both far superior human beings (and cricket captains, for that matter).

He's only 12 months younger than Shahid Afridi, which staggers me (considering Afridi made his first ODI century 14 years ago!). Having said that, the birth records in Pakistan are about as reliable as Myki.

Not only is Clarke not young, he has an old man's body that breaks down regularly. Guys like Gillespie and Brett Lee were cast aside with struggling bodies, and at the time were barely older than Clarke is right now.

[hujsh]

Re: Ashes - Second Test

Fair comments, but do you really think it's really the right time to start rebuilding the Australia test team IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREAKIN' ASHES SERIES? (not having a go at you, just releasing some frustration at the selectors and our ridiculous non-preparation to the point that we didn't even know who our best team was three days out from the start of the series).

If they really wanted to rebuild they should have been dinkum about it four years ago instead of sticking fat with guys like North and Hussey. Since they haven't, it's too late to start blooding youngsters in the cauldron of a losing Ashes series. At least Hodgey and White and the like have excelled in plenty of pressure situations and are more likely to stand up under the spotlight than a raw kid. All we need for the next three Tests are guys who will perform better than Marcus North in the short term.

It's really frustrating that a few years ago when we were in the West Indies there was a bit of a debate on WOOF about whether we play young guys to rebuild the team and prepare for the future, or reward consistent performers like Katich and pick the best team at that team. Because the selectors have chosen neither option and just stuck with whatever old guy is in the team there's no definitive proof either way which way we should have gone. Looking back it's astonishing that neither option was chosen and highlights even further the incompetence of Cricket Australia.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Ashes - Second Test

If anyone cares, there's now a massive thunderstorm throughout Adelaide.

If only North had knuckled down and batted out time with the tail ...

[Mantis]

Re: Ashes - Second Test

If only North had knuckled down and batted out time with the tail ...

If only.... he had some ability and resilience.

Marcus should shave his head such that he could could share the title as 'Mantis's no.1 whipping boy'.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Ashes - Second Test

If only.... he had some ability and resilience.

Marcus should shave his head such that he could could share the title as 'Mantis's no.1 whipping boy'.

Take a number if you want to whip Marcus. That was a joke today. Who saw his dismissal coming from a mile away? At least Huss had batted for half of yesterday, and Haddin can point to two other pretty solid scores from the previous two innings. A no.6 who can't do any of: bat with the tail, protect his wicket, counter-attack, hold up an end, or play to save a Test? What the hell good is that kind of no.6? It's like playing a man short every time we go out in the middle.