Aus A squad for the South Africans

[lemmon]

Squad for the tour match against the incoming South Africans:

Australia A squad Phillip Hughes, Rob Quiney, Liam Davis, Alex Doolan, Andrew McDonald (capt), Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, John Hastings, Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Really strange squad for mine, Bird should have been there, Butterworth unlucky not to be and Burns surely deserves a spot, he's almost next in line for the middle order. Apparently M Marsh was in the lineup but after his stuff up on the drink in South Africa he has been left out.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

Squad for the tour match against the incoming South Africans:

Australia A squad Phillip Hughes, Rob Quiney, Liam Davis, Alex Doolan, Andrew McDonald (capt), Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, John Hastings, Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Really strange squad for mine, Bird should have been there, Butterworth unlucky not to be and Burns surely deserves a spot, he's almost next in line for the middle order. Apparently M Marsh was in the lineup but after his stuff up on the drink in South Africa he has been left out.

No real opening bowlers, just Coulter-Nile and the alrounders. Strange considering how many talented young fast bowlers are around the place

[lemmon]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

Maybe they don't want to show there hand? I would have thought fringe players like Cummings, Starc or cuttings would have been tried.

That's the reasoning coming from Inverity, I don't particularly buy it. There are that many options available I can only see benefit from giving the likes of Bird, Cummins even Hazelwood a run. It looks a little bit like a squad trying to decide who would be the next best option at number 6, if Cowan doesn't get runs soon Watson may go up and the number 6 slot opens up; perhaps for one of the many all-rounders selected.

[Bornadog]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

That's the reasoning coming from Inverity, I don't particularly buy it. There are that many options available I can only see benefit from giving the likes of Bird, Cummins even Hazelwood a run. It looks a little bit like a squad trying to decide who would be the next best option at number 6, if Cowan doesn't get runs soon Watson may go up and the number 6 slot opens up; perhaps for one of the many all-rounders selected.

I believe Watson will be going back up to the opening position.

[lemmon]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

I believe Watson will be going back up to the opening position.

Cowan straight out or does he get the SA series? All reports coming through are that he's in the team for the first test at least

[Mantis]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

How the hell does Maxwell get a game?

He's lucky to get a regular shield game for Victoria.

[GVGjr]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

How the hell does Maxwell get a game?

He's lucky to get a regular shield game for Victoria.

Haven't they deliberately left out players so that it doesn't give SA a chance to see them?
The A side is effectively the B side.

Maxwell is an average shield cricketer and more of a limited over player.

[dog town]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

Haven't they deliberately left out players so that it doesn't give SA a chance to see them?
The A side is effectively the B side.

Maxwell is an average shield cricketer and more of a limited over player.

Maxwell has a first class batting average of 45, fields like a demon and bowls some handy overs. Not your natural 4 day cricketer but a match winner and certainly not lucky to be playing for Victoria at shield level. Batsmen have got games for the Australian first 11 with much, much poorer records.

FWIW I also agree he shouldn't be playing in this game.

Heard somewhere that Smith would not be bowling. I find it hard to stomach if he has been picked as a bat. Has had plenty of opprtunities. I have faith that he will turn it around at some stage but he needs to just churn out runs at shield level.

Could pick the rest of the side apart but it is too baffling for words.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

Maxwell has a first class batting average of 45, fields like a demon and bowls some handy overs. Not your natural 4 day cricketer but a match winner and certainly not lucky to be playing for Victoria at shield level. Batsmen have got games for the Australian first 11 with much, much poorer records.

FWIW I also agree he shouldn't be playing in this game.

Heard somewhere that Smith would not be bowling. I find it hard to stomach if he has been picked as a bat. Has had plenty of opprtunities. I have faith that he will turn it around at some stage but he needs to just churn out runs at shield level.

Could pick the rest of the side apart but it is too baffling for words.

Maxwell > Smith - and Smith has a test cap!

[lemmon]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

Inverarity said in the presser that Maxwell wasn't originally selected but has taken John Hollands spot, will be the primary spinner...We are well and truly in the mire if Glenn Maxwell is considered the third best spinner in the land

[lemmon]

Re: Aus A squad for the South Africans

Bit of a bore draw, only 14 wickets fell for the match on a dead track. The best were Doolan with 160 and Quiney with 85. All the Safa batsmen got a decent knock and bowlers had a trundle