Australia vs England

[Greystache]

Re: Australia vs England

Interesting point. I can recall from time to time in the recent golden era the knock was we didn't have a genuine all rounder... Who cares when you win like no team before in the history of the game!

The more I think about what you say, the more confused I get!

The strangest thing is, unless I'm forgetting someone, during the 15 or so years Australia dominated Test cricket I don't recall us playing an all rounder at all other than in a very rare one off situation. I can even remember players like Blewett, Bevan, Lehman, and Martyn rolling down some overs to give the bowlers a break. This obsession only started in the last few years.

Like everything else CA has introduced in recent years, if something doesn't work they don't bin it and try something else, they focus on doing it more and more and more to the point where they don't focus on anything else. See their influence sports scientists have had on the bowling loads the fast bowlers are allowed carry and the continually increasing injury counts as another example.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Australia vs England

The strangest thing is, unless I'm forgetting someone, during the 15 or so years Australia dominated Test cricket I don't recall us playing an all rounder at all other than in a very rare one off situation. I can even remember players like Blewett, Bevan, Lehman, and Martyn rolling down some overs to give the bowlers a break. This obsession only started in the last few years.

Like everything else CA has introduced in recent years, if something doesn't work they don't bin it and try something else, they focus on doing it more and more and more to the point where they don't focus on anything else. See their influence sports scientists have had on the bowling loads the fast bowlers are allowed carry and the continually increasing injury counts as another example.

Funny thing (well not really) is that the key staff at CA will be judged on TV tights, sponsorship, income and so. Maybe if Sutherland was judged on performance like Mickey Arthur was something would happen. It seems winning is a secondary consideration from my personal perspective, see our Ashes prep is in India in long form 20/20's.

[lemmon]

Re: Australia vs England

Sounds like it will be Johnson and George as the two selections. Cutting can count himself unlucky after his display in the tour game I'd have thought

[Bornadog]

Re: Australia vs England

Sounds like it will be Johnson and George as the two selections. Cutting can count himself unlucky after his display in the tour game I'd have thought

Yep just announced.

Clarke (c) Bailey Faulkner Haddin (vc) Harris Johnson Lyon Rogers Siddle Smith Warner Watson

[Bornadog]

Re: Australia vs England

We need to have a settled batting line up from openers through to 6. Clark has to decide where the hell is he going to play.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Australia vs England

How I'd have it (what I would've picked)

Warner
Rogers (Hughes)
Watson (a specialist no 3)
Clarke
Bailey
Smith
Haddin (Wade)
Johnson
Siddle
Harris
Lyon (Agar)
* Faulkner

[LostDoggy]

Re: Australia vs England

Rogers caressed about 200 runs in the shield game just gone

[bulldogtragic]

Re: Australia vs England

Rogers caressed about 200 runs in the shield game just gone

= Daniel Cross

Too old to be in the rebuild. Hughes can play test cricket, he needs a series at home on pitches he scored a heap of runs. Play him as an opener and only that. Let him settle there for a series he should score runs in, then if he still fails, then make him score 1,000 next shield season.

The way they have thrown him around is like Talia playing a few ify games down back, so they play him on ball where it just doesn't work, so they drop him again. I'm not happy with the way they have developed him.

[Happy Days]

Re: Australia vs England

= Daniel Cross

Too old to be in the rebuild. Hughes can play test cricket, he needs a series at home on pitches he scored a heap of runs. Play him as an opener and only that. Let him settle there for a series he should score runs in, then if he still fails, then make him score 1,000 next shield season.

The way they have thrown him around is like Talia playing a few ify games down back, so they play him on ball where it just doesn't work, so they drop him again. I'm not happy with the way they have developed him.

Dude it's the Ashes, use every single other series to rebuild.

[Bornadog]

Re: Australia vs England

Dude it's the Ashes, use every single other series to rebuild.

Agree - as I said we have to settle the team in particular the openers and the third bat.

Who would you play at 3 given the squad.

[Happy Days]

Re: Australia vs England

Agree - as I said we have to settle the team in particular the openers and the third bat.

Who would you play at 3 given the squad.

Clarke.

Mainly because I have zero faith in anyone else, not the least of which whoever they choose to pair with Buck.

I think with the current make up of the side, you need to have a guy at 3 who leaves us with the least susceptibility of a double break (note - Watson making 20 off 16 does not placate here). And with Warner presumably opening up there'll be more than a few failures to go with his successes.

Ideally Clarke bats where he wants, but we have to maximise our resources. I feel more comfortable with him in under pressure than Watson.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Australia vs England

So we have another summer of Brad Haddin.
To be fair to him I haven't followed the team form in the winter but is he really still the only option behind the stumps???

[Remi Moses]

Re: Australia vs England

Yes and we have Brad Haddin and George Bailey in the side.
But George has great "White ball" form in India!
England bowlers will be lining up to bowl to him

[Bornadog]

Re: Australia vs England

Yes and we have Brad Haddin and George Bailey in the side.
But George has great "White ball" form in India!
England bowlers will be lining up to bowl to him

Went out cheaply today.

[jeemak]

Re: Australia vs England

This is a serious question.

What is the governance structure of Australian Cricket? Who decides the strategic direction of the game in this country?

James Sutherland is copping a fair bit right now, and as far as I can tell, a lot of it is fair enough. But like Vlad in the AFL he must have masters. So how does it work?

If this isn't the place for the question fair enough.

On topic.

I think Clarke should always remain at four. He's out best bat and our best stroke maker. Your best of the latter normally lands at four, and for the most part, we seem to get to that player coming in pretty quickly these days so I'd prefer he's protected for as long as possible and if someone above him can carve out runs then great.