CD (career death) Day today!
every man with a keyboard and his dog with an iphone is writing about the impending Australian team selection today.
for mine the best comments are coming from those associated with the England team and the WA coach.
"If you're chopping and changing a lot, people can play for their individual spots instead of playing for the team," said England keeper Prior.
i have an opinion on this, IT IS ABSOLUTE CRAP! short of deliberately running out a team mate that may be in consideration over you- which is stupid, because you are already in the side- how does this statement even work?. if people are playing their best (for whatever reason) then we are getting what we need from them. So thanks for trying to be helpful Prior, helpful like a hangnail!
Former RSA coach Arthur added something too, "Right now is the time to calm everything down, it's not the time to start putting players under the microscope," said Arthur, now coach of Western Australia. I'd say he doesn't want North back!
What a stupid thing to say, now is EXACTLY the time to be getting the critical eye going.
Ponting too came up with a good one on a radio sound bite, claiming North should still be in the side. Ok Punter, if you really think so, he can have your spot!
As all eyes look towards the SA and NSW match it appears Smith, Ferguson and Hauritz are all doing enough there to go to the head of the class come next week... we'll see!
yeah! i'm PO'd at the moment!
stoph verismo
down the wicket
If Ponting loves North so much have the guts to pick him as a specialist spinner and pick another batsman; cos you'll need one if you keep picking that idiot.
ReplyDeleteRoger Hole here ...
ReplyDeleteTime to come clean on the side I'd like to see the selectors pick for Perth ... careful there, I'm not saying this is the side they will pick. Someone asked me today, "if you were Andrew Hilditch, what would you do?" Shoot myself ... perhaps too harsh, so I suggested I'd go back to the law, immediately and be thankful to have lasted past England 09.
Here's my side:
Shane Watson
Shaun Marsh
Ricky Ponting (C)
Michael Clarke
Michael Hussey
Brad Haddin
Steve Smith
Nathan Hauritz
Mark Cameron
Ben Hilfenhaus
Ryan Harris
12th man could be a local lad but perhaps Usman Khawaja should be there to remind the established batsmen that one is gone and another waits. The other man in a squad of thirteen would be Peter Siddle.
I know Marsh is a graduate of ODI where he has done well but his four day form has been handy for the West, including 137 and 89 against the Croweaters in Adelaide a month ago. He's used to being in the Australian side and he keeps the left/right comb going at the top. I know there are many who feel Phil Hughes is short changed but he's had several turns and despite making runs on occasions, he always looks likely to keep the slips excited and in Perth, he meets an opponent who has his measure.
Haddin can't be damaged by moving up a spot and Smith would better suited at 7 for the time being. He's no Warne - who is - but he provides a bowling variation England traditionally dislike. Hauritz has done everything and more to allow the selectors to backflip on their own version of the Brisbane Line. Harris and Siddle should be retained in the squad because at stages they have worried the Englishmen. Siddle just needs "that spell" in Brisbane played to him over and over and over until he realises his best work happens when he pitches beyond the six metre mark. Cameron is a comer who will be better for the run against England in Hobart. He's no spring chicken but quicks are usually at their best in the second half of their twenties. He and Harris given the red cherry, would provide some hurry up at either end and as has been proven by all the finest fast bowlers, it always works better when there is pressure at the other end. Hilfenhaus had done little wrong in Brisbane and his axing in Adelaide was a surprise. He would be the best man to use the Freemantle Doctor as he is our best swing bowler.
Four changes, once forced by Katich have a Greek hero's foot and these others by common sense and a desire to start building future Australian teams. The side has a deeper batting line up and a better balanced attack. I don't think it will win but change has to happen in stages so that the new learn the best things from the old ... things which include how much it hurts to lose and how much better it feels to win.
I can't see how this side could do any worse than the troops in Adelaide.
that is pretty much the squad i'd pick too Lango, i don't know enough about Cameron so that is the only slot i'll leave up in the air... at the moment.
ReplyDeletethe Haddin/Smith thing should work, but on the back of his last innings maybe Huary could bat at 3 and everyone drop down one more spot.
if we loose at Perth, do you think i'll be "asked to leave" the G if i spark up an effigy of Hilditch?
...or maybe i'd be cannonised and asked to have a bowl!
I can't say Marsh deserves a spot over Hughes who I think was hard done by being dropped last time. Who knows where he'd be in terms of form had they stuck with him. I wouldn't like to see Hauritz and Smith in the same side although I will admit that I haven't seen to much of Smith but I think Hauritz is a liability in Perth. My side.
ReplyDeleteWatson
Hughes
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey M
Hussey D
Haddin
Johnson
Siddle
Harris
Hilfenhaus
Stuff it, let's go with the four pronged pace attack and a couple of part time tweakers.
Cricket Australia's NSP has named a 12-man squad for the 3rd Ashes Test starting at the WACA next Thursday. Phillip Hughes comes in for the injured Simon Katich, Marcus North has been replaced by Steven Smith and Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilenhaus have also returned. The surprise inclusion is Michael Beer while Doug Bollenger and Xavier Doherty have both been left out.
ReplyDeleteAt least Beer is a Victorian...
ReplyDeletecomments from Hilditch:
ReplyDelete"Steve Smith replaces Marcus North in the 12-man squad," Hilditch said. "This is obviously disappointing for Marcus who has played some outstanding Test innings for Australia but it was felt to be the right time to bring the exciting prospect Steve Smith into the Test team.
either he is a complete idiot, or is in love with North, or he thinks everyone else is an idiot.
how about being honest with something like: "yes, we have been disappointed with Marcus' performances and believe now is the time to take him out of the squad, we wish him all the best...yarda yarda!"
Hauritz must be seething as Beer has done very little (in two innings has an aggregate of 5/207) and is now spinner #10 since Warne. guys, the player we forgot when working them all out was Hogg.
Nos, in your team who are the part-timers? Clarke has no chance of bowling so it's David Hussey and that's it! I must admit I like your team but without a spinner to bowl a shit load of overs I reckon Strauss, Cook and KP will murder that attack. Could be said they would any attack at the minute. It seems to me that selectors are not willing to go new guys when it comes to the pace attack. I don't mind what they've done but why the hell pick Beer who has as much experience as Doherty? With young batsmen and quicks you can get some raw enthusiasm that brings runs and wickets but spinners need time to ply their trade. Hauritz is desperately unlucky to miss out as he's the only guy who's played the big stage enough. It's hard to see Beer making the 12 so Smith must be expected to bowl a shitload. This spells danger for all concerned. Poor bloke. You just hope he's told (and believes) 'don't worry about it - just go out there and what happens happens'. No Kahawaja or Ferguson!
ReplyDeleteThe advantage of Marsh was they might not have had a plan for him. Yipee, another left arm greek orthodox ... like we need more of them in the game!
ReplyDeleteBeen searching the first class arena for a couple of hours trying to find Skittles, S
You're right Lango but I still reckon if your plan is to bowl short at a guy then the batsman is an idiot if he gets out to it by playing shots he shouldn't or can't do. The ball is not going to hit your stumps so hit it, let it hit you, or get out of the way. I don't really have a pull shot but I never get out to a ball in that area which exposes a weakness of mine. They can bowl as much as they want there and I'll paddle it around the corner, let it hit me or sway/duck. But I won't play a half-shot. Surely Hughes is good enough to know how to deal with this now. If he compulsively cuts balls that he shouldn't then he also shouldn't be playing for Aus. I'm so keen to see how he goes! Smith is doing very well for NSW too so this adds to his confidence. Even though they're both from NSW it'd be great to see them put up a fight.
ReplyDeleteNice to see Hughes celebrate his addition to the squad with a 9 ball duck today.
ReplyDeleteWhy pick the squad now? there are 1st class matches happening there is no rush. D. Hussey got a 60 N.O against England B, one of the attack will play in Perth.
Beer is the selection everyone is talking about, it doesn't instill any confidence in any of the other slow bowlers does it?
I just hope Beer goes off tap and gets a 6 pack, I mean 6 for.
I am warming to the effigy idea Stoph...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYou censor yourself nearly as much as I (the rest of this sentence has been pulled by the author).
ReplyDeleteI'll tell you the truth Outey. I am incredibly anal about my spelling and grammatical errors and the post contained a few so I pulled it. Don't ask me why it's just the way I am.
ReplyDeleteI have only recently discovered if you log in then you don't get a chance to see the preview if you just press "Post comment"
i read it, and it was ok.
ReplyDeletewhat's bizarre is i studied Writing and Editing, and i'm the laziest of the lot of us!
as i always say, why i prefer language over maths: maths is pure, but if you know the rules of language you can break em!
Spelling errors. Like I said, I am completely anal about it. Not that I judge others, although your complete lack of CAPITALS Stoph pushes a few of my buttons, but I don't think any less of you. Email and texting is ruining the craft of writing and the sublety of language. I predict in twenty years texting abbreviations will actually be in the dictionary if they aren't already.
ReplyDeleteo phil, australia doesnt care about wot i rite!!!!!!
ReplyDeletewen we all rlax, u 2 can b hppy!!!!!
My point exactly. Even as I read it I weep for the next generations.
ReplyDeleteA picture may tell a thousand words, but not if they are the right words.
LOL!
ReplyDeleteLMAO!
RAOTFL!
Giggity
or if it's out of focus
ReplyDeleteGetting back to the cricket ... it's not Hughes supposed weakness agianst the short ball England will expose. All they have to do is point the ball at the slips and the little bloke will do the rest. All of his five or six dismissals this season in SS have been behind or slips. Haven't checked his Test record but I remember quite a few there too.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of David Hussey but prefer the bowling variation Smith gives the team.