Test XI Selection Thread

Top Contributors
James Anderson is the best bowler in the world and he is going to tear Australia apart in this series. His bowling in India when he lead the English to a series win was magnificent. Stump to stump bowler with the perfect amount of movement.

Faulkner made 54 last night and yet again a bowler has to get us out of trouble. I noticed that Siddle made his maiden first class 100 on tour.

We currently have the best 23 or 24 Australian cricketers in the UK with the one day tournament and frankly it still looks like the Poms are heading to white wash series win. Aside from Clarke, I can't see who is going to stand up and make some runs. Warner is not upto Test cricket and Anderson & Co will have a field day with him especially the way he dangles his bat at everything.Watson is bowling again. How many times has he broken down? Are these people morons? If Watson breaks down again and misses any matches then people have to lose their jobs. Hughes, well his moment has come. He has made lots of runs in domestic cricket in the UK, but again his technique is going to struggle against the seaming ball. Haddin is a backward step. Why do I suspect that Ricky ponting will get a call up at some stage of the tour? If he does then it will bring back memories of Bob Simpson being recalled as Australian Captain.The only toruble is that there is no World Series Cricket to blame; just pathetic administrators and frauds who pretend to be coaches who believe that a good cricketer must be an elite athlete first and a cricketer second. Anyway it is comforting to know that all of these duds are guaranteed a windfall from the current Television rights.
 
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cricketn...itewash-australia-in-the-ashes/397663-78.html
This article from Botham is unfortunately on the money. I agree with Clocker, Clarke is a loss as a bat but not as a leader and as a personality has cost Australian cricket much over the last few seasons. I don't see anyone falling over themselves to tell us how good a bloke he is. The talent is there it just needs to be lead and prepared for the job and the current structure is a disaster with selection unclear, leadership weak and coaching directionless. But who knows, maybe some of these young players will find some spine and show that they want it after all.
 
Botham is just stirring s**t like usual, as ordinary as the Australia team is atm he wouldn't really think they will win 5-0.
 
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket...ation-with-england-player-20130612-2o431.html
The 'Days of our lives' drama session with the bored media continues. No one condones fighting, after all anything that much fun must be bad for you, but where is the media on this one. Finally someone steps up and shows some passion and the media knifes him. Yep it was a dopey move but please, if we even think we are in for a shot in the ashes we need more backbone and less show pony. Come on boys step up and show some spine and as for the media, fall down a deep hole. Really the media are really lost in sensation and self indulgence.
 
- Cowan
- Rogers
- Khawaja
- Watson
- Clarke
- Warner
- Haddin +
- Harris
- Starc
- Pattinson
- Lyon

Hughes is crap, and Bird unlucky not to get a start.
 
From what has been released from the UK, Warner got annoyed at how young Joe Root was carrying on at 2.00am in a pub after a long session. His solution was to throw a punch in what has been described as an unprovoked attack. He sounds like he would fit in well with some park cricket clubs that I know.

There is a huge opportunity for the Selectors and Cricket Australia to draw a line in the sand and send Warner home. His behaviour over the past month indicates that he has serious issues. If they fine him then they are effectively telling a young group that there are untouchables in the group. I'm betting Warner believes he is untouchable and this is about to be confirmed.

Meanwhile Sydney is to host two Major league baseball matches in Sydney and at the SCG. If Cricket Australia is not worried about the money that MLB clubs are spending in Australia then they had better start to get concerned. Another competitor that cricket does not need.
 
Not only should Warner be more mature...he should also know that he's on thin ice or should be anyway in the team after very average results in all formats for Australia. Having said that, he'll probably get off lightly and not be dropped.
 
I don't know why they used the term 'unprovoked' with this sort of stuff. Warner is a knob and I'm sure it's something really stupid but Root must've done something to tick Warner off and throw a punch.
 
They use the term unprovoked because that was the situation. Root was wearing a Green & Gold wig as a beard when sh*t for brains tried to grab it then threw the punch. The old defense that he provoked is no longer valid. How many cowards have escaped prison using that lame excuse to try and justify beating up a or killing a woman. He should not have been out at 02.00am. He is a professional cricketer getting paid 500K a year. He is not a teenager on an end of season trip. Send him home and teach him and the rest a lesson. If you step out of line, your career is on the line.
 
OOO yes lets beat up on Warner now he has made a goose of himself. Warners behaviour is somewhat plain and lacking control but the recent out burst at the media stinks much more of the failing team situation and management than anything else. He clearly felt there would be no defence from the leadership just as the leadership did not ensure the team was not out drinking at 2am. The point is the team is lacking leadership all round in management, selection and leadership it is just not there. I can see Warner and Watson walking away to earn big money in T20 around the world just as Simons did when he had had a gut full of pup.
 
lol so now it's somehow is Clarke's fault? Warner is a grown man, what is Clarke supposed to do, follow him around England holding his hand?

Your hatred of Clarke is a bit weird, he's the least of Australian cricket's problems atm. And what are you on about with Symonds?? The guy is a clown, he turned up to a game pissed for christ's sake when Ponting was leading the team
 
Kram81 said:
lol so now it's somehow is Clarke's fault? Warner is a grown man, what is Clarke supposed to do, follow him around England holding his hand?

Your hatred of Clarke is a bit weird, he's the least of Australian cricket's problems atm. And what are you on about with Symonds?? The guy is a clown, he turned up to a game pissed for christ's sake when Ponting was leading the team
Click to expand...

http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-new...source=ig&utm_medium=news&utm_campaign=gadget
Warner has been fined and suspended till the first test. Not sure where it goes for him might be a good break.

Yep can not stand Clarke. Best bat we have by far and most divisive member by far. I was prepared to give him a go but his time has seen the decay of the team. It is like quite a few footy coaches you see, everyone loves them and hails them but there team always goes backwards. There is no cohesion in this team, they don't play for each other and it is getting to be more and more obvious they don't care much for what is going on. Talk this week that they would recall Ponting and Katich if Clarke is injured for the Ashes was a laugh but also a good sign that there is much wrong and little confidence in Clarke. I am amazed at the simplistic love affair many have with him, he is no captain. As for Symonds, yep he was well hung over and it was dealt with and the guy performed excellently after that. He respected Ponting but as soon as Clarke took up the ODI job he was done with it. The Katich incident and sacking are further examples that Clarke is a Hughes figure, loved by the establishment but not the team. Aus cricket will continue to struggle until he is gone. Right now i can see Warner, Watson, Hughes and Khawaja all on the edge of loosing interest, they have all been stuffed around by bad selection, poor leadership and Clarke's gutless hiding out at 5. I suppose Watsons spit in India was all fairy dust as well. Each players behaviour was questionable but there is one common denominator, Clarke.
 
I know that he didn't have good shield season but I wish that they would consider George Bailey for the Ashes, experienced and could easily lift to the challenge of Test level plus he has the leadership credentials if something happens with Clarke.
 
I can see Warner, Watson & Hughes probably being forced out of Test Cricket by the end of the year.
Warner is not upto Test Cricket. Watson is quickly embelishing his flat track bully reputation and with the ball seaming around his technique will be found out. Hughes will struggle as soon as the bowlers come around the wicket and keep it full. He will not be able to score. Bailey is better suited to Test cricket, and should be given a chance. Not sure why they took Khawaja. He failed to play a Test in India and his attitude has been poor. What's changed since India to make the selectors believe he is a reformed player? Predictably Warner was lashed with a piece of wet lettuce. Now he is banned from playing any further matches until the first Test. This should mean that he is automatically out of contention for the 1st Test due to his lack of match practice, or does it? He is one of Clarke's favourites so let's wait and see.
 
Khawaja is overrated for mine, really prone to getting bogged down against quality bowling which he's sure to face at Test level especially over there against England.
 
http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/641869.html
well finally some good news with Taylor joining the board. I would love to see Border as coach and then we might see some real action toward rebuilding. I see lots of down for the younger players but in the end when you are at the bottom you need to form a team and stand hard against the odds. This was what got the team moving forward in the late eighties. Back then you would not have rated Marsh and Jones was a show pony but they got together and some tough love from Simpson and Border carved a team from very little talent. That team was the spin that grew the future with kids like Steve Waugh who didn't look like much at all for the first few years. I remember when they went to England in 89 with players like Waugh and Taylor who had not really done what needed to be done but with all the hard work that was going on in the back ground managed to achieve the unthinkable. The current team have the ability but lack the structure and leadership and management to perform to their potential. Let's hope the corner will be turned soon.
 
nairbe said:
Back then you would not have rated Marsh
Click to expand...

Not sure if is directed towards me and what I said about Khawaja? There's a difference between taking your time like a Geoff Marsh or an Ed Cowan and getting totally bogged down and not turning the strike over at all when faced with top end bowling.
 
Kram81 said:
Not sure if is directed towards me and what I said about Khawaja? There's a difference between taking your time like a Geoff Marsh or an Ed Cowan and getting totally bogged down and not turning the strike over at all when faced with top end bowling.
Click to expand...

When Geoff Marsh first came into the team he was plain asleep most of the time. He developed slowly and was eventually a solid opener. This time has not been afforded to Khawaja. he has been shifted and shafted to the point that he has now been around for a while and you would think he should have settled but how was he to achieve that. As for the latest, apparently it was Watson that put Warner in and pushed management to be more harsh than they were going to. Well that would be it for me, i would be off looking to play somewhere else and a firm word or two for Watson would be in line. This team management is a joke, i am unable to understand how anyone can not see the toxic force Clarke is to this team, no one has respect for the team and they seem not to careless what anyone else thinks either. Tell me how that is not a total failure by the captain.
 
Well with all the comings and goings it could be a good chance to reset the team, how about

Watson
Cowan
Rogers
Hughes
Clarke
Khawaja
Haddin
Harris
Bird
Pattinson
Lyon
 
CLOCKER said:
I can see Warner, Watson & Hughes probably being forced out of Test Cricket by the end of the year.
Warner is not upto Test Cricket. Watson is quickly embelishing his flat track bully reputation and with the ball seaming around his technique will be found out. Hughes will struggle as soon as the bowlers come around the wicket and keep it full. He will not be able to score. Bailey is better suited to Test cricket, and should be given a chance. Not sure why they took Khawaja. He failed to play a Test in India and his attitude has been poor. What's changed since India to make the selectors believe he is a reformed player? Predictably Warner was lashed with a piece of wet lettuce. Now he is banned from playing any further matches until the first Test. This should mean that he is automatically out of contention for the 1st Test due to his lack of match practice, or does it? He is one of Clarke's favourites so let's wait and see.
Click to expand...

Warner will not get to play a proper game of cricket in the lead up to the Ashes and other batsman like Rogers, Cowan, Hughes and Watson will get a chance to go ahead of him in the pecking order. That is a harsh but fair punishment, the Ashes are what Australian cricketers all dream about. Now Warner has put his chances of playing in the first Test in jeopardy. Warner will know he has stuffed up and let the team down. People make mistakes, even Ricky Ponting got involved in a fight in a pub when he was young. Clarke has said Warner is training hard. Lets see how Warner bounces back from this instead of criticising Clarke.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top