Carlton Supporters Club

South Africa with proper funding and management would be a force in world cricket but are in danger of being owned by India and becoming an irrelevant cricket colony.
The old cricket boys club is alive and well with its HQ in NSW, as people have always said its hard to get into the inner sanctum but once you get in its even harder to get pushed out.

I caught the tail end of an interview with Kim Hughes on SEN this arvo, the bloke was absolutely furious over the promotion of Smith to open as well as the non selection of highest domestic run makers like Bancroft.

Had a look through the West Indies line-up and recent Aus XI game. This is my take on their 1st Test line-up for Adelaide:

01.Kraigg Brathwaite
02.Joshua Da Silva
03.Tagenarine Chanderpaul
04.Alick Athanaze
05.Kirk McKenzie
06.Kavem Hodge
07.Justin Greaves
08.Kemar Roach
09.Alzarri Joseph
10.Gudakesh Motie
11.Shamar Joseph

They experimented with Da Silva opening and I like the look of them more with Chanderpaul at number 3 (given the choices).

GTC...Its a bit of WA vs Cricket Australia at the moment, in the old days form and runs in Shield cricket got you selected but now its about who the inner sanctum want in the team as much as anything else and its clear that Bancroft isnt wanted even though he has been the leading run getter for the last two seasons.
Smith will probably make it look a good move vs the hapless Windies who are struggling vs some no name team in their tour game and Bailey will get the kudos but long term its not a good move and we should be introducing younger players for the future.

This WA against the rest stuff is pretty funny, when you see Bancroft was overlooked for Cam Green (WA)!!!   

I know they are upset that Renshaw is in the 13, but really he is a concussion sub, and prob seen as a better replacement for anyone in the top 6 - do you really get this upset over someone being picked as a drinks carrier over someone from your state

This WA against the rest stuff is pretty funny, when you see Bancroft was overlooked for Cam Green (WA)!!!   

I know they are upset that Renshaw is in the 13, but really he is a concussion sub, and prob seen as a better replacement for anyone in the top 6 - do you really get this upset over someone being picked as a drinks carrier over someone from your state

The selection process is skewed to who the inner sanctum want in the team and has nothing to do with form or stats it seems...

Green is a good mate of Nathan Lyon and might as well be a NSW player given he hardly every plays for WA. He lost his place to fellow WA allrounder in Mitch Marsh and should have been dropped out of the squad because his form isnt that great.
His only decent test innings was on the flattest track of all time in India where both teams made big scores, his record isnt as good as Shane Watson who averaged more with the bat and had a lower bowling average and also had a greater degree of difficulty having to open the innings on many occasions.
Renshaw is averaging 31 in Shield cricket this season...if we are talking batsman in form and who can roll their arm over you would be picking Beau Webster who is averaging 71 or Nathan McSweeney with 45.
The selection process is skewed to who the inner sanctum want in the team and has nothing to do with form or stats it seems...

Green's record in Shield cricket is pretty good, when he plays.  If you are looking for the next best batsman, from the Shield, based on records, then it is either Bancroft or Green

It's hard to get a read on the Windies, at the moment they have a "surprise" aspect to the match in that our lot aren't exposed to them that much.

There was a lot of chest thumping from some Aussie support sectors after the Day 1 bowling performance, but now it's looking like that was a par effort given the situation we are in against at best an OK attack. Maybe I'm not given the Windies bowlers credit where credit is due.