Hope Cachia plays...be madness if he doesnt IMO and another in a long line of MC stuff ups. Its obviously warmer up on the GC and Ablett will wear out taggers quicker than most wear out shoes..you would have to think they will rotate fresh players on him to at least keep him down to a reasonable game only.
Bootsma is still learning the game and I always have that nervous feeling when he plays down back......like to see him play on the wing in a more attacking role.
Rogers is 35 and too old......we need to develop a younger opener who has a sound technique and thats not Warner or Hughes either. Jordan Silk is a player who I would develop like England have done with Joe Root, good fielder as well......troublemakers like Warner, Watson etc would be finished at test level if it was me coaching/selecting and it would a few years of pain developing a young team but what we have at the moment is a fire fighting band aid approach that wont ever deliver long term sustained success.
I actually think Khawaja and Silk might be a decent opening combo....the former has a sound technique but doesnt have enough shots for me to bat at No 3 and can get bogged down but has the ability to grind and apply himself .
Calls to play Wade as a specialist bat are insane. Has zero idea of playing spin. Zero.
Correct....it never works playing the reserve keeper as a batsman only and is a move reserved for desperate teams only.....akin to playing ruckman as a FF.
I remember Wicketkeeper Richie Robinson from Victoria who was a great shield batter and was picked to play some tests as a specialist batsman with Rod Marsh I think it was as the keeper.....Robinson failed and its a dumb move. Only AB Devilliers has proven a success and he was/is a part time keeper who played second fiddle to Boucher but was never seen as a frontline keeper and you are talking about a freak multitalented sportsman anyway.
I guess the only other I can think of his Kumar Sangakarra who gave away keeping to be a specialist batter but his batting is in the elite category unlike Wades...
This whole problem is a result of that weak c#%t bending over for the Indians. Tell em to take their cash and shove it up their ass.
No more champions league trophy prior to a Test Series
Pick a 16 man squad for Test and one day cricket. Proper cricketers, not Glen Maxwell, X Doherty or Clint McKay. Guys who might become champions of the long game.
Fark off the BIG BASH crap.
If they (CA) are serious about getting back the Ashes, they would cancel the frigging OD series vs India that's been slotted in between the two series !......get ALL the players back in Australia & tell them they ALL MUST play every single shield game (at least 3-4) before the 1st Test in Brisbane.......Test team to be picked on performances in these games.
You reckon that'll ever happen ?
Good point.....but it wont happen...IPL and its spin offs have ruined test cricket...players like Chris Gayle started the rot by giving test cricket the finger and going for the money. The only Aus player not really playing IPL has been Clarke and he has been the only Aus player to produce in recent years.....once you get bozo's like Glen Maxwell playing test cricket you know we have hit rock bottom. IPL playing cricketers wouldnt be at the top of my selection list either, obviously you dont ignore the real champs like Steyn, Dhoni, Clarke, Cook, Smith etc who produce in all forms of cricket but I would be sending a message that bit part IPL players are not test cricketers and wont ever get picked in test squads.. An example would be Agar..if he decided to play IPL then I would be telling him you wont be playing for Australia....
The selectors have a lot to answer for, not just on a Test by Test basis, but the actual make up of this touring squad, its a complete disaster, embarrassment and bordering on a national disgrace.
I agree.
How many years have they had to plan this?
mickey Mouse operation.
We are paying for the sins of the past. Changes that are being implemented will take time to filter through.
Hate to say it but it's all about generation next and trying to build a team to 'stabilise' Australian cricket until then.
On a positive note: Ryan Harris has been great. I think Jackson Bird will come in for the next test and they will give Pattinson a spell.
Negative note: Ashton Agar got another 98 (this time bowling) and Shane Watson has been worked out by England. Harsh to say it but Watson will be picked off now until he fixes the problem and you cannot fix those type of issues out the middle (ask Phil Hughes). Interesting to note those who don't like Ed Cowan he has similar figures to Watson although Watson bowls which is the saving grace.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Agar left out for the next test (Smith to offer the spin option) and maybe play Faulkner as a left arm accurate option who can bat. If they go that way the seamers would be Harris, Siddle, Bird and Faulkner with spin from Smith. Australia also get another batting option.
Whichever way they go they have to strengthen the batting. I noted that our combined total for this test match was 363 which only slightly bettered England's first innings total of 361. That's how far behind we are in reality and all that after Trott and Pieterson had quite games.
I think Agar might be dropped in favour of Lyon and Faulkner may come in for Pattinson who is struggling on the docile wickets......Bird is probably the better bowler but Faulkners ability with the bat given we are struggling to make runs might get him a debut test.
Be helpful if we could win the toss and bat first.....Smith and Lyon on the last day might be a handy pairing..
was just looking at the footage of MM going nuts from the boundary at walker - looked like something from a Hitler parody
Malthouse is good that way..no favourites, AW has been great all year but obviously didnt follow orders probably for not picking up Thomas and copped a bake and its should be the same for Murphy, Judd, Gibbs or any player regardless of stature at the club or previous runs on the board.
The administration in this country has focussed on developing players who are best suited to playing 20/20 which does nothing for sustaining or improving a player's technique. Their mindset is all slather and whack because they think they only have 20-overs to bat, instead, they have five days which none of them have been able to completely grasp.
The administration is wrong, the selectors are wrong, the appointment of Clarke as captain was wrong at the time, the balls-up with Mickey Arthur ........... where does it stop ??
We are faced with years of rubbish like we are seeing in England right now because of the ineptness of the current people in control of the game in this country.
Correct.....you look at Joe Root and he does all the basics right, the technique is good. Bell wont ever be thought of as a great of test cricket yet now has a decent record based on having good technique, when he comes in his bat looks a metre wide and we never look like getting him out. 20/20 cricket is park cricket and produces park cricketers with zero technique.....you watch Hughes bat and his stance is awkward, his back anglesd , never straight, good test bowlers work you out and he has been worked out.
Its fire fighting every series...players in and out of the team with no plan, we used to be the best but now South Africa lead the pack and we are getting beat by a B grade team in England... Most of us knew that when we picked Haddin we were in trouble and you have to look at the 35 year old Chris Rogers and compare that with the baby faced Joe Root....where is the upside/future in Haddin and Rogers. Even Harris is a retro move, bowled well but isnt the future......
If Clarke plays then Watson has to go and so do any of his faction unless that want follow orders and back the skipper......you cant have unrest in the camp unless you have Bradman like players who can perform on the field even if they dont get on with each other off the field and Watson aint no Bradman.
In the past 2 weeks, Lucas' game is significantly different in terms of doing the harder stuff IMO.
Agree on Lucas...probably getting less of the footy but is becoming a better player in contests both on the ground and in the air.
Yarran isnt soft IMO...just choosy when he does go.
Watson is also choosy when he decides to make an effort but I thought he gave us something vs the Kangas at different times mixed with his usual laconic manning up and lazy work ethic.
The North fans should ask their coach why, when they have more talls than we do, he didn't have one or two of them take some of the ruck to give Goldstien a break.
In the end Kreuzers's ability to cover the ground was worth more than a couple of hit outs.
A truly dumb decision.
Yep, we broke fairly even in the hitouts but Goldstein was knackered in the last quarter and couldnt even make it to some marking contests....Brad Scott is lucky he has a successful coaching twin in Chris because he is flying under the radar somewhat and North are no better than when he started with them 4 years ago. Anyone else would be on the chopping block but brother Chris being successful still has Nth fans and the board hoping Brad will be as good... His presser was defensive and this after he has a couple of weeks paying out on the players......he refused to praise Carlton apart from our good conversion early and just talked up players like Thomas and Hine. I think he might be the new Voss next at trade time and try and buy his way out of trouble but like Voss more than likely buy his way into trouble....
Manned up Ziebell ok but I thought his field kicking was terrible, missed easy targets and it detracted from his game, a good stat was his tackle count of 7.
Just one more thing. Jeffy was good again, his running power now is a sight to behold.
But if he didn't run over the footy he'd be a dead set champ.
Love this kid when he gets involved .
Still reckon Eddie was better as a sub than playing a full game this week.
Fair point...I think your sub has to be game changing player and Eddie is that type of player, Cachia did well when he came on and tackled like a demon but should have started the game IMO.. Scott Thompson matchup was interesting and I know Nth have used Thompson in the past on Eddie but I didnt think it worked for them tonight, the Nth man was their best player last week and had plenty of the ball but Eddie seemed to drag him out of the play tonight.
Kruezer was great when the heat was on, and I like the pairing of him with Rowe...the latter ran out the game well and contested everything and while not big on the stat sheet did his part and I thought his ruck work was good and in tandem they broke Goldstein. This is the pairing we need to go forward with and its a no brainer IMO that they are better footballers than Hampson, Casboult and Warnock. An example was Rowe getting the ball and kicking long from the wing to Henderson running into goal....none of the other mentioned would have made that kick work for Henderson.
You didn't mention Rowe missing a 20m in-the-clear Armfield in the last with one of the worst kicks of the night. Nup....Rowe's not for me after tonight, thought he was poor. A couple of nice-ish things in the first half, diddly squat in the 2nd half & his ruckwork is merely pedestrian. I'd still give him more game time just to be sure....but tonight, Rowe was poo.
I guess we see it different....thought he was a contributor
