Australian Cricket - Crisis, What Crisis ??

[malo]

Torn pec.

Close enough to the Heart....

[DamonBlue]

Have this horrible feeling they will take Siddle...... , reckon Burns will tour also and open with Warner to have the right/left opening partnership, he is also a decent field unlike Khawaja..
Not sure on Wade either...doesnt seem in the selectors minds to me...might spring a surprise and take another younger keeper or a batsman who can keep like Handscomb.
Agree on Patterson...would bat him at No 3......
England were terrible vs the Windies and we should start favorites unless we stuff up at the selection table and Langar picks his favs....

I like Laj's side, but I tend to agree with EB about Burns and Warner opening. Feel a bit for Harris - he's done pretty well and will be unlucky to miss out.

I frankly don't know what to do with Khawaja - such a frustrating player. He reminds me to an extent of Junior Waugh - plenty of talent and nice to watch but loses his wicket to stupid shots, too often. Interestingly, they have almost exactly the same average - 41ish. I'd keep him in for now, but give Purcovski a crack at some point, although he has some mental health issues again. Poor kid.

I've got absolutely no confidence in Wade. I realise it's not entirely rational, but I just don't believe in him. So, no for me. I'm not all convinced about Stoinis either and have Head just ahead of him.

I think we need to take Hazelwood, otherwise we have a pretty inexperienced pace attack that could crumble under pressure. Starc  out over there - no problem with that, other than that we might miss his batting! I'd take Richardson over Pattinson at this stage.

So, my side atm is:

Warner
Burns
Patterson
Smith
Khawaja
Head
Paine
Cummins
Lyon
Richardson
Hazelwood

Can't agree that we'll be favourites. Anderson puts their bowling well ahead of ours over there and there should be question marks about Warner's and Smith's ability to just step back into their past form.

[ElwoodBlues1]

One half decent game against B-Grade opponents and Starc is out injured!

Starc, Marsh and Marsh, when will the selectors learn?

B grade would be over generous...more like E-D grade.....Lankans were terrible.....

[DamonBlue]

And Hanscomb? .... There are some things I like about him, but no way. Selecting someone for an England tour who can't get onto his front foot, or even out his crease, should be an indictable offence. The only exception I can think of is Damien Martyn and Pete's well short of that quality.

[LP]

And Hanscomb? .... There are some things I like about him, but no way. Selecting someone for an England tour who can't get onto his front foot, or even out his crease, should be an indictable offence. The only exception I can think of is Damien Martyn and Pete's well short of that quality.

Not sure what they are doing here, Handscomb has made a pile of runs in the UK in the past but not recently.

Hard to see other than playing the long game that selection is justified, Handscomb is still probably the front line option to Captain. I think hard numbers and form suggest that Wade has all these potential middle order batsmen comfortably covered at the moment. So I suspect there is a bit of politics involved, maybe there is no room for both Paine and Wade and the ACB have made their choice!

[malo]

I frankly don't know what to do with Khawaja - such a frustrating player. He reminds me to an extent of Junior Waugh - plenty of talent and nice to watch but loses his wicket to stupid shots, too often. Interestingly, they have almost exactly the same average - 41ish.

Interesting that average compared to M Waugh......although I always felt that despite his laconic style & regular easy out shots, M Waugh had this knack of scoring runs when the side reaaaallllly needed it.

And, I for one, agree with that side...apart from Khawaja, but I agree that he'll get the nod.

Cummins is the key over there.  You don't need huge swingers of the ball, that's the mistake Hazelwood made last time he toured, you need good pace, seam up, right areas.  That's all Stuart Broad has done...and I would argue that he's always been more dangerous against us in those conditions than Anderson ever has.

[DamonBlue]

Interesting that average compared to M Waugh......although I always felt that despite his laconic style & regular easy out shots, M Waugh had this knack of scoring runs when the side reaaaallllly needed it.

Agree with that Malo. Ussie certainly lacks in that area.

[Professer E]

Yep,  other than one feted example "cameos" Khawaja is all too often front and centre in a collapses, typically to a slack shot.   Like Sean Marsh,  i don't trust him to make runs, but view any contribution as a bonus.

[malo]

Yep,  other than one feted example "cameos" Khawaja is all too often front and centre in a collapses, typically to a slack shot.   Like Sean Marsh,  i don't trust him to make runs, but view any contribution as a bonus.

We just need a bloke coming at 3 who can stop 1 for 10  becoming 2 for 10 most of the time !!!

[spf]

I know it's early in his career, but Patterson for mine should bat number 3. He does for NSW, and has done for several years. He has the technique and temperament to handle that spot.

[DamonBlue]

I know it's early in his career, but Patterson for mine should bat number 3. He does for NSW, and has done for several years. He has the technique and temperament to handle that spot.

I agree, spf. See my side above. That puts Khawaja at 5, however (after Smith) and I'm still not sure about that.

[ElwoodBlues1]

Yep,  other than one feted example "cameos" Khawaja is all too often front and centre in a collapses, typically to a slack shot.   Like Sean Marsh,  i don't trust him to make runs, but view any contribution as a bonus.

Agree....he is way too unreliable to be coming at No 3 and IMO doesnt deserve a game even with that junk time 100 he scored vs the Lankans, I also dont trust him in the slips either and
we wont get away with English batsman getting second chances.
This is a good chance to beat a weak England team going through a rebuild themselves....they ended up with three keepers in their top seven batsman vs the Windies and are a rabble
waiting to be clobbered IMO and we cant afford to let them off the hook by poor selections in key positions.
Also agree with the comments on Cummins..probably our matchwinning player who we need to cotton wool and not risk in any short format games...we need him cherry ripe for the ashes...

[Professer E]

Khawaja dropped two slips catches recently, further proof that his head isn't right IMO.

Anybody going to England MUST be playing the shield season out, - no questions, just do it.  Of the "potentials" list, Pattinson (the Vic bowler) is one to watch.

Cummins is a critical player, he shouldn't be wasted in mickey mouse short format games on dead pitches, we have plenty of workhorse bowlers to use for that job.  You don't drive a Ferrari to the garden centre to collect a 1/4 cube of sand.

[Milhanna13]

This is a good chance to beat a weak England team going through a rebuild themselves....they ended up with three keepers in their top seven batsman vs the Windies and are a rabble

Yup - 1st test was 3 keepers, 3 batsman, 4 allrounders and 1 bowler... hopefully they keep up that selection sh1t in August

[LP]

One has to wonder if the recent better form of the cricket team is a result of the selectors backing them in and removing the ever present spectre of the Smith and Warner apparatchiks white-anting the current players!

I want Smith and Warner back, but not until the positions have been earned, and not as part of the leadership group, forever more they must remain worker bees. Smith should be Australia's version of a Dhoni consultancy forever more, Warner best shut the feck up and bat like a man possessed!