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Think JL has lost the plot some what with a few of those UAE selections.....one fella gets selected after scoring a pair, whilst another goes for a 100 off 15 overs?.......can't see how Doggett gets in over Richardson TBH......Yep kinda understand the selection of the ole warhorse in Siddle, tho taking 50 odd wickets at 16 on green tops in Eng, is a tad different to taking them on some lifeless UAE dustbowl.......and JL likens the Finch selection to that of late bloomers in Mike Hussey or Adam Voges....hmmmm pretty sure the latter two had first class averages pushing up and past 50 in the long format over an extended period, not mid 30s like the former before winning their baggy greens.....has Finch been given a license to slog from the off then as he does in the white ball games.....yet Maxi doesn't get a look in?....as for Head....yep been pushing his wheelbarrow for a while to the frustration of BH and MO....tho would really like him to turn those 50s into 100s like JL told Maxi to do in his presser......unlike JL to be inconsistent in his actions TBH.......Obviously new faces were going to appear with a few regulars out, but not overly convinced with JL rationale TBH.....but happy to eat humble pie......

Maxwell I think has now been pigeon holed as a white ball player which I don't necessarily think is accurate.
I am at a loss to know why Peter Handscomb is not in the team. This is going to be a tough tour without Hazlewood and Cummins

Sheesh I always thought the Australian side between 84-86 (due to the retirements of all time greats Lillee, Marsh & G.Chappell plus the SA Rebel Tourists unavailability-Alderman, K.Hughes, Yallop, Rackemann, Hohns etc) was the worst I have seen in my 40 years but this squad heading over to the UAE to take on the Pakis now has the undisputed title!
At least we unearthed some decent cricketers from that wreckage back in 84 in the likes of S.Waugh, Boon, Jones, G.Marsh, Reid, McDermott, M.Hughes et al not sure the likes of Labushagne, Doggett, Finch, Holland, Paine, Neser etc plus a long washed up Siddle leave me even mildly enthusiastic about even being competitive over there!

BH....if Aust can sneak one player out of that list who may go on to better things at test level than fingers crossed....because in reality 4 spots will be covered when Smith, Warner, Hazlewood and Cummins return as planned.....so say if Head can establish himself to be on his way to being a test quallity player, than that is surely a plus......tho he does need to fulfil the Langer mantra of scoring regular 100s....if he turns out to being a Maddison or even a Handscomb than as u say it's gonna be a lean period for Aust success......

Be interesting how youngsters like Weatherald, Doran, Pucovski, Sangha etc go over this up coming summer.....great to see Cam Green back into WAs JLT squad.....once again WA bowling attack looks good on paper....though NCN and Paris really need to start playing some regular cricket....pity Behrendorf has a similar vanilla MSK system as well....

This is just a function of the current fadism in Australian cricket, permeating all the way down to the premier and underage district cricket, where administrators are obsessed with "picking winners" through so-called talent identification - and don't get me going on the numpties vested with that role. There is a war underway amongst sporting codes to identify talent at an ever earlier age, lock them into the preferred sport and then back them come hell or high water. No point going off stats to rate performance anymore. If he can bowl over 150, swing like a rusty gate but connect and are a "good bloke" and not leave the toilet seat up then you get into the "purple circle". Cricket's getting mangled by the same lawyer/accountant admin cabal doing its best to root footy as well.

Dazza: too true -- I remember when performance counted -- I think somwone, such as Wayne Andrews made three or four centuries in a row before they picked him for the state side.