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Wonder how long will this " pick and stick" philosophy last.....4 losses on the trot is definitely stretching this mantra.....is it code for...."we aint got anyone else?".... understand the need to show faith and all that.....my concerns lie around how one team can go from being 80 odd behind on the 2nd day with 10 wickets in hand to be chasing 500 odd on day 4? Pretty sure Australia were on top in the Sri Lanka 1st test and folded pretty quickly......interesting to see how the side rebounds over the coming weeks.....surely failure to do so, will see Lehmann et al pick n stick else where?

Sometimes this sort of situation is more interesting to watch then seeing your team win, would love to see some youngster get picked from no where and deliver....eg Rabada, Mendis,Hasan.......Cummins a few years back v SA for example....not too sure if Aust have anyone out there though?

How would we know Freeze when we continually pick blokes like Wells, Rimmington et al at State level who we know are not going to cut it at Test level whilst keeping out a youngster at State level that just might be a Rabada or Hasan!

Others have said it but it's a structural and a systemic problem at the moment. They don't play enough long form cricket before Tests, don't prepare in-country on tours, don't play enough state and even district cricket when they can and should and don't play enough cricket full stop because some pinhead with a clipboard tells them not to.

Then you've got a selection policy which is pretty much made up as it goes along and justified with embarrassing statements from the bozo of a chairman of selectors like the No. 11's batting prowess is a determinant of selection. What's the point of playing the Sheffield Shield if you ignore form, ignore performance, ignore the records and just make up this bullshit selection policy on the run. Travis Head, Chadd Sayers...don't expect a phone call from Rod anytime soon.

Pick and stick is about to become pick and flick I reckon if they get another smashing in Hobart.

Beasley Hutton wrote: How would we know Freeze when we continually pick blokes like Wells, Rimmington et al at State level who we know are not going to cut it at Test level whilst keeping out a youngster at State level that just might be a Rabada or Hasan!

Yep agree totally BH..I'd be giving the likes of Inglis, Carder, Hinchcliffe a go before the likes of Wells and Rimmington....reckon Langer wont have much choice if WA keep getting beat. Cartright has done well since getting picked last year with no Aust U/19 credentials from memory....to me he looks a better prospect than Mitch

Shaun Marsh & Siddle both out injured with doubts over Voges.
TBH I hope that is the end of Siddle in Test Cricket he has been an honest servant over the last 8 years but he could barely get it over 130km/h in the Perth Test a pace which isnt going to trouble world class batsmen let alone when you cant move it in the air or off the pitch here.

Hope the aussies are watching what the poms are doing India right now.....especially Mitch Marsh and the innings of Ben Stokes!!

Freeze: 100 per cent correct. The more I think about that lose in Perth, the more I am convinced it was a piddle weak effort by average players.

We failled to force a draw against a team that had three bowllers, two of whom had never been to Australia in hot conditions. Warner ran himself out, Smith played a stupid shot outside the off-stump for a captain whom should have been trying to force a draw.

Freezin wrote: Hope the aussies are watching what the poms are doing India right now.....especially Mitch Marsh and the innings of Ben Stokes!!

The Poms lost to Bangladesh only a couple of weeks ago too.
Freeze Stokes is a world class Test all-rounder not sure if you saw his 250 vs SA in SA last summer but sheesh he made a quality bowling attack look like a mob of park cricketers he was smashing them out of the ground ..literally!
Mitch may well turn out to be a decent Test cricketer in years to come but he is nowhere near the level at the minute in fact he is not even really proven himself at Shield level as yet ...getting a game all on potential!

ArkRoyal wrote: Freeze: 100 per cent correct. The more I think about that lose in Perth, the more I am convinced it was a piddle weak effort by average players.

We failled to force a draw against a team that had three bowllers, two of whom had never been to Australia in hot conditions. Warner ran himself out, Smith played a stupid shot outside the off-stump for a captain whom should have been trying to force a draw.

AR only Khawaja & Nevill even looked capable of batting time for a draw. In fairness to Shaun Marsh he was batting with a broken finger and Warner absolutely threw his wicket away with that dumb run out as he was looking dangerous. Even some of our tail enders showed more fight with the bat than most in the top order although we cant forget SA were down a bowler who happens to be one of the best I have ever seen too in Dale Steyn!

Another complete turn around from when I started following Cricket in the early 80s is that England are giving young talent a go these days.
In the current Test they are playing a teenage opening batsman and a couple of young spinners.
Sheesh I used to laugh at their Dads Army squad they used to send out here every 4 years with the likes of Boycott, Cowdrey, Gooch, Gatting, Gower, Underwood, Larkins, Hemmings, Taylor, Athey, Edmonds et al and now we are the ones debuting blokes 30yo+ consistently!