TOPIC:

Time to forget the rabble of the current series and the upcoming ones vs Pakistan & India and use them for experience with an eye towards taking on the only enemy that count in the Poms.
I reckon it is time to put a line through the likes of Voges, Nevill, even Lyon also not sure Mennie & Ferguson have what it takes at Test level whilst Burns despite a reasonable start against inferior opposition is definitely not an opener with major flaws in his technique though he might be more useful coming in at 6.
Will have a crack at an initial squad feel free to add some I may have overlooked-

Batsmen- Smith (C), Warner (VC), Bancroft, Harris, Khawaja, Head, S.Marsh, Patterson, Maddinson, Lynn, Burns
All Rounder- M.Marsh, Faulkner
Wicketkeeper- Wade, Handscomb
Fast Bowlers- Starc, Hazlewood, Pattinson, Cummins, Sayers, Bird
Spin Bowlers- Agar, Zampa, O'Keefe,

BH: I would have Maxwell and Bailly in the squad as they are the best performed players in the FC. RWM used this logic to bring back Rogers and Voges, in spite of their ages, and it was perfectlly sound policy. Unfortunatelly, he has since spoilled the policy by picking Marsh on the basis of averaging 30.00 for WA.

Why has Maxwell not been picked to play test cricket in Australia, flat pitches and all? He made an 81 in a recent Shield game.

Head has batted 85 times for SA and made just three centuries. In other words he would need to make a lot of runs in the current season for me to consider him for the Ashes.

My next test side with changes is given below:

Burns
Khawaja
Bailley
Smith
Warner
Maxwell
Handscombe
starc
Hazelwood
Sayers
Bird

I have put Warner down the order to try and solidify it. IN terms of the bowllers, I think the pitch and ball will be seamer friendlly hence my loading up on the pace bowllers. Maxwell and Smith can do some spin bowlling if needed.

ArkRoyal wrote: BH: I would have Maxwell and Bailly in the squad as they are the best performed players in the FC. RWM used this logic to bring back Rogers and Voges, in spite of their ages, and it was perfectlly sound policy. Unfortunatelly, he has since spoilled the policy by picking Marsh on the basis of averaging 30.00 for WA.

Why has Maxwell not been picked to play test cricket in Australia, flat pitches and all? He made an 81 in a recent Shield game.

Head has batted 85 times for SA and made just three centuries. In other words he would need to make a lot of runs in the current season for me to consider him for the Ashes.

My next test side with changes is given below:

Burns
Khawaja
Bailley
Smith
Warner
Maxwell
Handscombe
starc
Hazelwood
Sayers
Bird

I have put Warner down the order to try and solidify it. IN terms of the bowllers, I think the pitch and ball will be seamer friendlly hence my loading up on the pace bowllers. Maxwell and Smith can do some spin bowlling if needed.

I wouldn't play Burns again, Maxwell isn't a test cricketer, doesn't value his wicket and when bowls he just rolls them out, he ain't no spinner, I would get Bailey in too though and would make him skipper as Smith is a shocker

SD: I think you are on to something with Bailey as captain. Have no fear, I understand your reservations surrounding Maxwell. For the next test, would you stick with Ferguson?

Not too sure Bailey is the way forward.....TBH he struggled with the bat when he had his chance playing in a 5 - 0 winning side.....not too sure how he would go in a side struggling to bat 200 deliveries. But hey not a lot on offer so I can see SD logic.

Obviously in India three spinners are gonna be needed.....Lyom, Agar,O'Keefe and Zampa all initially in the mix.....do they go left field tho and pick young Arjun Nair? But to do that the kid needs to play Sheffield shield and he will struggle doing that behind Lyon,O'Keefe and the Kiwi Sommerville....why in fark is a 30 something Kiwi playing instead of a local Aussie youngster?

Allrounder wise, Faulkner deserve a go instead of Marsh.....give Faulkner a dash for the next few series and let Mitch "find himself" in the Shield games.....other prospective allrounders could be Cartright, Wildermuth and Agar.....we know what Henriques brings to the table surely not for a third dabble?

England seem so settled at present bar that number 3 spot....they bat down to Broad at 10/11.....be interesting to see how Australia can turn this slump around....

I hear ya regarding Will Somerville Freeze. I heard him interviewed on sky sports radio after his haul vs WA just recently and he had actually come to Australia to advance his business career and had virtually given up on his cricket career ambitions that probably shows how low our cricket talent stocks have hit.

Also on England I noticed Broad was batting at 11 in the 1st Test vs India just finished. He has a highest Test score of 161 and is batting Jack sheesh if he was playing for us he would be coming in at 5 where our tail starts!!

Beasley Hutton wrote:
Batsmen- Smith (C), Warner (VC), Bancroft, Harris, Khawaja, Head, S.Marsh, Patterson, Maddinson, Lynn, Burns
All Rounder- M.Marsh, Faulkner
Wicketkeeper- Wade, Handscomb
Fast Bowlers- Starc, Hazlewood, Pattinson, Cummins, Sayers, Bird
Spin Bowlers- Agar, Zampa, O'Keefe,

Yep, I like your thinking apart from Joe Burns who I don't want to see again. Marcus Harris, who's in white hot form and a goer, to partner Warner for Adelaide. Would love to see Travis Head at 6 to eventually take over Lyon's role. He'd have to be the only spinner in test cricket history to take 200 wickets with one ball! Not sold on Patterson or Maddinson but worth a shot.

Wade can't keep but that doesn't seem to be an issue with keepers these days. If Handscomb was keeping for VIC he'd be a monty to replace Nevill.

O'Keefe probably gets the gig for Adelaide being an alleged pink ball specialist but longer term I'd prefer Agar or Zampa who surely is worth a go at Test level.

Sayers on his home deck with a ball that will swing has to play in Adelaide. Having said that the idiot selectors will probably plonk for Doug Bollinger!

First order of business should be to shoot Rod Marsh and also any half wit seen anywhere near a net with an iPad in hand.

ArkRoyal wrote: SD: I think you are on to something with Bailey as captain. Have no fear, I understand your reservations surrounding Maxwell. For the next test, would you stick with Ferguson?

I think Ferguson deserves another chance on his home deck as he has done the hard yards over the years, if he was from NSW he would be guarenteed to stay, one thing I suppose with Maxwell is he will lift the standards in the field which have been sh1thouse

Beasley Hutton wrote: Time to forget the rabble of the current series and the upcoming ones vs Pakistan & India and use them for experience with an eye towards taking on the only enemy that count in the Poms.
I reckon it is time to put a line through the likes of Voges, Nevill, even Lyon also not sure Mennie & Ferguson have what it takes at Test level whilst Burns despite a reasonable start against inferior opposition is definitely not an opener with major flaws in his technique though he might be more useful coming in at 6.
Will have a crack at an initial squad feel free to add some I may have overlooked-

Batsmen- Smith (C), Warner (VC), Bancroft, Harris, Khawaja, Head, S.Marsh, Patterson, Maddinson, Lynn, Burns
All Rounder- M.Marsh, Faulkner
Wicketkeeper- Wade, Handscomb
Fast Bowlers- Starc, Hazlewood, Pattinson, Cummins, Sayers, Bird
Spin Bowlers- Agar, Zampa, O'Keefe,

I like your thinking in having Faulkner in, he has a bit of prick about him and shows passion

Faulkner as the all rounder, seriously guys, the blokes has taken three wickets and scored 100 runs from 3 bats this year, this guy doesn't penetrate enough to be a bowler, doesn't move the ball a lot and gets his wickets in one dayers by changing the pace on the ball. He bats at 7 for Tasmania, how does that make him the best number 6 option for Australia?????

Unfortunately there are no genuine all rounders in the country that bat and bowl regularly.

Maxwell is the only logical one because that means you can play a leggie or a left are othodox, and Maxwell hopes his balls turn the other way