Surely Hopes won't get a run at test cricket. He can churn out a handy ten overs from time to time but his bowling certainly isn't test standard. Furthermore his batting isn't comparable to Katich or Hussey. I think Noffke has to get chosen as the replacement allrounder even if he isn't picked. 40 wickets and 700 runs can't be ignored but Jack is spot on with what he said.
No way. Hopes is an excellent One Day cricketer but hasn't proved anywhere near as much in the longer format.
I may be accused of being biased but i would've though Andrew Mac would be more suited to test cricket than Hopes.
FC number 7 != Test number 7. Would need plenty of runs batting top 6 for QLD before being considered for a Test 7.
He isn't underrated, it's just that this is his first season in the Pura Cup where he's put up the stats of a genuine allrounder. IIRC he's never averaged above 30 (with the bat) before in a full season of Domestic cricket in either England or Australia, so to suggest that he could be a genuined no.7 at test cricket based on 1 good season would be premature. Playing him at 7 would be even more of a risk with another test debutant in Haddin coming in at 6, who most certainly wouldn't make the team as a specialist batsmen, so it would leave Australias batting looking somewhat fragile.
I have a sneaking suspicion Maher might have bowled Doran for so long in an attempt to give SA enough of a lead for him to have a crack at 10,000 runs for Queensland.
You'd need 3 Dorans for that to be the case, so far behind the 8-ball are SA right now....
