Manee
Cricketer Of The Year
India may have to start preparing more seamer friendly wickets with RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan all on the scene.
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*Official* Australia in decline thread
- Thread starter MrPerko
- Start date
Manee
Cricketer Of The Year
I think that his leg strength and fitness work at Leicestershire has made a great impact for him. His pace has increased from the 130kph area to the 135kph area with the probability of faster spells and he gets shape all the time. Around the wicket also adds a very handy dimension for him too.
social
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I rate him but he bowled pretty poorly in Perth - got lucky with a few wide balls taking wickets and a horrible decision against Hussey but otherwise went for 5 an over
inbox24
International Debutant
The Rebuilding of the Australian Team
We'll we all know that the Aussies were just hammered by India yesterday. Just goes to show how bad we are without our big guns performing. We need some players who can perform when Ponting, Hayden and Symonds don't. With Gilly and Hoggs gone it's time to rebuild both the ODI and Test teams (maybe less so the latter). What are your guys thoughts on this? Who do you think we should bring in to replenish the side. Granted that they will take some time to settle in and no way they would match the players of old, spin bowling will definitely be a poor point of the side.
I guess this would probably be the next ODI side (except with batting positions differing slightly):
Hopes
Hayden
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Hussey
Haddin
Lee
Bracken
Johnson
The prospect without playing with a specialist spinner still haunts me. Clarke and Symonds aren't really good enought to fill 10 overs together and White despite his batting isn't really considered a specialist spinner. Maybe time to bring MacGill or McGain into the fold for a stop gap solution until we find a decent young spinner? There are a couple of others such as Katich, Hodge, and definitely Hussey D, but there's not much room at the moment for any of them really.
Such an exciting yet scary time! Maybe it's time to copypasta from the Indians. Discuss please.
We'll we all know that the Aussies were just hammered by India yesterday. Just goes to show how bad we are without our big guns performing. We need some players who can perform when Ponting, Hayden and Symonds don't. With Gilly and Hoggs gone it's time to rebuild both the ODI and Test teams (maybe less so the latter). What are your guys thoughts on this? Who do you think we should bring in to replenish the side. Granted that they will take some time to settle in and no way they would match the players of old, spin bowling will definitely be a poor point of the side.
I guess this would probably be the next ODI side (except with batting positions differing slightly):
Hopes
Hayden
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Hussey
Haddin
Lee
Bracken
Johnson
The prospect without playing with a specialist spinner still haunts me. Clarke and Symonds aren't really good enought to fill 10 overs together and White despite his batting isn't really considered a specialist spinner. Maybe time to bring MacGill or McGain into the fold for a stop gap solution until we find a decent young spinner? There are a couple of others such as Katich, Hodge, and definitely Hussey D, but there's not much room at the moment for any of them really.
Such an exciting yet scary time! Maybe it's time to copypasta from the Indians. Discuss please.
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Dunno why people are so hasty to put Hopes at the top. Why not Haddin? Used to regularly hit run-a-ball tons there for NSW.
NZTailender
I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Why not use a specialist opener, like Jaques?
sideshowtim
Banned
That would involve dropping someone.
Precambrian
Banned
Am I counting wrong? There are only 10 players in your side.
Clark could open, Hopes is best coming towards the end overs. But depending on Clarke-Symmo to fill in 10 overs could prove very expensive. One bad day for a mainstream bowler and the captain will be left tearing his hair. So draft in White or Noffke. I would go for the latter, as he has provedto be a handy bat.
However absence of a good wrist spinner is always going to hurt, esp when touring. Australia should conjure up a young decent wristie (motly leggie) if they have plans to continue at the top of the pile.
Jnr.
First Class Debutant
He's a liability in the field. At least we can hide him at short leg in the Tests.
sirdj
State Vice-Captain
Hammered??!! I would not say that they were hammered. They lost - yes, whats wrong about losing to a team that was better on that day?
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
Urban myth, isn't it? Just did it a few times on TV, glossed over all the times he didn't.
Precambrian
Banned
On 2 days. And the small matter that they were called the "Finals". Chasing down 240 with almost 5 overs to spare in SCG in Finals against Australia is in my books a hammering.
But the second was competitive, even thouigh at no point in the match, Aussies looked on top, and threatened to beat the Indians.
Johnners
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Haddin has had more success batting in the middle order for NSW afaic, and imo he's a better finisher (despite Hopes' awesome effort last night). Either way, they are the 2 weak links in the batting so the selectors need to make sure they get it right.
In response to the first post though, there's no need to pick Macgill or McGain as a "stop gap measure" because there are 3/4 spinners in Haurtiz, Cullen (although he hasn't had the best season), Doherty & Heal who have shown themselves to be good OD bowlers. Hauritz & Heal are leaps & bounds ahead of either of the Maccas in the field, and with the bat in hand, whilst Doherty & Cullen (although he hasn't had the best season) are no slouches either. There's no need to use either of McGain or Macgill when the younger blokes offer a far better allround package imo.
As for the batsmen, I wouldn't go back to Katich or Hodge for the ODI team, instead i'd be looking forward. The likes of Watson, Voges, Bailey, Marsh, White & Pomersbach are the players who'll drive the team forward in the future. D Hussey is the next in line atm (harsh on Voges imo, but he got injured at the wrong time) but he's really not THAT much younger than the older players in the current side (Ponting, Hussey M & Symonds)
If I was an Australian selector The next Australian ODI team would look something like:
Hayden
Hopes/Haddin
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Hussey, M
Haddin/Hopes
Hauritz
Lee
Johnson
Bracken
Johnners
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The sooner people scrap the Idea of Clarke opening the better. He's clearly far more valuable to the Australian team batting at 4, the postion where he's arguably the best in the world at (in ODIs).
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
I do hope not, with his ODI average of 16.75, and his even-worse List-A OD average of 8.81.
Clarke, though, would be one of the better options if Jaques isn't going to be picked, which his fielding might indeed mean would not be the best idea. Or at least, not until Hayden hangs-up his ODI boots.
Anyway, can't help feel some people are overreacting due to 2 losses, even if the same thing did happen last summer (when they were missing, what, 3 or 4 players let's remember). In Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, Symonds and Haddin Australia still have a powerful batting core that should still be powerful come 2011. Still don't really see James Hopes as much of a long-term option, think it's only a matter of time until he starts getting belted again. Watson clearly a much more viable option, and he what's more could go in to open, maybe long-term if it works-out.
Whenever Australia's next ODI cricket is I reckon I'd probably go for:
Hayden
Hopes (soon to be replaced by Watson)
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Hussey
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Bracken
Clark
You know, considering Clark, his is a strange case. All career, he's very, very polarised by opposition: against England, South Africa and 1 game against West Indies he has an average of 71.25 at 6-an-over. Against New Zealand he's conceded 5.05-an-over but averages 17.37, and against Sri Lanka and India (the two teams he's played most recently) he averages 23.50 at 4.33-an-over. I'm still far from convinced about his credentials, but I'm more convinced than I was a year ago. And with Tait currently out of contention, he should clearly be the first cab off the rank with Hogg gone.
sirdj
State Vice-Captain
I disagree........thru the qualifiers Australia led 2-1.
And the final score is 3-2 India.
Yes India was the better team in the series..........but hammered Australia.........not really.
I don't think a win by 5 wickets is a hammering........its a good win but not a hammering especially considering that the last 5 Indians batsmen to come were all bowlers.
Precambrian
Banned
The point is the efficiency of the defeat. Were Aussies any time on top in the Finals? Please do not jumble qualifiers with finals. Finals are called Finals for one reason. Whatever you do in the preliminaries have no effect if you dont perfrom in the finals. I won't go to the extent of calling that "Choking". But it's somewhere near that.
Coming to the point, Australia of the 2000 brought to World Cricket what it lacked, Professionalism, diligence and organised leadership. I will always regard and admire the Aussie team and establishment for that, and those outweigh the complains (and sometimes truth) of sledging, swagger, disrespect for opponents etc.
The challenge for Ponting is to move out fast out of the glory era of the Warne-McGs. He has to realise he has in hand a bowling unit which is capable but nowhere near what it was 1 year back. And with an ageing lineup, the screws are always bound to go loose. It will be not a bad idea to draft in David Hussey. Seeing his FC figs for a time now, I was wondering whether he'd defect to the ICL for the money. Thank god, he didnt, (even though IPL has put in him more faith (read dollars) than in his brother, leaving CA looking stupid). If anyone deserves a call, he is the guy.
Coming to the point, Australia of the 2000 brought to World Cricket what it lacked, Professionalism, diligence and organised leadership. I will always regard and admire the Aussie team and establishment for that, and those outweigh the complains (and sometimes truth) of sledging, swagger, disrespect for opponents etc.
The challenge for Ponting is to move out fast out of the glory era of the Warne-McGs. He has to realise he has in hand a bowling unit which is capable but nowhere near what it was 1 year back. And with an ageing lineup, the screws are always bound to go loose. It will be not a bad idea to draft in David Hussey. Seeing his FC figs for a time now, I was wondering whether he'd defect to the ICL for the money. Thank god, he didnt, (even though IPL has put in him more faith (read dollars) than in his brother, leaving CA looking stupid). If anyone deserves a call, he is the guy.
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How many players hit run-a-ball tons more than a few times in their careers anyway though? Not many. His form troughs were deep, yes, but geez, he was good when he was going.
Precambrian
Banned
I was emphasising that the captain of the Australian team does not subscribe to the above thinking. It was right maybe upto WC 07. Mate, this is 2008, and India just beat Australia 2-0 in the FINALS of a tri-series. And gave them a run for their money in the test series. Also, Australia does not play cricket at home alone. they also have to tour.
Unbeleivable pace attack?
Sure it is one of the best in ODI cricket. but Test cricket? I'll make my judgements in an year.