This is why Australia will lose the Ashes

[Burgey]

Think the fast bowling stocks are fairly even tbh. Johnson is the best bowler on either side, obviously. Siddle and Lee are both class but might not find English conditions especially well-suited to their games and Clark will be killer if he can rediscover form from just over a year ago.

Flintoff, Anderson, Broad and Sidebottom (fitness dependent) is a bloody good four-pronged pace attack though. Particularly at home.

I don't disagree with this post overall, however, I think Siddle's method should be well suited to England. I don't see him having to bowl two-lengths as Lee has unfortunately done in the past in England. If Siddle does damage it will be more as Merv Hughes did in 93 with aggression and hitting the seam in good areas.

Assuming he even plays of course .

 

[scorpiogal]

No, he wouldn't. McDonald, at the moment, in the international arena, has been performing better than Lee.

one swallow doesn't make a summer. One average test series and McDonald is such a best thing that "he has been performing better than Lee". Barely. You guys crack me up, seriously.

 

[Top_Cat]

Oh my God. Only an Australian would dare compare a bits and pieces player to a fast bowler!

You'd never hear anyone else comparing those two.

McDonald's a far better bowler than you give him credit for and I have little doubt he'll prove it in this series (watch for the "Of course he bowled well; he's perfectly suited to the conditions" rubbish after the series). If he was so rubbish for example, he certainly wouldn't be getting any overs for Victoria, a team with the best and longest fast bowling list in the country right now. South Africa, the most in-form batting line-up in the world right now, couldn't take him for more than 2 per over when it counted. And he took some key wickets. Incredibly under-rated type of bowler.

Anyway, it's all pointless talking about the past. We'll see what happens.

 

[Top_Cat]

Batsmen can't make good bowling look poor - the bowler controls the game if he's good enough. SA's bowlers weren't good enough to get a grip on Hughes, simple as that. If they'd been better, they would have done.

Just because you say it over and over doesn't mean people are going to agree with it.

 

[scorpiogal]

So what he's doesn't bowl 150kph, so what he doesn't hit people with bouncers. He does his job for the good of the TEAM, and that is what's most important in the grand scheme.

Interesting that people say this to defend a player's inclusion. Brett Lee said yesterday that whatever he does, it's for the team. And he bowls 150+kph. But that 'team' crap doesn't matter when it's Brett Lee saying it, that bastard we never want to see play for Aus again.

 

[scorpiogal]

McDonald's a far better bowler than you give him credit for and I have little doubt he'll prove it in this series (watch for the "Of course he bowled well; he's perfectly suited to the conditions" rubbish after the series). If he was so rubbish for example, he certainly wouldn't be getting any overs for Victoria, a team with the best and longest fast bowling list in the country right now. South Africa, the most in-form batting line-up in the world right now, couldn't take him for more than 2 per over when it counted. And he took some key wickets. Incredibly under-rated type of bowler.

Anyway, it's all pointless talking about the past. We'll see what happens.

We'll see. If he ever gets the chance....

 

[Burgey]

Interesting that people say this to defend a player's inclusion. Brett Lee said yesterday that whatever he does, it's for the team. And he bowls 150+kph. But that 'team' crap doesn't matter when it's Brett Lee saying it, that bastard we never want to see play for Aus again.

Bit harsh this. I don't thinl anyone is saying Lee shouldn't ever play again, rather it's whether he should be picked in the first test of this series.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Said he's seen some reverse swing as well.

Might explain why he's having trouble hitting the ball

 

[Son Of Coco]

Oh yeah, how convenient. lets ignore the game in which he does poorly and only consider the game he does well?
He bowled well in all of 1 innings FFS for the whole series, where he took the legendary wickets of Harris and Morkel.

Look like it or not, Ive watched McDonald bowl enough in those series to assure you that hes nothing more than rubbish. If Australia are counting on him as a 4th seamer they have some serious issues.

How convenient, lets ignore the games he played well in and did a job and only look at the one he did poorly in.

Or how about we ignore the fact that in all of the innings he's bowled in he's gone for more than 3 an over once.

Or why don't we ignore that he's also got Kallis twice, Amla and De Villiers. Or did these players suddenly become hacks when it suits?

I take it the game where he bowled 35 overs and took 3 for 73 including the wickets of Amla and Kallis isn't one of his good ones then? Considering this isn't the game he got Morkel and Harris. You're right, it's all remarkably convenient.

 

[Son Of Coco]

one swallow doesn't make a summer. One average test series and McDonald is such a best thing that "he has been performing better than Lee". Barely. You guys crack me up, seriously.

Let's look at Lee's recent performances then shall we? Although, after last night he might have a spot in the top order sewn up. I hope he comes out and takes 5 when he bowls to be honest. I'd love him to be in form. And if he was then McDonald wouldn't get a run. If he's not it's a different story dependent on how others are performing.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Interesting that people say this to defend a player's inclusion. Brett Lee said yesterday that whatever he does, it's for the team. And he bowls 150+kph. But that 'team' crap doesn't matter when it's Brett Lee saying it, that bastard we never want to see play for Aus again.

You have to perform a role for the team...not just say you do it for the team and then go for 100 without taking any wickets, or look good in swimmers.

 

[Top_Cat]

Let's look at Lee's recent performances then shall we? Although, after last night he might have a spot in the top order sewn up. I hope he comes out and takes 5 when he bowls to be honest. I'd love him to be in form. And if he was then McDonald wouldn't get a run. If he's not it's a different story dependent on how others are performing.

Key point. Everyone in Aus wants Lee to be in form and bowling well because if he is, the Aussies have a greater chance of winning the series. This whole thing that suddenly everyone's got it in for him is really silly. There are just plenty of doubts about his ability to do the job in the current circumstances.

And, of course, I'm assuming if Lee plays in Cardiff (which looks likely) and gets smoked, we won't see scorpiogal in here saying we should take it easy on him because he was undercooked.

 

[vic_orthdox]

If Paul Collingwood is as good a bowler as Andrew McDonald, I'll buy a plane ticket to England and donate it to the estate of Richard Pratt.

 

[Top_Cat]

If Paul Collingwood is as good a bowler as Andrew McDonald, I'll buy a plane ticket to England and donate it to the estate of Richard Pratt.

Yep. Criminally under-rated bowler.

 

[Son Of Coco]

If Paul Collingwood is as good a bowler as Andrew McDonald, I'll buy a plane ticket to England and donate it to the estate of Richard Pratt.

I'll come along for some sightseeing. Can we pretend to be the loud American couple?

 

[pup11]

I agree that McDonald is being seriously underrated as a bowler by a lot of people, he doesn't bowl at great pace, nor has a strong action, so many people don't really feel he is good enough to be playing at the international level, but the fact of the matter is, in all the games that he has played for Australia so far, he has been contributing very decently with the ball.

Though, I don't think he currently has a place in the current side, unless Australia are willing to sacrifice a bowling option and bat him at no.8 (which would be pretty lame), and especially if Clark is gonna be in the XI, don't see a reason why Australia would need McDonald's bowling at all.

 

[Prince EWS]

Watson sits out training with knee injury | Cricket News | The Ashes - England v Australia 2009 | Cricinfo.com

Watson will never be fit for 5 tests in a row, which means Macdonald will play, and no team with Macdonald in will ever win the ashes.

McDonald will not bat higher than 8. If Watson doesn't play then North will and that could very well mean we actually don't pick Hauritz all the time, which was actually be a huge positive IMO. North at 6 and four quicks makes so much sense to me.

 

[scorpiogal]

You have to perform a role for the team...not just say you do it for the team and then go for 100 without taking any wickets, or look good in swimmers.

Exactly. Thanks for that. Therefore that's not good enough reason for McDonald to be included in the team. Thank you.

 

[scorpiogal]

Let's look at Lee's recent performances then shall we? Although, after last night he might have a spot in the top order sewn up. I hope he comes out and takes 5 when he bowls to be honest. I'd love him to be in form. And if he was then McDonald wouldn't get a run. If he's not it's a different story dependent on how others are performing.

Lee's performances compared to McDonald? McDonald played 3 mangy tests and he's a 'better performer' than Lee. Listen to yourself man. And isn't McDonald, like, 30? He's not too far off Lee in age as well.

 

[scorpiogal]

Key point. Everyone in Aus wants Lee to be in form and bowling well because if he is, the Aussies have a greater chance of winning the series. This whole thing that suddenly everyone's got it in for him is really silly. There are just plenty of doubts about his ability to do the job in the current circumstances.

There are doubts about his ability but none about 'nothing to prove' McDonald? God, I understand if all this defense was for Siddle but McDonald?

And, of course, I'm assuming if Lee plays in Cardiff (which looks likely) and gets smoked, we won't see scorpiogal in here saying we should take it easy on him because he was undercooked.

Believe me, I'm always the first person cussing his arse when he bowls crap but that's because I always want him to do well.