*Official* West Indies In Australia

[inbox24]

Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Hussey/Watson/Hodge
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Clark
Bollinger

would be the best XI out of the squad named imo.

 

[Howsie]

1-1. Roach to win a game by himself

 

[Nate]

Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Hussey/Watson/Hodge
Haddin
Johnson
Hauritz
Clark
Bollinger

would be the best XI out of the squad named imo.

That doesn't make any sense.

 

[Ikki]

Give Hussey a chance, he's done so much he at least deserves the benefit of the doubt for the summer.

Well, this series is the perfect chance. I hope for his sake he makes some runs. Too good to end it like this.

 

[marc71178]

Shiv is going to need to score around 500 runs a match in this coming series for it to be at all competitive based on what we've seen so far.

Fixed

 

[inbox24]

That doesn't make any sense.

explain yourself

 

[Nate]

explain yourself

What squad are you talking about?

 

[Nate]

Fixed

I like the new Marc.

 

[social]

I think they don't like axing players, and that they wouldn't have been too upset if Huss had retired from tests in the interim, but his hundred and ODI form means that they're giving him another shot. If he doesn't perform, and Hughes scores more runs in the Shield, I don't expect him to last out the series against the Windies.

Hell, I hope he scores 300 runs in the Gabba test and puts this question to rest, because I do like the guy.

In the mean-time, Rogers will score 100 after 100 but not get picked because his face doesnt fit

Unfortunately, any fair minded observer would recognise that Katich, Jaques and Rogers are by faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar the best openers in the country but 2/3 are unlikely to play for Oz again because the selectors will do anything to accommodate certain players in the team

 

[Matt79]

Yeah, agree both Rogers and Jaques are stiff. That said, if Watson can put together a decent run of fitness, I think he can and will be an important player and Hughes couldn't do much more at FC level, and unlike Rogers seized his initial chance when given a go in the test team.

Long term it makes little sense for Watson to open and I think that as soon as a spot becomes available in the middle order he should move into it, with one of Hughes, Jaques or Rogers taking the opening slot.

I was opposed to Watson being an opener, but I think he showed enough in the role in the Ashes for the experiment to be persisted with for a while longer.

 

[Uppercut]

You could say Watson seized his role at the top of the order, I'd just say he did okay. Jaques was much better there when he played in 2008.

 

[four_or_six]

I think they would like for Watson to get a bit of a crack at tests, and he's not getting any younger so you'd think if he's going to be a key player over a few years for Australia in tests they could do with him getting going now.

I'm glad they're giving him a chance. I thought it was pretty tough on him getting dropped this time last year after doing, I thought, a respectable last-minute fill-in job for Symonds off the back of virtually no FC cricket for a year. It would seem a bit crappy to do the same this time round after again doing a fill-in job as opener and again performing respectably.

 

[four_or_six]

I was opposed to Watson being an opener, but I think he showed enough in the role in the Ashes for the experiment to be persisted with for a while longer.

I think most people would say opening isn't the ideal position for Watson, but I'm tempted to say it's more ideal than batting at six for him. He just looks more of a top-order player.

 

[Matt79]

I think his best position would be 4, but agree opening seems a better fit for him than 6.

 

[social]

I think most people would say opening isn't the ideal position for Watson, but I'm tempted to say it's more ideal than batting at six for him. He just looks more of a top-order player.

Agreed

I like Watson as much as most people but unless he's picked as a 4/5 or maybe 6, he's simply not the best option

Personally, I'd have dropped North (tough call but I dont think he's a long termer), played Watson at 4, Clarke 5, Hussey 6 (good form, class player and bats well with the lower order) and opened with either Rogers or Jaques

I'd also drop Hilf because I dont think he'll cut it long term but will be surprised if he lasts the season anyway

 

[Uppercut]

North's too good to drop. He was a whisker away from scoring three centuries in an Ashes series last outing, and he also performed pretty well with the ball. Watto has never scored a test century in 18 attempts, North made a fantastic one on debut.

There's only about a year and a half between them, and history leads me to believe that Watto's fitness is much more likely to hit him towards the end of his career than North's is. If North isn't one for the long-run, Watto certainly isn't. He suffers from out of sight, out of mind because he's not in the ODI side, but he's bloody good.

 

[Woodster]

To Shane Watson's credit he has taken his opportunity (to a degree) and showed he is a competent batsman at the top of the order. He has batted in pretty tense situations yet come through those challenges. However, I still do not imagine him as a long-term opener, and had Phil Jaques, or Chris Rogers got themselves in like Watson did in his 3 Ashes Tests, I'm sure they would have taken full advantage. Scores of 62,53,51,34 and 40 shows potential, but the two specialist openers would surely have registered a couple of three figure scores.

He has the shots, but because he is not a natural opener, I don't think he truly knows how to build such long, patient innings that can set the platform for your side. In a way this is understandable as he is not an opener, and it may take time for him to fully grow into this role. It just seems strange that they have at least two other men that know this role and are more likely to make more valuable contributions. It does seem they want Watson in the side, despite him not really being the best option in the top two.

 

[NUFAN]

North's too good to drop. He was a whisker away from scoring three centuries in an Ashes series last outing, and he also performed pretty well with the ball. Watto has never scored a test century in 18 attempts, North made a fantastic one on debut.

There's only about a year and a half between them, and history leads me to believe that Watto's fitness is much more likely to hit him towards the end of his career than North's is. If North isn't one for the long-run, Watto certainly isn't. He suffers from out of sight, out of mind because he's not in the ODI side, but he's bloody good.

North needs to be a little more consistent. In saying that though, he's taken to Test Cricket well. I really enjoy watching the way he goes about his innings. One of the centuries during the Ashes he scored was perfect, he was on like 7 off 55 balls or so, but he stuck with it and played beautifully.

BTW is anyone else going to the GABBA?

 

[NUFAN]

To Shane Watson's credit he has taken his opportunity (to a degree) and showed he is a competent batsman at the top of the order. He has batted in pretty tense situations yet come through those challenges. However, I still do not imagine him as a long-term opener, and had Phil Jaques, or Chris Rogers got themselves in like Watson did in his 3 Ashes Tests, I'm sure they would have taken full advantage. Scores of 62,53,51,34 and 40 shows potential, but the two specialist openers would surely have registered a couple of three figure scores.

He has the shots, but because he is not a natural opener, I don't think he truly knows how to build such long, patient innings that can set the platform for your side. In a way this is understandable as he is not an opener, and it may take time for him to fully grow into this role. It just seems strange that they have at least two other men that know this role and are more likely to make more valuable contributions. It does seem they want Watson in the side, despite him not really being the best option in the top two.

Yeah you are right.

Selectors are most likely thinking that Watson has shown that he can 100s in ODIs so it's just a matter of time that he builds on his starts in Test Cricket. Not the right call in my opinion.

 

[howardj]

North needs to be a little more consistent. In saying that though, he's taken to Test Cricket well. I really enjoy watching the way he goes about his innings. One of the centuries during the Ashes he scored was perfect, he was on like 7 off 55 balls or so, but he stuck with it and played beautifully.

BTW is anyone else going to the GABBA?

Yeah, I am there next week.

Haven't been, to the cricket there anyway, since last year's Test.