*Official* Australia vs Pakistan in England

[flibbertyjibber]

A couple playing county cricket. I'm thinking Rogers mainly. I'm completely convinced that Chris Rogers should be opening the batting for Australia at this point.

Katich, Rogers, Watson, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey.. just looks so much stronger to me.

Must admit i am surprised that Rogers has never really had a chance.Been a run machine over here in county cricket over the years.

Your top 6 does look stronger but anyone in place of North improves it.I hope he stays in the side for the ashes.

 

[Prince EWS]

I know, but the selectors are obsessed with Hughes so it'll be Hughes (he's injured ATM isn't he?)

Well, I'd prefer Hughes to Khawaja, North, Smith or Marsh in the top six so I'd be okay with it. Rogers isn't going to get picked ever again, and it's a shame.

 

[kingkallis]

Don't think age has anything to do with his 2nd innings dismissal. It was just a **** shot.

I dont think he was talking about that dismissal...

 

[Spark]

Yeah, definitely. Australia just struggle greatly in swinging conditions; it's time to face that fact. I'm not just saying that they struggle against high quality swing bowling because every team does - I'm saying they really come back down to the pack a lot in such conditions and that other teams teams are much better equipped.

Absolutely. No one has worked it out. Ponting used to have it, but he's losing it, Clarke is getting it but is still WIP. Katich because of his technique mitigates it somewhat. North can't play around his off stump at all, Hussey nicks far too readily and Watson is pretty bad against inswing.

It's not just the batting either (they all prefer the back foot and commit to shots early which obviously isn't a great thing when it's swinging late)

You mean front foot? Katich and North aside.

but the bowling too - the likes of Johnson and Bollinger are up right up there in the top five bowlers in the world on flat pitches where you need to bowl with pace, aggression and fitness but they fail to take proper advantage of favourable conditions and end up with similar figures regardless of what the ball is doing. Johnson simply doesn't have the skill level in his bowling - I'm not saying he isn't effective or talented but "skilled" isn't a word I'd ever associate with the way he bowls if you look at his technique, wrist position, general ability to set a batsman up etc. Bollinger can bowl absolute jaffers regardless of the conditions and unlike Johnson is a genuinely skilled bowler, but when the conditions are favourable for bowling he's just not consistent enough to match the returns of skilled opposition bowlers. Siddle's much the same - he's aggressive and fast and can bowl long spells but he doesn't have the skill in terms of movement that Asif, Aamer, Steyn, Broad, Anderson etc do. I'd look at picking a completely different bowling attack in England but of course you'll get the "your best bowlers are your best bowlers and should be able to adapt" brigade that fail to see when there's not much between two bowlers it actually is okay to select based on the conditions - shock horror.

AWTA AWTA AWTA

It'll be an entirely different ball-game in Australia though. This is what people forget when they talk down this team a bit - it will still take a very, very special effort to beat them in their own backyard as their players are very well suited to flat, bouncy pitches. I think England are going to find it a real challenge, again.

Should be fun nonetheless

 

[Debris]

Well, I'd prefer Hughes to Khawaja, North, Smith or Marsh in the top six so I'd be okay with it. Rogers isn't going to get picked ever again, and it's a shame.

It might be a shame but it is definitely the right decision now. Rogers is nearing 33 and he is now no better than much younger players and he will be getting worse while they get better.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

As for Ponting,same old story.You can't beat time and eventually it catches up with you no matter how good you are.He looks a shadow of the player he was,still a good one but looks a vulnerable number 3 now which you would never have said at any time in the previous 10 years.I get the feeling that his career may be over after the World Cup and he will be told by the selectors that the time is right for him to go on his terms rather than be dropped.

 

[Spark]

I dont think he was talking about that dismissal...

He was replying to my post in which I was talking about that dismissal.

 

[pasag]

Spot on Prince.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I'd look at picking a completely different bowling attack in England but of course you'll get the "your best bowlers are your best bowlers and should be able to adapt" brigade that fail to see when there's not much between two bowlers it actually is okay to select based on the conditions - shock horror.

Just on the "horses for courses" thing, I'd personally keep North for India because his offies should be a legitimate option and it helps the balance of the side. The trouble with that is if he then scores heavily on a dead track (as he's wont to do) the selectors would probably feel obliged to retain him for the Ashes.

Other option would be to play either White or Smith at #6 with Doogie as the specialist spinner (assuming fitness). Might be a little too bold for the selectors, although god knows why as both should be more than capable of playing #6 in tests in theory.

Well, I'd prefer Hughes to Khawaja, North, Smith or Marsh in the top six so I'd be okay with it. Rogers isn't going to get picked ever again, and it's a shame.

What's the deal with Rogers then? Age? Personality? His duff debut?

 

[Prince EWS]

What's the deal with Rogers then? Age? Personality? His duff debut?

Yeah all three. Doesn't really fit in with the Australian mentality of playing either as such, or at least didn't when he was young enough for the selectors for the selectors to be looking at him originally. He's a bit more expansive these days but they're not going to debut him at 33, particularly with the age of the rest of the side and Hughes's existence. I wanted him to go over to South Africa and England eighteen months ago instead of Hughes. I still definitely think he's the best option in English conditions although they won't come around again for a while and he'll definitely be too old for the selectors to consider then.

 

[Prince EWS]

Just on the "horses for courses" thing, I'd personally keep North for India because his offies should be a legitimate option and it helps the balance of the side. The trouble with that is if he then scores heavily on a dead track (as he's wont to do) the selectors would probably feel obliged to retain him for the Ashes.

Yeah, that's the thing with horses for courses - you have to avoid the temptation to keep someone in if you pick them for certain conditions and they do well. You also have to communicate with the players so they know what's happening... and they usually end up coming out in the media and whinging about not getting a go to prove themselves in all conditions anyway. You really have to be ruthless and systematic as a selection panel which the current selectors aren't.

I was in favour of North's selection in South Africa originally because of his off breaks.. I didn't think he was one of the best batsmen in the country by any stretch of the imagination but I didn't want to pick a specialist spinner so I thought he'd balance the side out well. Watson wasn't playing then either so he was the fifth bowler with four specialist quicks - the selectors agreed but then he scored that debut ton and became a specialist batsman in their minds. Hauritz and Watson came into the side and his bowling became a lot less relevant but he kept getting picked because he kept scoring runs just when he was about to get axed. He really has to go now because as the sixth best bowler and the second best spinner in the team he needs to be scoring a lot more than he is.

On White, I don't think he's a better bowler than Clarke so if he's going to get picked it'll have to be on his batting alone - not saying that'd be a terrible idea but he shouldn't be picked to off balance in India with his bowling because he'd be the seventh best bowler in the team.

 

[andyc]

Reckon it'd be the funniest thing if White got selected for another India tour.

"You did well the first time around, have another go!"

If White's going to be selected, it's got to be because of his batting, with bowling having absolutely nothing to do with it. But I can't say I'm convinced that he's the best batting option in front of Smith, Hughes, Dussey, Khwaja etc.

 

[DingDong]

crap

 

[stumpski]

Damn, I just remembered this was on, and I've missed some action already.

Never get used to 10.30 starts tbh.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ha, yeah. Caught me out too. See I've missed a wicket as well. 34 needed; 6 wickets in hand. Squeaky bum time.

Ha, edge for 4 past 2nd slip. All along the ground tho.

 

[Kylez]

A few of my thoughts:

- North has to go. The guy is just way to inconsistent and he doesn't have the technique for test cricket, his shot yesterday was dire.

- I'm very disapointed for Australia to lose this test match, there are some issues that need to be addressed.

- Watson's slip fielding isn't to flash either. That dropped catch yesterday could of been crucial, I don't feel comfortable with him fielding at slip tbh, drops to many. I remember the Pura Cup final two years ago and James Hopes was bowling and Watson dead set dropped about 4 catches at slip.

- Amir is an awsome bowler but apparently he was ball tampering yesterday..

- Rogers would be my preferred replacement form North as well but unfortunately that probably won't happen. Smith is going to be a star IMO but it's too early for him. Maybe Khawaja.

 

[stumpski]

Shouldn't really be any alarms, but 160-6 could make it interesting given the fragility of the tail. As Holding just said, Pakistan will want the next 20 to come from these two.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

How much money have they put on this one then.

 

[Kylez]

Another wicket..

 

[chalky]

Umar Akmal gone Pakistanis chewing on their fingernails