Cricket australia contracts

[howardj]

THE dumping of Simon Katich yesterday ended the most stable partnership in Australia's Test team.

The omission of Katich, 35, from Australia's 25 contracted players abruptly separates openers Katich and Shane Watson.

The pair averaged 54 at the top of the order in 15 Tests together, bettered only by Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson (61) among Australian openers who had combined for at least that many matches.

And since Katich's recall as an opening batsman in 2008, the New South Wales captain had been among the most prolific Test batsmen in the world.

Only England's Alastair Cook (3072) has scored more Test runs than Katich (2928) in the past three years, followed by Indian great Sachin Tendulkar (2910).


Source

 

[howardj]

And dropping Kat for Hughes only rubs salt into Katman's wounds. During the Ashes last Summer, did Hughes look anything like a Test batsman? And yet he's rewarded with not only a CA contract, but with what will be a place in the team ahead of the second most prolific Test run scorer in the past three years. Moreover, Hughes is a punk. He's trouble this kid.

 

[Prince EWS]

THE dumping of Simon Katich yesterday ended the most stable partnership in Australia's Test team.

The omission of Katich, 35, from Australia's 25 contracted players abruptly separates openers Katich and Shane Watson.

The pair averaged 54 at the top of the order in 15 Tests together, bettered only by Bill Lawry and Bob Simpson (61) among Australian openers who had combined for at least that many matches.

And since Katich's recall as an opening batsman in 2008, the New South Wales captain had been among the most prolific Test batsmen in the world.

Only England's Alastair Cook (3072) has scored more Test runs than Katich (2928) in the past three years, followed by Indian great Sachin Tendulkar (2910).


Source

And yet...

IMO it's madness to take four 34+ year olds to SL in August - Haddin, Ponting, Katich and Hussey. Otherwise, in two years time you're back to rebuilding/transitions....AGAIN!!!!

I think though you do need to stagger their departures with due regard to who is immediately replaceable. On that score, I think Paine and Khawaja are immediately ready to step in for Haddin and Katich. I really don't think the gap between those guys is all that big.

Khawaja
Watson
Clarke
Hussey
Ponting
Smith
Paine
Hauritz
Harris
Bollinger
Pattinson

Siddle, Copeland, O'Keefe, Ferguson to make up the touring party.

People who laugh at that team, I look forward to being on here in 2013 when you're trying to replace Haddin, Ponting, Hussey and Katich all at the same time. The departures of these guys need to be staggered in the same way that Langer's and Hayden's were.

Seems like you were just planning on having a jolly old whinge regardless tbh.

 

[howardj]

Different context

 

[outbreak]

At least drop the bowlers or batters who failed during the ashes....

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah I'm interested as to the justification for Hilf keeping his contract. I mean, previous good performances will give you some leeway but his bowling has ranged from making things awkward for the batsmen to downright pedestrian and he's not taken a bag for Australia or Tasmania in ages. Have a horrid feeling they think he'll tear up stumps in England but I personally wouldnt' bet the haus on it.

EDIT: One FC 5-fer in 3 years, that for Aus A where he cleaned up the SL tail. Oye.

 

[Spikey]

and he'll clean up again this Aus A tour, get picked for SL, be unlucky, get picked for the summer, be unlucky

 

[howardj]

Plus, in getting old posts, you have deliberately excluded my subsequent post made on here a short time ago, saying that Katich should open with Usman, and Hussey should be the one out of the over 30s to go.

which also had Watson reverting to first drop in all forms.

so there

 

[Prince EWS]

Plus, in getting old posts, you have deliberately excluded my subsequent post made on here a short time ago, saying that Katich should open with Usman, and Hussey should be the one out of the over 30s to go.

which also had Watson reverting to first drop in all forms.

so there

And between the two posts there have been a grand total of zero Tests, which just shows you've flipped-flopped.

Now coming up with different ideas and changing your mind isn't a bad thing as such, but to be so critical of something you yourself suggested and retracted not based on any change in performance since then (as there have been no matches) but just because you flip-flopped seems over the top. If you yourself had to hand out the contracts on January 9 or whenever it was you made that post you'd have flicked Katich as well so it can't be that much of a disgrace in your eyes.

At least you can appreciate how silly your posts seemed to the rest of us at the time now, I suppose...

 

[Spikey]

trouble in paradise?

 

[Burgey]

trouble in paradise?

More proof the Liberals are hopelessly divided IMHO.

 

[Prince EWS]

More proof the Liberals are hopelessly divided IMHO.

gotta pay that.

 

[stephen]

More proof the Liberals are hopelessly divided IMHO.

The Australian cricket team will always play better under a Liberal government.

 

[vcs]

Can't believe they've overlooked 3 years of consistency by Katich for 2 poor series, one of which he was injured half-way through. He's only about to turn 36, can easily play on for another couple of years. That statistic of him having scored the 2nd most runs since his return was very illuminating. He's the kind of guy who quietly averages 45-50 every series without anyone noticing (maybe because he doesn't score too many hundreds or huge scores), gets the team off to starts consistently. Every team needs a guy like that.

 

[Spikey]

So how long til the State contracts

PEWS what are your thoughts on Shane Mott. Obviously he's got the wickets at grade and he's been decent for the Dutch clearly.

 

[Bun]

My heart goes out to Katich at this moment.

I always believed the correct policy is to pick the best XI out there, no matter what their age is, and at this juncture, I do believe Katich is one of the best XI out there in Aus. His record in the last 3 years is testimony to this. His experience too is invaluable for an Aussie team which still is totterring after the mass retirements of 07-08.

There is only so much planning you can do for future. I am afraid this is clearly the Greg Chappell effect who might have made a good inventor (given his propensity to experiment all the time) but not a good selector/man manager. FFS Australia aren't in a position to do so, time isn't a luxury here, they are middle of the table as far as rankings are concerned and have lost successive Ashes.

My sympathies with all Aus cricket fans out there. I was too literally tearing my hair off when Chappell was coaching our team and advocating his "shunning seniors = supremacy" theory. The guy's a glorified despot, who wants to have all seniors out of his way so that he can stamp his authority on impressionable young minds left. Dangerous times ahead.

 

[Top_Cat]

Can't believe they've overlooked 3 years of consistency by Katich for 2 poor series, one of which he was injured half-way through. He's only about to turn 36, can easily play on for another couple of years. That statistic of him having scored the 2nd most runs since his return was very illuminating. He's the kind of guy who quietly averages 45-50 every series without anyone noticing (maybe because he doesn't score too many hundreds or huge scores), gets the team off to starts consistently. Every team needs a guy like that.

Been spoilt by Haydos, Slats and Langer so a Kateesh type looks crap when he's actually fairly good (45 used to be considered an outstanding average for an opener). If you can't go on and get big tons these days, apparently you're crap.

I reckon the selectors are looking for it from Phil Hughes but I think he's a fair way off being like them. Hayden himself was dominating Shield like Hughes but all deer-in-the-headlights in Tests until he was in his late 20's. Hughes has a long, long way to go to being a consistent Test opener, think we'll see him peppering the cordon for a while yet.

 

[Austerlitz]

From batting perspective,I always got the feeling recently australia suffered mostly from depth in middle order than opening.The opening pair was underrated but almost always saw off the new ball,but main problem i think was ponting,clarke and hussey were out of form for too many of times and
6 and 7 being new were just put in frying pan situations too many times too early before they are ready for it.
I still think bowling is quite good,bollinger is very good bowler,johnson is problematic but is threatening,siddle is good,hilfenhaus is industrious,only spinner is crap.
I think aus should play 4 fast bowlers to add depth and play smith at 6/7 as spinner.But for this he needs to bat better.Other option is to make watson bowl more,but he's lot less dangerous in tests.
He's crap now but the alternatives are only marginally better and eat up a bowler slot.
Current aus team is being underestimated because they lost badly to england.

 

[Johnners]

Yeah I'm interested as to the justification for Hilf keeping his contract. I mean, previous good performances will give you some leeway but his bowling has ranged from making things awkward for the batsmen to downright pedestrian and he's not taken a bag for Australia or Tasmania in ages. Have a horrid feeling they think he'll tear up stumps in England but I personally wouldnt' bet the haus on it.

EDIT: One FC 5-fer in 3 years, that for Aus A where he cleaned up the SL tail. Oye.

Oh dear, that's about as poor as Hilfs bowling 8|

Would like to think that he's at least on a reduced contract because afaic there's no justification for his continued inclusion at this stage based on performance.

 

[Jayzamann]

According to the rag (the 'Tiser, so idk), Hauritz is on a lot more than Krejza and X. Hopefully thats an indicator of preference.