***Official*** Australia in Sri Lanka

[howardj]

Bit harsh, I think. All you can do is put runs on the board when the chance presents - he's done that in the Shield theatre of late. Moreover, as with Mick Clarke when he was playing ODIs before being picked for teh Tests, Marsh certainly hasn't looked out of his depth on the international stage thus far. Wouldn't have been my first picked by any means, but not a horrible selection on balance.

 

[adub]

So over seeing any combination of Siddle, Johnson and Hilfenhaus in the same attack.

Would go Johnson, Harris, Copeland.

So would I. (actually I wouldn't have Johnson anywhere near the side, but working with what's been selected)

Problem is I don't think the selectors will see it that way.

 

[Andre]

Let's not underestimate the importance of Shane Watson with the ball in SL - Greg Matthews reckons it is the country where the ball can swing the most in the world. Watto's seamers might play a huge part in the series if there is a lot of humidity around.

 

[adub]

Beer to get 3 5-fers in the Test series, you heard it first here.

I think you meant 3 5s whilst batting.

 

[Spikey]

Bit harsh, I think. All you can do is put runs on the board when the chance presents - he's done that in the Shield theatre of late. Moreover, as with Mick Clarke when he was playing ODIs before being picked for teh Tests, Marsh certainly hasn't looked out of his depth on the international stage thus far. Wouldn't have been my first picked by any means, but not a horrible selection on balance.

i dunno know - straight after his ton the Poms really worked him over.

 

[Spark]

Yeah that was interesting. Three almost identical dismissals in a row - playing across the line when the right-armer came round the wicket - was a concern.

 

[adub]

Bit harsh, I think. All you can do is put runs on the board when the chance presents - he's done that in the Shield theatre of late. Moreover, as with Mick Clarke when he was playing ODIs before being picked for teh Tests, Marsh certainly hasn't looked out of his depth on the international stage thus far. Wouldn't have been my first picked by any means, but not a horrible selection on balance.

9 matches. Of course now we pick spinners based on 3 matches so it's basically a careers worth of experience eh?

9 matches, 2 hundreds. He had another good run of 8 matches in 07/08, but backed that up the next year with an average of under 24. In the seasons before he averaged 20, 7, 37, 35 and 16. He's a fraud and I'll not resile from that position until he shows good form for two solid seasons. He is at best North quality. He might make a ton every now and again, but he'll fail far more often.

You rate Marsh, but you don't rate Hughes who has scored more First Class tons in his last three games than Marsh has scored in the last three years. When you say nuanced I think you mean generally **** with a few rare highlights for the desperate to hang onto.

 

[howardj]

You rate Marsh, but you don't rate Hughes who has scored more First Class tons in his last three games than Marsh has scored in the last three years. When you say nuanced I think you mean generally **** with a few rare highlights for the desperate to hang onto.

As I say, I wouldn't have picked Marsh myself, but am making the point that his selection is not totally out of order. I've already said I would open with Usman and Katich (with Watto at three in all forms). However, you have to work with what you've got. Marsh is in the squad, and yeah I'd pick him over Hughes for sure. Hughes is a proven failure, Marsh is a potential one.

 

[Spark]

Haha I completely disagree with howardj on Hughes. I think his attitude is actually one of his strengths, the way he's worked on his game. And I do think that his recent run of form basically means he's bashed down the door. Must be picked now.

 

[Nate]

Have to break company policy! Copeland! Lyon! Marsh!

Big steps forward there. I've accepted that they were never going to select O'Keefe, so after him, Lyon is the next best option.

Pew pew!

Also, those dissing Marsh's selection should read my posts on Marsh's form in the last three seasons.

 

[howardj]

Bashed down the door against whom? He needs at least one 1000+ run domestic summer in my vew. There's no way he deserves to retain his Test place after at least 10 bad Tests on the trot. How utterly limp was he in the Ashes! Beggars belief that he's a walk up start for our very next match.

 

[Spark]

Surprise surprise if you pick a player out of form (and he was in horrendous form for NSW when he was picked) he won't do well.

 

[Andre]

Only bloke who has 'bashed the door down' to make the squad is Copeland I'd say. Had a real hard time getting past the 'too slow' tag to even get his first game for NSW - he'd dominated grade for a couple of years before he got picked for NSW unlike most other guys. Now he has dominated Shield for 18 months and has duly been rewarded - sounds like Luke Butterworth gave him a real run for his spot though.

I do like the non-selection of S Smith, though - glad the selectors recognised he needs to play a lot more cricket to figure out if he is a batsman who bowls, bowler who bats or geniune all-rounder. International cricket is a pretty unforgiving place to learn your game.

 

[adub]

Only bloke who has 'bashed the door down' to make the squad is Copeland I'd say. Had a real hard time getting past the 'too slow' tag to even get his first game for NSW - he'd dominated grade for a couple of years before he got picked for NSW unlike most other guys. Now he has dominated Shield for 18 months and has duly been rewarded - sounds like Luke Butterworth gave him a real run for his spot though.

I do like the non-selection of S Smith, though - glad the selectors recognised he needs to play a lot more cricket to figure out if he is a batsman who bowls, bowler who bats or geniune all-rounder. International cricket is a pretty unforgiving place to learn your game.

Copeland simply couldn't be ignored any more, much though people seem to try to. Even on cricinfo this morning there was a report on the speculated team saying that Copeland struggled for wickets in Zimbabwe. He took 7 @ 23 in two games with a s/r of 66. If that's struggling for wickets then I'd love to see how he describes Hilfenhaus. Butterworth is also banging on the door and frankly I'd have him instead of Siddle in a heartbeat. Copeland's pace is comparable to Stuart Clark and we all know what his test record looks like. It's about wickets, not how fast the ball taking the wicket was. Added to that his extreme consistency and economy and his ability to bowl longer spells than most spinners and he is a complete package.

Also agree on Smith. He needs to go back to NSW bat at 4 and make 800 runs in the season. He should be aiming to take over from Hussey at 6 and having his leggies as a very handy addition rather than the reason for him being in the side. He should have been sent to Zimbabwe, but too late now. Hopefully the selectors will leave him out of the ODI side during the summer so that he can get as many Shield games under his belt as possible. It will be best for him and the side in the long run.

 

[Sylvester]

Stoked with Hilfenhaus being left out, happy with Copeland's inclusion, and not unhappy with Lyon being named. Furious with no O'Keefe though. Is Hauritz still injured?

That sums up my feelings. WTF did O'Keefe do not to be picked I seriously can't see it.

From that squad my lineup would be

Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Khawaja (not too fussed if Marsh gets the nod though)
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Copeland
Lyon/Beer (undecided, Beer isn't bad just don't like how he was picked and same goes for Lyon although I see more potential in him I'm sick of spinners being thrown in with only 5 FC matches)

 

[adub]

Bashed down the door against whom? He needs at least one 1000+ run domestic summer in my vew. There's no way he deserves to retain his Test place after at least 10 bad Tests on the trot. How utterly limp was he in the Ashes! Beggars belief that he's a walk up start for our very next match.

No one will argue that he struggled in the Ashes. Hilditch and co screwed him up by dropping him to save Johnson's sorry hide in England and his head was a mess for a long time with all the crap about his technique and short balls. But I have no doubt he's over that now after working with D'Costa and saying to himself "as if I'd listen to a useless mong like Hilditch anyway". His work since then end of the test series has been nothing short of top shelf. He's back believing in himself and his game and the runs are flowing.

As for 1000 run seasons he scored 963 in only 8 matches in 08/09 and backed it up with 990 in 09/10. So maybe not quite 1000 runs but close enough. Even last summer when he was obviously in the worst form of his life he still scored 808 runs (12 matches) which is 132 runs more than S E Marsh's best summer in his whole career. Hughes has more than earned the chance to make the spot his own with Katich gone (whether you agree with that decision or not). No other top order contender in the Shield comes within daylight of Hughes' record.

 

[TumTum]

10 bad tests? on the trot? GAGF FFS THATS ALL HE"S PLAYED

 

[Spark]

No one will argue that he struggled in the Ashes. Hilditch and co screwed him up by dropping him to save Johnson's sorry hide in England and his head was a mess for a long time with all the crap about his technique and short balls. But I have no doubt he's over that now after working with D'Costa and saying to himself "as if I'd listen to a useless mong like Hilditch anyway". His work since then end of the test series has been nothing short of top shelf. He's back believing in himself and his game and the runs are flowing.

As for 1000 run seasons he scored 963 in only 8 matches in 08/09 and backed it up with 990 in 09/10. So maybe not quite 1000 runs but close enough. Even last summer when he was obviously in the worst form of his life he still scored 808 runs (12 matches) which is 132 runs more than S E Marsh's best summer in his whole career. Hughes has more than earned the chance to make the spot his own with Katich gone (whether you agree with that decision or not). No other top order contender in the Shield comes within daylight of Hughes' record.

But he had breakfast in the wrong place once!

 

[adub]

That sums up my feelings. WTF did O'Keefe do not to be picked I seriously can't see it.

From that squad my lineup would be

Hughes
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Khawaja (not too fussed if Marsh gets the nod though)
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Copeland
Lyon/Beer (undecided, Beer isn't bad just don't like how he was picked and same goes for Lyon although I see more potential in him I'm sick of spinners being thrown in with only 5 FC matches)

I'd like to see Uzi stay at 3 (or at worst 4). Clark is a No. 5 and should just stop trying to pretend he isn't. There is no shame in batting 5 as S Waugh proved. I'd much rather Pup making runs at 5 than struggling at 4 trying to prove a point. Uzi's long term spot should be 3 so lets give him a chance make it his own (although I wish he was in better form), and the drop to 4 might help Punter get back in the runs.

Other than that I'd agree with the side unless we face a dustbowl. Then the second spinner should play instead of Johnson.

 

[benchmark00]

You don't debut young fast bowlers in the sub continent. Just shouldn't do it.