Australian Box Day Test Team

[howardj]

the chaps "with thousands of test runs" are not worth a place in the team though

ponting is just being picked on the player he was; being picked on a memory of that

 

[Mike5181]

1.Simon Katich
2.David Warner
3.Ricky Ponting
4.Shane Watson
5.Michael Clarke
6.Michael Hussey
7.Brad Haddin+

 

[howardj]

1.Simon Katich
2.David Warner
3.Ricky Ponting
4.Shane Watson
5.Michael Clarke
6.Michael Hussey
7.Brad Haddin+

I respectfully disagree.

In the same way that most folks on here never want to see Siddle, Hilfenhaus and Johnson in the same atttack, I never want to see Hussey, Ponting and Haddin in the same top seven.

The latter trio has done more damage to us over the last two years than the former in my view.

 

[BoyBrumby]

the chaps "with thousands of test runs" are not worth a place in the team though

ponting is just being picked on the player he was; being picked on a memory of that

CBA to check, but bet both are averaging more than Khawaja since he debuted.

When your central heating's ****ed you want the boilermaker not his apprentice.

 

[Mike5181]

I respectfully disagree.

In the same way that most folks on here never want to see Siddle, Hilfenhaus and Johnson in the same atttack, I never want to see Hussey, Ponting and Haddin in the same top seven.

The latter trio has done more damage to us over the last two years than the former in my view.

You don't have many alternatives.

 

[howardj]

The boilermaker is an old boiler

 

[howardj]

You don't have many alternatives.

Usman, Christian (only at six), Ferguson (don't laugh, he got a century the other day, and much like Michael Clarke in 2002-2003, has always looked the part on the international stage despite a modest early FC record).

 

[Sylvester]

In the same way that most folks on here never want to see Siddle, Hilfenhaus and Johnson in the same atttack, I never want to see Hussey, Ponting and Haddin in the same top seven.

Awww I like that theory.

 

[Spark]

Usman, Christian (only at six), Ferguson (don't laugh, he got a century the other day, and much like Michael Clarke in 2002-2003, has always looked the part on the international stage despite a modest early FC record).

Clarke wasn't Test-standard at that stage of his career though.

 

[adub]

CBA to check, but bet both are averaging more than Khawaja since he debuted.

When your central heating's ****ed you want the boilermaker not his apprentice.

Since 1 Jan 2011.

RT Ponting - 6 matches, 293 runs @ 26.63
UT Khawaja - 6 matches, 263 runs @ 29.22

The boilermaker has blown a weld. It's just getting embarrassing for him and he should get a gig teaching at the trade school. The apprentice will become a master, but the current master's days of mastery are long gone.

Struggling to see how Hussey with 591 @ 42.21 is under pressure just yet though.

 

[Cabinet96]

So is it confirmed that Kat will be in the team on Boxing day? And when will Harris be fit?

 

[FBU]

Can't wait for Steve O'Keefe to be playing for Australia.

 

[adub]

So is it confirmed that Kat will be in the team on Boxing day? And when will Harris be fit?

No and probably Perth

 

[andyc]

Not on board with Katich getting recalled. He shouldn't have been dropped in the first place, but he's done very little to demand a recall other than not being injured.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Since 1 Jan 2011.

RT Ponting - 6 matches, 293 runs @ 26.63
UT Khawaja - 6 matches, 263 runs @ 29.22

The boilermaker has blown a weld. It's just getting embarrassing for him and he should get a gig teaching at the trade school. The apprentice will become a master, but the current master's days of mastery are long gone.

Struggling to see how Hussey with 591 @ 42.21 is under pressure just yet though.

Ussie's a red-inker, clearly.

Nah, slightly surprised, but no more than that. I still wouldn't say it's definitive evidence to dump a chap with Punter's record, but I might be leading him to the barn with the shotgun were Marsh fit.

 

[adub]

Ussie's a red-inker, clearly.

Nah, slightly surprised, but no more than that. I still wouldn't say it's definitive evidence to dump a chap with Punter's record, but I might be leading him to the barn with the shotgun were Marsh fit.

I think people get far too hung up on the "don't drop him unless you've got someone better" idea. Sometimes the only criteria should be, "are they doing the job". If the answer to that is no, then they go. Then you look for a replacement. Hughes has found himself in this situation with 404 @ 26.93 this year. He had to go and we'll work out who takes his spot closer to Boxing Day.

I'd argue Ponting has very definitely fallen into the same situation where the returns are so poor you just have to axe him. It's not just this year that has Ponting beyond redemption. The previous year he averaged 36.95, the year before that 38.77. On those numbers it's pretty hard to argue that he is not in terminal decline. People go on about how he could recover like Tendulkar did, but they neglect to mention that Tendulkar was younger when he had his lean trot, and his lean trots never lasted three years. Sachin had a tough year in 2003 (153 @ 17) but hit right back in 2004 with 915 @ 91.5. He also had a tough year in 2006 (267 @ 24.27), but was back in 07 with 776 @ 55.42. Other than those two years he hasn't been under 44, since 96. If Ponting was going to regain his form he would have done it by now.

Rather than forgiving a 37 year old for averaging under 30, and axing a young guy in his first half dozen tests, I reckon the 37 should be held to the higher standard and the young guy should be given a bit of slack. Khawaja or anyone else's record shouldn't come into it. Ponting's record has already bought him far more time than anyone else would have gotten or deserved. It's time to fill up the chaff bag and sling the 12 gauge over the shoulder.