Australia's fast bowling problem

[Manee]

Oh well, we won't bring him then.

Just came back to delete my post in fear of such a reply...I WAS TOO LATE DAMN IT.

 

[aussie tragic]

If a miracle was to happen in that all bowlers were fit tomorrow, my rankings are:

1. Siddle (41 wkts @ 23.09 in 8 tests in 2012)
2. Pattinson (has 31 wkts @ 22.09 in his 7 Tests and at 22 is the future)
3. Johnson (12 wkts @ 20.25 in 2 Tests since a year off; his x-factor impact needed)
4. Starc (20 wkts @ 25.05 in 4 Tests in 2012; also the future at 22, but an in-form Johnson is better)
5. Bird (great test debut which confirmed his FC record is worth noting)
6. Hilfenhaus (37 wkts @ 21.67 in 9 tests 2012, but recent form not inspiring)

Cummins, Hazlewood and McDermott would be my A-team selections untill they get more FC games. I consider that Harris is done if the above are all fit.

 

[Furball]

Harris might not come back but he is a class act who should be first picked .

Not going to take too many bags but builds up the pressure for the other end to take wickets.

Since we're talking mythical creatures, reckon Australia should pick a unicorn for the 3rd Test

 

[Ruckus]

Siddle's about as good as he's ever going to get, IMHO. Very solid, dependable, meat n potatoes kind of seamer who can occasionally rip it up, but some of the younger chaps & even a fit Rhino do have higher ceilings.

He'd be in my team as of now, but if the selectors ever had a full hand of quicks to choose from (say) a year down the line I'm not so sure.

Yeah, exactly my thoughts too. If anyone in the longer term will be dispensed with it will probably be him. And that's not a real criticism of his bowling either, it would probably just be more to do with a really, top class bowler (e.g. maybe Cummins) coming into consideration.

Didn't disgrace himself in England last time out, and he's a better bowler now, fear him more than any of the other bowlers they'll send out tbh, and I do rate Pattinson and Starc highly. Just reckon Siddle's better atm. Anyone who would leave him out of Australia's best XI at this point in time is kidding themselves however they compare him to the youngsters.

If I were an English fan, I'd definitely fear Pattinson the most. You always feel he has a gear above Siddle's.

More on topic - I think that very soon the Aussie selectors are going to have to identify and nail down what their first choice bowling attack is. I just don't see how they can continue to "manage" as many as seven or eight bowlers without causing serious resentment. You can manage/rotate players who know that they will have a pretty automatic place in the team to return to. Fringe players are unlikely to take being rested with the same equanimity. Selection for Sydney is going to be interesting.

Yeah, from a viewer pov as well I can't say I'm a big fan of the make-up of the team changing literally every game. It doesn't feel like your winning as a team otherwise. You've gotta have a standard group of the best 3 or 4 bowlers forming the attack the majority of the time. But I'm sure they'll settle on that in due course after this initial stage where they're obviously trying to develop as much depth in the squad as possible.

 

[Burgey]

So if all these blokes are ever fit, people are saying we should take a completely neophyte attack into away tests in England?

I look at Siddle now, and the method he's adopting of pitching full and getting seam movement strikes me as perfect for England tbh. Patto is a superstar in the making too. If he and Siddle play then Starc fits the bill almost perfectly, even if he's more likely than the other two to bowl loosely at this stage. Watson to bowl a few overs as well and then you play a spinner assuming the conditions warrant it. I'd have Bird in the squad because his method is perfect for English conditions, and probably Hilf too, he bowled well there in 09.

All the other pacers on the fringes would have County stints or there would be a simultaneous A tour in-country, like the filth did with their last tour here. Have blokes ready to come straight in if required.

I really don't think the bowling is a problem looking to the Ashes. It's the other side of the game that's far more worrying.

I'm ardently hoping the Poms play Finn.

 

[watson]

So if all these blokes are ever fit, people are saying we should take a completely neophyte attack into away tests in England?

I look at Siddle now, and the method he's adopting of pitching full and getting seam movement strikes me as perfect for England tbh. Patto is a superstar in the making too. If he and Siddle play then Starc fits the bill almost perfectly, even if he's more likely than the other two to bowl loosely at this stage. Watson to bowl a few overs as well and then you play a spinner assuming the conditions warrant it. I'd have Bird in the squad because his method is perfect for English conditions, and probably Hilf too, he bowled well there in 09.

All the other pacers on the fringes would have County stints or there would be a simultaneous A tour in-country, like the filth did with their last tour here. Have blokes ready to come straight in if required.

I really don't think the bowling is a problem looking to the Ashes. It's the other side of the game that's far more worrying.

I'm ardently hoping the Poms play Finn.

I agree with this. Australia has an abundance of talented fast bowlers capable of defeating any batting line-up. If Pattinson didn't get injured in the middle of the 2nd test against South Africa then we can be reasonably certain that the series would have ended up 1-1.

Warner is already a champion batsman and lifting Cowan above his status as a batsman. I think that they will forge a dependable and solid opening partnership in the next 12 months.

However, I'm still not impressed with Hughes because of his faulty technique against the moving ball, or anything short. Unfortunately Watson is still out of form and continues to get out when in sight of a century. Therefore, our only significant weakness is the upper-middle order. Fix spots 3-4 and teams like England and South Africa will suffer some heavy defeats against us.

God help Australia's middle-order if Michael Clarke falls out of form, and Hussey retires before he is due. We'd be an embarressment against any half decent bowling line-up.

 

[FBU]

My three favourite to watch

Cummins
Pattinson
Siddle

 

[Daemon]

Siddle
Pattinson
Starc

not hard.

rotate with whoever's fit from hilf, harris and cummins. bird in if they're not fit for selection.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I agree with this. Australia has an abundance of talented fast bowlers capable of defeating any batting line-up. If Pattinson didn't get injured in the middle of the 2nd test against South Africa then we can be reasonably certain that the series would have ended up 1-1.

Warner is already a champion batsman and lifting Cowan above his status as a batsman. I think that they will forge a dependable and solid opening partnership in the next 12 months.

However, I'm still not impressed with Hughes because of his faulty technique against the moving ball, or anything short. Unfortunately Watson is still out of form and continues to get out when in sight of a century. Therefore, our only significant weakness is the upper-middle order. Fix spots 3-4 and teams like England and South Africa will suffer some heavy defeats against us.

God help Australia's middle-order if Michael Clarke falls out of form, and Hussey retires before he is due. We'd be an embarressment against any half decent bowling line-up.

Thanks Heals.

Personally, I'm anticipating a similar series to the last one; England to win with us winning dominant Test.

 

[Flametree]

God help Australia's middle-order if Michael Clarke falls out of form, and Hussey retires before he is due. We'd be an embarressment against any half decent bowling line-up.

So it was your fault???????

 

[Son Of Coco]

If a miracle was to happen in that all bowlers were fit tomorrow, my rankings are:

1. Siddle (41 wkts @ 23.09 in 8 tests in 2012)
2. Pattinson (has 31 wkts @ 22.09 in his 7 Tests and at 22 is the future)
3. Johnson (12 wkts @ 20.25 in 2 Tests since a year off; his x-factor impact needed)
4. Starc (20 wkts @ 25.05 in 4 Tests in 2012; also the future at 22, but an in-form Johnson is better)
5. Bird (great test debut which confirmed his FC record is worth noting)
6. Hilfenhaus (37 wkts @ 21.67 in 9 tests 2012, but recent form not inspiring)

Cummins, Hazlewood and McDermott would be my A-team selections untill they get more FC games. I consider that Harris is done if the above are all fit.

There's no way in hell I'd have Johnson anywhere near our best 3 bowlers (and thus justifying an automatic call up). The problem is though, we have to give him more tests to see if he's actually improved. I have my doubts, and breaking the fingers of a couple of guys in a weak SL outfit doesn't change that. Even if one of them was Kumar S. He still doesn't do anything with the ball for the majority of the time he's out there. Got one to swing back in to Dilshan...then what? Nothing for the rest of the test.

All this talk about him having matured and knowing what he's doing with the ball now in the papers is rubbish. He still has no idea, otherwise he would have got the ball coming back in to the right-handers more often.

I hope I'm wrong, but if he goes to England for The Ashes then god help us.Given the 'New Mitch' has a test sample size of two then I reckon Bird has him covered with a sample size of 1. Would rather not have a bloke in the team who has the potential to leak runs at 5 or 6 an over.

 

[stephen]

This thread is very interesting to read through, three years later.

Pattinson and Bird are conspicuously missing from our test outlook at the moment.

 

[adub]

Nah Patto will be right at the front of the queue once he's back to full match fitness. Cummins I think is (much like Starc) being pushed as a champ far too soon. He has the tools, but he needs to prove he can consistently use them with a red ball.

 

[Burgey]

Nah Patto will be right at the front of the queue once he's back to full match fitness. Cummins I think is (much like Starc) being pushed as a champ far too soon. He has the tools, but he needs to prove he can consistently stay on the park.

EFAz

 

[adub]

EFAz

Yeah well both really. He's good for sure, But I'd have Patto and Haze in front of him at this stage (he still hasn't played double figures of FC games ffs) and then there's the question of MJ, Starc and now even P Siddy. He'll stay close to selection, but I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't play a test for a while yet. A good summer with the Bl00s will do him a power of good.

 

[stephen]

So this was the first time that all of these blokes (Except Hilf, Harris and Johnson who have retired). Looks like Bird was number 6. Funny reading back on everyone rating him as the next McGrath.

 

[NUFAN]

Bird is the next Lillee imo

Oh cool.

Are you ****s insane? So many people leaving out Siddle. He's your best bowler ffs.

Terrific call.

Not Cummins, I do not rate him.

Heh.

Nice read, this must have been peak-Peter.

 

[stephen]

Oh cool.



Terrific call.



Heh.

Nice read, this must have been peak-Peter.

Yeah it was when he started bowling a bit fuller and hit his peak.