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*Official* Road to 2013 Ashes

flibbertyjibber

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Is Joe Root a shoe in for the First Test? Or Bairstow? It'll be interesting how they compare up to Khawaja or Smith (if he gets a go).
Root is ahead of Bairstow and i'd imagine the way Taylor has started the summer he may get the nod over Bairstow for NZ.
 

Maximas

Cricketer Of The Year
Bairstow has had enough chances by now, and he hasn't really settled in. Root is certainly above him and Taylor deserves another chance.
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
I'd say Bairstow is still comfortably in credit ahead of Taylor (who IIRC isn't even in the performance squad?)
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Gideon Haigh agrees with me about the Jackson Bird/Terry Alderman similarities.

If Bird plays all 5 tests, I'm backing him to take close to 30 wickets.
Would have him in taking Siddle's place for the first test if he's fit. Harris, Pattinson, Bird.
 

Adders

Cricketer Of The Year
Harris, Pattinson, Bird.
That is a trio that could well cause our batsmen some troubles, what odds would you get though for the 3 of them to play all 5 tests??

Once you start replacing them with Siddle, Starc and Faulkner the attack doesn't look so crash hot then.
 
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flibbertyjibber

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That is a trio that could well cause our batsmen some troubles, what odds would you get though for the 3 of them to play all 5 tests??
Could walk into a bookies and name the price as it would never happen. Sadly for Australia and cricket in general but good news for opponents in a series.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Siddle is the third best Test Cricketer from Australia. He will play in the First Test injury permitting.
 

South

Cricket Spectator
Siddle is the third best Test Cricketer from Australia. He will play in the First Test injury permitting.
He's got heart and soul but not results. Look at the South Africa series, pushed himself to the limits and came out with an average of 39 or so. I like him as a cricketer but Harris, Patto, Bird are the trio to pick. I'd put him ahead of Starc and Faulkner as 4th seamer though.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
He's got heart and soul but not results. Look at the South Africa series, pushed himself to the limits and came out with an average of 39 or so. I like him as a cricketer but Harris, Patto, Bird are the trio to pick. I'd put him ahead of Starc and Faulkner as 4th seamer though.
What was the average for every other bowler in the two Tests that Siddle played? I seem to remember the two Tests being batting dominant and nearly everyone competitively struggled with the ball.

Lets not forget that Siddle scored twin 50s in his last Test too. I definitely understand his primary job is bowling but that performance couldn't hurt him.
 

Adders

Cricketer Of The Year
Sorry NUFAN, I reckon South has nailed it.

Siddle has an amazing work ethic and is a very likeable cricketer, but speaking from an English POV he doesn't concern me in the slightest as to what he might to do to us in this series.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
We are going to pick 4 bowlers minimum, does Australia have four bowlers in the squad not named Siddle who does concern you?

I can see the theory behind picking the 3 quicks South did but Harris becomes a risk in a 3 man pace attack if Watson is not bowling. Bird has done well in his 2 Tests and Shield career but he is also returning from an injury.
 

Adders

Cricketer Of The Year
We are going to pick 4 bowlers minimum, does Australia have four bowlers in the squad not named Siddle who does concern you?
No. You only have 3........

Yes you'll pick 4 bowlers minimum. 3 quicks a spinner and Watson if he can bowl.

Still only 3 dedicated quicks though and for my money your 3 best are Harris, Bird and Patto.

It's already been established that those 3 are very unlikely to play every test so even if Siddle doesn't start at Trent Bridge he is sure to play a big part in this series.
 

Maximas

Cricketer Of The Year
He's got heart and soul but not results. Look at the South Africa series, pushed himself to the limits and came out with an average of 39 or so. I like him as a cricketer but Harris, Patto, Bird are the trio to pick. I'd put him ahead of Starc and Faulkner as 4th seamer though.
39 wasn't a bad average for the two games he played, remember Brisbane was flat and Adelaide too (the pitches that is). His performance in the second innings was quite special, as with the Mohali 5 for against India. He gets just as many results as other bowlers, and he gets them in conditions that don't suit him most of the time. England isn't a cakewalk for bowlers, you need someone like Siddle who will run in all day keeping his head up and searching for wickets, because he always finds them.
 

Spikey

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the best thing about siddle's hat-trick is that he meant to bowl the hat-trick ball in a different place
 

LongHopCassidy

International Captain
Still fairly baffled about how Bird is the next McGrath/Hadlee/Alderman after watching him beat up little Sri Lankans for two Tests (also a task not beyond Mitchell Johnson) six months ago.

Most of the time when Australia gets smashed, Siddle is comfortably the best bowler. Most notable examples are Melbourne 2008, Lord's 2009, Melbourne 2010 and Mohali 2012. IMO, what sets him apart from the rest of the team is that he's not adversely affected by how the team's going as a whole and the mental fallout that happens to everyone else - which has been exaggerated nowadays since the team either wins big or gets crushed. Don't think we've played a properly close Test match since Mohali 2010.

Bird will play some Tests, and do well, but there's no way he's going to usurp a 41-Test veteran on potential alone (see Dohertygate in the last Ashes). If he does play, it'd be in place of Harris who was probably the inspiration for informed player management.
 
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