I think they probably had tbh, but when Starc, Pattinson and Bird all got injured and with Hazelwood and The Chadd seen as not quite ready, they got the Delorean out.Love that they're already admitting he's not really swinging it. At least make the Poms wait until the first over to discover that FFS.
Ruckus' posts just getting me all riled up again. Having not been picked for the England tour I'd really hoped CA had turned a corner
Haha, and you said Johnson was my boy?Well, I don't know about devastating, but he'd never really swung the thing before he first played in South Africa but he still travelled as your best bowler. He even took an 8 wicket innings haul and 11 wicket match haul against a strong South Africa lineup without swinging it.
I don't know why he has to be devastating though. I'm not sure any bowler has ever had so much unnecessary and stupidly extreme hype and dread associated with themselves ever before. It seems in the eyes of some there's only two types of Mitchell Johnson who show up; either this guy who's the greatest bowler of all time, or some some second rate grade cricketer having a bad day. It completely ignores the fact that for most of his career, he's been in the middle of that spectrum, and that it's only the odd series where he's really devastating or terrible.
Am I the only one who thinks his performance at the Gabba will just be something of a reflection of his last Shield game? Probably 3-4 wickets, but a bit too expensive to really keep the pressure on, and probably undoing the world of Harris and Siddle in the process. All this talk about how he'll win Australia one test, and make it impossible for them to win the other four is just complete crap IMO.
Well, I still wouldn't of picked him. My point wasn't really that he's great, more that my reason for not thinking he should be picked isn't because I think he'll take 0/120. I wouldn't of picked him because I think he'll reduce the threat of Harris and Siddle in a way which Hilfenhaus wouldn't have.Haha, and you said Johnson was my boy?
I agree with all of this, but my point (pretty much as you implied in the last paragraph) is that I don't think his 'middle of the spectrum' performance is good enough to justify selection. And, as you said, there is a reasonable chance he could unsettle the balance of the rest of the attack if he is expensive and England target him. I also don't think it's likely the middle-range performances he was putting up in the first half of his career will be repeated very often anymore. I think he has been 'worked out' by a lot of players.Well, I don't know about devastating, but he'd never really swung the thing before he first played in South Africa but he still travelled as your best bowler. He even took an 8 wicket innings haul and 11 wicket match haul against a strong South Africa lineup without swinging it.
I don't know why he has to be devastating though. I'm not sure any bowler has ever had so much unnecessary and stupidly extreme hype and dread associated with themselves ever before. It seems in the eyes of some there's only two types of Mitchell Johnson who show up; either this guy who's the greatest bowler of all time, or some some second rate grade cricketer having a bad day. It completely ignores the fact that for most of his career, he's been in the middle of that spectrum, and that it's only the odd series where he's really devastating or terrible.
Am I the only one who thinks his performance at the Gabba will just be something of a reflection of his last Shield game? Probably 3-4 wickets, but a bit too expensive to really keep the pressure on, and probably undoing the work of Harris and Siddle in the process. All this talk about how he'll win Australia one test, and make it impossible for them to win the other four is just complete crap IMO.
No, that is exactly my problem with the ****. He is just bog ordinary. ****s as bog ordinary as Mitchell Johnson should not have selectors pissing their ****ing pants over them. On his record he is not going to put the fear of god into the Poms, he is not going to break a few fingers, he is not going to swing the ****ing ball. The most likely outcome is that the **** will bowl a bit of loose trash, go for about 4 an over, pick up 4 wickets (at least one off a really **** ball), and have the selectors raving about how he's getting back to his best and hopefully we won't be 2-0 down by the time we get to Perth (where he'll tear the poms a new one just you watch).Am I the only one who thinks his performance at the Gabba will just be something of a reflection of his last Shield game? Probably 3-4 wickets, but a bit too expensive to really keep the pressure on, and probably undoing the work of Harris and Siddle in the process.
The issue for mine is that if he takes 3-4 wickets and goes at 4 an over doing so, that will make it virtually impossible for us to win Tests. Against other sides we could get away with it, but with so much of the Australian bowling plan relying on being boring and applying pressure to what is a very patient English batting line-up, every bowler needs to be following that script else it all goes to ****.Am I the only one who thinks his performance at the Gabba will just be something of a reflection of his last Shield game? Probably 3-4 wickets, but a bit too expensive to really keep the pressure on, and probably undoing the work of Harris and Siddle in the process. All this talk about how he'll win Australia one test, and make it impossible for them to win the other four is just complete crap IMO.
Bollinger is injured ftr.on the same wavelength here. The best thing about the other better options, like Bollinger, as well is that they aren't likely to stick around with the team for very long. It allows our first choice attack, when they are fit, to return without much fuss. You just know though that if Johnson puts up even one or two good performances, likely amid a steaming pile of horse****, he'll be part of the squad again for an annoying long period of time.
NoOOooOOOoo for 5 minutes - YouTubeCrawley said Nine are well prepared for next Thursday, adding that the next generation of commentators on the team, which includes Michael Slater, Mike Hussey, Mark Taylor, Ian Healy, Shane Warne, Mark Nicholas and James Brayshaw, represented a "changing of the guard.''
surprised that the good white ball form of Brad McNamara has been over-lookedRisky move from the Nine selectors to drop experience for youth on the eve if such a big series.
Hopefully they only commentate in their home city in coming years