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*Official* Pakistan v Australia in UAE 2014
- Thread starter morgieb
- Start date
social
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
**** that
The guy might do ok in the UAE with his round arm slingers but he has about as much chance of making an impact on the WC as me
It's ridiculous and devalues playing for Oz
Spikey
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i mean we just called doherty back into the squad
social
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Should be light years in front and I don't really rate him
social
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Serves me right for taking no notice of Oz cricket from the end of the SA series until yesterday
YorksLanka
International Debutant
amazing shot from Safraz...makes it look too easy..
Burgey
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This post isn't a match recap, is it?
Spark
Global Moderator
Nah, it was Lyon's attempt to do the catch-on-the-second-attempt on the boundary.
adub
International Captain
tbf he was always used wrong on top of being thrown in the deep end too soon. His record always said quality middle order bat in the making, but the selectors saw 'next Shane Warne'.
Furball
Evil Scotsman
Yes and no. He's certainly been helped by the selectors figuring out that he's a batsman, but I think Smith's just actually now producing results as opposed to having worked massively hard on his game.
He's always had the talent IMO - scored an excellent 70-odd against Pakistan in England with the tail and had a couple of fighting 50s in the 2010/11 Ashes that I think got kinda glossed over because a) they were a bit irrelevant and b) people expected more because he can spin it a bit. His ton at the Oval last year was huge personally for him though because he'd had a couple of nearly innings - at least one in India and at Old Trafford - so I think his ton finally helped him prove to himself that he actually belonged as a batsman alone.
Without blowing my own trumpet I'm pretty sure that in the aftermath of that series I definitely said that Smith would be a fixture of the Australian side going forward.
Furball
Evil Scotsman
Again I'm not sure about this. IIRC he'd had a sensational season in Shield cricket in 2008/09 - and I think with ridiculously talented players like Smith you have to throw them in at some point. If he doesn't adjust straight away, fine, get the armbands back on and get him back in the shallow end, but at least he knows what the deep end feels like.
Smith's problem was that he probably did too well as a LO spinner (particularly T20) so his role in the Australian team for 18 months was as a biffer down the order who could send down some leggies. IMO that stunted his development a bit when he should have been concentrating on Shield cricket and working on his batting so he'd be a bigger success next time he pulled on his baggy green. But I definitely think Smith debuted at the right time.
BeeGee
International Captain
Burgey
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The reason I think he's worked at his game is he's lost the staying leg side of the ball thing which he had early on, which is frankly cowardly and worthy of derision. Once he came back into the team he seemed far more capable of playing all around the wicket.
How someone can play first grade let alone first class and international cricket by staying leg side of the ball is a serious indictment on cricket here.
How someone can play first grade let alone first class and international cricket by staying leg side of the ball is a serious indictment on cricket here.