*Official* Pakistan v Australia in UAE 2014

[Valer]

I think we're all working under assumption that Watson will replace MMarsh. So if you did move Watson to three you'd still have to find another six and that's not an easy task either. The batsmen used for Australia A in the four dayers against South Africa A and India A were:

Hughes
Cooper
Forrest
Ferguson
Lynn
Wade

(plus Henriques, Faulkner, Whiteman, Stoinis, Nevill and MMarsh who weren't really picked as specialist bats but had cracks in the top order at times).

Regardless of where you bat Watson I don't really see a viable top six batsman to pick out of that lot yet, unless they do the awesome thing and pick c00per.

I'd rather see the replacement at 6. But yes the stocks are thin.

 

[Howe_zat]

Doherty.

Oh **** yes. Get him back in the Test team.

 

[Spikey]

Prince EWS is right. Faulkner should be given a crack in the top order

 

[uvelocity]

I can't work out who Dorthy is.

 

[grecian]

Like we did in UAE you mean.

Shhhhh

Seriously I genuinely rate Cosgrove, is he still too fat to be considered?

 

[Jono]

‏@danbrettig Another pretty sizeable issue for Aust is they had six months to prepare and plan for this series. And even hired Murali to help #PakvAus


Good point.

 

[Prince EWS]

Oh **** yes. Get him back in the Test team.

It was a World Cup squad to be fair...

 

[Spikey]

‏@danbrettig Another pretty sizeable issue for Aust is they had six months to prepare and plan for this series. And even hired Murali to help #PakvAus


Good point.

we spent that time preparing for ajmal

 

[Prince EWS]

Prince EWS is right. Faulkner should be given a crack in the top order

He batted ahead of Henriques, Marsh and Whiteman when he played for Australia A - he was captain too, so I guess it was a batting version of the Finch bowling thing. Marsh and Whiteman proceeded to put on a partnership of 367 for the seventh wicket as a result.

 

[Howe_zat]

It was a World Cup squad to be fair...

I'm aware. I just enjoyed being reminded of his existence.

 

[Howe_zat]

1. Finch
2. Maxwell
-
4. Cooper
5. Clarke
6. Faulkner
-
8. Marsh
9. Doherty
-
-

Side coming together nicely, let's keep going

 

[Spikey]

we need some pace.

Ben Cutting

 

[uvelocity]

dermo abbott

 

[91Jmay]

1. Finch
2. Maxwell
3. White
4. Cooper
5. Clarke
6. Faulkner
7. Wade
8. Marsh
9. Doherty
10. Bird
11. Magoffin

Side coming together nicely, let's keep going

Sorted

 

[grecian]

I was serious about Cosgrove people, he bowls, surely he's a better option than the dregs you have at 3?

 

[Prince EWS]

I was serious about Cosgrove people, he bowls, surely he's a better option than the dregs you have at 3?

I agree for the record but he's just not in the picture. He'd really need to bang the door down to be in the minds of the selectors at all and he's had three consecutive Shield seasons averaging in the 30s now.

 

[grecian]

I agree for the record but he's just not in the picture. He'd really need to bang the door down to be in the minds of the selectors at all and he's had three consecutive Shield seasons averaging in the 30s now.

Fair enough, if the other guys are out-performing him, then he doesn't deserve to have his girth ignored.

 

[Watson33]

Steve Smith to be given a go at 3, anybody? Become a rock in Australia's batting order recently and I reckon he has the skills to bat at 3. If not, surely Watson would be the simple answer. Had relative success against the new/new-ish ball in his career.

 

[Riggins]

I'd rather give Smitty another 18 months at 5.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'd rather give Smitty another 18 months at 5.

Yeah as much as he's improved his play against the quicks he's still a much better player of spin, so I think he'd be more effective at five than three. I think it just skirts the issue somewhat to say the solution to the #3 spot is someone else already in the first choice side like Watson or Smith -- yeah sure it might be true but it still leaves an opening and I don't think there are more potential answers to a #5 or #6 problem than there are to a #3 problem right now. In fact I think the best batsman not currently in the side is Hughes and he'd be far more suited to #3 than #5 or #6 anyway.