*Official* Australia in Sri Lanka 2016

[Prince EWS]

The best thing about these rating systems is that one of the most unfairly maligned players on CW is getting full marks unanimously

You commented before when I said I had regrets about not getting into the Younis debate, but I actually did stick up for Marsh a few times. No such regrets this time.

 

[Black_Warrior]

You commented before when I said I had regrets about not getting into the Younis debate, but I actually did stick up for Marsh a few times. No such regrets this time.

Well done mate. Once upon a time, when I was lucky enough to be part of a CW podcast, I found myself the only SMarsh defender against two hostile critics and had to put up an impassioned defence.

 

[adub]

I don't know what records the Mighty Rangana Herath might break in the remainder of his career, but there is one record where two left arm slow bowlers are 1 and 2 in test history, and I dearly hope TPC breaks it.

Records | Test matches | Individual records (captains, players, umpires) | Oldest players | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Shady Slim]

i have no idea what any of you are talking about gnske is one of the best posters on the site

he gets a solid 10 for hilarity in my ratings ffs

 

[keshkami]

well test cricket over between SL and Aus.i wonder why 5 / 0 RF? but 5 ODI soon.No Herath in srilankan team for 5 matches ODI. Australian teams weak in selection of Henriques,Head,Wade,,khawaja, Bailey and Falkner but smith,warner,Shaun,Zampa,Starc,MM,Finch,NCN too good in ODI.

i can not see srilankan team yet, strange, team not announce yet

 

[TheJediBrah]

I'm struggling to see what is wrong with what Smith said.

"he was picked primarily as a batsman. Obviously he also bowls".

is there something wrong with that?

Yeah not sure what Smythe really said that was wrong there. Just said we picked him as a batsmen in this test.

I thought this as well after reading that article, but didn't say anything because I assumed I must have been missing something

 

[Top_Cat]

I'm struggling to see what is wrong with what Smith said.

"he was picked primarily as a batsman. Obviously he also bowls".

is there something wrong with that?

Except that's not the exact quote. He said he bowls 'a little bit'. That under-rates a guy whose role is and has always been that of a batting all-rounder for NSW. Smith would obviously know this because he also plays for NSW. It's also what got him in the Test side and has only ever been the position he's been in line for.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into it but I'm thinking the selection of Henriques as a bat was forced on Smith. Was more what he didn't say. Traditionally, your average Aussie skipper will talk up the merits of a guy in line for selection, mention that Henriques batted well in turning conditions in India or whatever but there was nothing in the lead-up nor any talk from Smith at the presso indicating the reasons for why he was picked as a batsman. Just a curt acknowledgement of his selection and role after the loss. WIld guess, I reckon Smith would have preferred a new genuine bat like Head to come in, especially since he's got plenty of form and can bowl a bit of off-spin too.

 

[Compton]

Mitch Marsh scores one fifty and all of a sudden he's getting pass marks for the series. He's going to bat at 6 forever.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Mitch Marsh scores one fifty and all of a sudden he's getting pass marks for the series. He's going to bat at 6 forever.

Tbf, he and Smith were the only ones who looked at least competent against spin pretty much throughout the series even though neither of them really got many runs.

Marsh was the least of their worries tbh. I think for a SC series, he's a good enough selection. Doesn't spud it up as much as the top order and he's a better bowler than whatever second spinner they pick. Smith just needs to you know, actually bowl him.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

basically saying he has no chance of replacing Marsh since he is the "all-rounder in the team" (like you can only have 1). Pretty much shutting down one of his avenues of potential success, in fact most people would say he had a greater chance at becoming a test number 6 who was the 5th bowler rather than a specialist number 5 bat

which, considering how Steve Smith got the Test gig in the first place, is doubly ironic

 

[Shady Slim]

some of the best societies were conquered by the europeans who used natives to oppress the people or kept natives in a position of power to keep down their own

lehmann's doing it with nsw players

 

[vic_orthdox]

Thought the quote is a bigger kick towards Usman than Moises.

I only saw Uz bat in the first Test, thought he at least showed a bit of a plan trying to get back more and make them bowl fuller to him.

 

[Spikey]

Why lehmann so fixated on all rounders? Feeling jelly of england?

he believes that unless you have a warne-like spinner, you need a 5th bowling option. (this is on the record, look for the articles regarding Dan Christian when he almost fluked a test match). I think this is something Clarke roughly believed in but I'm not so sure about Smith. Anyway Lehmann may have a point in Australian conditions but when you're in the sub-continent and you're gonna be using your spinner from about the 10th over onwards, I don't really see it.

 

[Spikey]

Thought the quote is a bigger kick towards Usman than Moises.

I only saw Uz bat in the first Test, thought he at least showed a bit of a plan trying to get back more and make them bowl fuller to him.

Yeah same, but this whole thing is basically Henriques caught in the cross fire. rough gig

 

[hendrix]

basically saying he has no chance of replacing Marsh since he is the "all-rounder in the team" (like you can only have 1). Pretty much shutting down one of his avenues of potential success, in fact most people would say he had a greater chance at becoming a test number 6 who was the 5th bowler rather than a specialist number 5 bat

Except that's not the exact quote. He said he bowls 'a little bit'. That under-rates a guy whose role is and has always been that of a batting all-rounder for NSW. Smith would obviously know this because he also plays for NSW. It's also what got him in the Test side and has only ever been the position he's been in line for.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into it but I'm thinking the selection of Henriques as a bat was forced on Smith. Was more what he didn't say. Traditionally, your average Aussie skipper will talk up the merits of a guy in line for selection, mention that Henriques batted well in turning conditions in India or whatever but there was nothing in the lead-up nor any talk from Smith at the presso indicating the reasons for why he was picked as a batsman. Just a curt acknowledgement of his selection and role after the loss. WIld guess, I reckon Smith would have preferred a new genuine bat like Head to come in, especially since he's got plenty of form and can bowl a bit of off-spin too.

I think you're reading way too much into it.

I think he was probably asked something like "Why was Moises picked and what was his role in the team"
and his reply was that he was primarily picked as a batsman.

In other words they rate his batting highly enough to be picked as a batsman...

 

[TheJediBrah]

Except that's not the exact quote. He said he bowls 'a little bit'. That under-rates a guy whose role is and has always been that of a batting all-rounder for NSW. Smith would obviously know this because he also plays for NSW. It's also what got him in the Test side and has only ever been the position he's been in line for.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into it but I'm thinking the selection of Henriques as a bat was forced on Smith. Was more what he didn't say. Traditionally, your average Aussie skipper will talk up the merits of a guy in line for selection, mention that Henriques batted well in turning conditions in India or whatever but there was nothing in the lead-up nor any talk from Smith at the presso indicating the reasons for why he was picked as a batsman. Just a curt acknowledgement of his selection and role after the loss. WIld guess, I reckon Smith would have preferred a new genuine bat like Head to come in, especially since he's got plenty of form and can bowl a bit of off-spin too.

lol "perhaps" you're reading too much into it?

Literally all he said was 'a little bit' which could mean absolutely anything

 

[honestbharani]

Nah.. a little bit means a little bit.


EDIT: As in, Steve Smith is a batsman who can bowl "a little bit"...

 

[Daemon]

Yeah I agree with hendrix, I think you guys are reading too much into a statement that was made on the spot and without much thought behind it.

It's not nice to say something like 'bowls a little bit' to a guy who you picked as your backup all rounder tbf, but as we all know Smith is a bit of a ****. He's got nothing on Dhoni though, who regularly shits on his bowlers.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I don't think it was the first statement that was the problem so much. It was the statement after - 'Marsh is the allrounder in the team'. That bothered me a little bit. That's like England saying, Stokes is the allrounder in the team when Moeen and Woakes are in the side. It's insulting to the others.

 

[Compton]

Smith will probably be happy that everyone is talking about whether or not he **** on Moz, rather than the massive **** his side have taken on Australian cricket.