Australian Test Selection 2016/2017

[Dan]

Rod Marsh: "Bird came very close. What cost him a place was his batting. We've got to get runs at the bottom of the order as well."

And this is why I stopped following cricket.

Cricket Australia are so obsessed with making money through the Big Bash, and the International side will continue to suffer as a result.

I for one look forward to our next Test team:

1. Warner
2. Marsh
3. Khawaja
4. Smith
5. Voges
6. Marsh
7. Wade
8. Zampa (He's a GENUINE ALL-ROUNDER guys!)
9. Stoinis
10. Mennie
11. Starc

12. Christian

Was tempting to put Henriques in at 10, but they wouldn't bowl him anyway.

 

[Starfighter]

I know Rod Marsh is going at the end of the season or whenever, but can he and the others leave now?
Choosing Mennie over Bird for batting ability is just idiotic. The batsmen are there to score runs, not the number ten. Argh.

CA is just so contemptuous these days.

 

[Nate]

wtf does the Big Bash have to do with it?

just let me rant okay

I have a lot of feelings

 

[the big bambino]

I have a suspicion Bird is still doing time for his ordinary tour of England when he was expected to be prominent. For whatever reason a new set of selectors cant come quickly enough for him.

 

[Burgey]

At least there's only one Victorian. Australian teams usually perform best when there's only one Victorian in the side.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I can put myself in Bird's shoes and really understand how hard done by he'd feel.

Can you just imagine being the dominant bowler in domestic cricket for years, you get a Test in NZ and take 5-for and win the game for your country, then miss out in Sri Lanka and you think "fair enough I guess since we're playing 2 spinners, but I'll be right back in when we play at home". Then you get back to Australia and you're left out of the Test squad for Joe Mennie. Meanwhile complete failures like Mitch Marsh who've played a dozen tests in a row without even coming close to being as useful as you were in 1 test keep getting selected.

It's a cruel world

 

[NUFAN]

If Starc didnt recover the tail really would look weak with Bird playing instead of Mennie. I think that's very obvious and was discussed on in here as soon as Starc went down with an injury. Perhaps the selectors weren't/aren't 100 percent confident on how Mitch would pull up after his first competitive game in a while.

 

[NUFAN]

I do agree with Jedi's post though, i was just trying to provide the reasoning behind Marsh's comments about batting being the difference. Obviously most here think that there is a big enough gap in bowling class to put Bird ahead of Mennie, but if you think they are similar, then batting is a fair enough point.

I would like to see Mennie battle for Mitch Marsh's spot as batting average of 25, bowling average 33 or whatever.

 

[Victor Ian]

At least there's only one Victorian. Australian teams usually perform best when there's only one Victorian in the side.

I hate that I agree with this.

Meanwhile...... I hate Marsh being in the team. He annoys me and his brother makes me spew and his dad reminds me of when he batted with Richie.

 

[Archie Jackson]

At least they didn't pick Scott Boland...

 

[TheJediBrah]

I do agree with Jedi's post though, i was just trying to provide the reasoning behind Marsh's comments about batting being the difference. Obviously most here think that there is a big enough gap in bowling class to put Bird ahead of Mennie, but if you think they are similar, then batting is a fair enough point.

I would like to see Mennie battle for Mitch Marsh's spot as batting average of 25, bowling average 33 or whatever.

I would even take it a step further and say that I agree with the selectors, in theory. If anything I tend to think that lower-order batting ability is underrated, especially on here.

I was just pretending to be Jackson Bird and wondering what he's thinking.

 

[morgieb]

Dropping Bird for Mennie makes zero sense AFAIC.

Presuming we'll go with

Warner
Smarsh
Khawaja
Smith
Voges
Mmarsh
Nevill
Starc
Siddle
Lyon
Hazlewood

Not sure that'd be my first XI, but probably not that far off it.

 

[Red]

Bird should be playing, not Mennie.

So they want to strengthen the batting from 7-11 while being content with at number 6 that is averaging 24 after plenty of innings? FMD, just play six batsmen and four bowlers and if a bowler gets injured wear it for that test.

Mitch Marsh is a decent seamer but his batting is limited. I've said it before, but he should be spending this summer batting at #3 or #4 for WA and making some serious runs.

 

[Burgey]

I can put myself in Bird's shoes and really understand how hard done by he'd feel.

Can you just imagine being the dominant bowler in domestic cricket for years, you get a Test in NZ and take 5-for and win the game for your country, then miss out in Sri Lanka and you think "fair enough I guess since we're playing 2 spinners, but I'll be right back in when we play at home". Then you get back to Australia and you're left out of the Test squad for Joe Mennie. Meanwhile complete failures like Mitch Marsh who've played a dozen tests in a row without even coming close to being as useful as you were in 1 test keep getting selected.

It's a cruel world

Indeed.

And while I get where n00fers is coming from re the batting, I think the difference between Bird and Mennie with the ball more than outweighs the difference with the bat.

You'd think he'd end up 12th man anyways but if here's an injury, Bird would be mortified to miss out.

 

[Burgey]

I do agree with Jedi's post though, i was just trying to provide the reasoning behind Marsh's comments about batting being the difference. Obviously most here think that there is a big enough gap in bowling class to put Bird ahead of Mennie, but if you think they are similar, then batting is a fair enough point.

I would like to see Mennie battle for Mitch Marsh's spot as batting average of 25, bowling average 33 or whatever.

When are we having a beer?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Indeed.

And while I get where n00fers is coming from re the batting, I think the difference between Bird and Mennie with the ball more than outweighs the difference with the bat.

You'd think he'd end up 12th man anyways but if here's an injury, Bird would be mortified to miss out.

Well that's what it really comes down to.

If you think the reason Bird wasn't selected is stupid because the selectors are stupid in thinking lower-order batting is important then you're misguided.

But if you think it's stupid because the difference between their batting abilities isn't enough to outweigh the difference with the ball then that's more than fair.

 

[Gnske]

Good god even listening to Rod on the selections he sounds entirely unconvinced of Mennie

 

[Burgey]

Look if Mennie gets a game I hope he tears it up because 'Straya, but I think it's the wrong call. He's certainly not a dud cricketer, just think Bird is the better call.

 

[Burgey]

And yeah, runs down the order are important. Nothing shits me more than having a mob all but out and some tailenders put on decent runs. Fmd it stings

 

[NUFAN]

When are we having a beer?

I'm keen, totally forgot that I never confirmed a time when you asked last time. I've become slack at organising anything over the past few years.

Do you have a local or anywhere in particular?