***Official*** Australia in South Africa + South Africa in Australia 2016/17

[Compton]

Just pick Maxwell.

I know he didn't score runs this round of matches, but he can hold an end, and that's more than Lyon has been managing recently. They need him to lengthen the batting more than they need Lyon to do any bowling.

There's little point in picking a frontline spinner for the sake of picking one. Picking the aggressive batsman who bowls some off-spin didn't work out too badly for England in the long-term...

 

[Shady Slim]

and smith doesn't know how to captain a real spinner anyway, since he seems to believe the only thing a spinner does is contain runs maxwell isn't really the worst idea (since that's what his role in the ODI team is)

 

[Tangles]

How many tests did Smith watch Clarke captain Lyon and pick nothing up?

 

[social]

How many tests did Smith watch Clarke captain Lyon and pick nothing up?

It's amazing how quickly Lyon seems to have gone from being a guy whose presence in the dressing room was invaluable to being on the chopping block

 

[Tangles]

It's amazing how quickly Lyon seems to have gone from being a guy whose presence in the dressing room was invaluable to being on the chopping block

Highlights the issue of Smith having to be captain. Only he and Warner are safe. Even bowlers who could be theoretical options can't be relied on to be fit.

 

[Rootfan]

Look, I'm sorry if it seems I'm berating you, I'm not. But this is a bug bear of mine and it's important. Very, very important. There are particular mores surrounding nicknames, ok? I commend the below thread to you in relation to this AB/ ABdV matter, and with regards to nicknames generally.

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/71588-nicknames-etiquette-surrounding-them.html

I find AB more suitable for De Villiers than for Border actually. I respect Border, he's one of the greats but AB is AB, a game changer like no other. He's Viv Richards and Tendulkar rolled into one.

 

[Gnske]

I find AB more suitable for De Villiers than for Border actually. I respect Border, he's one of the greats but AB is AB, a game changer like no other. He's Viv Richards and Tendulkar rolled into one.

So good

 

[Dan]

Squad has been named:
David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Peter Handscomb, Nic Maddinson, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.

****ing christ

 

[Tangles]

Mad dog can break the game open apparently. That's great when the team can't bat time anyway. Wade has worked on his keeping. Wow. Stfu Hohns. And I thought Marsh was the issue. They just don't know what a Test player is.

 

[Daemon]

Gotta feel a bit for Ferguson.

 

[DriveClub]

Team I would have picked

Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith
Patterson
Handscomb
Maxwell
Whiteman(wk)
Starc
Hazelwood
Bird/Sayers

 

[StephenZA]

Is half that Aus squad new, compared to the beginning of the series? Person I feel most sorry for is Neville, I actually thought he tried to really fight (which you do not see a lot off) even if he did not score many runs, but really that's not his job. Hold up an end and give the batsmen a chance to score runs, he can`t help that all the batsmen where failing.

 

[Starfighter]

Mad dog can break the game open apparently.

Something Warner and Smith can already do, very likely better.

That's great when the team can't bat time anyway.

Exactly. I see we're placing intent first again. The players change but the silliness remains.

And Wade. Why?

 

[Tangles]

Team I would have picked

Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith
Patterson
Handscomb
Maxwell
Whiteman(wk)
Starc
Hazelwood
Bird/Sayers

I doubt Maxwell could bowl the overs required but I do like KPat and Whiteman over what the selectors did.

 

[91Jmay]

Thats a bit silly. Thats like saying North Koreans should just accept what their government does and get over it.

Bit extreme lol but we should not just accept the ICC bullying us because we are not part of the mighty 3.

This is such whiney victim nonsense. Your team cheated a bit and got caught. Cop it and move on.

 

[Burgey]

Two Victorians. Recipe for an even bigger shambles.

 

[TheJediBrah]

All those changes and they still pick Nathan Lyon

FMD

 

[Tangles]

Looks like the DN starts 9:30 pm Thanksgiving for me. Uhg. Session and a half is probably all I'll manage.

 

[listento_me]

The whole thing is insane. Chewing gum just helps create more saliva.

If this is considered ball tampering we may as well completely ban shining the ball at all.

It's not just "more saliva" it's the glucose in that saliva which helps shine the ball more than what we would call normal saliva. Which is against the rules of using foreign objects to change the condition of the ball.

It genuinely is ball tampering and should be punished as such but at the same time, with the English use of such tactics, there should have been a precedent but there isn't.

 

[the big bambino]

All this special pleading for Faf from saffers must be pissing off capetown guy.