***Official*** Australia in Bangladesh 2017

[Hennybogan]

Under done along with poor selections as well.
Maxwell Finch Renshaw Smith Handscomb Cartwright Nevill Agar Okeefe Cummins Lyon would be my picks with Maxwell and Finch with a T20 licence.

 

[Howe_zat]

You'd open the batting in a test with Maxwell and Finch? Really?

It's not just the approach that is different in T20, the measure for success is completely different too. Even if they could, getting to 35-2 after four overs is no longer worth anything.

 

[91Jmay]

To say there have been poor selections and then suggest Finch and Maxwell opening is ITSTL

 

[Daemon]

3 man 'spin' attack with a backup part time spinner would probably be a first for the nation

 

[srbhkshk]

Re; the discussion about Shakib, the thing in his favor is that he is one of the most "pure" all rounder we have seen after Kallis i.e. he is a good batsman as well as a good bowler,however unlike the all rounders that are considered truly great most of them had (Botham's case is a bit different maybe - but Shakib is never gonna have a peak like that guy.) had one single suit in their game that could have made them an ATG just with that. Imran/Hadlee/(Pollock ?) are ATGs even without their batting, Kapil is India's pace ATG and a damn good bowler in his own right, Sobers/Kallis among the most exceptional batsman.
Shakib is not a great in any of his suites, but he becomes a great once you combine them, not sure how people take that kind of thing, but to me it reduces the sheen a bit and prevents him from ever being included in the same league.

 

[MW1304]

Kallis is hardly a good example of that. Far better batsman than bowler after the early part of his career.

 

[srbhkshk]

Kallis is hardly a good example of that. Far better batsman than bowler after the early part of his career.

but he is the best recent example, no?

 

[MW1304]

I'd say Cairns and Flintoff are closer to 'pure' allrounders who's suits are relatively close in quality. Vettori too.

 

[srbhkshk]

I'd say Cairns and Flintoff are closer to 'pure' allrounders who's suits are relatively close in quality. Vettori too.

fair calls all.

 

[91Jmay]

Shakib is better than Flintoff or Cairns imo if we are judging on quality, although clearly not in the same ballpark as a true ATG all rounder.

 

[Howe_zat]

Shakib being more 'balanced' than other allrounders could allow him a stat double that describes it, e.g. First to 300 wickets and 6000 runs, by the end of his career. Probably won't play enough tests though.

 

[JRC67]

Shakib is a test quality bat and bowler and as a package would make any team at the moment, also as a batsman and bar India as a spinner. He probably is unique in being about equal in both disciplines, maybe Greig in the 70s. He's not quite a great in either discipline, but he is test standard in both and so deserves to be ranked great overall. As a spinner he could play 10 more years so 300 wickets and 6000 runs could be possible.

 

[Coronis]

Shakib is better than Flintoff or Cairns imo if we are judging on quality, although clearly not in the same ballpark as a true ATG all rounder.

This post makes sense.

 

[srbhkshk]

Shakib is a test quality bat and bowler and as a package would make any team at the moment, also as a batsman and bar India as a spinner. He probably is unique in being about equal in both disciplines, maybe Greig in the 70s. He's not quite a great in either discipline, but he is test standard in both and so deserves to be ranked great overall. As a spinner he could play 10 more years so 300 wickets and 6000 runs could be possible.

Interesting question though, would Shakib make India's team? He is a bit behind Ashwin or Jadeja as a bowler and not as good as any of India's pure batsman, probably could replace one of the two spinners overseas with his batting but not in SC, given that Kohli will not drop Pandya, else he walks in ahead of him.

 

[91Jmay]

He is in overseas for Jadeja, but at home probably not in the side unless it's as a pure batsmen.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Haha Agar!!!!
Happy the lads put in the all round game so far.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Agar's proven me wrong so far. Definitely wasn't expecting much of him. Hopefully he continues to perform and we can boot Lyon for good.

You have a point. You're missing something in that what Asian spinners do is side-spin the ball more, which looks great when the wicket has some support, but looks toothless elsewhere because the ball skids on at normal speeds, and if you slow it down to the point where you can get turn you're just bowling too slow.

Jadeja, Ashwin, Shakib...if these guys grew up playing their cricket in Australia or England they would be very different bowlers because they would have to be different bowlers.

Nah I'm talking mostly ****. Steve O'Keefe has been the most effective bowler in Australia over the last decade by some margin and he doesn't really get much overspin. In theory if O'Keefe is successful so should Shakib and Jadeja.

 

[Burgey]

Haha Agar!!!!
Happy the lads put in the all round game so far.

His cover driving is a thing of beauty.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Agree with what Brendon Julian said on the commentary; thought it was a bit of an error to take Cummins off so soon. Didn’t bowl his two overs well admittedly, but he showed what he could do with a new ball on the opening day and taking him off so soon. Especially when Maxwell came on to bowl three overs of dross.

 

[social]

He did alright in South Africa didn't he?

He did but needed an insane amount of luck to do so

The thing that annoys me about him is that he doesn't appear to have learned from his mistakes at all and rarely shows the application required to overcome his weaknesses