Australian Test Selection Thread 2017 - 2018

[Dan]

I think in Australia we can pick a very conventional team, with no bits and pieces players

- We only need four bowlers to get 20 wickets
- Pick our best keeper
- Pick our best six batsmen.

The reality is though, with such a keen focus on workload and player management, I don't think we will ever again play a Test match with just four bowlers.

Thus, until we find another Waugh or Watson, the door will be open to guys like Maxwell, Cartwright etc.

Cartwright is arguably one of the best 6 bats in the country tbf.

 

[morgieb]

Cartwright is arguably one of the best 6 bats in the country tbf.

Yeah I dunno who's in Shield cricket that's objectively better with the bat than Maxwell/Cartwright.

 

[stephen]

The problem with playing the quartet is that we don't have Gilchrist and we don't have a top order that reads Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Martyn, Clarke. Our biggest weakness is batting, especially if we have all of the fast 4 available to play.

Honestly of the 4 I don't know which one would be best to leave out. Hazlewood is the bowler who is the most proven in Australian conditions. Starc provides the most variety. Cummins is a raw, ferocious talent and Pattinson is probably more threatening than the lot of them. I'd say that Starc is the least-amazing of the four but of the four I think he is the one who definitely should play. Honestly, this headache is why the selectors have such a hard on for Agar. If they could slot Agar in at 7, Pattinson at 8, Starc 9, Cummins 10 and Hazlewood 11 you have a very strong tail. We'd then need to bat Renshaw, Warner, Smith, Handscomb, Maxwell and Nevill, which is a little light on batting-wise but it could be enough with that tail. I can't imagine any touring team would like to face the prospect of facing the quartet. The problem with this team sheet is that Lyon is by far our best spinner and has well and truly cemented his spot in the side.

Bloody good problem to have, having to decide between Marshall (Pattinson), McGrath (Hazlewood), Akram (Starc) and Ambrose (Cummins).

 

[Starfighter]

Cummins is more Andy Roberts really.

I like Pattinson the best and think he's the best bowler of the four but I suspect he'll be the one to miss out. His fragility has meant that Cummins has been able to get into his spot over the past year or so. Frankly I think Starc is the worst of the four but they're never going to leave out a 6'5" leftie who can bowl 150 km/h and bowls one or two amazing deliveries a match to distract from the fact he usually bowls too short.

 

[Spark]

Pattinson when he's on is the most frightening of the four. If you were looking for the most likely to do a MJ 2013-14 and completely terrorise an opposition to the point where their batting simply disintegrates, then he's your guy.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yeah but guys . . . they're never going to all be fit at the same time so it doesn't really matter

 

[Burgey]

It would be the most Australian selection thing ever for them to leave out a bloke who's just taken five-fers in three consecutive tests so they can play four quicks on flat decks and have the skipper and best batsman miss the second test for over rate infraction.

 

[burr]

It's pretty simple. The other three have earned their spot and Pattinson hasn't yet. The onus is on him to tear it up in the Shield. Of course it won't matter because there is a snowflake's chance in hell of all of them being fit come November or whenever the first test is.

 

[Starfighter]

I dunno, averaging 17 last Shield season and topping the county averages is pressing pretty hard for a spot for my mind. The guy has an FC average of just 22.01, that's way better than the other three, and better even than other contenders like Sayers and Behrendorff. If he's fit then he's the best of the four.

 

[stephen]

Yeah Pattinson really can't do more than he has to earn a spot, except stay fit.

 

[Tangles]

Best we can expect is 2 of the 4 fit. That being the case Bird or Sayers is a more realistic argument to have.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Best we can expect is 2 of the 4 fit. That being the case Bird or Sayers is a more realistic argument to have.

What about the guy that they actually gave a contract to?

They say that the DNA that goes into most people having jawlines, gives him extra muscles for bowling instead

 

[Burgey]

Why the long face?

 

[Starfighter]

There is no head, it's just a neck with a face.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Have to wonder if big Billy will even be able to get on the park for any Shield games this season. With that bowling action he seems liable to snap in half at any minute.

 

[Burgey]

There is no head, it's just a neck with a face.

Has the shoulders of a brown snake.

Wouldn't like to face him though.

 

[honestbharani]

It would be the most Australian selection thing ever for them to leave out a bloke who's just taken five-fers in three consecutive tests so they can play four quicks on flat decks and have the skipper and best batsman miss the second test for over rate infraction.

Nah, the most Australian thing to do would be to get into a situation where their skipper and best batsman is about to be banned and then bowl part time pie chuckers at well set batsmen during a tipping point of the game, losing the match and the series in the bargain.

 

[stephen]

Bird is so damn unlucky. The timing of his career could not have been worse. There would have been many eras where he would have been our number 1 bowler.

 

[mr_mister]

the thing is, even though Cummins, Pattinson and Starc might all look a little out of place at 7, all 3 are very capable of batting at 8. So even though you'd be playing a genuine number 8 at 7 if you do play all 4 plus Lyon, you'd have the luxury of a genuine number 8 batting at 9 as well, so it evens out IMO.

 

[honestbharani]

Yeah but that will only work if you have Handscomb keeping or you find a keeper who can bat top 6. If Agar and not Lyon had got these hauls though, it would have simplified selection so much for Oz for that first Ashes test.


Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith
Maxwell
Handscomb (wk)
Agar
Quartet.