*Official* Pakistan vs Australia in the UAE 2018

[stephen]

Honestly the idiocy of leaving out the highest first class run scorer in the world for two debutants because he hasn't had enough time in the middle is the absolute worst kind of thinking.

It's like merit is now a secondary concern when it comes to test selection.

 

[morgieb]

So confirmed Labu is ahead of Renshaw? FFS. Silly decision given how good he's looked pre-injury and that he did reasonably well in India.

 

[Crazy Sam]

It's pretty incredible that there's only one player (Lyon) in this XI who was in the XI the last time we played in Asia (vs Bangladesh last year).

 

[Daemon]

Maybe the solution to not having enough time out in the middle would be to, you know, give him some time in the middle?

In that warm up Australia could've let him have a bat instead of declaring or allowing MMarsh to keep on batting for ages.

 

[morgieb]

Maybe the solution to not having enough time out in the middle would be to, you know, give him some time in the middle?

In that warm up Australia could've let him have a bat instead of declaring or allowing MMarsh to keep on batting for ages.

TBF the reason he didn't bat in the warm-up was because of concussion.

 

[stephen]

So confirmed Labu is ahead of Renshaw? FFS. Silly decision given how good he's looked pre-injury and that he did reasonably well in India.

Yep, Siddle over Neser, Labaschagne over Renshaw.

I'm betting that by the summer's end Renshaw won't have played and Bancroft will be back in the test side.

It pisses me right off that two of the best players in the country, with experience in Asian conditions have been benched. And that's not to mention Smith and Warner not being there.

 

[stephen]

It's pretty incredible that there's only one player (Lyon) in this XI who was in the XI the last time we played in Asia (vs Bangladesh last year).

It's completely absurd is what it is.

And Renshaw can't even force his way back into the side either unless there's an injury.

After this I'm sure there will be bad blood between Renshaw and Langer, after Langer publicly pushed for his dropping last year.

 

[Hicheal Michael]

Why would someone over 6ft with a history of concussions ever field at short leg?

 

[Prince EWS]

Lehmann was talking in commentary during the JLT about how Renshaw typically takes ages to completely recover from concussion scares, so I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

But yeah ignoring that it's completely nuts that Renshaw and Handsccomb aren't playing really. Selectors have thrown the baby out with the bathwater, and in this case it was not a demon baby.

 

[stephen]

Lehmann was talking in commentary during the JLT about how Renshaw typically takes ages to completely recover from concussion scares, so I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

But yeah ignoring that it's completely nuts that Renshaw and Handsccomb aren't playing really. Selectors have thrown the baby out with the bathwater, and in this case it was not a demon baby.

I was referring to Maxwell, not Handscomb.

Burns
Renshaw
Maxwell
Handscomb

All should feel varying degrees of unluckiness.

 

[brockley]

Finch.Labuschagne.Head.Siddle in.

 

[Spikey]

purely an outsider, but it doesn't seem to me that renshaw should have been available for selection given his previous concussion history.

 

[marc71178]

Honestly the idiocy of leaving out the highest first class run scorer in the world for two debutants because he hasn't had enough time in the middle is the absolute worst kind of thinking.

It's like merit is now a secondary concern when it comes to test selection.

They’ve probably not picked Rory Burns because he’s not Australian

 

[Gnske]

So here we are, the cream of the first class system. Three men averaging in the mid 30s or so to debut in test cricket for Australia.

Hope they go well, but this could be more depressing than the West Indian effort.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Lehmann was talking in commentary during the JLT about how Renshaw typically takes ages to completely recover from concussion scares, so I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

But yeah ignoring that it's completely nuts that Renshaw and Handsccomb aren't playing really. Selectors have thrown the baby out with the bathwater, and in this case it was not a demon baby.

Completely nuts that Handscomb isn't playing? Not sure about that. I know him being a good player of spin is a bit of a meme but he hasn't really done much to earn his spot back since the Ashes.

 

[stephen]

They’ve probably not picked Rory Burns because he’s not Australian

Joe Burns, the incumbent opener who won a shield final last season and was in the top shield run scorers.

Just thinking back to the last test of the South Africa tour, it's only the Marsh brothers and Khawaja who are left in the top 6. Which means we've had 12 batsmen in our top six in the last 3 tests.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Also Mitch Marsh will be batting no. 4. I don't necessarily hate it but it's very interesting. And I hate it.

 

[Prince EWS]

Completely nuts that Handscomb isn't playing? Not sure about that. I know him being a good player of spin is a bit of a meme but he hasn't really done much to earn his spot back since the Ashes.

When Labuschagne is playing then yeah it's completely nuts.

I'd take Maxwell over either of them (and Head), but the fact that everyone who mattered hated him was well known. It's not so much that they have an irrational hatred of Handscomb as it is just that they're just completely wrong not to select him ahead of a few others.

 

[GotSpin]

Could just be that Renners isn't fit following his concussion

 

[marc71178]

Joe Burns, the incumbent opener who won a shield final last season and was in the top shield run scorers.

Just thinking back to the last test of the South Africa tour, it's only the Marsh brothers and Khawaja who are left in the top 6. Which means we've had 12 batsmen in our top six in the last 3 tests.

But you were talking about them not picking the highest FC run scorer in the world this year?