aussie tragic
International Captain
Good of Aus to clear the batting dead wood before the home summer. Paving the way for:
Warner
Burns
Labuschagne
Smith
Patterson
Pucovski
Warner
Burns
Labuschagne
Smith
Patterson
Pucovski
I'd say we'll be competitive but I think green tops would give us less chance. Cummins Hazelwood Patto/Siddle/Starc on naughty wickets? No thanks. Our best chance is if Boult can hoop it round corners and Wagner gets up a few. Ajaz Patel is also a decent quality left-arm spinner.Shows what we already know, what a joke the rankings are. NZ will fight their best of course but hardly be competitive unless we serve up greentops.
A greentop would bridge the gap between the bowling of the two sides. It becomes more about luck the more bowler-friendly the wicket is. See, Aus v NZ Hobart 2011.I'd say we'll be competitive but I think green tops would give us less chance. Cummins Hazelwood Patto/Siddle/Starc on naughty wickets? No thanks. Our best chance is if Boult can hoop it round corners and Wagner gets up a few. Ajaz Patel is also a decent quality left-arm spinner.
I know it's RU OK Day, but there's no way the young bloke gets a gig unless he's had the all clear from a mental health POV for over a season.Good of Aus to clear the batting dead wood before the home summer. Paving the way for:
Warner
Burns
Labuschagne
Smith
Patterson
Pucovski
He was already picked in the Test squad for Sri Lanka and probably would have played if Patterson hadn't hit those 2 tons in the warm up game.I know it's RU OK Day, but there's no way the young bloke gets a gig unless he's had the all clear from a mental health POV for over a season.
Dr. AT knows what's upPlus, being selected to play for Australia and 'fulfill a life long dream' (his words) may actually do wonders for his mental health.
Well better than Dr. Burgey who just writes him off for a year lolDr. AT knows what's up
This is what I don't get. He's not coming back from anything. He has just played and done well on the Australia A tour and he made 649 runs @ 54.08 in the last shield season (2 hundreds and 3 fifties). So he has the same chance as any other bat facing up in the first test of the summer (i.e. all will play about 2-3 shield games to impress).You come back from an illness/ injury, you prove you're fit to play before you're picked. That means he goes back and scores runs at Shield level instead of getting a rails run to a test cap because it'd make a happy story over at Beyond Blue. It doesn't matter if he's recovering from a stress fracture, a broken ****ing arm, concussion or a mental illness. I hope the kid makes it (provided he's the only Victorian picked, obviously) but let him score some runs at FC level over a season and get a call up like everyone else. The idea you hand out a test cap so it does wonders for a bloke's mental health is enough to warrant some psych testing itself tbh.
I'm not saying he shouldn't play, I'm saying he should play Shield cricket and prove he's up to the rigors of doing so before he's picked. As I say, I hope he's fighting fit and good to go, provided no other Victorian is in the side (which should be the first consideration tbh).This is what I don't get. He's not coming back from anything. He has just played and done well on the Australia A tour and he made 649 runs @ 54.08 in the last shield season (2 hundreds and 3 fifties). So he has the same chance as any other bat facing up in the first test of the summer (i.e. all will play about 2-3 shield games to impress).
And the last sentence is ridiculous. You are the one who specifically said he should not play because of mental health. My statement saying it may help him was only in response to that.
Then it's a bit of a pointless statement to make because I'm sure those advocating for Pucovski in the Test team are assuming that he earns the spot by impressing in the first few Shield rounds, rather than say "pick him right now regardless"I'm not saying he shouldn't play, I'm saying he should play Shield cricket and prove he's up to the rigors of doing so before he's picked. As I say, I hope he's fighting fit and good to go, provided no other Victorian is in the side (which should be the first consideration tbh).
How many had Ponting played?I am well aware. 14 career Shield games tops isn't sufficient imo