***Official*** West Indies tour of Australia, Jan–Feb 2024

[Silver Silva]

Pace is pace, Joseph has the tools to get top batsmen out

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

It's 60% WI imo

I’d imagine more than that

 

[Starfighter]

How many Shield games are there before the NZ squad gets picked. Maybe two or three?

There's two before the first test, but I think they'll have picked the squad before the second, especially as they like to do it super early these days. They might even pick it before the first one's ended.

Frankly I think the best thing is for Green to not be picked and to play the rest of the Shield rounds, and for Smith to go back to four. Trouble is they've already picked him in the WI ODI squad which overlaps the first game, which is just absolutely dumb (and as I said, reinforces in his mind that needs to bash it). So he probably won't play a single one of the remaining four matches.

I think he needs to not play limited overs internationals for a while. And as you've suggested Smith should probably be forcibly retired from them.

 

[Bahnz]

God bless Pant, that man singlehandedly broke the Gabba

 

[Nintendo]

I know carey made test team of the year last year for whatever reason, but is he lowkey playing for a spot here? Has had some decent knocks here and there, but since the start of the last indian tour he's averaging 25 with the bat. He's a great keeper, but I don't know how long you can get away with averaging what a decent #8 would at this level before questions get asked.

Mind you, our batting has been pretty subpar in general in that period. Marsh is averaging 50, head and usman are around 40-42, smith at 38, would have been closer to 40 before he moved to opening, warner and marnus between 30-35. and green and carey at 26 and 24 respectively.

Maybe Smith wasn't doing as bad as people thought before moving to opening? It's below his career mark, but relative to everyone else he was actually performing fine.

 

[morgieb]

I’d imagine more than that

Yeah it's not GSM West Indies yet, but I think these two need to do what Hodge and da Silva did for Australia to get back in it. And I have little faith in Carey on current form. Nor the tail.

A 150 lead is massive (and even that requires a fair bit of batting at this point). Like "everything needs to go wrong to lose" massive.

 

[ataraxia]

if i’m the WI i’m hunting to enforce the follow on here tbh

Nah. If what you guys are saying is true then this is an NZ-style new ball–dependent pitch on which a 3rd innings old ball revival could totally stink things up. I'm aware of the possibility of rain, but the chance of a follow-on loss is quite large here I think.

 

[morgieb]

I know carey made test team of the year last year for whatever reason, but is he lowkey playing for a spot here? Has had some decent knocks here and there, but since the start of the last indian tour he's averaging 25 with the bat. He's a great keeper, but I don't know how long you can get away with averaging what a decent #8 would at this level before questions get asked.

I can see your point, but equally I'm not really convinced Inglis would be any better (he might be the better bat but is a worse keeper) and I think he's doing just about enough to survive.

Think a big problem is that neither Cummins or Starc are batting like a #8 at this point.

 

[Qlder]

Aus is 5 down for stuff all and yet scoring at 5.11 an over...when did we adopt bazball

 

[Spark]

There's two before the first test, but I think they'll have picked the squad before the second, especially as they like to do it super early these days. They might even pick it before the first one's ended.

Frankly I think the best thing is for Green to not be picked and to play the rest of the Shield rounds, and for Smith to go back to four. Trouble is they've already picked him in the WI ODI squad which overlaps the first game, which is just absolutely dumb (and as I said, reinforces in his mind that needs to bash it). So he probably won't play a single one of the remaining four matches.

I think he needs to not play limited overs internationals for a while. And as you've suggested Smith should probably be forcibly retired from them.

I have no issue with Green playing the ODIs tbh. There are some players for whom the freedom of white ball cricket is liberating and helps their red ball batting as well.

 

[Nintendo]

I can see your point, but equally I'm not really convinced Inglis would be any better (he might be the better bat but is a worse keeper) and I think he's doing just about enough to survive.

Think a big problem is that neither Cummins or Starc are batting like a #8 at this point.

Yeah true. I went over the top 7 numbers for that period, but starc and cummins are also underperforming, both averaging 14.

 

[TheJediBrah]

There's two before the first test, but I think they'll have picked the squad before the second, especially as they like to do it super early these days. They might even pick it before the first one's ended.

Frankly I think the best thing is for Green to not be picked and to play the rest of the Shield rounds, and for Smith to go back to four. Trouble is they've already picked him in the WI ODI squad which overlaps the first game, which is just absolutely dumb (and as I said, reinforces in his mind that needs to bash it). So he probably won't play a single one of the remaining four matches.

I think he needs to not play limited overs internationals for a while. And as you've suggested Smith should probably be forcibly retired from them.

Nothing's going to change with the team for NZ. And tbf even though Green looks out of his depth and there are clear issues with the batting it's probably tentatively the right call. You can't commit to a new order/line up and then throw it away after 1.5 games

 

[morgieb]

ahahahahahahahahahahahahah

 

[Burgey]

@Spikey

 

[Spark]

@Spikey

edit: ffs

 

[Spikey]

@zingbails, you ****ing ***** get out of my ****ing game you *****

 

[morgieb]

Where's the zing bail fail thread when you need it?

 

[morgieb]

Nothing's going to change with the team for NZ. And tbf even though Green looks out of his depth and there are clear issues with the batting it's probably tentatively the right call. You can't commit to a new order/line up and then throw it away after 1.5 games

Yeah going back on a big reform that quickly would be reactionary as hell.

Although if Smith and Green keep failing it'll be tough for Australia to not abort the strategy.

 

[Gnske]

Thank you KFC for saving Australian cricket

 

[Spark]

Yeah going back on a big reform that quickly would be reactionary as hell.

Although if Smith and Green keep failing it'll be tough for Australia to not abort the strategy.

I mean it's been two innings. It'd definitely be ridiculously reactionary