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Australian Discussion (Final Squad Announced Post #82)

pup11

pup11

International Coach
Spark said:
Did anyone notice how stunningly good Mitch looked yesterday? Almost every single ball landed in exactly the right place (good length on off stump slanting away from the RH, into the LH), almost no wides that I can think of etc.

More of that, please.
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Is form really a factor with Mitch though..? The guy can bowl like an ATG one game and then in the very next he could go back to bowling like a clown so don't think there is much point in reading too much into his bowling form.
 
Nate

Nate

You'll Never Walk Alone
pup11 said:
So you are telling me that you would just close your eyes and disregard the performances that those three guys have put up in domestic cricket over the last two seasons and hope that Smith who has virtually done nothing much of note for the Blues in OD cricket would all of sudden start to perform at the international level...??
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The number seven spot, imo, is one for an all-rounder. Birt is not an all-rounder, so he is discounted. In 84 ODIs, Hopes averages less than Smith does with the bat, and almost 10 more runs with the ball. He's been given a big shot, and not grabbed it. He is, as I've expressed elsewhere, a very good State Cricketer, but not an International one, imo. Christian is no doubt, a very talented batsman, but, imo, a distinctly average bowler. His OD bowling average is 34, and more importantly, his economy is over 6. I also see limited potential for his bowling to improve.

I would disagree with you that Smith has done "nothing much of note for the Blues in OD cricket". An average of 35 with a S/R if 90 is very acceptable to be a numeber seven batsman for Australia. And while his OD bowling average of 34 is not fantastic, he has proven himself to be an effective bowler in domestic 20/20, and also in ODIs and T20 Internationals so far. Add to this that he seems to be developing with the ball in every game, and that I see lots of potential with him at age 21, I think he's the man for the job. You yourself have said he should be bowling his full 10.
 
Furball

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Nnanden said:
Smith is getting picked as an all-rounder, without a doubt. I'd say 27 is a decent start after 15 games.

Haha, how would you know if he lacks the ability? What have you seen to make that claim?

I'd like Ferguson in aswell, but over Dussey.
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Particularly as he's had very little opportunity to do anything meaningful with the bat. UIMM, virtually every innings he had batted the order of the day has been "put as many balls as you can into the stands".
 
pup11

pup11

International Coach
Nnanden said:
The number seven spot, imo, is one for an all-rounder. Birt is not an all-rounder, so he is discounted. In 84 ODIs, Hopes averages less than Smith does with the bat, and almost 10 more runs with the ball. He's been given a big shot, and not grabbed it. He is, as I've expressed elsewhere, a very good State Cricketer, but not an International one, imo. Christian is no doubt, a very talented batsman, but, imo, a distinctly average bowler. His OD bowling average is 34, and more importantly, his economy is over 6. I also see limited potential for his bowling to improve.

I would disagree with you that Smith has done "nothing much of note for the Blues in OD cricket". An average of 35 with a S/R if 90 is very acceptable to be a numeber seven batsman for Australia. And while his OD bowling average of 34 is not fantastic, he has proven himself to be an effective bowler in domestic 20/20, and also in ODIs and T20 Internationals so far. Add to this that he seems to be developing with the ball in every game, and that I see lots of potential with him at age 21, I think he's the man for the job. You yourself have said he should be bowling his full 10.
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As I said Smith has potential with both bat and ball but he's not ready for international cricket, neither is his present role in the ODI side doing him any favours in helping his development as a cricketer.

I see Smith as someone who has the caliber to bat in the top 5 and then bowl 10 attacking overs of wrist spin, but in his current role basically he is being encouraged to turn himself into a lame arse slogger and a bit of a part-timer.

Now... someone like Hopes on the other hand was virtually our 5th bowler when he was batting at #7 but his game was hardly meant for batting that low, though to his credit he did improve his batting for that role and in the last 12 months he actually played a lot of good knocks for us batting at #7.

Christian on the other hand is someone who is right up there with some of the cleanest strikers of the cricket ball in the country atm and for a man who's bowling is rated by nobody he sure as hell takes a lot of wickets.

As for Birt... I consider him highly unlucky not to be a part of the Australian LO set-up, over the last two seasons he has been batting in the middle order for the Tigers coming in difficult situations and virtually destroying bowling attacks, also considering the fact that Smith is basically being used as a batsman who can bowl a bit, I don't think we would have been missing a lot had we opted for an out and out batsman like Birt as our #7.
 
Noble One

Noble One

International Vice-Captain
Birt has been in terrible form for Tasmania this season in the FRC. Close to being dropped from his state team, not even close to considered for Australian duties.

Perhaps a year ago he deserved more of a chance. Selected in the wrong format.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Nnanden said:
The number seven spot, imo, is one for an all-rounder. Birt is not an all-rounder, so he is discounted. In 84 ODIs, Hopes averages less than Smith does with the bat, and almost 10 more runs with the ball. He's been given a big shot, and not grabbed it. He is, as I've expressed elsewhere, a very good State Cricketer, but not an International one, imo. Christian is no doubt, a very talented batsman, but, imo, a distinctly average bowler. His OD bowling average is 34, and more importantly, his economy is over 6. I also see limited potential for his bowling to improve.

I would disagree with you that Smith has done "nothing much of note for the Blues in OD cricket". An average of 35 with a S/R if 90 is very acceptable to be a numeber seven batsman for Australia. And while his OD bowling average of 34 is not fantastic, he has proven himself to be an effective bowler in domestic 20/20, and also in ODIs and T20 Internationals so far. Add to this that he seems to be developing with the ball in every game, and that I see lots of potential with him at age 21, I think he's the man for the job. You yourself have said he should be bowling his full 10.
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Smith actually averages 39.6 with the bat for NSW in one day cricket, at a very high strike rate. I just don't see the problem at all. Birt only averages 34 for Tassie in one day cricket.
 
Burgey

Burgey

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Spark said:
You don't think so? Did you see him after he was run out? I wouldn't want to be within a 100 metres of the man when he was in that mood.

I remember some Indian caterer telling a newspaper article how he remembered, upon getting out, how Ponting/Clarke/Hayden etc. would be a serious threat to bats and chairs in the dressing room.
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Good. Want them pissed off when they get out.

Not good if he's aimed his bat at the tv obviously, but if he's thrown something in the shed and hit the tv, then he pays for it and moves on. it's not a great look, but it's a private space.

I recall that pic Steve Waugh took of Slats flushing his gear down the toilet in frustration at getting out - pads, gloves, the works - shoved them in the dunny and tried to flush them. Quality.

Then, of course, Bevan was apparently a shocker. Blokes would run when he got out - clear the sheds.
 
howardj

howardj

International Coach
Burgey said:
Good. Want them pissed off when they get out.

Not good if he's aimed his bat at the tv obviously, but if he's thrown something in the shed and hit the tv, then he pays for it and moves on. it's not a great look, but it's a private space.

I recall that pic Steve Waugh took of Slats flushing his gear down the toilet in frustration at getting out - pads, gloves, the works - shoved them in the dunny and tried to flush them. Quality.

.
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Reminds me of a story RE Allan Border's last tour as an Australian cricketer which was to South Africa in 1994. He was grimly batting it out for a draw (as only AB can), and when he came into the sheds at tea, Ian Healy sarcastically put AB's bat into a bucket of ice.

AB went off like a rocket apparently: "I'm out there batting my arse off for a draw...etc etc"
 
Burgey

Burgey

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Had a bloke get reported for dissent from our club this year. He got given out, walked off and threw his bat at his bag. It bounced up straight into the dressing room door, happened to be made of metal. Made a god-awful sound heard all over the place. Umpire reported him as he thought he'd thrown it at the door itself. I saw the deceision. He should have thrown it at the umpire.

Two games back another bloke got a globe opening the batting, walks into the shed, and hurls his bat in fury at his bag. All of a sudden "quack quack" from within the bag. He carries a little quacking duck he gets out for the boys when one of them fails to score, and forgot he left it in his kit. Even he laughed.
 
Top_Cat

Top_Cat

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Bev attacks still talked about at Adelaide Oval sometimes. Some legendary spits when he was playing here.

As for Ponting, the latest press is that he chucked his box at his coffin which rebounded and hit the TV. Even taking into account the fragility of TV's these days, that's a tough box...
 
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outbreak

outbreak

First Class Debutant
Not really. His story could be true. They reported it only lost picture in one corner. I work in the I.T industry in schools, i've seen lots of LCD screens get broken from being hit/mishandled with alot less force then an angry Ponting thrown piece of plastic. Doesn't take much to break the pixels if the box hit it on the actual screen.
 
Top_Cat

Top_Cat

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Dunno. A direct hit from a box, maybe, but a glancing blow from a rebound? But yeah, TV's are pretty fragile.

Eh, we weren't there and I don't really give a ****, Ponting still rules.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Haha yeah, I reckon the truth probably lies somewhere between the two stories. My money's on him throwing his box directly at the TV after seeing the replay.
 
Burgey

Burgey

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If part of the screen doesn't work it will be suitable for use in every pub and club in Australia.
 
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