Australian Test Selection 2016/2017

[Starfighter]

Doesn't have to be first grade either. Any grade.

I'll chuck my name in. Want the usual mediums, the offies or the lefties?

Edit: Didn't you just take 8/24 or something like that? That's Lyon's replacement sorted.

 

[Burgey]

I'll chuck my name in. Want the usual mediums, the offies or the lefties?

Edit: Didn't you just take 8/24 or something like that? That's Lyon's replacement sorted.

Mate I wouldn't get a bowl in a Chinese restaurant.

 

[Shady Slim]

****in neither would nathan lyon at this rate

 

[Dan]

I took 1/7 off 3.2 with my leggies on Saturday, in literally the lowest grade of park cricket possible. Get me in.

 

[Spikey]

we might need you to umpire. if we can keep performing like this you can hardly expect the umps to make the car trip over to our games

 

[Burgey]

Burgeinho fresh off the 6:45 am flight from Bali on Sunday went straight to the rep game and made a run a ball 38 in Parra's win.

Sure he got out in the second last over and didn't go on with it, but for mine that's #intent.

 

[NUFAN]

For the first time in a long time, I really am not that certain what XI we should pick. Lyon vs SoK, Mennie vs Bird, Nevill vs Wade are all interesting decisions as is fitting 3 batsman or more realistic 2 batsman and 1 batsman who can bowl a bit, along with Warner, Khawaja and Smith.

If Shaun Marsh is unavailable, I don't want the 3 certain batsman filling in the top 3 in the order, I'm not against Khawaja moving up to opener though and bringing in a specialist top order bat at 3 such as Patterson or perhaps my bolter Stoinis. The fact that he can be the batsman who bowls, means the next 2 spots in the batting lineup would go to the best batsman without bowling being a factor, which is good news for Patterson. But realistically I think Stoinis probably needs a few more runs, so Henriques deserves a home test IMO. During the Matador Chappelli said on about 100 occasions how Henriques has one of the best techniques in Australia. Now I can think of 85 reasons why that might not mean much, but a home Test might be good for him. The last batting spot would have to probably go to the local boy Ferguson, although if we pick a young bat such as Handscomb, Head or Maddinson I wouldn't mind at all, in fact I would rather we play Handscomb over CF. Now on to my 3 battles, I've gone for SOK, because he can tie down an end better than Lyon can and is a better leader and bat, I've dropped local boy Mennie for Bird and I've kept Nevill over Wade as it is too tough a task on Wade to come back and keep well with his colour blindness. Nev is on notice though, needs more runs.

1. David Warner
2. Usman Khawaja
3. Kurtis Patterson
4. Steve Smith
5. Peter Handscomb
6. Moises Henriques
7. Peter Nevill
8. Steve O'Keefe
9. Josh Hazlewood
10. Mitchell Starc
11. Jackson Bird

My last point: Learn to bat Starc.

 

[NUFAN]

I don't ****ing know though. I can see any 3 of Bancroft, S.Marsh, Voges, M.Marsh, Head, Ferguson, Lehmann, Handscomb, Stoinis, Maxwell, Harris, Bailey, Patterson, Maddinson, Henriques or Burns playing in Adelaide.

 

[Starfighter]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if we go in with an unchanged XI.

 

[dermo]

I never thought i'd say this but i'd have Wade over Nevill atm, Nev's keeping hasn't been that crisp and the difference a good keeper batsman can make has been clear for all to see with de Kock

 

[Julian87]

For the first time in a long time, I really am not that certain what XI we should pick. Lyon vs SoK, Mennie vs Bird, Nevill vs Wade are all interesting decisions as is fitting 3 batsman or more realistic 2 batsman and 1 batsman who can bowl a bit, along with Warner, Khawaja and Smith.

If Shaun Marsh is unavailable, I don't want the 3 certain batsman filling in the top 3 in the order, I'm not against Khawaja moving up to opener though and bringing in a specialist top order bat at 3 such as Patterson or perhaps my bolter Stoinis. The fact that he can be the batsman who bowls, means the next 2 spots in the batting lineup would go to the best batsman without bowling being a factor, which is good news for Patterson. But realistically I think Stoinis probably needs a few more runs, so Henriques deserves a home test IMO. During the Matador Chappelli said on about 100 occasions how Henriques has one of the best techniques in Australia. Now I can think of 85 reasons why that might not mean much, but a home Test might be good for him. The last batting spot would have to probably go to the local boy Ferguson, although if we pick a young bat such as Handscomb, Head or Maddinson I wouldn't mind at all, in fact I would rather we play Handscomb over CF. Now on to my 3 battles, I've gone for SOK, because he can tie down an end better than Lyon can and is a better leader and bat, I've dropped local boy Mennie for Bird and I've kept Nevill over Wade as it is too tough a task on Wade to come back and keep well with his colour blindness. Nev is on notice though, needs more runs.

1. David Warner
2. Usman Khawaja
3. Kurtis Patterson
4. Steve Smith
5. Peter Handscomb
6. Moises Henriques
7. Peter Nevill
8. Steve O'Keefe
9. Josh Hazlewood
10. Mitchell Starc
11. Jackson Bird

My last point: Learn to bat Starc.

I reckon it'd be an absolute travesty to drop Ferguson and replace him at 6 and essentially replace him with Handscombe and Henriques. I'll say it again I think Maxwell as the spin option with Smith is likely. It's the sort of move we've made when in ordinary periods in the last decade....White in India and Smith's debut against England.

 

[Spikey]

I agree that Ferguson shouldn't be dropped for an all-rounder; for the rest of the summer, the all-rounder thing should be on the backburner, batsman 1-6 please. But i wouldn't be upset at all if Ferugson got dropped for a batsman before the summer is over. I didn't say anything because everyone seemed fine with it, but I wasn't on board with Ferguson being picked.

 

[NUFAN]

I think the pink ball and the Wade colour blindness is a real thing.

Yep, fair call re: Ferguson. I guess when I was picking my team I was more concerned with thinking who would do best at 5 so Ferguson was vying for that spot, not at 6.

 

[SeamUp]

One thing is for sure the shield round starting Thursday could separate men from boys. Going to be so many shoot-offs it could actually get heated on the field.

Cricket media in outcry and the pressure to be a good test team again & spots up for grabs. With the players being released back to play these will be pressure runs and pressure wickets if there was any.

NSW

Cowan
Warner
Smith (c)
Patterson
Maddinson
Henriques
Nevill (wk)
O'Keefe
Lyon
Copeland
Bollinger

Injured/recovery/rested : Cummins/Starc/Hazlewood

Average age : 29.55

VICTORIA

Dean
Harris
Stoinis
Handscomb
Maxwell
White
Wade (wk) (c)
Christian
Holland
Boland
Tremain

Injured/recovery : Pattinson/ Siddle/Hastings

Average age : 27.64



QUEENSLAND

Burns
Renshaw
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Heazlett
Wildermuth
Hartley (wk) (c)
Cutting
Swepson
George
Feldman

Injured/recovery/rested : Lynn/Stanlake

Average age : 26.45


SA

Weatherald
Smith
Ferguson
Head (c)
Lehmann
Cooper
Carey (wk)
Zampa
Richardson
Sayers
Grant

Injured/recovery/rested : Worrall/Mennie

Average age : 25

WA

Bancroft
Wells
Klinger (c)
Voges
M.Marsh
Cartwright
Whiteman (wk)
Agar
Moody
Rimmington
Behrendorff

Injured/recovery/rested : S.Marsh/Paris/Coulter-Nile

Average age : 27.45


TASMANIA

Dunk
Silk
Doolan
Bailey (c)
Webster
Doran (wk)
Milenko
Faulkner
Boyce
Stevenson
Bird

Average age : 26.91


* Played test cricket in red

 

[social]

I'll throw something out there that I dont really support but here goes

From what I have seen, MMarsh is no worse with the ball than Mennie and IF it came down to a choice between the 2 (God help us), I'd pick the former to bat at 8

Anyway, assuming that the candidates actually do something in this round, I'd go with the following

Warner
Bancroft - future and no other reason
Khawaja
Smith
Patterson - best young bat
Maxwell - all the ability in the world so back him
Wade - we need a keeper that can bat
O'Keefe - numbers demand it
Starc
Haze
Bird/Sayers - dont care which

 

[adub]

Why no love for The Dorff?

Has all the requisites to be a Test player including being born a New South Welshman.

And if it came down to a choice between Handscomb and Head, I'd go with Maxwell.

 

[Justo]

Personally I'd be up for some changes. Never been a big fan of forcing an all rounder into the team unless they genuinely warrant selection in 1 discipline so I'll go 6-1-4. Given that older/experienced players haven't been standing up I'd go with the below and look at sticking with the newbies for 10 or so games barring an absolute horror run.

Warner
Burns (think he deserves 1 last chance and Marsh should be fit for the Pakistan series if he does fail. Bancroft is an option but lacks form at the moment)
Khawaja
Smith
Patterson
Handscomb
Nevill (last chance though)
O'Keefe (personally think he should have been given a real run sooner and barring an absolute disaster should be kept on until the end of the India tour)
Starc
Hazlewood
Bird (while there are other options with this Bird has been the best/most consistent of the quicks and should have played at Hobart and Perth IMO. Pattinson is ahead of Bird if/when fit and ready. I don't want to see Cummins anywhere near the team until he's gotten through at least this season)

Its not a fair team for Ferguson and Mennie but I wouldn't have selected either to begin with. Voges has to do something in the Shield game or he's definitely gone. Maddinson or Maxwell could come in for Handcomb but I'd rather someone potentially better at grinding out runs and both of these guys tend to be aggressive. Jake Lehmann another option but would rather he get a few more games under the belt. Feel a bit for Lyon but I think O'Keefe is a better suit for the team with the potential of being a good or better player rather than an average/OK player (Lyon's certainly not scrapped for good though and I'd keep him around as an option for the Indian tour etc.).

 

[howardj]

I'll throw something out there that I dont really support but here goes

From what I have seen, MMarsh is no worse with the ball than Mennie and IF it came down to a choice between the 2 (God help us), I'd pick the former to bat at 8

Anyway, assuming that the candidates actually do something in this round, I'd go with the following

Warner
Bancroft - future and no other reason
Khawaja
Smith
Patterson - best young bat
Maxwell - all the ability in the world so back him
Wade - we need a keeper that can bat
O'Keefe - numbers demand it
Starc
Haze
Bird/Sayers - dont care which

Well played, Sir

Mirrors my team pretty much

 

[howardj]

One thing is for sure the shield round starting Thursday could separate men from boys. Going to be so many shoot-offs it could actually get heated on the field.

Cricket media in outcry and the pressure to be a good test team again & spots up for grabs. With the players being released back to play these will be pressure runs and pressure wickets if there was any.

NSW

Cowan
Warner
Smith (c)
Patterson
Maddinson
Henriques
Nevill (wk)
O'Keefe
Lyon
Copeland
Bollinger

Injured/recovery/rested : Cummins/Starc/Hazlewood

Average age : 29.55

VICTORIA

Dean
Harris
Stoinis
Handscomb
Maxwell
White
Wade (wk) (c)
Christian
Holland
Boland
Tremain

Injured/recovery : Pattinson/ Siddle/Hastings

Average age : 27.64



QUEENSLAND

Burns
Renshaw
Khawaja
Labuschagne
Heazlett
Wildermuth
Hartley (wk) (c)
Cutting
Swepson
George
Feldman

Injured/recovery/rested : Lynn/Stanlake

Average age : 26.45


SA

Weatherald
Smith
Ferguson
Head (c)
Lehmann
Cooper
Carey (wk)
Zampa
Richardson
Sayers
Grant

Injured/recovery/rested : Worrall/Mennie

Average age : 25

WA

Bancroft
Wells
Klinger (c)
Voges
M.Marsh
Cartwright
Whiteman (wk)
Agar
Moody
Rimmington
Behrendorff

Injured/recovery/rested : S.Marsh/Paris/Coulter-Nile

Average age : 27.45


TASMANIA

Dunk
Silk
Doolan
Bailey (c)
Webster
Doran (wk)
Milenko
Faulkner
Boyce
Stevenson
Bird

Average age : 26.91


* Played test cricket in red

Outstanding work

Much appreciated

 

[Red]

Think I'd go:

Warner
Khawaja
Smith
Ferguson
Patterson
Maxwell
Nevill +
O'Keefe
Starc
Hazelwood
Bird


At this point I cant see any harm in playing Maxwell at #6. In spite of what people say about him, he has a better FC average than plenty of other guys in contention, he is an imposing force, handy enough bowler, and probably the best fielder in Australia. Patterson in with a guarantee of 10 tests. Ferguson should get another shot, mostly because I dislike bringing guys in for one off tests. O'Keefe over Lyon, based mostly on similar output with the ball but better batting. Bird in for Mennie, because we should play the best three quicks.