Australian test selection 2020/21

[Smudge49]

The way we feel reading all your posts mate.

I am just gonna defend this of the front foot.

 

[Spark]

Then shouldn't they stop screwing the international season with a ****ty domestic tournament?

The whole idea behind BBL is to make maximum money from wherever possible, that's why three foreign players (which I hear soon are going to be bumped to four) are being allowed per team, that's why CA has hefty broadcast contracts across the cricketing world and an uptick in number of games literally every season.

Yeah I don't know what to say at this point. I've made the same point like three or four times now; one of the principal purposes of the BBL is to get younger people and less traditional demographics more interested in the game to ward off competition from the football codes. On that front it is clearly doing better than Tests from a simple eye test of who shows up to watch the games, and for that reason the scheduling is basically set in stone.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

I feel that that is something of a self-fulfilling prophecy from the different treatment and marketing of the two forms rather than something that is inevitible under any circumstances.

 

[Smudge49]

Yeah I don't know what to say at this point. I've made the same point like three or four times now; one of the principal purposes of the BBL is to get younger people and less traditional demographics more interested in the game to ward off competition from the football codes. On that front it is clearly doing better than Tests from a simple eye test of who shows up to watch the games, and for that reason the scheduling is basically set in stone.

You give people good T20 games played between good players, not only will that attract a wider audience, it will also inspire young kids to take up the game.

The music, theatrics currently at a BBL game might be good for a fun experience, but that can't be a long term tactic to draw the crowds.

 

[Smudge49]

If there were any doubts that Paine is just a puppet for the establishment to hide behind, then those doubts have been cleared.

National selectors back Tim Paine as captain: 'His leadership was never in question' https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...-his-leadership-was-never-in-question-1249341

 

[GotSpin]

You give people good T20 games played between good players, not only will that attract a wider audience, it will also inspire young kids to take up the game.

The music, theatrics currently at a BBL game might be good for a fun experience, but that can't be a long term tactic to draw the crowds.

That has absolutely nothing to do with the scheduling

 

[Nintendo]

If there were any doubts that Paine is just a puppet for the establishment to hide behind, then those doubts have been cleared.

National selectors back Tim Paine as captain: 'His leadership was never in question' https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...-his-leadership-was-never-in-question-1249341

What do you mean by "paine is just a puppet for the establishment?"

 

[Spikey]

So many bad statements and posts in here lately

 

[Spikey]

Anyway, I think Clarke's points were almost good...? I take anything approaching good from ex-players tbh

‘Don’t say nothing’s wrong’: Clarke bewildered by selectors’ perplexing Paine claim

‘Don’t say nothing’s wrong’: Michael Clarke stunned by Aussie selectors’ Tim Paine claim

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[DriveClub]

Maybe by cutting down on some of the meaningless bilateral ODI and T20 series that nobody cares about and making a viable window for BBL, now that would be a start.

CA obviously has no problems stopping Sheild cricket and List - A tournament in the middle of the season, so they can follow other cricket boards in doing the same during the time when conduct their marque event.

They actually need to make money you know and shorter format internationals fills up their coffers.

 

[the big bambino]

Can we go back to talking about the thinking required to take Steketee (7 wickets at 44) over Bird (15 wickets at 25) to South Africa? Bird and Khawaja would both be feeling rightly aggrieved right now. Neither are of retirement age and both should be close enough to the test side to at least make the tour over spuds like Harris and Steketee.

Or either and take an extra batsman instead? If they're not picking Khawaja then take Maddinson. That would still leave 6 pace men plus Green and Henriques (presuming he can still bowl), which is enough cover for the bubble. Shame that Mad dog wasn't given the opportunities to consolidate on the improvement over the last couple of seasons and I think the selectors deprived themselves of an opportunity for consideration. Although Puc has come through but unfortunately, so has Harris.

 

[Smudge49]

Anyway, I think Clarke's points were almost good...? I take anything approaching good from ex-players tbh

‘Don’t say nothing’s wrong’: Clarke bewildered by selectors’ perplexing Paine claim

‘Don’t say nothing’s wrong’: Michael Clarke stunned by Aussie selectors’ Tim Paine claim

www.foxsports.com.au

He is the only ex-player with any backbone who's raising the questions that's on the minds of an average Australian fan. Won't win him any favors with CA, so probably won't see him in the comm box or any cozy cricketing roles but good on him for speaking up.

Loved the fact that he directly called out Langer's brotherly love crap.

 

[morgieb]

He is the only ex-player with any backbone who's raising the questions that's on the minds of an average Australian fan. Won't win him any favors with CA, so probably won't see him in the comm box or any cozy cricketing roles but good on him for speaking up.

Though I do think a lot of that is because he was de facto blacklisted from those sorts of roles due to his poor relationship with a lot of his co-players/large chunks of the Australian cricket public hating him.

 

[Smudge49]

They actually need to make money you know and shorter format internationals fills up their coffers.

I don't know whether you saw this, CA was on the brink of bankruptcy at the start of the summer and as much as they tried to pin this on corona, the thing is finances were managed poorly for sometime and as soon as the financial health of the board diminished to a large extent, some of the suits who were long time beneficiaries of Cricket Australia simply jumped ship.

What do you mean by "paine is just a puppet for the establishment?"

Because he toes the establishment line, has zero personality or imprint of his own on this squad and in return the establishment blankets over his mediocrity as a leader and a player.

 

[Smudge49]

Though I do think a lot of that is because he was de facto blacklisted from those sorts of roles due to his poor relationship with a lot of his co-players/large chunks of the Australian cricket public hating him.

He was blacklisted because as a skipper too he used speak directly to power, there's no action on part of Clarke which made me feel or should have made any average Australian fan that he was ever compromising the team during his playing days and it's great he isn't just willing to sit quietly post retirement either.

 

[Senile Sentry]

So glad Mathew "Brainfade" Wade is out of the team. He was cringy af with his fake aggression and thuggish behaviour on field (the face off with Pant after leaving a ball, throwing the ball at Vihari when the latternwas in the crease etc), the fact that he let Pant and Co. take long term lease in his mind, his utter lack of confidence resulting from and in brainfade batting - all these suggest a man who has had it in test cricket at least for the time being. Like Burns, this was nothing to do with loss of form as evidenced by subsequent immediate performances in BBL. The dude needs a break from test cricket, probably permanently.

On the other hand, Head has impressed me with his claim demeanour and willingness to really put in the effort for the sake of his team. He may not have the numbers yet to justify his efforts, but I think with so much credit already in the Efforts Savings Account, it is just a matter of time before he makes a good encashment of all this. CA has rightfully backed him and should back him for a couple of series at least.

 

[Burgey]

I don't know why you'd possibly think India was responsible for all those things when Wade has been like it his entire career? Confluence =/= causation

 

[Senile Sentry]

I cannot say that obviously if he has been like that since childhood, but I could see that clearly in this particular test series. I have never generalised this behaviour to his whole career, nor do I think it is relevant in this context.

 

[Smudge49]

So glad Mathew "Brainfade" Wade is out of the team. He was cringy af with his fake aggression and thuggish behaviour on field (the face off with Pant after leaving a ball, throwing the ball at Vihari when the latternwas in the crease etc), the fact that he let Pant and Co. take long term lease in his mind, his utter lack of confidence resulting from and in brainfade batting - all these suggest a man who has had it in test cricket at least for the time being. Like Burns, this was nothing to do with loss of form as evidenced by subsequent immediate performances in BBL. The dude needs a break from test cricket, probably permanently.

On the other hand, Head has impressed me with his claim demeanour and willingness to really put in the effort for the sake of his team. He may not have the numbers yet to justify his efforts, but I think with so much credit already in the Efforts Savings Account, it is just a matter of time before he makes a good encashment of all this. CA has rightfully backed him and should back him for a couple of series at least.

Is this the same Travis Head who has already fluffed his numerous chances in One Day cricket for Australia, same guy who doesn't have a single three digit score against a top test nation even after 20 odd tests?

Same lad who keeps getting out slashing to third-man and point or getting caught at the slips while literally being on his toes in defense and is hopelessly poor against spin or are we talking about two different people here?


As for Wade, nobody is saying he was doing great but by the yardstick that Langer has for players who have been even more mediocre performers than him, either he should have been given a final chance to redeem his test career, or same standards should have been applied across the board with Harris and Head.

One moment Wade was Australia's #6, #5, backup opener, T20 skipper, next moment he is gone. It creates a team atmosphere where a player can either kiss Langer's ass for a longer rope or forget about the team and just think of somehow putting serviceable individual performances next to his name.

 

[Burgey]

I cannot say that obviously if he has been like that since childhood, but I could see that clearly in this particular test series. I have never generalised this behaviour to his whole career, nor do I think it is relevant in this context.

It's relevant when you're saying the Indian side somehow affected his brain to the point he behaved the way he did. They didn't. He's always been a prat. Too much psychobabble bullshit in that analysis. Often the simplest solution is the right one. He's just a ****. Always has been.