Australian Test Selection Thread 2017 - 2018

[quincywagstaff]

Surely, under the circumstances, you'd be begging SMarsh to not retire and praying he doesn't get injured. Hilarious modes of early dismissal and Maxwell aside, he's the only bloke in the country right now you'd back to make a match or series changing contribution, whether it be in good times or stopping the rot. The rest, it's all potential and hope.

Hmm, for all intents and purposes he should be done. Been persisted with forever and his 'turning the corner' during the Ashes proved to be a false dawn.

But his home record in the last few seasons has been very good and presuming Warner & Smith are banned, there's such little experience around in the batting (let alone quailty) that you're almost obliged to pick him.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Seems Ed Cowan was 12 months out in his timing otherwise he probably would've made it back into the Test side this summer. Was in great form last season and for all his limitations his solidity as an opener is something Australia may badly need in the upcoming period; also Lehmann departing would've helped his chances.

 

[MagicPoopShovel]

Some vids on young Harvey

 

[MagicPoopShovel]

 

[MagicPoopShovel]

I hadn't seen him before but looks pretty solid. Plays very straight.

 

[SeamUp]

I hadn't seen him before but looks pretty solid. Plays very straight.

He looks the biz from a shot-making perspective against seam and spin.

I always like it when young players play straight, it was what I was told when younger as there are no fielders there. Looks a good'un.

 

[SeamUp]

Well, Labuschagne is gradually improving with his output which is good but Heazlett has regressed since his debut season imo. Made decent strides with his technique adjustments but still a lot further to go, his stats deceive his potential.

More Queenslanders the better Gnske ?

Try and beat the Kent, Wessels, Border, G.Chappell, Ritchie, Thompson , Rackermann, McDermott, Maguire flurry in the 80s

But in seriousness. I do find it interesting. In the shield this summer Queesnsland had 11 100s, Victoria 9, Tasmania 8, SA 8, WA 4 NSW 2 and we say home pitches were flat for QLD but have Wildermuth/Doggett averaging 27 and Neser/Feldman 21 with the ball over a whole season- Either the bowling coaching there is fantastic and they should be in the Australian set-up or QLD batsmen stepped up for good reason.

But getting on Labuschagne - it is good to see he is also contributing in white-ball cricket. Will take your word on their development obviously and they may not be quite Aus A yet but it's good to see younger batsmen contributing to a teams success.

I also don't think your Wildermuth selection is a mad idea. Definite for the 'A' tour. Liked what I saw in the BBL

 

[Tangles]

Let's not start talking about Paine at 6. Leave what's working and play your best available 6 bats.

 

[Gnske]

Let's not start talking about Paine at 6. Leave what's working and play your best available 6 bats.

If you mean that in reference to my squad with Paine at 6, I only have it that way since Wildermuth ain't exactly a top 6 bat himself with his early innings defence in a fair lot of his innings.

Would you take 6 bats actually instead of 5 + all-rounder? It seems like having an all-rounder is the least of our issues currently.

But getting on Labuschagne - it is good to see he is also contributing in white-ball cricket. Will take your word on their development obviously and they may not be quite Aus A yet but it's good to see younger batsmen contributing to a teams success.

Noooooo don't do that, I hardly know nothing and I can only interpret what I see. Which ain't much even when I do see it.

 

[MagicPoopShovel]

He looks the biz from a shot-making perspective against seam and spin.

I always like it when young players play straight, it was what I was told when younger as there are no fielders there. Looks a good'un.

I also like how concise he is with his footwork and the fact that he has a fairly uncomplicated technique.

He looked very good in his movements to the spinners too.

 

[Tangles]

If you mean that in reference to my squad with Paine at 6, I only have it that way since Wildermuth ain't exactly a top 6 bat himself with his early innings defence in a fair lot of his innings.

Would you take 6 bats actually instead of 5 + all-rounder? It seems like having an all-rounder is the least of our issues currently.



Noooooo don't do that, I hardly know nothing and I can only interpret what I see. Which ain't much even when I do see it.

Just prefer to leave the keeper at 7 unless he actually is a genuine 6 which Paine isn't. 6 batsman is better than having Mmarsh bowl 2 overs. Maxi should come in somewhere meaning we don't really need those 2 overs from Mmarsh. Top 6 is an easier discussion than arguing seam vs spin for a handful of overs.

 

[stephen]

Wildermuth at the moment would be like picking James Hopes a few years ago - a great #8, average #7 and probably not up to #6. He has huge potential though and I really do hope he can live up to it.

Fantastic bloke IRL as well.

 

[Spark]

Incidentally, MMarsh is having ankle surgery, won't be able to play the CC season after all. He certainly didn't look fit after PE and even Durban.

 

[Tangles]

Which makes you wonder how fit he was when selected in the Ashes.

 

[Starfighter]

Which makes you wonder how fit he was when selected in the Ashes.

Considering how shite his bowling was I'm inclined to say 'not all that fit'.

 

[Spark]

Yeah he definitely wasn't bowling fit, IIRC he'd barely bowled at all after coming back from shoulder surgery when picked. Not that it mattered, though.

 

[Starfighter]

Am I the only one who recalls that it was said that he would play the first half of the season as a batsman only? I think once he started scoring some runs his bowling was suddenly raised in value as a reason to pick him over, say, Maxwell. Those twelve overs in Perth couldn't have been less threatening if he'd been bowling underarm.

 

[Top_Cat]

We all know he was picked because Langer pumped up his tyres.

 

[Dan]

Surely, under the circumstances, you'd be begging SMarsh to not retire and praying he doesn't get injured. Hilarious modes of early dismissal and Maxwell aside, he's the only bloke in the country right now you'd back to make a match or series changing contribution, whether it be in good times or stopping the rot. The rest, it's all potential and hope.

This makes it a prime opportunity for the selectors to drop him, tbh.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Re: Mitch Marsh, the discussion about his bowling and all-rounder value just diverts from him being played as a Top 6 bat for almost all of his Test career and on that scale, he’s been highly underwhelming.

Even with his recent spurt of good batting form, in 28 Tests he’s only managed to reach 50 on five occasions. And yet in the Lehmann/Smith era he seems to have a permanent protected status in the Test (in other words the anti-Maxwell).

I’m guessing he’ll continue to be picked when fit in the Tests next summer but considering his record he really shouldn’t be.