Australian Thread

[Mister Wright]

What do you think about this?, looking at Katich i wont say drop him but its obvious that if he keeps batting like that he wont last until the world cup.

Watson may not be a natural like Hayden & Jaques but he has looked fairly solid opening during the DLF cup so i think he is a strong candidate there. Especially with Martyn also showing today that even though his form since the ashes hasn't been as if was between the last WC to the end of the ashes that made him one of the best ODI batsmen in the world, he still can contribute.

I think for the WC, there a better immediate options for the opening postion Hayden & Jaques, maybe even Haddin or Clarke. However beyond the WC, perhaps. I see Watson as a 3-5 in a one day team, where he has batted for QLD. For mine. Katich has to go, he is a waste of time in the Australian One Day side. His innings today was disgraceful.

 

[Great Birtannia]

It will be Hayden that will take Katich's spot. I said on here a fortnight ago just before the tri series started that Katich would go through a rough patch and the selectors would panic and reinstate Hayden just before the world cup. It looks like it will happen earlier.

The thing that annoys me about it is that over 18 months they put blind faith in Katich they should have been giving Jaques and Cosgrove an extended run, Jaques especially when he was in red hot form over the Aus summer and scored 90 on debut, instead of giving them one or two opportunities months apart and sending them on the first plane home thereafter. Hayden really should not be back in the frame, one day cricket played a big role in his test fall from grace.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Bracken is certainly the choice at the moment, but I don't think he'll be the clear choice for long. For one, Bracken's suited to bowling with the new ball, which he won't get to do with McGrath and Lee around. It's a very good problem to have when you HAVE to keep two out of Bracken, Clark (ok he's not that great) and Johnson out.

Funny that I'm replying to this after he took 3/16 from 7 overs bowling first change last night.

Anyway, Australia will continue to rotate the side all the way up to the World Cup, where we should see a fairly consistent XI barring injuries and the odd game against minnows. Bracken will be in that first XI, I think. Johnson will play quite a number of games in the VB Series, but that's it.

 

[aussie]

I think for the WC, there a better immediate options for the opening postion Hayden & Jaques, maybe even Haddin or Clarke. However beyond the WC, perhaps. I see Watson as a 3-5 in a one day team, where he has batted for QLD. For mine. Katich has to go, he is a waste of time in the Australian One Day side. His innings today was disgraceful.

Fair enough, but if Watson is to bat 3-5 in the one-day team for the WC & beyond where do you see Martyn in the current ODI side?

 

[aussie]

Hayden really should not be back in the frame, one day cricket played a big role in his test fall from grace.

I agree that he shouldn't have been recalled to the ODI side. But I wouldn't say ODI cricket was the cause of his form slump between the 2004 India tour to the Ashes series. I would say he just ran out of steam after a superb 3 years of total domination of international bowlers.

 

[Mister Wright]

Fair enough, but if Watson is to bat 3-5 in the one-day team for the WC & beyond where do you see Martyn in the current ODI side?

I see him playing in yellow. Just not for Australia.

 

[ash chaulk]

Hey true blue, is it me or you......

is it standing by ya mates when hes in a fight or just vegemite

trueeeee bluuuuuuuuee truuuuuueeee blueeeee

 

[Johnners]

If Hayden gets a WC Guernsey ahead of Jaques and Cosgrove it IMO would be a huge mistake from the selectors. Hayden's best days are well behind him, and ATM Cosgrove & Jaques can do just as good a Job opening, and their best days are still ahead of them!

 

[aussie]

James Hopes

Would you like see him in the world cup squad if he has a good domestic season?, i certainly would, as i mentioned in another thread in his performances for Australia he has looked a fairly capable batsman while his bowling has looked ok sometimes while other times not soo good i.e that ODI in Sydney when Jayasuriya took to him early and he went for 60 odd in 6 overs. Overall i think he would be a good utility player to have in the squad and once he performs for the bulls instead of picking a 5th seamer in Clark or another spinner in Cullen, i'd pick him for sure.

views..

 

[Mister Wright]

Couldn't agree more. Probably won't be in the First 12 or 13 for the World Cup, but should definitely be a back up player. Can bat anywhere in the order and can bowl 10 very good overs. Every bowler goes the tonk every now and then, even McGrath and Warne have gone for many in the odd ODI. Hopes is better utility value than someone like Clarke or Cullen.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I can see him making the WC squad as backup for Watson, but he won't be in the first XI, and if he doesn't continue with his good one day domestic form he'll be left out for an extra batsman.

Really, the team is fairly settled. Martyn has probably secured his place in the WC squad, though a poor Ashes/VB Series could see him turfed yet, and there's a bit of a question about Hogg, but I'm sure he'll make the squad at least as he's the best one day spinner in the country. I don't think Martyn should be there necessarily, but if Watson is batting well at the top of the order and he's going okay they'll keep him in for his experience. The other questionable spot is obviously the opening position, with Watson, Katich and Jaques all in with a shot.

My latest guess at a 15 man squad would be:

Gilchrist
Watson
Ponting
Martyn
Symonds
Clarke
Hussey
Hogg
Lee
Bracken
McGrath

+
Jaques
Johnson
Hopes/Katich
Haddin

Cullen and Clark would be 16th and 17th if they go that way. Hard to say what size of squad they will go with in the end for such a long tournament.

 

[Mister Wright]

Cullen and Clark would be 16th and 17th if they go that way. Hard to say what size of squad they will go with in the end for such a long tournament.

I'm fairly sure that all teams can only pick 15 maximum.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I'm fairly sure that all teams can only pick 15 maximum.

Really?

I'd guess the backup 4 will be Jaques, Johnson, Cullen and Haddin then. Though they could just set themselves on playing Gilchrist every game and pick Hopes or Cosgrove instead. They won't pick Katich in a 15 man squad if Jaques is there, they'd prefer someone who can bat in the middle order and bowl a few overs if they don't pick a second keeper.

 

[Mister Wright]

Really?

I'd guess the backup 4 will be Jaques, Johnson, Cullen and Haddin then. Though they could just set themselves on playing Gilchrist every game and pick Hopes or Cosgrove instead. They won't pick Katich in a 15 man squad if Jaques is there, they'd prefer someone who can bat in the middle order and bowl a few overs if they don't pick a second keeper.

Don't know why they'd pick Haddin. Hussey has been known to be able to take the gloves if Gilly is a late injury, and if someone is injured for the tournament they can call up a replacement.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Don't know why they'd pick Haddin. Hussey has been known to be able to take the gloves if Gilly is a late injury, and if someone is injured for the tournament they can call up a replacement.

He can play as a specialist batsman, and they may wish to rest Gilchrist in some matches. They took over Maher last time so he could keep, right? So I'd expect a similar policy with Haddin, especially after his excellent performances in Malaysia.

Certainly he's done more in his recent chances to warrant his ODI spot than Hopes or Cosgrove.

 

[Matt79]

They'd take Haddin and probably play him against the minnows to give Gilly a break. It will have been a fairly hectic six months by the time they reach the WC and they'll be keen to give the ol' timer a chance to ice his knees up and freshen up.

Hussey as keeper is too big a risk and what if it interfered with his batting.

 

[Mister Wright]

He can play as a specialist batsman, and they may wish to rest Gilchrist in some matches. They took over Maher last time so he could keep, right? So I'd expect a similar policy with Haddin, especially after his excellent performances in Malaysia.

Certainly he's done more in his recent chances to warrant his ODI spot than Hopes or Cosgrove.

You're not thinking in terms of a 15 man squad. You really can't afford to carry 2 keepers unless one of them can claim a place as a batsman alone. Granted Haddin is a very good OD batsman and a versatile one. But, if he is competiting for a spot with Hopes as a back up player, Hopes has more cards up his sleave. He is also a very good and versatile OD batsman and can also bowl 10 (usually cheap) overs. While I'm not saying that Haddin would be out of place in the WC squad, given that Australia can only take 15 players Hopes is the more viable option. If Gilchrist were to be injured Haddin would take his place.

Maher's only game as keeper was against The Nehterlands. I'm 100% sure that Gilchrist will play in all the games as Australia's first choice keeper, and someone like Hussey could keep against Holland or Scotland in one of Australia's first 2 games. I can't see Haddin gaining a spot ahead of Australia's current top and middle order, therefore Hopes would be the more viable option.

 

[Mister Wright]

They'd take Haddin and probably play him against the minnows to give Gilly a break. It will have been a fairly hectic six months by the time they reach the WC and they'll be keen to give the ol' timer a chance to ice his knees up and freshen up.

Hussey as keeper is too big a risk and what if it interfered with his batting.

Given the new structure of the WC, there are only two games against Minnows and they are Australia's first two against Scotland and The Netherlands. Why would Australia pick someone who is only going to play 1 or 2 games? Hopes has more to offer than Haddin in terms of selection, given that in OD cricket he can play as a bowling allrounder or a batting one.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

If they don't pick Haddin, which you may well be right about, I think it's probably between Cosgrove and Hopes for the last spot. It may well depend on the current domestic season, but if the first XI is the same as it is now I think Jaques, Johnson and Cullen will take up 3 spots out of the remaining 4, which only leaves one spot for another versatile batting option.

 

[Matt79]

didn't know that re: new structure.

Still, they'll want a proper back up for gilchrist in case of injury and haddin is such a good bat that he can double as one of the back up bats as well.