Brett Lee is going home

[Eclipse]

And you're supposed to go 30 overs without bowling a front-line bowler? In 40 deg-C heat?
And where on Earth is the evidence that Bracken is a good new-ball bowler in Tests anyway? Where's the evidence that Bracken is a good bowler in Tests, full-stop?

As far as Bracken goes he is fairly good with the new ball because of his accuracy.

As we know he cant really do alot with the ball but while it's new he does just enough to be threatening.

That only last's 5 overs or so unfortunatly.

 

[Linda]

Bowling well in the First-Class game and bowling well in the one-day game are different things - all right, they don't mean nothing, but they don't mean anything worth considering in selection.

The pictches in the sub-continent are obviously going to be tougher on fast bowlers than the spinners, thats a given. However, if a fast bowler can use those conditions and bowl brilliantly on them even in OD cricket, your saying it means nothing to Tests?
What if he'd bowled like sh*t? Then you'd say it meant something...

 

[SquidAU]

I am surprised to see Tait get selected. Would McGrath have gotten selected if Kasper had to pull out?

BTW, how bad is Kasper's injury? Anyone know?

 

[iamdavid]

Bad enough to prevent him feilding this afternoon .... but he was still able to bat.

I doubt he'll bowl again in this match.

 

[Richard]

Oh it can.

The best players are all mentally strong enough to cope with the pressure of the game.

And being strong enough to cope with the pressure of the game isn't going to turn someone who's shot-selection and technique aren't up to Test-cricket into someone who is.
It can make someone who would otherwise be good not so good (Ramprakash up to 1997, Blewett, Elliott at times), but it can't make someone who isn't good good.
Which is exactly what I said.

 

[Richard]

Funny, I would have thought it was the fact they could bowl in adverse conditions that makes them great bowlers. Not 'tother way around.

No.
Good bowlers are suited to all conditions. There are no conditions they are incapable of exploiting.
Sure, they find some conditions easier than others to exploit, but it doesn't mean they're capable of "bowling in adverse conditions" - because, quite simply, they're not that adverse. Because they can still bowl well in them.

 

[Richard]

As far as Bracken goes he is fairly good with the new ball because of his accuracy.

As we know he cant really do alot with the ball but while it's new he does just enough to be threatening.

That only last's 5 overs or so unfortunatly.

And with most outfields around The World being so abrasive ATM balls are "new" (ie they offer any real trace of conventional swing) for, what, 20 overs?
You can't pick a bowler to bowl 10 overs off the reel and then stand in the field for another 60.
Even then, Bracken is only fairly good with the new-ball, not, I don't think, Test-class.

 

[Richard]

The pictches in the sub-continent are obviously going to be tougher on fast bowlers than the spinners, thats a given. However, if a fast bowler can use those conditions and bowl brilliantly on them even in OD cricket, your saying it means nothing to Tests?
What if he'd bowled like sh*t? Then you'd say it meant something...

Not neccesarily.
Though it is much harder for an substandard ODI bowler to be of Test class it's not unheard of.
If a seamer can use the conditions to bowl well, fair enough - but I don't know that Bracken did. He used something that doesn't mean anything as to the conditions - accuracy - to be effective (both economical and to get wickets as a result of that economy). Accuracy is all you need in ODIs (well, not quite all - you can't lob it down at 50 mph, even very accurately, and still expect to be effective unless the ball's turning) but you need more in Tests. You need to move the ball. Bracken's only method of moving the ball is swing and seam. The ball won't swing for long and it won't, likely, seam at all. Hence to be effective in the subcontinent in Test-cricket you need more than Bracken's got.

 

[Gaijin-san]

Wow, he wasn't even picked Richard. So please, please, please do us all a favour and yourself a first, let it go.

Some people are so... Argh.

 

[marc71178]

Accuracy is all you need in ODIs (well, not quite all - you can't lob it down at 50 mph, even very accurately, and still expect to be effective unless the ball's turning)

I disagree.

Accuracy on it's own will not work, it needs variety.

 

[age_master]

I disagree.

Accuracy on it's own will not work, it needs variety.

yep, you can be as accurate as you want but batsmen will start to pick you very quickly unless you have variety.

 

[Mister Wright]

Bad enough to prevent him feilding this afternoon .... but he was still able to bat.

I doubt he'll bowl again in this match.

Fox Sports say that Kaspa is a 75% chance of bowling today.

 

[Craig]

Tait called up

Very interesting , its highly unlikely he'll play in which case he's just there for the experience which IMO is a decent move.

The selectors comments indicate he's not in their eyes the next best paceman in Australia (ie better than McGrath & Bichel )
but simply a like for like Lee replacement.

Despite being a huge fan of his Im not of the view that he's ready for test cricket just yet , but taking him along to get a taste of it cant hurt.

Yeah and it will be his first oversea's trip.

Not a bad one to have isnt it?

So now they have to go like mad and get him a passport. Maybe Cricket Australia had something arranged when they announced it.

 

[Richard]

Wow, he wasn't even picked Richard. So please, please, please do us all a favour and yourself a first, let it go.

You're joking, right?
I wasn't talking specifically about Bracken, anyway, just a cricketing idea.

 

[Richard]

I disagree.

Accuracy on it's own will not work, it needs variety.

yep, you can be as accurate as you want but batsmen will start to pick you very quickly unless you have variety.

Complete rubbish - try to hit accurate bowling for runs and you'll pay for it sooner rather than later.
Variety won't help an inaccurate bowler, either. Variety is largely unimportant in the one-day game. The basic need is accuracy.

 

[marc71178]

Complete rubbish - try to hit accurate bowling for runs and you'll pay for it sooner rather than later.

An accurate bowler without variety means the batsman knows exactly where the ball will pitch.

If he knows that, then it makes battibg a lot easier.

 

[Craig]

So why doesnt that work with McGrath. His line and length is pretty predicatable.

 

[Mister Wright]

So why doesnt that work with McGrath. His line and length is pretty predicatable.

In the last 2 - 2 1/2 years McGrath hasn't been as successful unless he's play Namibia. In his early years he had it all - pace, movemnt & accuracy which made him a hard customer, but lately he hasn't been as effective.

 

[Gaijin-san]

Age, when the accuracy involves the 'corridor of uncertainty' most batsman won't be too willing to attack it. Especially McGrath. But you're probably right, if you know he's gonna slot it there you could find ways around it. Generally though it's his off-cutter that cramps the batsman for a shot.

 

[Richard]

In the last 2 - 2 1/2 years McGrath hasn't been as successful unless he's play Namibia. In his early years he had it all - pace, movemnt & accuracy which made him a hard customer, but lately he hasn't been as effective.

Take a check on McGrath's ER in recent years (average is not what I'm talking about - but even if you get rid of the Namibia game it's still not changed in recent years).