***Official*** Australia in Sri Lanka

[Jarquis]

Reckon Hussey's got great hands in the gulley tbf.

 

[SamSawnoff]

Superb aerial fielder, tbf.

@Sam: So is Smith. Not that Warner isn't anything but excellent but Smith is just that good. That catch he took on the boundary during that T20 vs. the Windies at the SCG, holy ****.

Warner took one like that in the World T20 against Sri Lanka in England a couple of years ago. It was on the boundary. Absolute screamer.

Actually Ben Laughlin (!!) took a ripper like that against South Africa in 2009. Remember how he somehow ended up playing ODI's for Aus that long summer that everyone bar Johnson wound up on one leg?

 

[Spark]

Reckon Hussey's got great hands in the gulley tbf.

Dropped a few in recent times.

 

[robinjr]

Stewie Smith missed it when it mattered most tbh.That was so painfull.

 

[Furball]

Smith needs at least a full season of Shield cricket and.could probably do with a full county stint as well to work out exactly what he's supposed to be arlt FC/Test level.

 

[Top_Cat]

At age/rep level, he's always been a batter who bowls leggies. Making him a specialist bowler is attempting to turn him into something he's not. To be fair, dunno if anyone in the Aussie set-up is really trying to get him to head that way any more.

 

[Howe_zat]

The player he really needs to be, as far as I can see, is early Simon Katich. Tough middle-order batsman who can also turn his arm over. I just can't see him working as a full time bowler.

 

[Spikey]

it could work out but it's not gonna work out if he's always floating between domestic & international cricket

 

[SamSawnoff]

Transformed from a bowler that bowled pies 4/6 balls into a bowler who bowls just 1 pie per over and "nothing balls" the rest (ala Hauritz).

That is developing though.

 

[Xuhaib]

1-1.

Lanka to win odi's

 

[Spikey]

still amazed people talk about hauritz's performances for australia in a negative light tbh

 

[Spark]

still amazed people talk about hauritz's performances for australia in a negative light tbh

TumTum in having weird opinions on spin bowlers shocker

 

[Redbacks]

still amazed people talk about hauritz's performances for australia in a negative light tbh

Our selectors judge spinners on a ball by ball basis so it's not all that amazing in the end

Hauritz is the man for the job.

 

[Julian87]

Lyon for the limited overs stuff tbh.

 

[Dan]

Australian Squads to Sri Lanka

Cricket Australia’s National Selection Panel (NSP) today announced the Twenty20 and One-day International (ODI) squads for Australia’s upcoming VB Tour of Sri Lanka.
NSP Chairman Andrew Hilditch said:

“Taking on the talented Sri Lankan team on their home soil in all forms of the game is always challenging but we also see it as an exciting opportunity for both the Twenty20 and one-day squads.

“The Twenty20 squad is very well balanced with potentially explosive batsman Shaun Marsh, Shane Watson and David Warner at the top of the order combined with Cameron White, Aaron Finch and David Hussey in the middle order.

“There is also very good all-round talent in Steven Smith, Stephen O’Keefe, John Hastings and Mitchell Johnson providing the side with great flexibility.

"The fast bowling unit will welcome James Pattinson, who may make his Twenty20 debut for Australia, in combination with the experienced Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson.

“The one-day squad sees the return of Shaun Marsh who was unavailable for the ICC Cricket World Cup through injury.

"Shaun can open the batting but also provides flexibility throughout the order and gives the squad great balance.

"Also included in the one-day squad are James Pattinson and John Hastings who both impressed on the recent VB Tour of Bangladesh.

“Cameron White is unlucky to be omitted from the one-day squad having been a regular and successful member of the squad for the last few series.

"Cameron lost his position in the side during the recent one-day tour of Bangladesh but the NSP is confident that he will force his way back into the team through weight of runs.”
The Australian team will play two Twenty20 matches, five ODIs and three Test matches against Sri Lankan during the seven-week tour.

The Australian Twenty20 squad will depart Australia on 30 July while ODI only players will depart on 5 August.

Those selected as Test-only players for this tour will depart Australia on 16 August.
The Australian Test squad will be announced later in July.

The NSP also advised today that Phillip Hughes and Jason Krejza have flown to Zimbabwe early to join the Australia A squad to replace Nic Maddinson (calf strain) and Matthew Wade (back injury) ahead of the ODI Final on Friday.

Aaron Finch will also stay on in Zimbabwe for the four-day match component of the tour.

The Australian Twenty20 squad is:
Cameron White (c)
Shane Watson (vc)
Aaron Finch
Brad Haddin
John Hastings
David Hussey
Mitchell Johnson
Brett Lee
Shaun Marsh
Stephen O’Keefe
James Pattinson
Steven Smith
David Warner

The Australian ODI squad is:
Michael Clarke (c)
Shane Watson (vc)
Doug Bollinger
Xavier Doherty
Brad Haddin
John Hastings
David Hussey
Michael Hussey
Mitchell Johnson
Brett Lee
Shaun Marsh
James Pattinson
Ricky Ponting
Steven Smith

So, they're pretty serious about Pattinson.

 

[howardj]

Shaun Marsh continues to get a rails run, while Callum Ferguson is again sidelined somewhat inexplicably for mine.

And, while I don't agree with Lee making the team, the renewal of his contract pretty much made him a lock for this squad.

 

[howardj]

Good to see Hildick is still picking squads, by the way.

 

[Dan]

Shaun Marsh continues to get a rails run, while Callum Ferguson is again sidelined somewhat inexplicably for mine.

And, while I don't agree with Lee making the team, the renewal of his contract pretty much made him a lock for this squad.

Looking at the squad, you wouldn't believe there was an A-team tour going on. Ferguson has scored runs every game and saved Australia A on a couple of occasions, yet still doesn't get picked.

I guess the thing with Lee is that they know what they're getting. Its the 'safe' option.

 

[robelinda]

Good that white was dumped, but David Hussey should be outta there for Callum Ferguson.

 

[howardj]

Yeah, in such stormy times and coming back from a big offseason with no recent form to speak of, it's probably not altogether a bad thing to be picking our absolute best team every time we take the field in the shorter forms - regardless of age. To that end, Lee fits the bill even though he's rising 36 and won't figure in the medium-term.