**Official** Australia in West Indies

[Mister Wright]

Going on domestic records (I'm probably about to mix him up with Noffke) and from what I've seen he looks a lower order player to me, especially with the power of the line up ahead of him anyway, which gives him no choice.

Yeah I know medium pacers can be very effective, I just think Noffke is a better bowler and since they compete for basically the same place, Noffke gets my vote.

EDIT: And Watson before either.

Haha. Hopes has pretty much been a one day opener for Queensland for the last 3-4 years. And...dah...Noffke is a better bowler, and they're not competing for the same spot in the one day side. Hopes is considered an allrounder whereas Noffke is competing for the bowling allrounder spot. Get your facts straight.

 

[NZTailender]

As Tharmi said, West Indies handled him better after the initial shock. He's the type of bowler who will usually have his biggest effect when he first faces a team, due to the mystery factor.

Paul Adams in a way, then.

 

[NZTailender]

Haha. Hopes has pretty much been a one day opener for Queensland for the last 3-4 years. And...dah...Noffke is a better bowler, and they're not competing for the same spot in the one day side. Hopes is considered an allrounder whereas Noffke is competing for the bowling allrounder spot. Get your facts straight.

Speaks more about QLD than Hopes tbh.

 

[Prince EWS]

Also, this isn't directed to any specific posters in this thread, but the anti-Symonds stuff is getting a bit OTT really. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but he's done enough recently to have a bit of credit in the bank at test level, surely.

I don't rate him, I think there are better options and I don't think he should have been picked in the first place and yet still, I agree.

From a selection process POV, there's no way he should be dropped now. No way in hell.

 

[Burgey]

I don't rate him, I think there are better options and I don't think he should have been picked in the first place and yet still, I agree.

From a selection process POV, there's no way he should be dropped now. No way in hell.

Yep, and I can understand your having that opinion. Just saying the overt hatred was getting too much (not from yourself BTW), more to do with personal stuff than cricket - the "He can't be trusted", "He's a liar" type stuff which was around a while back.

 

[Flem274*]

Haha. Hopes has pretty much been a one day opener for Queensland for the last 3-4 years. And...dah...Noffke is a better bowler, and they're not competing for the same spot in the one day side. Hopes is considered an allrounder whereas Noffke is competing for the bowling allrounder spot. Get your facts straight.

An opener with an average under 30 in List A. Outstanding. Considering the most likely team is:

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Hussey
Hopes
Noffke
Lee
Johnson
Clark

I'll retract my statement he competes with Noffke atm, but if/when Watto returns I know who I'll pick. Hopes is good ftm but when Watson returns he should walk in as a genuine allrounder who is superior to Hopes, unless another bowler starts being useless its him vs Noffke really and as Noffke fits in better with the balance of the side he would get the place unless he's bowling pies.

 

[Prince EWS]

An opener with an average under 30 in List A. Outstanding.

Haha, to be fair...

On Hopes, he used to be quite average with the bat and did indeed bat 7 or 8 for Queensland. He's improved his technique considerably though, particularly on the back foot. I don't have the stats on hand but I'd say he's averaged about 35 consistently in the last two or three domestic seasons. He wouldn't be challenging the ODI team based on batting alone by any stretch of the imagination, but he's a handy #7 for sure. Noffke has done little at all in List A cricket with either bar or ball - he averages 15 with the bat and 34 with the ball (going at 4.6 rpo) - Hopes has superior records in all facets. Noffke's List A career is a little misleading but he's still an over-rated one day cricketer.

 

[Top_Cat]

An opener with an average under 30 in List A. Outstanding. Considering the most likely team is:

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Hussey
Hopes
Noffke
Lee
Johnson
Clark

I'll retract my statement he competes with Noffke atm, but if/when Watto returns I know who I'll pick. Hopes is good ftm but when Watson returns he should walk in as a genuine allrounder who is superior to Hopes, unless another bowler starts being useless its him vs Noffke really and as Noffke fits in better with the balance of the side he would get the place unless he's bowling pies.

Good lord, if that's the most likely line-up, the Aussies in a world of trouble. You'd surely need at least one wicket-keeper in the side! Reckon you'll find it's more like;

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Symonds
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Clark
Magilla

 

[Prince EWS]

Good lord, if that's the most likely line-up, the Aussies in a world of trouble. You'd surely need at least one wicket-keeper in the side! Reckon you'll find it's more like;

Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Symonds
Haddin
Lee
Johnson
Clark
Magilla

He was talking about the ODI team, so whilst the lack of a keeper was indeed dire, I don't reckon MacGill will be playing. That said, the fact that he left Bracken out and also picked Jaques could throw anyone off.

 

[Top_Cat]

He was talking about the ODI team, so whilst the lack of a keeper was indeed dire, I don't reckon MacGill will be playing. That said, the fact that he left Bracken out and also picked Jaques could throw anyone off.

Right, so he was. The inclusion of Jaques and lack of Bracks was indeed what threw me.

Speaking of Jaques, I wonder why it is that the Aussies have decided that he is to be marked Test only? He's been a monster for NSW in OD's for years and everyone remembers that knock in his first match. Perhaps he'd be in line for Haydo's spot when he calls it a day but I would have thought he'd be getting a go now if that was the case? He's a huge hitter of the ball when he gets going and we haven't seen much of that in his Test knocks so far.

 

[roseboy64]

Potential 15 man WI squad:

Gayle(c)
Devon Smith
Chattergoon
Sarwan
Samuels
Chanderpaul
Bravo
Nash
Ramdin (wk)
Taylor
Edwards
Sammy
Jaggernuath
Miller

Powell/Ryan Hinds

With an 11 of:

Gayle
Chattergoon
Sarwan
Chanderpaul
Samuels
Bravo
Ramdin
Sammy
Taylor
Jaggernauth
Edwards

 

[Prince EWS]

Right, so he was. The inclusion of Jaques and lack of Bracks was indeed what threw me.

Speaking of Jaques, I wonder why it is that the Aussies have decided that he is to be marked Test only? He's been a monster for NSW in OD's for years and everyone remembers that knock in his first match. Perhaps he'd be in line for Haydo's spot when he calls it a day but I would have thought he'd be getting a go now if that was the case? He's a huge hitter of the ball when he gets going and we haven't seen much of that in his Test knocks so far.

Yeah, I was really surprised he wasn't picked in the ODI squad ahead of Marsh. There were whispers about his poor fielding costing him a place a few years back, but they picked him for the CH series in NZ just before the WC anyway and, IIRC, he was called up in South Africa as well.

I thought he'd be the obvious choice to replace Hayden but it doesn't appear to be the case. He's consistently been a very dominant List A player as well, so it's odd he's fallen behind Marsh.

 

[NZTailender]

FFS, Katich>>>Jaques and Hopes as ODI openers.

 

[Flem274*]

Damn it I need a memory. Apologies for forgetting Bracken and Haddin. No Noffke or Hopes then.

2nd EDIT: And Jaques (who should be there IMO) out for Haddin as opener, in which case its Hopes vs Noffke and I'll go for Noffers. Not better with the bat than Hopes but with the line up in front I doubt it will really matter. Either will do though. Watson when he comes back, as previously stated, should get in ahead of both unless the bowling allrounder Noffkr is holding his own but in a straight shoot out between the batting allrounders Watson>Hopes.

And I knew someone would bring up McCullum, thought it would be Mr Wright though.

3rd EDIT: Due to confusing myself (happens all the time sadly) I'll list my preffered team with hopefully, everyone remembered.

Hayden
Haddin
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Hussey
Noffke/Hopes
Lee
Johnson
Clark
Bracken

 

[Flem274*]

FFS, Katich>>>Jaques and Hopes as ODI openers.

Prefer him in the middle order really, its a shame Symonds is scoring runs though Hodge perhaps could be ahead of Katcih still.

 

[Top_Cat]

FFS, Katich>>>Jaques and Hopes as ODI openers.

You what? I'm no great fan of Jaques and definitely prefer the Kat overall but that's a stretch on recent evidence. Aside from that, he averages 42 at domestic level, striking at 90 and just has better numbers overall, even if the Kat has been doing it longer. Strikes a far longer ball than Kat too and this surely fits into the hole that Hayden is going to leave better than Kat's nick-and-nudge game. That's why it's so surprising he's not been given a shot of late.

 

[NZTailender]

Prefer him in the middle order really, its a shame Symonds is scoring runs though Hodge perhaps could be ahead of Katcih still.

Nah, Katich is wasted outside the top 3 in the shorter format IMO.
Especially when you have better options in Symonds and Clarke for the middle order.

 

[Flem274*]

Nah, Katich is wasted outside the top 3 in the shorter format IMO.
Especially when you have better options in Symonds and Clarke for the middle order.

Don't recall his opening stint being very successful though whether there were other factors or not I can't recall.

 

[NZTailender]

You what? I'm no great fan of Jaques and definitely prefer the Kat overall but that's a stretch on recent evidence. Aside from that, he averages 42 at domestic level, striking at 90 and just has better numbers overall, even if the Kat has been doing it longer. Strikes a far longer ball than Kat too and this surely fits into the hole that Hayden is going to leave better than Kat's nick-and-nudge game. That's why it's so surprising he's not been given a shot of late.

Well, Gilchrist is the first one who needs replacing (obviously by Haddin in keeping terms, but will he open? Maybe. Should he? No). I'm not insulting Jaques - tbf I'd like to see Jaques and Katich open together for Australia

 

[NZTailender]

Don't recall his opening stint being very successful though whether there were other factors or not I can't recall.

Averaged 37 opening the batting, which is about 12 runs better than Jaques did and about 15 better than Hopes