*Official* Road to 2013 Ashes

[benchmark00]

Don't tell me your

Of course I would pay $8 if Paine isn't in the team.

Srs though... are you banking on Wade being injured or do you think Paine will over take him and Haddin (the latter possible I suppose) as well as him out performing Nevill in the Shield season?

 

[NUFAN]

Paine to overtake Wade. I'm not sold on Wade's keeping. I would be very surprised if many people are. I know Haddin has a contract, but I can't see him getting another chance. Paine is a Cricketer who the selectors want in and around our setup. I think Wade's performances in ODIs have been quite poor and will give Paine an opportunity again. If he does reasonably opening the batting there and keeps well and then averages around 40 or so for Tassie in the Shield and perhaps scores that elusive second first class century I just think we will pick him.

If the selectors were seriously considering Nev at the moment, they would have picked him on the recent A tour.

 

[Spikey]

unless nev does some heroics with the bat (which he will so i guess we should stop here) i think it'll be wade v paine. it should almost certainly be wade (in terms of actually deserving it). but you never know, paine could actually score another ton and wade might get ****ed by steyn so hard it's an easy enough switch for them. i think nufan's a brave man to put him in there, but i think you should knock it down to at least 100/1.


and yeah the way paine got to waltz his way into the aus a team sorta makes this not that far off reality...

 

[NUFAN]

BTW, like I said earlier Watson is the player who really needs to lift if he wants to be included as the team is probably looking for a left handed bat somewhere in that middle order. Hussey is obviously an option or hopefully under the influence of Lehmann, Usman Khawaja at 5 or 6.

Reckon 10-1 would be decent odds to get on Paine.

 

[benchmark00]

Paine was seen as a god under the old management team, it has to be noted.

I think Wade's a bad gloveman, but Paine isn't exemplary either and he can't bat. Wade has a test century, he's cemented. How many Australian keepers have you seen dropped because of their glove work? If Wade is getting dropped it's because he's not making runs.

 

[Prince EWS]

Clarke @ 3, uh oh.

Deep down you think he'd be ****ing awesome there and even if he failed you'd just blame it on voodoo rather than own up to the fact that he was unsuited to it. Admit it.

 

[Prince EWS]

Hussey? Unless he's retired and I missed it.

It should be noted that if the average Australian fan opinion of George Bailey can be summed up by a number around 5, NUFAN thinks he's about a 12.

 

[Spark]

Deep down you think he'd be ****ing awesome there and even if he failed you'd just blame it on voodoo rather than own up to the fact that he was unsuited to it. Admit it.

Voodoo indeed.

 

[NUFAN]

Paine was seen as a god under the old management team, it has to be noted.

I think Wade's a bad gloveman, but Paine isn't exemplary either and he can't bat. Wade has a test century, he's cemented. How many Australian keepers have you seen dropped because of their glove work? If Wade is getting dropped it's because he's not making runs.

Paine can bat. He just can't make hundreds yet. Wade only played due to Paine's injury. I like Wade anyway, so

It should be noted that if the average Australian fan opinion of George Bailey can be summed up by a number around 5, NUFAN thinks he's about a 12.

That's slightly true, can you imagine Siddle and Bailey in the same Australian team! Reckon a few people definitely underrate him though by just looking at his overall first class average.

 

[vic_orthdox]

What's the story with the "Hussey can't bat at 4" thing? His record there isn't that bad IIRC.

 

[Red]

I'd love to see M. Hussey opening the batting the Warner in tests.

 

[uvelocity]

I reckon he'd be open to it too

 

[Red]

I could be completely wrong, but I get the feeling Hussey could play for another 3 years. Looks super fit and loves it. If he can keep his eye and reflexes...

 

[AlanJLegend]

Love the excitement that comes on the eve of the first test of the summer!

The upcoming series against South Africa and Sri Lanka are surely going to play a big part in determining our lineup for the Ashes next year. Wade looks set as our keeper and our bowling stocks are looking pretty good, but with an unproven opening pair (Cowan especially) and no offical number 3 it will be interesting where we find outselves in a few months time. Anybody willing to make some predictions?

Our middle order is so good, I'm not sure whether or not it would be a good idea to move any of them up the order. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to seeing Clarke at 3 and Watson at 5. In terms of who opens? Depending on this summer it could be anyone. Kinda wish we still had Katich...

 

[uvelocity]

Wade looks set as our keeper

alan, meet spikey.

also katich is dead

 

[AlanJLegend]

^^ I was looking at Nevill's stats earlier actually, didn't realise he averaged so much in FC cricket.

Still, behind Wade, Paine and probably Haddin too.

 

[uvelocity]

I'd back haddin to play as a specialist bat before keeping again tbh. paine can gagf. saw a keeping clinic he did on fox the other day with his trucker cap raked at a 18 degree angle. someone please tell him to try less hard.

 

[NUFAN]

18 degree angle, that's amazingly observant of you. I guess you had some spare time on your hands.

 

[Howe_zat]

He just goes to watch cricket with a DBZ scouter

 

[uvelocity]

found so many non pornographic pics to post itbt