*Official* Road to 2013 Ashes

[Valer]

Mid 40s, not 50s like Rogers. A class below.

Cowan is just a poor mans Chris Rogers.

... Belreive has been *MUCH* harder to score on than the waca. I'd be highly suprised if those numbers didn't reverse if you switched the home states...

On watson bowling you mean like he's claimed he is going to do?

 

[Maximas]

It's easy to think our batting stocks are crap, but the India tour really blew things out of proportion. That tour was marred by poor bowling, poor preparation and poor selection, as well as doctored pitches which turned far more than normal (not saying it was unfair - it made for exiting cricket). The series against SA and SL to some extent show what he really have to offer in an Ashes series. Cowan and Warner both scored hundreds in the SA series, Hughes played well against the Lankans, Watson struggled in both, and Clarke excelled of course. That leaves one batsmen to come in (from the end of the summer) given Hussey's retirement. Would Rogers suit the role? I don't think so - too many openers, and Khawaja seems destined for the role. But I certainly think Rogers deserves to make the squad.

 

[MW1304]

You certainly were exiting the crease a lot yeah.

 

[chaminda_00]

... Belreive has been *MUCH* harder to score on than the waca. I'd be highly suprised if those numbers didn't reverse if you switched the home states...

The thing people seem to forgot is that domestic pitches in Australia the last five years have gone one season roads, next season bowler friendly.

Not surprisingly the season that the pitches have been road Cowan averaged 50 (09/10 and 11/12), when everyone was averaging over 50.

The one full season he played on the tough Bellerive pitch (10/11) he average in the mid 30s. Last season when the pitches are bowler friendly again he only played four games and went back to norm for him of averaging in the 20s.

Cowan has actually never scored big runs consistently on the tougher Bellerive pitches. All his runs have come in the season of roads.

Th MCG overall is easier to bat on; Rogers hasn't played for WA for a couple season now. Moved around the same time as Cowan. But the difference is his performances don't change as much depending on the whether the Australia domestic pitches are roads or bowler friendly.

 

[marc71178]

This is a first, someone saying playing at a higher level has unfairly boosted their record.

Except that's not what he said - he said non-Test FC tour games which are generally played against weakened opposition.

 

[benchmark00]

Watch me change my mind with the input of marc71178!

 

[Maximas]

Watch me change my mind with the input of marc71178!

who cares if you change your mind, enough people disagree with you

 

[benchmark00]

who cares if you change your mind, enough people disagree with you

Mate youre advocating a bloke you haven't seen play for five years. It is genuinely the worst kind of posting. Basing your opinion on cricinfo scorecards. Are you seriously still posting?

 

[Maximas]

Mate youre advocating a bloke you haven't seen play for five years. It is genuinely the worst kind of posting. Basing your opinion on cricinfo scorecards. Are you seriously still posting?

Just because I haven't seen him play doesn't make him a bad/unjustified selection. At least I'm basing my opinion on something, you go around saying "Watson would smash the SS and average at least 50" and call that better evidence than I'm going off. At least the scorecards don't lie.

In any case, I'm not saying he should necessarily be in the final 11, but he has a much better claim than many other batsmen in Australia to a squad position.

 

[benchmark00]

wtf, did you miss the part where Watson has averaged 50 in FC cricket?

No one can respect an opinion about a cricketer if that opinion is based upon looking at a scorecard and nothing else.

 

[Maximas]

wtf, did you miss the part where Watson has averaged 50 in FC cricket?

No one can respect an opinion about a cricketer if that opinion is based upon looking at a scorecard and nothing else.

His recent test and shield form has been disgusting, posters before me have stated that he has done poorly in the FC games he has played last season. Career averages are fine, but I'm talking about current form, Watson's is crap, Rogers' is quite prolific by SS standards.

 

[benchmark00]

Ffs, Watson hasn't done poorly in FC games recently. Like talking to a wall here.

Going to stop replying to you now. In future, when you argue for a cricketer, make sure you have watched him play. I don't mind people disagreeing with me about a player if they can base it on watching them play, but I will not bother with people who base it on a scorecard and a scorecard only.

 

[Maximas]

Ffs, Watson hasn't done poorly in FC games recently. Like talking to a wall here.

Going to stop replying to you now. In future, when you argue for a cricketer, make sure you have watched him play. I don't mind people disagreeing with me about a player if they can base it on watching them play, but I will not bother with people who base it on a scorecard and a scorecard only.

Oh OK, lecture me then, you're fighting a lone battle here though, 'can't judge till you watch a player', no, that's not true, scorecards are a perfectly good indicator of form, I don't care what you say. As for Watson's FC form, he has barely played SS recently and most of his FC games are tour matches, which count for little. Fact is, Watson looks good, but his returns have been crap lately, Rogers mightn't look as good, but cricket is about runs on the board, not aesthetics.

I'd like to see how many others agree with you, and don't bother replying, if you think your're talking to a wall...

 

[chaminda_00]

Judging a player purely on looks is flawed, as it judging a player purely on stats.

 

[social]

Watson has been tried in tests and failed for an extended period (averaged 25 in tests for the last 2 years IIRC)

As such, what he may or may not average in fc is totally irrelevant when it comes to discussing his position in the test team

 

[NUFAN]

Watson captained last Test, he is playing next Test barring injury/scared of ghost/failing to do homework.

 

[Maximas]

Watson has been tried in tests and failed for an extended period (averaged 25 in tests for the last 2 years IIRC)

As such, what he may or may not average in fc is totally irrelevant when it comes to discussing his position in the test team

I agree, however the problem is that certain people here seem to think that FC and test cricket are entirely different ball-games where you are likely to be prolific in one yet fail at the other. I think he should be under pressure from the top performing FC players for his spot - eg. Rogers.

 

[NUFAN]

FC and Test are different though.

There is a reason why Rogers Dussey Butterworth OKeefe don't all feature in our Test team.

Just to make it more clear, I don't necessarily think all four should never be in the Test team but there is some method to the selectors madness most of the time.

 

[uvelocity]

Watson captained last Test, he is playing next Test barring injury/scared of ghost/failing to do homework.

are we talking swayze here or poltergeist?

 

[benchmark00]

Judging a player purely on looks is flawed, as it judging a player purely on stats.

You clearly are having problems distinguishing between looks in terms of aesthetics and looks in terms of seeing a player and determining whether his weaknesses will be too big to be overcome.