*Official* Sri Lanka Tour of Australia 2019

[howardj]

That's exactly right, it should go on population

Not on who has a shiny new stadium

Those shiny new stadiums - Perth and Adelaide - were practically empty this year anyway, despite hosting the top-ranking Test team

 

[Starfighter]

Brisbane got SA in 12/13 and India in 14/15. Getting given the crappier touring teams is a symptom, not a cause.

The fact that the pitch has been absolutely dire recently can't help.

 

[howardj]

SA 2012 was pre-ugraded Adelaide Oval, and India 2014 was pre-ugraded and Perth superdome

 

[TheJediBrah]

It's pretty dire that the third most populous city gets the worst touring sides. Never South Africa. Never India. England yes. All the second tier sides tour here. Is it any wonder ticket sales are slow.

Losing the first test of the summer and getting rubbish touring sides is awful form from CA.

Maybe get a sufficiently working infrastructure so that city blackouts don't happen and ruin games then worry about getting decent Tests

 

[Starfighter]

SA 2012 was pre-ugraded Adelaide Oval, and India 2014 was pre-ugraded and Perth superdome

Why does that matter? Try turning up and watching. Hobart's not getting a test this year because there's never anyone there.

 

[howardj]

I'm just making the point that having a shiny new stadium shouldn't determine who gets a Test match

Population should, unless turnouts are atrocious (which they were in Adelaide and Perth this year, despite new stadiums, and despite hosting the world's best team)

The first few days of the Ashes was a sell-out at Fortress Gabba

 

[GotSpin]

Brisbane always has the worst crowds. Not even up for debate really

 

[stephen]

Brisbane always has their test outside school holidays and when people are still at work. It's not like we're pampered southerners.

 

[Spark]

Adelaide has had substantially better crowds than Brisbane for ages now so not sure this is a good argument to be making

 

[Burgey]

Adelaide has had substantially better crowds than Brisbane for ages now so not sure this is a good argument to be making

Adelaide used to have a test over Australia Day weekend for a while, then they used to have the three match ODI weekend on that long weekend, which was ****ing awesome because Australia played Saturday and Sunday. Was quality

 

[Burgey]

I mean, Brisbane has the worst ground in the worst city populated by the worst people. Of course it’s gong to stink the joint up.

But what really kills the test program is the idea that Melbourne and Sydney are the finale to the test summer, which is usually the case. There’s no reason why, even in an Ashes summer, that Melbourne and Sydney couldn’t be the second and third tests, with Adelaide and Perth to finish the summer off. If they did that, Brisbane can be got out of the way early and consigned to it’s deserving dustbin just before Xmas, with australian1-0 up. Then a bore draw in Melbourne, in keeping with the ground and the city, before on to the party/ harbour city for new year. I’d go to Perth then finish at Adelaide, but vice versa wouldn’t worry me either.

 

[howardj]

It used to be

1st Test Gabba late November
2nd Test Melbourne Boxing Day
3rd Test Sydney New Year
4th Test Adelaide, Australia Day
5th Test Perth, early Feb

And it was awesome, it felt like cricket owned all of Summer - nowadays the cricketing Summer loses my interest on about 7 January after the usual final Test in Sydney

But the above schedule was when we hosted a single touring team for 5 Tests

 

[howardj]

My Gabba attendance argument was a supplementary argument

My main argument is that we should get the marque Test team as we are the third most populous City easily

 

[stephen]

All of which makes perfect sense HowardJ.

Now that Fox has the rights to all the internationals that aren't tests, it would be better to spread the tests again. Players have gone soft demanding that one day, test and t20 games be scheduled in blocks. Having the one day games/t20 games between the tests is probably better for the quicks anyway since they can be rested between tests if necessary and we done have a situation like Melbourne/Sydney where the fast bowlers were coming off two tests only to get ground down in Melbourne and then forced to back up again in Sydney.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Punter's suggested XI:

Marcus Harris
Usman Khawaja
Marnus Labuschagne
Kurtis Patterson
Travis Head,
Will Pucovsk
Tim Paine (c/wk)
Pat Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Peter Siddle/Jhye Richardson

He's missed the mark here IMO, don't like Khawaja opening or Marnus at 3 very much.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Punter's suggested XI:

Marcus Harris
Usman Khawaja
Marnus Labuschagne
Kurtis Patterson
Travis Head,
Will Pucovsk
Tim Paine (c/wk)
Pat Cummins
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon
Peter Siddle/Jhye Richardson

He's missed the mark here IMO, don't like Khawaja opening or Marnus at 3 very much.

Pretty sure Punter would not have Labuschagne in the squad at all (nor would any thinking human), he's probably just showing support for Langer and the Aus set up because he knows they're picking him regardless.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Pretty sure Punter would not have Labuschagne in the squad at all (nor would any thinking human), he's probably just showing support for Langer and the Aus set up because he knows they're picking him regardless.

I would take him over young Will at this stage myself, but I know I am well in the minority there. But him batting at 3 is deeply concerning

 

[Daemon]

Pretty sure Punter would not have Labuschagne in the squad at all (nor would any thinking human), he's probably just showing support for Langer and the Aus set up because he knows they're picking him regardless.

Ponting was one of the biggest Langer backers for the coaching job wasn't he. Makes sense that he'd support him.

 

[howardj]

Gideon Heigh just recently wrote on Punter's great friendship with Langer, and how it may compromise his commentary

 

[aussie tragic]

Harris
Burns
Khawaja

Is so much stronger than

Harris
Khawaja
Labushagne

Surely the selectors can't keep missing the obvious