Ashes Discussion

[Fitzy]

Paine was always only ever selected because he was a captain with morals that the team needed at the time. This added on to the fact that there was no decent wicketkeeper in the current setup made it very easy for them to continue picking him until further notice with no backlash for him not making runs.
They can easily justify not selecting him at the moment because he isn't an opener. He doesn't bat there in shield cricket and hasn't for a long time whereas Marcus Harris has and continues to do so. Harris was also the shield leader in runs last year for an opener. Now has Harris had his chances, yes he has and hasn't really made the most of them, but he has the runs and is the next best available opener. The argument would stand merit if he was trying out for 1st or 2nd drop but he isn't. Is he better than Travis Head to bat at 5 well its debatable considering Head was the second highest run score last year in Shield cricket so he does have the runs on the board to merit being selected. Its pretty simple, if he thinks he is good enough to open for Australia moving forward then why wouldn't he be opening for QLD in shield cricket to push his case.

Paine was brought in to be the keeper during the ashes before the sandpaper gate. They weren’t anticipating smith to lose captaincy at all so that argument is bullshit. At the time Khawaja had been the captain for Qld for 4 seasons and had played a number of games for Australia, something none of the players (batters) at the time could say. So yes as a matter of fact on paper Khawaja was the obvious and clear choice so what exactly are you missing that differentiates him from Tim Paine.

 

[Sproj]

Jhye Richardson doing no harm reminding everyone of how good he is.

 

[1910]

Sure but he was unlucky to be dropped last time. His test record is something Harris can only dream of and his record is just ok. It’s a shame it’s really between these two as no one else is putting their hand up…yet.

Ward looks good but so new, Hunt looks promising but nowhere near ready., Burns has lost his mojo, Street just can’t get a consistent run together, S.Marsh is an older, better Harris.

So if it’s between Khawaja and Harris, Khawaja is a no brainer.

Harris and Hunt are our two best performing openers since start of last season. Over the last 13 months.

Harris 842 runs at 49- three 100’s
Hunt 952 runs at 47- four 100’s.

Hunt has also faced more balls than any other opener. 2187.

 

[Sproj]

Harris and Hunt are our two best performing openers since start of last season. Over the last 13 months.

Harris 842 runs at 49- three 100’s
Hunt 952 runs at 47- four 100’s.

Hunt has also faced more balls than any other opener. 2187.

Yep and I don't think he's ready yet, so there is no way I am going back to Harris if I'm a selector. My order of preference would be:

1. Warner
2. Pucovski
3. Khawaja
4. Burns
5. Hunt
6. Hughes
7. S.Marsh
8. Harris
9. Ward
10. Street

 

[1910]

Yep and I don't think he's ready yet, so there is no way I am going back to Harris if I'm a selector. My order of preference would be:

1. Warner
2. Pucovski
3. Khawaja
4. Burns
5. Hunt
6. Hughes
7. S.Marsh
8. Harris
9. Ward
10. Street

That makes no sense, Hunt has completely out-performed Pucovski at Shield level since he made his debut in 2019. How can one not be ready and one the second best opener in the country?

Nearly double his runs!

1440 v 776.

Only Green, Marsh and Head have more runs than Hunt since his debut.

 

[Sproj]

That makes no sense, Hunt has completely out-performed Pucovski at Shield level since he made his debut in 2019. How can one not be ready and one the second best opener in the country?

Nearly double his runs!

1440 v 776.

Only Green, Marsh and Head have more runs than Hunt since his debut.

Yeah I am not saying my argument is fool proof, it was just off the top of my head. What it does show is that whatever the case, Harris should not be the opener partnering Warner, regardless of whether it should be Hunt, Pucovski, Khawaja or even Burns, the reality is, it shouldn't be Harris and that is the whole point here.

 

[Big Del]

Get the sense this year could be the making of Green.

Excellent form in the shield last year leading to test debut and some decent showings to suggest he's got something there to work with.

Comes into this year no longer under the radar and a pretty important player for WA, and has been in great form again.

Suggests that he has the temperament to handle the pressure and keep doing his thing.

It's got the feeling that he could have a big summer this year... would love to see him become good enough that he takes the no. 5, because what a middle order that would be.

3. Marnus
4. Smith
5. Green

Those straight drives by Green are a thing of beauty .
Oh you wanna target the stumps ?. Have a 4 on me ! LOL .

 

[Fernando]

Does Starc get to play and shield games before the first test? He looks cooked in all formats, you couldn’t pick him over Richardson unless he proved he’s over it.

 

[Fitzy]

Those straight drives by Green are a thing of beauty .
Oh you wanna target the stumps ?. Have a 4 on me ! LOL .

Yes, but he is doing this at Shield level. That doesn't translate to Test level. A number of players are living proof of that, Burns, Harris and at times in his career khawaja (so many more but you get the point). I love Greeny but to me the only way he gets in that side is if a solid batsman such as Khawaja buts 5 otherwise we can't have Head, Green and Paine as our middle order. Greeny to me has really struggled to make that leap from 30-50 runs into big fucken scores. Which I think is an essential ability for every batter and realistically our keeper should be doing. That has not been the case and thus we have struggled.

1. Warner
2. Harris
3. Labuschagne
4. Smith
5. Khawaja
6. Green/Head/Marsh

Really I think our top 5 is guaranteed the last 3 will be fighting it out for the 6 spot, specifically Head and Green (I only chucked Marsh in cause speculation is rising). As for bowling I think Richardson is firming for a bowling spot if he can upshot Starc in the warm-up intra-squad we are off laughing. Yet again though Shield doesn't always translate to Test cricket against the likes of Root and Stokes.

 

[Sproj]

Yes, but he is doing this at Shield level. That doesn't translate to Test level. A number of players are living proof of that, Burns, Harris and at times in his career khawaja (so many more but you get the point). I love Greeny but to me the only way he gets in that side is if a solid batsman such as Khawaja buts 5 otherwise we can't have Head, Green and Paine as our middle order. Greeny to me has really struggled to make that leap from 30-50 runs into big fucken scores. Which I think is an essential ability for every batter and realistically our keeper should be doing. That has not been the case and thus we have struggled.

1. Warner
2. Harris
3. Labuschagne
4. Smith
5. Khawaja
6. Green/Head/Marsh

Really I think our top 5 is guaranteed the last 3 will be fighting it out for the 6 spot, specifically Head and Green (I only chucked Marsh in cause speculation is rising). As for bowling I think Richardson is firming for a bowling spot if he can upshot Starc in the warm-up intra-squad we are off laughing. Yet again though Shield doesn't always translate to Test cricket against the likes of Root and Stokes.

Green was arguably Australia's best / second best bat against India, he has more than earned his spot. He also has had no problem going on to centuries at Shield level, albeit not this season. I'll take a guy who has shown a lot of promise at the next level and who averages 54+ in shield over any of those options you have there at 2, 5 or 6. Green is the fourth automatic selection behind Smith, Labs and Warner and rightly so.

 

[Fitzy]

Green was arguably Australia's best / second best bat against India, he has more than earned his spot. He also has had no problem going on to centuries at Shield level, albeit not this season. I'll take a guy who has shown a lot of promise at the next level and who averages 54+ in shield over any of those options you have there at 2, 5 or 6. Green is the fourth automatic selection behind Smith, Labs and Warner and rightly so.

I agree with you I like him a lot. Leave Harris out cause there’s no point debating that. I’m sorry but if you want someone to salvage an innings and win you test match I’d take Khawaja over Green any day of the week. He has 8 test tons 14 fifty’s and a 40 average to his name and has won Australia a number of games before. He is also in form. I don’t agree with Marsh but selectors may get obsessed and pick him. As for head he has blown his chances with form this season. I probably agree Green should be 6 but by know means should he be 5 before Khawaja.

 

[The True King]

Can almost guarantee that Marsh will end the summer in the test side.

Selectors love him and he'll be the media darling for a while after that knock.

 

[The True King]

The Marsh loving has already begun on Foxsports.

This is a sentence included in an article published today. Fails to mention the fact he played 1 test in that 2017-18 series.

Whoever signs off on allowing this rubbish to be categorised as journalism should be sacked.

 

[Unbreakable]

If Mitch gave up on the all-rounder dream 10 years ago and focused purely on his batting, he probably would've been a mainstay in all 3 formats. It's too late for him now, he's 30. Cameron Green is the all-rounder of the future and he isn't going anywhere.

You could probably mount an argument for Marsh to bat at 5 in the Ashes, but I still think guys like Head & Khawaja are ahead. I would nearly prefer to throw Burns or Renshaw back in at 5 than to go down the M.Marsh route.

 

[McHunt]

Yep and I don't think he's ready yet, so there is no way I am going back to Harris if I'm a selector. My order of preference would be:

1. Warner
2. Pucovski

I think poor old Puc might be the Brett Papworth of test cricket. The gods are telling him to throw in the towel.

 

[McHunt]

The Marsh loving has already begun on Foxsports.

View attachment 15943

This is a sentence included in an article published today. Fails to mention the fact he played 1 test in that 2017-18 series.

Whoever signs off on allowing this rubbish to be categorised as journalism should be sacked.

Yeah well, I got up and watched him a bat a few times during the Cup, and **** it he deserves the credit he's getting. We all hated him, he's been the litmus test of desperate selection, and he proved us wrong. Good for him.

‘Australia hates me’: Mitch Marsh goes from villain to hero

It’s hugs all around for the man Australia loved to hate.

www.news.com.au

 

[The True King]

Yeah well, I got up and watched him a bat a few times during the Cup, and **** it he deserves the credit he's getting. We all hated him, he's been the litmus test of desperate selection, and he proved us wrong. Good for him.

‘Australia hates me’: Mitch Marsh goes from villain to hero

It’s hugs all around for the man Australia loved to hate.

www.news.com.au

Yeah for sure he does deserve the credit. I never once doubted his abilities as a ODI or t20 player, he's up with the very best and has been for a while. I have no issue with him going down as a great player in the shorter formats and the praise he is getting.

But we're talking about Test cricket here. The guy shouldn't even be in the conversation for our middle order, he's had so many chances and disappointed far too often.

 

[BroncosFever]

Some blokes like to plant that front leg and that alone makes them vulnerable in Tests, no better example than Aaron Finch

Doesn't mean they can't be or won't be outstanding white ball players