Aussie tour of Sri Lanka

[Jeba]

How to get ahead in life - become an Australian spin bowler. 4 first class matches with an average of 43 and Nathan Lyon has found himself in the Test squad to tour Sri Lanka. No doubt a backup of sorts but that's unheard of half a decade a go.

Anyway, just got clean sweeped in the T20's as expected, more interested in the Tests more than anything though and a hopeful start of our rebuilding.

Wouldn't be at all surprised to see Trent Copeland given a run at some stage. Looks a pretty good talent early on.

I'd like to see something like this for the first test

1. Hughes
2. Watson
3. Khawaja
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. Ponting
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Harris
10. Siddle
11. Beer

 

[ningnangnong]

Really hope Harris has a strong tour.

The lad has been terribly unlucky with injuries which is always a shame to see for a player with his passion.

 

[Jeza23]

Who is even in the squad? Surely we have someone better than Beer? haha

 

[Bucking Beads]

Ponting is still going to bat 3 from what I have read. We will get canned I fear. Our batsmen just can't seem to face spin.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Who is even in the squad? Surely we have someone better than Beer? haha

O'Keefe should be the spinner but for reasons I will never know has been over looked..

Nathan Lyon looks to bowl proper off spin with good flight and drop but is very raw.

 

[Bucking Beads]

1. Hughes
2. Watson
3. Khawaja
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. Ponting
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Harris
10. Siddle
11. Beer

That is pretty much what the selectors will name, is that you Andrew?:confused:

One thing I took from the Ashes series is that we need to look at how England rebuilt there test side into what it is. Look at the likes of James Anderson, Alistair Cook and Ian Bell who were not up to it at the beginning but are now the cornerstones of the English side.. I understand why they arsed Katich but TBH it should have been Ponting. Haddin whilst he has performed admirably there are 2 options that are younger and every bit as good for us to choose from. Hussey deserves this summer to say goodbye after how he performed in the Ashes so I'll give him a break.. The major concern for us though is that we don't do the basics right anymore. We have gone backwards in every way and it simply isn't good enough. Sure we were going to struggle when Warne, Gilly, Hayden and McGrath retired but they didn't teach our players how to catch, field or bat against spin. I fear we will get hammered in Sri Lanka.:sigh:

 

[Meat77]

The scariest part is that the true test will come when India tour here this summer - that could be a shellacking waiting to happen...

 

[Bucking Beads]

The scariest part is that the true test will come when India tour here this summer - that could be a shellacking waiting to happen...

not on current form but yes this could happen.

 

[Jeba]

That is pretty much what the selectors will name, is that you Andrew?:confused:

Rightio cricket guru, what's your 11 look like? WTF is the point of not naming Haddin in a predicted side when there isn't even another wicket keeper in the squad? Hussey like you said deserves his spot. As if Punter will get dropped, and I think it's worth trying him at 6. Not as much pressure on him there and keeps some experience in the squad whilst we rebuild.

Look forward to what you come up with.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Rightio cricket guru, what's your 11 look like? WTF is the point of not naming Haddin in a predicted side when there isn't even another wicket keeper in the squad? Hussey like you said deserves his spot. As if Punter will get dropped, and I think it's worth trying him at 6. Not as much pressure on him there and keeps some experience in the squad whilst we rebuild.

Look forward to what you come up with.

I wasn't having a go at your side at all, that is pretty much the side the selectors have to pick for the first test unless the go with 2 spinners. I reckon they will keep Ponting at 3 because he is to stubborn to move down the order.

 

[Jeba]

I wasn't having a go at your side at all, that is pretty much the side the selectors have to pick for the first test unless the go with 2 spinners. I reckon they will keep Ponting at 3 because he is to stubborn to move down the order.

Oh I see. Sorry champ, but I think calling someone Andrew Hilditch is just about the biggest insult you can lay upon anyone!!!!

 

[Bucking Beads]

Oh I see. Sorry champ, but I think calling someone Andrew Hilditch is just about the biggest insult you can lay upon anyone!!!!

That is a fair call.. He is a hopeless turd and needs to go so bad. We are still waiting to hear the findings of this review..

 

[Coxy]

How to get ahead in life - become an Australian spin bowler. 4 first class matches with an average of 43 and Nathan Lyon has found himself in the Test squad to tour Sri Lanka. No doubt a backup of sorts but that's unheard of half a decade a go.

Anyway, just got clean sweeped in the T20's as expected, more interested in the Tests more than anything though and a hopeful start of our rebuilding.

Wouldn't be at all surprised to see Trent Copeland given a run at some stage. Looks a pretty good talent early on.

I'd like to see something like this for the first test

1. Hughes
2. Watson
3. Khawaja
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. Ponting
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Harris
10. Siddle
11. Beer

Looks close to the mark, but imagine they'll play Ponting at 3 and Khawaja at 4 or 5. Clarke would certainly benefit from playing at 3rd drop again I think.

Why we persist with Siddle boggles my mind though. He's rocks and diamond. Yes, singular diamond, and he had that at the Gabba last summer!

 

[Bucking Beads]

We all wonder about Siddle, he does absolutely nothing with the ball and just bangs it in short all day. For some reason he is supposedly the next Merv Hughes and that is why he is in the team. Johnson should be gone but the cupboard is bare and he is a genuine wicket taker and can bat. Harris is a great bowler but very injury prone, hopefully he can get through 3 tests. I think we have to play 2 spinners in Sri Lanka and just hope for the best. Watson can provide overs of reverse swing also. Copeland is the other quick in the squad and has a great first class average but the knock on him is that he is a couple of yards to slow to make a real go of it...

 

[Jeba]

I actually thought Siddle was overall our best quick in the Ashes (on par with Harris I suppose). Was the only one that even looked like making inroads in the Sydney and Melbourne tests, and obviously very good at the Gabba. He is no world beater but I think he is better than most of what we have.

 

[Coxy]

I actually thought Siddle was overall our best quick in the Ashes (on par with Harris I suppose). Was the only one that even looked like making inroads in the Sydney and Melbourne tests, and obviously very good at the Gabba. He is no world beater but I think he is better than most of what we have.

And therein lies (one of) the problem for Australian cricket. Put aside our inconsistent batting line up, our bowling consistently being unable to take 10 wickets is VERY worrying. Even if you get the opposition to 5-for-not many you still can't help thinking they'll post 350+ because the number 7 and 8 will pile on runs.

I'm certainly not feeling good about Australian cricket right now.

 

[Big Pete]

I actually don't mind this period of Australian cricket. Sure, we're struggling and we're going to struggle for a few more years but I've basically been raised in a generation where Australia were always expected to win and you'd be happy just to see a genuine contest. Now, I'm emotionally invested and I'm cheering every wicket and every century much louder than I would in the past.

Right now is definitely the most difficult part of the equation as we're transitioning from the old guard to the new and we can't wash our hands clean so quickly as the next gen. are still a year or two away from really being ready for Test cricket. For our sake, I hope they all play a full season of Shield and we can start bringing them on once Punter, Hussey and Haddin hang it up, not to mention we can bring some bowlers in who can actually take ten wickets.

Out of all our bowlers, the only one I come close to rating is Harris who is a genuine competitor willing to give it a go. The rest are either pea-hearts or simply aren't cut out to be specialist test bowlers.

My Test side for Sri Lanka

1. Phillip Hughes
2. Shane Watson
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Usman Khawaja
5. Michael Clarke
6. Michael Hussey
7. Brad Haddin
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Ryan Harris
10. Michael Beer
11. Trent Copeland

I think that's a good balance of youth and experience and will give us a good chance of winning the series as well as developing a side for the future.

I went for Copeland ahead of Pattinson as he's a bit more experienced and it's a just reward for two good seasons in Sheffield Shield. Pattinson's time will come and I believe he'll get a lot of invaluable experience just being on tour. Copeland ahead of Siddle too as I just don't rate Pete in his current role. I believe if we converted him into the Bresnan type he'd become a handy squad member but that's it really.

Beer or Lyon could go either way. I just went with Beer because he's been in the side before and I'm hesitant to blood too many players in the same game. Personally, I probably would have just brought Hauritz in and had O'Keefe, Lyon or Smith in the squad but that's just me.

The rest explains itself.

In other news, we took out the first ODI thanks to a lovely performance from Mitchell Johnson who took career best figures to restrict Sri Lanka to a scrawny total.

 

[Coxy]

I actually don't mind this period of Australian cricket. Sure, we're struggling and we're going to struggle for a few more years but I've basically been raised in a generation where Australia were always expected to win and you'd be happy just to see a genuine contest. Now, I'm emotionally invested and I'm cheering every wicket and every century much louder than I would in the past.

That's probably the difference. I was brought up when Australia would celebrate a draw against New Zealand, or made the West Indies bat twice :lol: So I relished the time we were absolutely dominant.

Now I'm getting horrible flashbacks to when I'd start watching a match involving Australia and just hope it wasn't embarrassing.