The Ashes 2010-2011

Aussies were arrogant with the bat, to stubborn to let the ball go. As good as the Poms bowled I think the Batting was what let the Aussies down the most IMO. Punter and Clarke both out of form and the Katich injury bringing in an out of form Hughes. Watson needs to convert 50's into hundreds I don't care if he averages 50 it isn't good enough as test opener to not make big hundreds.
 
Trouble is Watson belongs at No 6 but who de replace him with?

Hughes will most likely replace Katich but no one else is throwing their hands up.
 
Whilst I'll bag Punter - as far his ability as a thinking captain is concerned - as much as the next bloke, I'm a bit concerned about the huge amount of attention on just him at the moment. I'll be mighty pissed if he is made to be the sole scapegoat in this mess. Our situation runs far, far, far deeper than Ponting's ability to set fields, rotate bowlers and, of late, make a decent contribution with the bat.

The blokes who should be under the most scrutiny are the ones not wearing whites.
 
Bucking Beads, you make some interesting points.

I am curious about your summation of Watson. You seem to be very harsh - he averages 50 as an opener against the best attacks in the current game and is surely one of the success stories in recent times.
There have been question marks against all other players in the top 6 recently but you want to move Watson despite his success in the position.
Surely you don't weaken one position to attempt to put him at 6.
Who do you suggest could replace him at the top?
 
Well you only have to look at Strauss and Cook who have both made tons this series. Watson is every bit the opener in talent but is he an opener in his own mind. You do really need your opener scoring big hundreds especially when he is in form. The Cupboard is bare when it comes to moving Watson, so I can't see it happening but it would be ideal for overall balance of the side. Watson at 4 or 5 would be ideal but if it can't happen opening is fine but he needs to get over the hurdle in his mind and make the big ones. Superb player I am a fan of the Watto but we need more from our opener but we also need a lot more from the rest of the side.
 
Yeah, the current version of Shane Watson would've been a great part of the team in our better years, probably in the place of the likes of Symonds and co as a genuine all-rounder - batting at 5 or 6 and bowling 4th change. Unfortunately he has found his prime in the wrong era and, like everyone else, needs to fill in where required for the time being.
 
I think Watson is the least of our problems at the moment, wherever he plays.

We really need two dead-set openers though. Two who really understand each other's game and enjoy batting with each other like Langer and Hayden used to. It's just not good enough when the opening partnership is broken by a run-out more frequently than it should.

Obviously we won't find anyone as good as Langer and Haydos any time soon. However I can't remember the last time both of our openers made half centuries/put on a 100 partnership. Even when we won in Perth this series we were on the back foot straight away after a bad start with the bat. We really only won that match because of Hussey, Johnson and Harris.
 
Yeah sure Punter is injured, he has had the tap on the shoulder from the selectors and taken this as a nice out. icon_thumbs_u
 
Sounds like it.

We still need a proper opening pair.

Watson and Katich are remolded lower order batsman.

Haddin needs to bat higher in the order.
 
You couldn't pay me to be a selector for the time being. I don't think Australian cricket is too far off being competitive. IMO the best 11 they could field, and with only minimal disruption...

Katich
Khawaja
Watson
Clarke
M. Hussey
D. Hussey
Haddin
Hauritz
Johnson
Harris
Bollinger

Khawaja was an opener throughout his entire junior career and still opens at grade level. He bats down the order for NSW to accommodate Hughes and Jaques. I don't rate him as a test number 3, purely on the fact he doesn't have that extra intimidating gear that Watson does.

Watson is your next long term number 3. Ideally you want someone who can face the new ball and who can also take the attack to the opposition. He is the man to lead Australia forward and our most important player.

To all he Clarke bashes, the stats don't lie. This man is our best batsman. An average of 72 in 2006, 80 in 2007, 51 in 2008, 55 last year and 59 this year prior to the Indian tour. He has the highest average of any batsman (besides Jaques) to have played for Australia over the past 5 years. He is going through a form slump, however, name a player hasn't?

D. Hussey is IMO the only other batsman at state level worthy of a baggy green. Averages 55 and has consistently been among the countries top run scorers for the last 5 years. Furgeson's career average (35), playing mostly on the batting paradise that is the Adelaide oval is to put it bluntly - disgraceful. Players such as White, Bailey, Shaun Marsh simply don't deserve baggy greens. Australia would, IMO, be much better served squeezing 2 years out of a proven performer such as DHussey. By that stage young players such as Lynn, Smith, Hughes, Maddinson and Mitch Marsh would be hardened by another season or 2 of state cricket.

My smokey is Mark Cosgrove. Along with Clarke and Watson, he is the best batsmen of an otherwise lackluster generation(mid to late 20s). Cricket Australia have tried everything to sort out his weight issues, and if he hasn't shed the his keg by now I don't think he ever will. IMO they need have a long, hard think about his worth to the test team.

The sacking of Hauritz was one of the biggest selection blunders of our time. He possess numbers comparable to, if not better than our best offies of yesteryear (Yardley, May and and Mallett). He strikes more often than all of them (requiring nearly 10 balls less per wicket), and at 17 tests he has more wickets than all bar Mallett. He failed in India, yet name an Australian spinner that has fired? Not even Warnie managed success over there. I just can't fathom how players such as Beer and Doherty could jump him on these numbers. Don't even get me started on how O'Keefe (ave 24 with the ball, 47 with the bat at first class) has gone from Australia A's best bowler to left right out.
 
m1c said:
To all he Clarke bashes, the stats don't lie. This man is our best batsman. An average of 72 in 2006, 80 in 2007, 51 in 2008, 55 last year and 59 this year prior to the Indian tour. He has the highest average of any batsman (besides Jaques) to have played for Australia over the past 5 years. He is going through a form slump, however, name a player hasn't?
Click to expand...

59 this year prior to the Indian tour. So therefore in the 2 biggest test series of the year he failed to deliver. His last 3 series including this one he has averaged 34, 8 and 21. Piss poor for the man who is supposed to be our best batsman, and as they say stats don't lie.

Maybe he was once our best batsman (though I still doubt that), but he is not anymore. Hussey, Watson and Haddin have good his number at the moment. His head is in the wrong place, he looks like he doesn't even want to be there.
 
Jeba said:
m1c said:
To all he Clarke bashes, the stats don't lie. This man is our best batsman. An average of 72 in 2006, 80 in 2007, 51 in 2008, 55 last year and 59 this year prior to the Indian tour. He has the highest average of any batsman (besides Jaques) to have played for Australia over the past 5 years. He is going through a form slump, however, name a player hasn't?
Click to expand...

59 this year prior to the Indian tour. So therefore in the 2 biggest test series of the year he failed to deliver. His last 3 series including this one he has averaged 34, 8 and 21. Piss poor for the man who is supposed to be our best batsman, and as they say stats don't lie.

Maybe he was once our best batsman (though I still doubt that), but he is not anymore. Hussey, Watson and Haddin have good his number at the moment. His head is in the wrong place, he looks like he doesn't even want to be there.
Click to expand...

Haters gonna hate....
 
Would love to see Watson at number three.

He'd be perfect for it IMO.
 
ningnangnong said:
Would love to see Watson at number three.

He'd be perfect for it IMO.
Click to expand...

I agree but he would still need to go on and make the big score. Khawaja looks a good player so happy to see him get a go at 3.
 
So apparently it's now official that the final attack is Mitch, Hilf, Siddle and Beer.

I hope they can pull off an arsey performance, but huge, huge LOLs all round really. Dare I say, on paper at least, our worst bowling line-up in modern times?
 
Epic brain fart from Hughes on the stroke of lunch.
 
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