The Australian cricket non-official thread!
- Thread starter Matty76
- Start date
I feel a bit like Derryn Hinch: "I've said it before....and I'll say it again!" 
While Cricket Australia insists on staging home domestic seasons and international matches on pancake-flat wickets - with "gate receipts" a major focus - is it any wonder that our batsmen are incapable of handling swing and spin away from home?
I don't blame our players one bit. I do blame the fact that CA refuses to expose them consistently to bowler-friendly conditions at home. They days of a hard-fought 70 on a green first-day wicket being better value than a boundary-laden 150 on a flat wicket has seemingly been forgotten by those at the top. As well as the host broadcaster too, I might add.
While Cricket Australia insists on staging home domestic seasons and international matches on pancake-flat wickets - with "gate receipts" a major focus - is it any wonder that our batsmen are incapable of handling swing and spin away from home?
I don't blame our players one bit. I do blame the fact that CA refuses to expose them consistently to bowler-friendly conditions at home. They days of a hard-fought 70 on a green first-day wicket being better value than a boundary-laden 150 on a flat wicket has seemingly been forgotten by those at the top. As well as the host broadcaster too, I might add.
The Mad Hatter
OzCardTrader
Brownwash completed.
Absolutely pathetic from Australia but brilliant from Sri Lanka.
India 0-4, Pakistan 0-2, Sri Lanka 0-3... maybe someone at CA can enlighten us to what the problem might be?
The only one who can hold his head up is Mitchell Starc, and little bit of Nathan Lyon, and Shaun Marsh in test 3.
And Smith's captaincy has been found sorely wanting. And again, the selections stun. How Jon Holland got two tests is beyond me. And Moises? Gosh...the barrel must be near empty or they're just not picking guys who should get a gig.
Would laugh if Pakistan towel us up this summer at home.
Absolutely pathetic from Australia but brilliant from Sri Lanka.
India 0-4, Pakistan 0-2, Sri Lanka 0-3... maybe someone at CA can enlighten us to what the problem might be?
The only one who can hold his head up is Mitchell Starc, and little bit of Nathan Lyon, and Shaun Marsh in test 3.
And Smith's captaincy has been found sorely wanting. And again, the selections stun. How Jon Holland got two tests is beyond me. And Moises? Gosh...the barrel must be near empty or they're just not picking guys who should get a gig.
Would laugh if Pakistan towel us up this summer at home.
My predicted response from CA: some "exciting/thrilling/insert-your-own-adjective" BBL-related news. This Test series result will be quietly confined to the history books and Australia will keep on losing on wickets that turn. That's how it's been handled in recent times.
I think Lt Frank Drebin can explain it better than me
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5NNOrp_83RU
I think Lt Frank Drebin can explain it better than me
Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
If you were a selector, who would be in your XI for the first Test of our summer at the WACA against South Africa?
I would go:
David Warner
Cameron Bancroft
Steve Smith
Shaun Marsh
Adam Voges
Mitch Marsh
Peter Nevill
Mitchell Starc
James Pattinson
Nathan Lyon
Patrick Cummins
Notes:
- Bancroft plays through the summer with the intention of giving him experience before playing in what is going to be a huge series in India next year. Bancroft is one of the best young players of spin in the country, and it's time we try something different.
- Steve Smith bats at 3. He has some big scores there and I think for the balance of the batting order that's the best spot for him.
- Shaun Marsh retains his spot after two tons in his last two Tests. However he can't afford another summer like the infamous one versus India a few years ago. Reckon he's finally ready to hold his spot.
- Voges plays for his home ground experience. Still think he's good enough to warrant a spot in the team, but any patch of poor form and it's curtains. Probably battling with Khawaja for his spot.
- I want to see Mitch Marsh score at least two tons this summer. Bowling well but probably not batting well enough to bat top six at the moment. Think he has it in him to finally start making some runs consistently. Worth persisting with in my opinion, could turn into a genuine match-winning all-rounder who plays for ten more years.
- Nevill desperately needs runs. Not a lot of pressure on his spot at the moment however: Wade and Whiteman probably next in line, but neither has done enough to force Nevill out.
- Starc/Pattinson/Cummins is my long-term preferred fast bowling trio. Hazlewood is a good back-up but he's not quite as threatening as those three for mine. However there's an extremely low chance that all three of them will be fit at any one time, so there will be plenty of chances for guys like Bird, Coulter-Nile and Behrendorff to stake their claims for a spot.
- Happy to play a spinner at the WACA, if only to try and utilise the inevitable cracks that open up on the pitch. Lyon's the best of the lot at the moment, with O'Keefe, Zampa, Holland and Agar all a chance to get a game through the summer to audition for a spot in the India squad. Otherwise Hazlewood could get a game with Smith and Voges bowling part-timepies spin.
Who makes your XI?
I would go:
David Warner
Cameron Bancroft
Steve Smith
Shaun Marsh
Adam Voges
Mitch Marsh
Peter Nevill
Mitchell Starc
James Pattinson
Nathan Lyon
Patrick Cummins
Notes:
- Bancroft plays through the summer with the intention of giving him experience before playing in what is going to be a huge series in India next year. Bancroft is one of the best young players of spin in the country, and it's time we try something different.
- Steve Smith bats at 3. He has some big scores there and I think for the balance of the batting order that's the best spot for him.
- Shaun Marsh retains his spot after two tons in his last two Tests. However he can't afford another summer like the infamous one versus India a few years ago. Reckon he's finally ready to hold his spot.
- Voges plays for his home ground experience. Still think he's good enough to warrant a spot in the team, but any patch of poor form and it's curtains. Probably battling with Khawaja for his spot.
- I want to see Mitch Marsh score at least two tons this summer. Bowling well but probably not batting well enough to bat top six at the moment. Think he has it in him to finally start making some runs consistently. Worth persisting with in my opinion, could turn into a genuine match-winning all-rounder who plays for ten more years.
- Nevill desperately needs runs. Not a lot of pressure on his spot at the moment however: Wade and Whiteman probably next in line, but neither has done enough to force Nevill out.
- Starc/Pattinson/Cummins is my long-term preferred fast bowling trio. Hazlewood is a good back-up but he's not quite as threatening as those three for mine. However there's an extremely low chance that all three of them will be fit at any one time, so there will be plenty of chances for guys like Bird, Coulter-Nile and Behrendorff to stake their claims for a spot.
- Happy to play a spinner at the WACA, if only to try and utilise the inevitable cracks that open up on the pitch. Lyon's the best of the lot at the moment, with O'Keefe, Zampa, Holland and Agar all a chance to get a game through the summer to audition for a spot in the India squad. Otherwise Hazlewood could get a game with Smith and Voges bowling part-time
Who makes your XI?
Wookiedragon
OzCardTrader
Warner
S Marsh
Khawaja
Smith
Voges
T Head
Nevill
Starc
Pattinson
Hazlewood
Lyon
M Marsh has had enough chances, he is not good enough to be picked as a batsmen, nor is he good enough to be picked as a bowler, so why keep picking him?
I would be looking at Head or even Ross in the middle order. Could come down to the first few shield games along with form in the Matador BBQ cup.
Cummins needs to play some shield cricket before being considered.
S Marsh
Khawaja
Smith
Voges
T Head
Nevill
Starc
Pattinson
Hazlewood
Lyon
M Marsh has had enough chances, he is not good enough to be picked as a batsmen, nor is he good enough to be picked as a bowler, so why keep picking him?
I would be looking at Head or even Ross in the middle order. Could come down to the first few shield games along with form in the Matador BBQ cup.
Cummins needs to play some shield cricket before being considered.
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Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
Gee, I know we normally play well at home but I'm not sure I'd play with 10
I think Handscomb is probably just ahead of Head (no pun intended!) for the spot in the middle order. But if they want to try a young batsman in the middle order they could pick either of those two.
Warner
S Marsh (if he strings some low scores together he's straight out, too inconsistent)
Smith
Khawaja
Travis Head (gotta have that south Aussie flavour!)
Voges (competing with Burns)
Nevill
Starc
Hazlewood
Pattinson (competing with Jackson Bird)
Lyon (option to swap for Zampa or add Zampa for 2 spinners throughout the season e.g Sydney)
That's my starting XI with notes. As mentioned, Jackson Bird, Adam Zampa, Joe Burns and are waiting in the wings.
EDIT: M. Marsh removed and P. Nevill added as wicket keeper.
S Marsh (if he strings some low scores together he's straight out, too inconsistent)
Smith
Khawaja
Travis Head (gotta have that south Aussie flavour!)
Voges (competing with Burns)
Nevill
Starc
Hazlewood
Pattinson (competing with Jackson Bird)
Lyon (option to swap for Zampa or add Zampa for 2 spinners throughout the season e.g Sydney)
That's my starting XI with notes. As mentioned, Jackson Bird, Adam Zampa, Joe Burns and are waiting in the wings.
EDIT: M. Marsh removed and P. Nevill added as wicket keeper.
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Scotty_WCE
West Coast card collector!
Is not picking a wicky some new fad I haven't heard of? Lucky you guys aren't picking the team
At the risk of being "Barry Boring", my line-up would be:
Warner
Burns
Smith
Khawaja
Voges
M. Marsh
Nevill
Lyon
Starc
Hazlewood
Sayers
I would love to see a young player bash the door down with a mountain of runs like Ricky Ponting did before he made the 1995 West Indies tour. I don't like seeing "potential" preferred over consistency. I think you literally DO need the runs on the board to earn a batting position, and I've argued that for years.
Chadd Sayers - for me anyway - has caused too many top-order collapses in state cricket to be ignored. He was of course a member of the Australian squad in New Zealand earlier this year.
That's my uneducated view of things anyway
Warner
Burns
Smith
Khawaja
Voges
M. Marsh
Nevill
Lyon
Starc
Hazlewood
Sayers
I would love to see a young player bash the door down with a mountain of runs like Ricky Ponting did before he made the 1995 West Indies tour. I don't like seeing "potential" preferred over consistency. I think you literally DO need the runs on the board to earn a batting position, and I've argued that for years.
Chadd Sayers - for me anyway - has caused too many top-order collapses in state cricket to be ignored. He was of course a member of the Australian squad in New Zealand earlier this year.
That's my uneducated view of things anyway