Name your best Australia XI

Hey guys, just curious to what your best thirteen (eleven players, two reserves) players for the best Aussie squad is. Mine is:

1. Dave Warner
2. Chris Rodgers
3. Shaun Marsh
4. Michael Clarke
5. Steve Smith
6. George Bailey
7. Brad Haddin
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Ryan Harris
10. Nathan Coulter-Nile
11. Xavier Doherty

12. Phil Hughes
13. Mitch Marsh.

Thoughts and/or your best eleven...

I'd have Usman Khawaja in my XI. Has been very very unlucky. He and Hughes were stuffed up and stuffed around by CA.

Good point @The Mad Hatter, do you have a best XI?

1. David Warner
2. Chris Rogers
3. Alex Doolan
4. Steve Smith
5. Michael Clarke
6. Mitch Marsh
7. Brad Haddin
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Peter Siddle
10. Ryan Harris
11. Nathan Lyon

Back-up batsman: Hughes/Khawaja
Back-up bowler: Pattinson/O'Keefe
Back-up keeper: Whiteman

I quite like the current team, but have swapped Harris in for O'Keefe just because normally we play one spinner. Also I think Clarke should bat at 5, his record batting at that position is too good to ignore.

1. David Warner
2. Chris Rogers
3. Shane Watson
4. Michael Clarke
5. Steve Smith
6. Moises Henriques
7. Brad Haddin
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Steve O'Keefe
10. Ryan Harris
11. Josh Hazlewood
12th Man: Mitchell Starc

Backup Batsmen: Maddinson, White, Cowan
Backup Keepers: Whiteman, Nevill
Backup All-Rounders: Maxwell, Cutting, M. Marsh
Backup Pacemen: Siddle, Sayers, Richardson
Backup Spinners: Lyon, Boyce, Zampa

sportaddict said:

1. David Warner
2. Chris Rogers
3. Shane Watson
4. Michael Clarke
5. Steve Smith
6. Moises Henriques
7. Brad Haddin
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Steve O'Keefe
10. Ryan Harris
11. Josh Hazlewood
12th Man: Mitchell Starc

Backup Batsmen: Maddinson, White, Cowan
Backup Keepers: Whiteman, Nevill
Backup All-Rounders: Maxwell, Cutting, M. Marsh
Backup Pacemen: Siddle, Sayers, Richardson
Backup Spinners: Lyon, Boyce, Zampa

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Curious about Zampa, he will develop but do you think now is the right time even though he is so raw.

So far the most popular players are:

3: Warner, Rodgers, Clarke, Smith, Haddin, Johnson, Harris
2: Watson
1: Doolan, O'Keefe, Henriques, Hazelwood, Doherty, Coulter-Nile, Lyon, M.Marsh

Correct me if I've made a mistake above, will update when we have 5 teams

1. Rogers
2. Warner
3. Hughes
4. Clarke
5. Smith
6. Maxwell
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Siddle
10.Harris
11. Lyon

Backup batsmen - Doolan & Khawaja
Back up pacemen - Richardson & Starc
Back up Spin - O'Keefe & Doherty or Zampa
Back up Keeper - Whiteman or Nevill
Back up All-Rounders - Faulkner & Marsh

Past or present?

@mounteverest current team.

My Current XI:

• Warner
• Rogers
• Khawaja
• Clarke
• Smith
• Watson (if not fit - Hughes, or even Maxwell who can bat AND bowl)
• Haddin
• Johnson
• Siddle
• Starc/Cummins/Pattinson/Hazelwood - take your pick.
• Lyon /

BOLD are definite walk up starters IMO.
ITALICS are in the side but if someone younger and with plenty of form could come in, then I'd start to look at moving them on.
UNDERLINE are in the side but if you got someone fitter, faster and better, then they'd be dropped.


My thoughts...

If Harris was fit, in for Starc but not sure if that's to happen soon. I also like Cummins, Pattinson and Hazelwood. As a smokey, I have Muirhead in for development. Back up keeper between Hartley or Nevill. I also think they need to look at easing Rogers out after this summer. If Finch could find some red ball form, imagine he and Warner opening the innings?!?

I definitely don't believe Mitch Marsh has done enough to warrant his spot at this time. This Australian obsession with picking an 'all rounder' is terrible. You need 6 bats, a technically adroit 'keeper (and if he bats well, a bonus), three quicks and a spinner (but if the spinner ain't a winner it's no sin for a 3rd quick in )

It is also time for Australia to start having a couple of batsman who can contribute 10-12 overs of handy change bowling. Oh for the days when Australia's bowling attack of say, the 1990's, could be complemented with M Waugh, S Waugh, Blewett, Bevan, Border … all having a decent mid-afternoon bowl.

It's also time to stop giving out caps on 'reputation' - EG Mitch Marsh - and start selecting on sheer weight of numbers - wickets and runs. Runs - gotta score 'em; wickets - gotta take 'em. Oh, and fielding - but Australian teams are drilled on this so anyone can be trained or practice this harder. Everything else falls in to place.

That said, what I know about selecting balanced teams could be written on a postage stamp. My efforts of late are no runs, no wickets, dropped catches…so I'm only in the side on sheer personality - a good bloke, a bit like Cam White when he was in the Test side a few years ago - and I don't even know if I'm a good bloke


Players to watch/develop for the next 2 years :
NSW - Nevill, Patterson
VIC - Finch, Muirhead
WA - Coulter-Nile, Behrendorff, M Marsh,
SA - Zampa
Qld - Hartley, Burns
Tas - Silk

Most popular players ahead of the first test:

5; Warner, Rogers, Clarke, Smith, Haddin, Johnson
4; Harris
3; Lyon
2; Siddle, Watson
1; Doolan, O'Keefe, Hazelwood, Henriques, Doherty, Coulter-Nile, Maxwell, M.Marsh, Khawaja, Bailey, S.Marsh

@The Mad Hatter which of the four bowlers that we should 'take our pick' of should I put down.

Also @Aiden225 after the tragic passing of Phil Hughes you need a new batsmen to come in at number 3.

Any more best elevens?

1 - Warner
2 - Rogers
3 - Watson
4 - Smith
5 - Clarke
6 - M Marsh
7 - Haddin
8 - Johnson
9 - Harris
10 - Hazelwood
11 - Lyon
12 - Starc

Others not far off - Shaun Marsh, Faulkner, O'Keefe, Muirhead as a bolter.

My XI for Adelaide:

Warner
Rogers
Watson
Smith
Clarke
M Marsh
Haddin
Johnson
Harris - if not fit, Hazelwood, or Cummins (they'll probably go Cummins) [ambiguous enough?]
Lyon
Siddle
12th Man Hughes all summer
13th and 14th - Starc and Faulkner

The Mad Hatter said:

My XI for Adelaide:

Warner
Rogers
Watson
Smith
Clarke
M Marsh
Haddin
Johnson
Harris - if not fit, Hazelwood, or Cummins (they'll probably go Cummins) [ambiguous enough?]
Lyon
Siddle
12th Man Hughes all summer
13th and 14th - Starc and Faulkner

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So just to clarify I will put down Harris as your selection?

Jesse Dart said:

So just to clarify I will put down Harris as your selection?

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Yeah go on. I don't think he'll be fit and ready having missed the other SS match, but I'd still have a half'a Harris ripping in.

I hope they paint 408 on the crease at all Test and ODI venues this summer. In fact, possibly macabre for some, but they should subtly paint/stamp 408 on the 'spot' where Hughes was felled as a permanent reminder to all cricket and AFL and RL players that run on to the SCG. Always mark the spot. He basically 'died' there, so let's always have it as a reminder of a life cut tragically short but also as a celebration of city/country and of a young, dashing, larrikan Australian and of the dreams of all those who aspire to play at the SCG.

Or otherwise, when they redo the SCG stands - Churchill & Brewongle (make a third section called 'The Phillip Hughes Stand') - or - split the Bill O'Reilly in two (and name a half 'The Phillip Hughes Stand). That way there is a perpetual reminder.

And/or the next statue is his outside the gates down from the Members (Gate E or F?) - the main one the 'common people' use.

The Mad Hatter said:

I hope they paint 408 on the crease at all Test and ODI venues this summer. In fact, possibly macabre for some, but they should subtly paint/stamp 408 on the 'spot' where Hughes was felled as a permanent reminder to all cricket and AFL and RL players that run on to the SCG. Always mark the spot. He basically 'died' there, so let's always have it as a reminder of a life cut tragically short but also as a celebration of city/country and of a young, dashing, larrikan Australian.

Or otherwise, when they redo the SCG stands - Churchill & Brewongle (make a third section called 'The Phillip Hughes Stand') - or - split the Bill O'Reilly in two (and name a half 'The Phillip Hughes Stand). That way there is a perpetual reminder.

And/or the next statue is his outside the gates down from the Members.

Click to expand...

That is one of the best ideas I've ever heard.