Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you our next test opener

[Rik E Boy]

Simon Katich, come on down. The similarities between Katich and Langer are remarkable. Left hander, 'nuggedety', can score fast when he has too, a couple of cracks at being an international cricketer.

I watched him bat with Jaques and he is the superior player. Rogers aint ready and Watson is a joke.

Simon Katich...come on down.

regards,

REB

[blink]

You could be onto something REB!

When he first burst onto the scene he was touted as the next Australian captain, but then fell off of the selectors radar...

[the joker]

if katich gets picked it will be lower order like 5 or 6. i feel the selectors will put mike hussey to open if he overcomes his hamstring injury and brad hodge will be at 5. it will be the same 8 that played the last test that didnt retire plus tait or johnson one will be 12th man, Hodge and MacGill

[Rik E Boy]

It could be just my light blue cap shading my objectivity here but I'm not all that convinced by Hodge, even if his figures look good. A bit of a nicker.

regards,

REB

[the joker]

It could be just my light blue cap shading my objectivity here but I'm not all that convinced by Hodge, even if his figures look good. A bit of a nicker.

regards,

REB

yeah but he deserves a spot before katich

[knees peterson]

yeah but he deserves a spot before katich

Yes he deserves to be in before Katich but there are other players that deserve to be there before hodge

[mal]

KATICH will make the most pura cup runs UNLESS he plays for Australia
As usual REB is spot on, he is the forgotton man and still a good batsman
I would pick nearly a dozen players to open before ROGERS
ROGERS good at p/c level too slow for test cricket

[rod_rooster]

I would pick nearly a dozen players to open before ROGERS

Names?

[mal]

I would pick nearly a dozen players to open before ROGERS

Names?

I knew that was coming

In order of preference

KATICH
HODGE
HUSSEY
JAQUES
PAINE
DI VENUTO

interchange bench

WATSON

ROGERS OR JAQUES
________________

ROGERS is too slow
ROGERS cannot play spin well enough
ROGERS is not good enough
He will be a perennial 25 runs opener at test level

His main apparent danger is JAQUES
JAQUES can play spin
JAQUES can score quickly
JAQUES can defend or attack
If he gets to 25 at test level he has the ability to get a ton

HODGE cannot miss out and ROGERS play that would be a mistake

[GWW]

Simon Katich, come on down. The similarities between Katich and Langer are remarkable. Left hander, 'nuggedety', can score fast when he has too, a couple of cracks at being an international cricketer.

I watched him bat with Jaques and he is the superior player. Rogers aint ready and Watson is a joke.

Simon Katich...come on down.

regards,

REB

Ok REB you can have him in the test side, just not in the One dayers

[stan]

At test level he likes to nick the ball

[rod_rooster]

I would pick nearly a dozen players to open before ROGERS

Names?

I knew that was coming

In order of preference

KATICH
HODGE
HUSSEY
JAQUES
PAINE
DI VENUTO

interchange bench

WATSON

ROGERS OR JAQUES
________________

ROGERS is too slow
ROGERS cannot play spin well enough
ROGERS is not good enough
He will be a perennial 25 runs opener at test level

His main apparent danger is JAQUES
JAQUES can play spin
JAQUES can score quickly
JAQUES can defend or attack
If he gets to 25 at test level he has the ability to get a ton

HODGE cannot miss out and ROGERS play that would be a mistake

You said close to a dozen mal. 7 isn't close to a dozen and even with the ones you named you must be taking the p155. DiVenuto is finished and Paine needs more time. Will be a class player but expose him too early and it could ruin him.

[brod]

DiVenuto -finished- finished what?? saving his side from defeat, scoring a big ton when his side needed. Yeah he finished that today at the Gabba, finished off Bulls pretty well

[Hondo]

Lads be realistic, Katich doesn't even have a Cricket Australia contract anymore

He needs a big season to get back on the selectors' radar first

He's had plently of opportunities (23 tests, average 36) not sure if he will get back at age 32 but he just signed a 5 year deal with the Blues so who knows?

[smithy]

I would pick nearly a dozen players to open before ROGERS

Names?

I knew that was coming

In order of preference

KATICH
HODGE
HUSSEY
JAQUES
PAINE
DI VENUTO

interchange bench

WATSON

ROGERS OR JAQUES
________________

MAL - Katich will NEVER play for Australia again....
Hodge - Just doesn't seem to be test standard......too EDGY, never looks comfortable.
Hussey - Good record at test level,, easier to find a middle order batsman than an opener so might be worth a try.
Jaques - Can't rule him out since he wears a blue cap.
Paine - Can't comment, havent seen him..
Di Venuto - Probably a bit too old for the selectors to look at him.
Watson - NO WAY - if they invented a 5 overs a side game he wouldn' last.

My choice is Hussey and find a middle order batsman.

[JK]

Didnt Katich go alright against the Indians the last time they were in town?

[mal]

I would pick nearly a dozen players to open before ROGERS

Names?

I knew that was coming

In order of preference

KATICH
HODGE
HUSSEY
JAQUES
PAINE
DI VENUTO

interchange bench

WATSON

ROGERS OR JAQUES
________________

ROGERS is too slow
ROGERS cannot play spin well enough
ROGERS is not good enough
He will be a perennial 25 runs opener at test level

His main apparent danger is JAQUES
JAQUES can play spin
JAQUES can score quickly
JAQUES can defend or attack
If he gets to 25 at test level he has the ability to get a ton

HODGE cannot miss out and ROGERS play that would be a mistake

You said close to a dozen mal. 7 isn't close to a dozen and even with the ones you named you must be taking the p155. DiVenuto is finished and Paine needs more time. Will be a class player but expose him too early and it could ruin him.

THE NEXT 5 BATSMAN

NICHOLSON
NOFFKE
C BORGAS
M CLEARY
P ROOSTER

[Pup]

Simon Katich- No Contract, no chance IMO. He is 32 and may have fallen of the radar as he had his chances.

Brad Hodge- I am not his biggest fan, in fact i dislike him quite a bit, but to say he is not up to test level (Smithy) may be a bit unfair, his last test match innings was a double hundred. If you meant not up to Test level as an opener then i agree, if he is to play in the side it needs to be in the middle order IMO.

Michael Hussey- I would like to keep him where he is. He is so good when Australia are in trouble and is the rock in that middle order, he also bats with the tail very well which is hard to do. IMO if you do not want to bring Jaques or Rogers in then he is the next best option. I would like to see him stay at 4 or 5.

Phil Jaques- Has nothing to do with him wearing a blue cap, he has been the next best opener for the last 3 years (Rogers may have been last year) He continually scores heavily in the pura cup and probably does deserve his chance if he gets it. He has been in great form on the A tour. That may have bumped him ahead of Rogers.

Tim Paine- One of my favourite players in state cricket, young, talented and hard working.He captained the Aus Under 19s in the world cup. He was brilliant early last year with a double hundred, but struggled under the pressure of keeping and batting. When he handed over the gloves he batted much better. He is my preference in the future but he is simply not ready. 2 more years in state cricket and he may just be ready (He is only 22)

Michael Di Venuto- He is nearly 34 and to be honest he does not have more than 2 more years left in him IMO. Yes he batted brilliantly today but wont be considered for selection and shouldnt be either IMO.

Shane Watson- Is technically excellent but does not change the fact he cant get on the park enough. IMO needs to be sent back to Queensland and play a full season of domestic cricket without breaking down. Only then should he be considered for selection.

Chris Rogers- People say he scores to slow. I Disagree, he doesnt score fast but wouldnt be a problem if he maintained his wicket and batted in partnerships with Ponting, Hayden, Clarke and Hussey. I still wonder if he is technically good enough to perform at that next level. One thing you cant ignore is the numbers he puts up in First Class cricket particularly last year, he was brilliant. He does deserve a chance i am just not sure that he will get one.


Its going to be a tough decision, Jaques deserves a chance but with Hussey being so flexible he may get the nod. The middle order spot would then probably go to Hodge but there is plenty of other players that would be in contention.

[the joker]

phil jaques helped his cause yesterday with an unbeaten 71.

[Rik E Boy]

Katich doesn't have a CA contract? Anyone got the list? 32 is hardly over the hill for a cricketer IMO. I'd suggest he'd be a better bat than more than a few 'fringeys' on the CA list. If he has been written off at 32 then that is a ridiculous decision by the selectors. I wouldn't have him in yellow but Katich remains one of the best bats in the land and if he got back in the side his record would improve.

regards,

REB