Be an armchair selector Part XVII
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2009 9:50 amWe've done this many times over the summer and it is as hard for us as it is for Hilditch and Merv. Blokes have retired and we've got others out hurt. We've seen some real clangers in the last six months but what CAN we do to at least maintain a reasonably high rating if we are no longer number one as most would now acknowledge that we are not.
REB's test XI
Katich
Jaques
Ponting
M Hussey
Clarke
Haddin
Johnson
Lee
Siddle
McGain
Clark
I believe we should try Mitchell Johnson at seven and play five genuine bowlers. Our 'all rounders' haven't been making runs so we don't lose too much with the batting side of things by playing Haddin at six. However, with five genuine bowlers our three hundred totals might actually start to get us somewhere. Perhaps the only genuine 'number six' option is the much maligned Shane Watson. Problem is, the poor bastard can't get on the field. McGain appears to be our best spinning option but he won't have an extended run at the top due to his age. We really need Krejza, the man who gets the most action on the ball to land the pill a bit more often. Others on the periphery include Shaun Marsh. I believe that Marsh has the game to be a decent test batsman. There is a lot of buzz about Hughes and he won't be far away. Rogers of the Bushrangers and Klinger are also knocking on the door. It isn't all doom and gloom in the batting department in test cricket. Our medium fast bowling stocks are OK as well. Siddle has his nose ahead of Hilfy and Bollinger but I reckon Tait should be for the scrapheap. With that horrible action and a litany of injuries, Tait will be relagated to the list of 'what if' cricketers.
REB's One Day Wonders
Katich
Marsh
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Paine
Hopes
Lee
Johnson
Hauritz
Bracken
The problem as I see it at the moment is that we have a teeball specialist opeining the innings and a middle order full of players who can't hit the ball off the square. Simon Katich of course was a frustrating failure (despite making runs) at the top of the order in the past but surely he gets a gig ahead of the inexperienced Warner when Katich is at his peak. Katich moves across the crease like a crab and is very difficult to bowl to. His strike rate has improved a lot as he has shown in test cricket. Katich can also bowl some handly little tweakers too. In the middle order we cannot afford to have all four of Hussey, Hussey, Hopes and White. Cameron White had an opportunity to prove himself as an international player yesterday on a great batting wicket and once again proved himself to be a solid Bushranger but that's it. A lot of eyebrows will be raised about my omission of Hussey. One of the reasons his running between the wickets has died in the arse is that he is no longer hitting the ball, and this is not just at one day level. He isn't half the batsman he was when he first burst onto the scene. I believe that M Hussey should be put in for tests only. When he starts hitting the ball again then put him in the one day side but until then it's Baggy Green only for Mr Cricket. Both of the Husseys are playing the same style of game. There is no variety in our approach and this makes it easy for good sides to counteract us. Roy and Pup are of course monties. We are missing Roy immensely and while Symonds is not convincing as a test player lately he should be playing in the next one dayer ahead of White. I also reckon it's time for Haddin to step aside in the one dayers. Let's see what Tim Paine can do. Haddin has been ordinary with the gloves and even worse with the bat in the one day series. He seems to be carrying baggage. Get the kid in as a preparation for his eventual elevation to test cricket. NO RONCHI PLEASE. With the bowling I'd be giving Hauritz and extended run in the team. He really is a one day specialist as has been proved by the Blues over the years. Bracken, Lee, Johnson are an experienced core and if Johnno has a bad one like yesterday there would be Hopes, Roy, Pup and the Kat to help out. Multiple bowling styles and options and some pretty good fielders in there to boot.
See I don't buy Tassies' 'can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear' comment in the Neilson thread. The talent is there but the coaching and selection has been poor at a time when we needed it to be at its absolute best with retirements and injuries shredding the team. There is NO crisis in Australian cricket, we have merely been beaten by a very strong team at the height of it's powers at a time when we were in a transitional phase. This is why players such as Lee, Clark, Symonds or even Punter shouldn't be shown the door too quickly. Now is the time for passing the baton on to the next generation of stars. The problem is that the 'interim' generation of White, Hilfanhaus, Tait, Haddin and to a lesser extent Watson might not get us anywhere. Perhaps a bit hard on Hilfy who could prove to be a good test bowler if given the opportunity. What also needs to be remembered about these changes is that they aren't permanent. But most would agree some changes need to be made. Shit, even Steve Waugh got dropped at one stage.
We will win the Ashes.
regards,
REB
REB's test XI
Katich
Jaques
Ponting
M Hussey
Clarke
Haddin
Johnson
Lee
Siddle
McGain
Clark
I believe we should try Mitchell Johnson at seven and play five genuine bowlers. Our 'all rounders' haven't been making runs so we don't lose too much with the batting side of things by playing Haddin at six. However, with five genuine bowlers our three hundred totals might actually start to get us somewhere. Perhaps the only genuine 'number six' option is the much maligned Shane Watson. Problem is, the poor bastard can't get on the field. McGain appears to be our best spinning option but he won't have an extended run at the top due to his age. We really need Krejza, the man who gets the most action on the ball to land the pill a bit more often. Others on the periphery include Shaun Marsh. I believe that Marsh has the game to be a decent test batsman. There is a lot of buzz about Hughes and he won't be far away. Rogers of the Bushrangers and Klinger are also knocking on the door. It isn't all doom and gloom in the batting department in test cricket. Our medium fast bowling stocks are OK as well. Siddle has his nose ahead of Hilfy and Bollinger but I reckon Tait should be for the scrapheap. With that horrible action and a litany of injuries, Tait will be relagated to the list of 'what if' cricketers.
REB's One Day Wonders
Katich
Marsh
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Paine
Hopes
Lee
Johnson
Hauritz
Bracken
The problem as I see it at the moment is that we have a teeball specialist opeining the innings and a middle order full of players who can't hit the ball off the square. Simon Katich of course was a frustrating failure (despite making runs) at the top of the order in the past but surely he gets a gig ahead of the inexperienced Warner when Katich is at his peak. Katich moves across the crease like a crab and is very difficult to bowl to. His strike rate has improved a lot as he has shown in test cricket. Katich can also bowl some handly little tweakers too. In the middle order we cannot afford to have all four of Hussey, Hussey, Hopes and White. Cameron White had an opportunity to prove himself as an international player yesterday on a great batting wicket and once again proved himself to be a solid Bushranger but that's it. A lot of eyebrows will be raised about my omission of Hussey. One of the reasons his running between the wickets has died in the arse is that he is no longer hitting the ball, and this is not just at one day level. He isn't half the batsman he was when he first burst onto the scene. I believe that M Hussey should be put in for tests only. When he starts hitting the ball again then put him in the one day side but until then it's Baggy Green only for Mr Cricket. Both of the Husseys are playing the same style of game. There is no variety in our approach and this makes it easy for good sides to counteract us. Roy and Pup are of course monties. We are missing Roy immensely and while Symonds is not convincing as a test player lately he should be playing in the next one dayer ahead of White. I also reckon it's time for Haddin to step aside in the one dayers. Let's see what Tim Paine can do. Haddin has been ordinary with the gloves and even worse with the bat in the one day series. He seems to be carrying baggage. Get the kid in as a preparation for his eventual elevation to test cricket. NO RONCHI PLEASE. With the bowling I'd be giving Hauritz and extended run in the team. He really is a one day specialist as has been proved by the Blues over the years. Bracken, Lee, Johnson are an experienced core and if Johnno has a bad one like yesterday there would be Hopes, Roy, Pup and the Kat to help out. Multiple bowling styles and options and some pretty good fielders in there to boot.
See I don't buy Tassies' 'can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear' comment in the Neilson thread. The talent is there but the coaching and selection has been poor at a time when we needed it to be at its absolute best with retirements and injuries shredding the team. There is NO crisis in Australian cricket, we have merely been beaten by a very strong team at the height of it's powers at a time when we were in a transitional phase. This is why players such as Lee, Clark, Symonds or even Punter shouldn't be shown the door too quickly. Now is the time for passing the baton on to the next generation of stars. The problem is that the 'interim' generation of White, Hilfanhaus, Tait, Haddin and to a lesser extent Watson might not get us anywhere. Perhaps a bit hard on Hilfy who could prove to be a good test bowler if given the opportunity. What also needs to be remembered about these changes is that they aren't permanent. But most would agree some changes need to be made. Shit, even Steve Waugh got dropped at one stage.
We will win the Ashes.
regards,
REB