SA Footy

After some shocking selection decisions over the last 2 years do you think the current group of selectors time is up ?

Sack them and for a Start put RR in their, at least he knows what he is talking about and has more than a fair idea on the game

Merve Hughes the first to go, clueless.

NFC wrote:Merve Hughes the first to go, clueless.

...and he's fat.

regards,

REB

I asked this question in another thread, but I don't think the national selectors are responsible for this team are they? My understanding is the selectors choose the teams in Australia and the squads to tour overseas, but once they are overseas a group of players (usually captan, vice captain and a senior player) select the teams.

Is that not the case on this tour?

Adelaide Hawk wrote:I asked this question in another thread, but I don't think the national selectors are responsible for this team are they? My understanding is the selectors choose the teams in Australia and the squads to tour overseas, but once they are overseas a group of players (usually captan, vice captain and a senior player) select the teams.

Is that not the case on this tour?

If so sack Ponting as Captain

Adelaide Hawk wrote:I asked this question in another thread, but I don't think the national selectors are responsible for this team are they? My understanding is the selectors choose the teams in Australia and the squads to tour overseas, but once they are overseas a group of players (usually captan, vice captain and a senior player) select the teams.

Is that not the case on this tour?

I think that used to be the case but was changed after the 2001 ashes when waugh and gilchrist had to sack slater. they didnt want to be put in that situation again and rightly so IMO.
Mind u it was probably the best selection descision made since warney was picked. gave us the greatest opening combo ever

If we lose this the Ashes they have to step aside.

There recent selection bunders.

* B.Casson being selected for a test taking 3 wickets then being dropped.
* C.White being selected as our number 1 spinner on Indian soil. He is Victorias third spinner behind McGain and Holland.
* The constant non selection of B.Hodge, I know alot of you guys disagree and I dont care what he has said in the media but the facts are he is in our top five batsmen in Australia.
* The continual selection of S.Watson, I know he is doing ok at the moment but you have to deserve to wear the baggy green.
* The handling of our spinners, how can they get any confidence or is it a case of Ponting feeling more comfortable setting a field to four quicks. Ponting's version of spin is a part timer bowling darts and keeping it tight for 10 overs a day to keep him in the good books with his overs rate.
* The Ashes selection of B.Lee and S.Clark surely you could only take one underdone bowler into a major series.
* The non selection of D.Bollinger, along with Hilfenhaus are our premier swing bowling options. We lost 2005 because we couldn't swing the ball.
* The selection of M.Hussey after failing for 8 test matches in a row before arrving on English soil.
* The Non selection of a reserve opening batsmen for the Ashes. Watson doing ok but he should of come in for Hussey.
* The handling of Hughes, stunning debut against S.Africa, then dropped three innings later, one dismissal was a catch that wasn't taken, another one was caught down the legside. Unlucky.
* The selection of M.Hussey for the 7 ODI series against England, too old, out of form dosn't deserve it. I think you will find that he is picked only for a bit of experience for Clarke as Ponting is going home. Joke.

The selectors should have known England would cheat & serve up a pitch full of life.

dodgingandweaving wrote:The selectors should have known England would cheat & serve up a pitch full of life.

I think the Oval has always spun. Warne took 12 wickets there in 2005, Monty and Harris had a good match last year. England made over 300 with a ordinary batting line up. Australia batted poorly. It's called test cricket because its a test of the player to compete over five days in all conditions, green wicket, wearing wicket, etc.... Lets face it Ponting is scared to play a spinner because he dosn't have the guts to attack with a spinner, and is alot more happy setting a defensive field if he plays one. Everyone knew this wicket would turn, England had two spinners in there squad and would of played both if Monty was in form. If you call this cheating lets make sure we take the lfe out of the Gabba this year and make Sydney a flat deck that dosn't turn. We will make all wickets batting friendly and watch lots of boring draws.

I think the selectors overall have done excellent jobs this millenuim and the last 20 years
Occasionally they get it wrong but mostly the selections work out

Considering the amount of retirements in recent times , for AU to be so competitive has been very satisfying to me.

Right now some disgruntled posters are posting
why is he
why isint he
But in the end the pool of available talent available compared to 5 years ago is down
From whats available, we have selected well enough, MOST of the time


The main concern for me
Batting is good
Faster bowlers developing well
Keeper bats well but is a bad keeper but is still good value
We just need a world class match winning spinner
Without a world class spinner opposing nations will doctor spinning tracks to beat us
Happened in India
Happened 5th test England ...

I didn't see any selectors out there playing last night?

The Cadet wrote:If we lose this the Ashes they have to step aside.

There recent selection bunders.

* B.Casson being selected for a test taking 3 wickets then being dropped.
Not good enough in the first place and quite rightly dropped.
* C.White being selected as our number 1 spinner on Indian soil. He is Victorias third spinner behind McGain and Holland.
Agreed. Why they love this spud is beyond me.
* The constant non selection of B.Hodge, I know alot of you guys disagree and I dont care what he has said in the media but the facts are he is in our top five batsmen in Australia.
A dead set nicker with a big mouth does not a test batsman make. Lawn Bowls anyone?
* The continual selection of S.Watson, I know he is doing ok at the moment but you have to deserve to wear the baggy green.
With Warne gone they've been looking at allrounders and they believe in Watto. This series he is starting to show why. They do get some things right you know. As for deserving to wear the Baggy Green have you ever had a squiz at Warney's record before he played his first test?
* The handling of our spinners, how can they get any confidence or is it a case of Ponting feeling more comfortable setting a field to four quicks. Ponting's version of spin is a part timer bowling darts and keeping it tight for 10 overs a day to keep him in the good books with his overs rate.
You can't polish a turd Cadet. Warne is gone and you can't blame Punter for not having faith in our current crop of spinners.
* The Ashes selection of B.Lee and S.Clark surely you could only take one underdone bowler into a major series.
There is nothing wrong with our fast bowling stocks, all Douggie would have done is stir the Tang so this hasn't effected squat.
* The non selection of D.Bollinger, along with Hilfenhaus are our premier swing bowling options. We lost 2005 because we couldn't swing the ball.
See above. Douggie hasn't exactly set the world on fire at the highest level so far.
* The selection of M.Hussey after failing for 8 test matches in a row before arrving on English soil.
Good call. Mr Cricket hasn't hit the ball off the square for over a year.
* The Non selection of a reserve opening batsmen for the Ashes. Watson doing ok but he should of come in for Hussey.
This was a massive clanger. How much pressure did it put on Hughes?
* The handling of Hughes, stunning debut against S.Africa, then dropped three innings later, one dismissal was a catch that wasn't taken, another one was caught down the legside. Unlucky.
No, worked out. He was being dismantled mentally. He'll come back a better player and as you have said Watto has done the job.
* The selection of M.Hussey for the 7 ODI series against England, too old, out of form dosn't deserve it. I think you will find that he is picked only for a bit of experience for Clarke as Ponting is going home. Joke.
One day Cricket. Who cares. Besides, The Huss is still OK at this level. I believe his problem that he is a very intense sort of cricketer and that can be difficult to maintain over a long period of time. It must be taxing mentally and I reckon he is getting himself out.

That's quite a list of grievances there Cadet. However, I don't agree with everything you have mentioned. You say that you must deserve a baggy green but if everyone gets the arse it will be back to the eighties with nearly the entire Moo Moo getting a gig. Bollinger? Casson? Hughes who at the moment can't get out of his own way?

Here are some of the things the selectors have done Right.

1. The selection of the Hilf. A great move and the big fellow has bowled better than I thought he could.
2. Dropping Hughes. I think this was the right move. Hughes is young but if he plays five tests with that continued ouput and he gets out to the bouncer five or six times in the series this young man may be burdened with the tag of 'the guy who lost us the Ashes'. You've got to work out your technical problems and Test Cricket is not the place to do that.
3. The selection of Watson. I reckon Watto has done a top job at the top of the order.
4. Staying cool when Siddle and Johnson were bowling carp. Mitchell Johnson is such an important player to Australia and the wheels really fell off at Lords. It must have been very tempting to shunt Johnno after that test. Siddle too got off to a slow start but he has also come on.
5. The Hori/Clarke condundrum. Haurtiz was given a go in the first tests of the series and he failed to bowl us to victory at Cardiff and that's why he's stirring the Tang at the Oval. We have now bowled England out twice although Stewie hasn't had a big say in proceedings there is a lot to be said for maintaining a winning unit.

We are going to lose this test but if you are blaming the selectors you are looking at the wrong blokes. The batting at Lords and The Oval and the Bowling at Lords is what has cost us the Ashes, not the selectors. The players who did the job in South Africa have failed in English conditions. Most of the blame can be pointed at the two most experienced batsmen in the side. Hussey has been a walking wicket and Ponting fo mine has been very disaponting. The players who have done well are the younger blokes like Hilf, Siddle, North. This is why I'm not so keen on Hodge, if we look backwards that is exactly where we will go.

regards,

REB

mal wrote:I think the selectors overall have done excellent jobs this millenuim and the last 20 years
Occasionally they get it wrong but mostly the selections work out

Considering the amount of retirements in recent times , for AU to be so competitive has been very satisfying to me.

Right now some disgruntled posters are posting
why is he
why isint he
But in the end the pool of available talent available compared to 5 years ago is down
From whats available, we have selected well enough, MOST of the time


The main concern for me
Batting is good
Faster bowlers developing well
Keeper bats well but is a bad keeper but is still good value
We just need a world class match winning spinner
Without a world class spinner opposing nations will doctor spinning tracks to beat us
Happened in India
Happened 5th test England ...

Good post mally.

regards,

REB

Interesting posts Cadet and REB. Just one question, though. Out of all of those players listed why not Kreja? Sure, he didn't win us the game in Perth on the last day and seems to have been victimised for this, but neither did any of the other bowlers, and this at a place where even Warnie struggled by his standards. Certainly he had areas of his game to improve on, but so do all players when they're starting out.

Lets not forget this is one of the worst England sides for sometime.

The Cadet wrote:* The selection of M.Hussey for the 7 ODI series against England, too old, out of form dosn't deserve it. I think you will find that he is picked only for a bit of experience for Clarke as Ponting is going home. Joke.

While i agree with a lot of what you posted but this is well off the mark. Maybe you should do a little research before calling for his head in all forms.

Hussey has been one of our most consistent ODI players over the last 12-18 months. Has averaged just over 52 in the last 25 matches.

Well, we've lost. But I still believe it is the players and not the selectors who should take the Lion's share of the blame. Lions........................WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

regards,

REB

The Cadet wrote:If we lose this the Ashes they have to step aside.

There recent selection bunders.

* B.Casson being selected for a test taking 3 wickets then being dropped.
* C.White being selected as our number 1 spinner on Indian soil. He is Victorias third spinner behind McGain and Holland.
* The constant non selection of B.Hodge, I know alot of you guys disagree and I dont care what he has said in the media but the facts are he is in our top five batsmen in Australia.
* The continual selection of S.Watson, I know he is doing ok at the moment but you have to deserve to wear the baggy green.
* The handling of our spinners, how can they get any confidence or is it a case of Ponting feeling more comfortable setting a field to four quicks. Ponting's version of spin is a part timer bowling darts and keeping it tight for 10 overs a day to keep him in the good books with his overs rate.
* The Ashes selection of B.Lee and S.Clark surely you could only take one underdone bowler into a major series.
* The non selection of D.Bollinger, along with Hilfenhaus are our premier swing bowling options. We lost 2005 because we couldn't swing the ball.
* The selection of M.Hussey after failing for 8 test matches in a row before arrving on English soil.
* The Non selection of a reserve opening batsmen for the Ashes. Watson doing ok but he should of come in for Hussey.
* The handling of Hughes, stunning debut against S.Africa, then dropped three innings later, one dismissal was a catch that wasn't taken, another one was caught down the legside. Unlucky.
* The selection of M.Hussey for the 7 ODI series against England, too old, out of form dosn't deserve it. I think you will find that he is picked only for a bit of experience for Clarke as Ponting is going home. Joke.

check his last 20 matches he has scored 50 plus in most of them don't know what you are talking about.

He's 34 will be 36 for the next world cup if he is still there. I would rather see a young future test batsmen be blooded.