5th Ashes test at the SCG - 3rd to 7th Jan 2011

[locky801]

With Australias form in most of this series, it argues for a number of changes, how many changes will the selectors make.

For one Ryan Harris is injured and will be unavailable, will the Kat prove his fitness and come back into the side.

Will the Selectors bite the bullet and drop either Ponting & or Clarke.

will we see another new cap or two blooded.

Interesting couple of days ahead one would think, if the selectors make only changes for injury and we get thumped again in Sydney, surely the ACB will move in and get rid of some of those selecting this side.

I wont mind losing in Sydney if we go in with some new blood but if we go in with nearly the same side and get flogged again

[Thiele]

Wouldnt mind seeing George in the side

[gadj1976]

Not having a go at you locky but why would you bring back Katich for a series that's already decided when we're in the state of disrepair that we're in. Hughes finally looked like he was doing ok today - so why would you bring back a 30 something year old who's not at the peak of his career? Time to do a clean out and bring in some guys who are the future of Australian cricket.

[Jim05]

I think kat adds some grit and spine to our team and i think he has another 2 years left. We need a couple of old heads at the top so kat and huss stay. One of them should be interim captain.
For sydney id have
Watson
Maddinson
Katich
Khawaja
Hussey (c)
Ferguson
Haddin
Okeefe
Johnson
Siddle
Copeland
12th Bollinger/Cameron

[Dog_ger]

EDITED BY MODS
NO RACIAL SLURS THANKS DOGGER

We are not good enough guys.

We don't have an answer to this Great England side.

Perhaps the best side to play ashes cricket in Australia.

Only history will judge.

[mal]

Play the best possible side
It is still important to level this series at 2-2
That would be a moral boost of sorts
If 2-2 it would mean we have played an even series
I know that EG will retain the ashes, but thats out of our hands now

[whufc]

Play the best possible side
It is still important to level this series at 2-2
That would be a moral boost of sorts
If 2-2 it would mean we have played an even series
I know that EG will retain the ashes, but thats out of our hands now

sorry mate i agree with 99.9% of your comments but unfortunatly i think it is time we look to the future and prepare for the next ashes.

with the likes of Ponting, Hussey, Haddin, Harris, Hilfenhaus all on the wrong side of 30 we cant afford to have a mass exodous near an Ashes series having to blood new talent then.

i think its important that by the next ashes blokes such as Hughes, Smith, Siddle, Khawaja etc etc have played another 10-20 tests under their belt.

[Jim05]

Play the best possible side
It is still important to level this series at 2-2
That would be a moral boost of sorts
If 2-2 it would mean we have played an even series
I know that EG will retain the ashes, but thats out of our hands now

My side i picked for sydney would pummel the current bunch of hacks

[Killa]

I like to see Khawaja, Copeland get a look in next test and the selector will not bring in hauritz as they will stick with current Beer or Smith as I prefer O'keefe before hauritz. You could bring back Katich for a year and use him to mentor hughes and move Watson in to 4 drop clarke to 5 and then Hussey at 6.

[am Bays]

Play the best possible side
It is still important to level this series at 2-2
That would be a moral boost of sorts
If 2-2 it would mean we have played an even series
I know that EG will retain the ashes, but thats out of our hands now

My side i picked for sydney would pummel the current bunch of hacks

I'd like Maddison to have a least one more decent score other than against the likes of george, O'Brien, Christian, cassel adn edmondson. Mind you not sure his other ton was against a test quality attack (Cutting, Swan, etc). 40% of his shield runs have come agaisnt SA not sure that is something to really prepare you for the likes of Anderson Tremlett and Bresnan

Good player, plenty of potential lets give him time to develop his game hey??

[Dutchy]

As much as I have some doubts about him now isnt the time to drop Hughes, he did look good today and didnt get himself out.

[NFC]

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Hussey
Clarke
Ponting
Haddin
Smith
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson

DO IT!

[Killa]

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Hussey
Clarke
Ponting
Haddin
Smith
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson

DO IT!

Like it not sure with Pattinson yet as I believe he has just come back from injury. Maybe Copeland would be a better choice at the moment and get Pattinson fit, performing well for next test series.

[Gozu]

Look I dislike Michael Clarke probably as much as anybody, I've always considered him a front runner who's average for NSW never warranted Test selection in the first place, hyped up and like Ian Chappell said last year no where near as good a player of spin as the myth stands.

BUT as poorly as he is batting recently he has performed well as Test level for years now. Yes, I believe he's starting to be found out against decent bowling but he doesn't deserve to be dropped and it's a long time until we play Test cricket again anyway so in saying that:

As I have said all series Ponting should be tapped on the shoulder after this Test and told to retire in Sydney or otherwise he will miss out on selection in Test cricket in the future. I'd also drop Hughes and bring Katich back for his final Test match. Obviously Nathan Hauritz should be played ahead of the likes of Steve Smith too:

Another recent Australian representative, Nathan Hauritz, is enjoying his return to domestic cricket this season. Dropped before the start of the Ashes series, the off-spinner has been in terrific form for NSW, taking 19 wickets and plundering 332 runs from six matches in the Sheffield Shield. But he is not expecting a late recall to the Australian team.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/kat ... 199aa.html

[Lightning McQueen]

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Hussey
Clarke
Ponting
Haddin
Smith
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson

DO IT!

Like it not sure with Pattinson yet as I believe he has just come back from injury. Maybe Copeland would be a better choice at the moment and get Pattinson fit, performing well for next test series.

Ditto, although I'd probably re-call Hauritz for the Sydney deck. At the end of the day, the English 11 is better than the Aussie 11, more depth aswell, to come here with Tremlett and Bresnan as back-ups is a far better paddock than ours and we have at least 24 pacemen at our disposal.

[Lightning McQueen]

If not in this test, in the near future we are going to have to bite the bullet and re-build, it might take 12 to 24 months of sub-standard results but we will continue to struggle for a lot longer if we don't.
We have plenty of young talent around the place to set ourselves up for a 5 year plan, we aren't going to regain the number 1 status anytime sooner so we may aswell look further down the track.

[Rik E Boy]

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Hussey
Clarke
Ponting
Haddin
Smith
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson

DO IT!

BWAHAHAHA. England 3/750!

regards,

REB

[Rik E Boy]

Dumbass Hilditch team

WATSON
HUGHES
PONTING
CLARKE
HUSSEY
SMITH
HADDIN
JOHNSON
SIDDLE
HILFENHAUS
BOLLINGER

12TH BEER

regards,

REB

[Rik E Boy]

Dumbass REB team

HUGHES
WATSON
PONTING
CLARKE
HUSSEY
WHITE
HADDIN
JOHNSON
HAURITZ
SIDDLE
COPELAND

12th BOLLINGER

The farewell Ponting test. Bye bye Punter and no trip to Bangladesh if Clarkey fails again.

regards,

REB

[NFC]

Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Hussey
Clarke
Ponting
Haddin
Smith
Johnson
Siddle
Pattinson

DO IT!

BWAHAHAHA. England 3/750!

regards,

REB

Good constructive criticism.

Regards,

Regards.