SA Footy

My thoughts for the squad to tour Sri Lanka:

Usman, Konstas, Marnus, Smith, Head, Webster, Carey, Starc, Lyon, Boland, Kuhnemann

Murphy the spare spinner
JRichardson the spare quick
Connelly and Handscombe the spare bats for mine.

(Assume Green, Hazlewood and Inglis are still injured, and Cummins ua)

That’s 15, and I can’t see them taking a big squad for a two test series, so that’s might be the extent of it. However if they do go wider, then Rocchiccioli obviously gets a mention, but I’d like to think one of the two below might be an option.

I do wonder if Nesser will get a look in, considering they will want extra batting on the Sri Lankan decks. And with Head and Webster both options with the ball, you could go 3 bowlers plus 3 allrounders. Plus getting Nesser back into things before the WTC game in England might not be the worst idea. I doubt he plays in that, but could be reasonable back up if we loose a couple of quicks. (Mind you I think the selectors have Abbott ahead of him).

The other I’d like to see is McSweeney getting another crack, especially if talk of Head going to the top of the order is likely. I don’t mind the thought of McSweeney at 5, but I think Cooper Connelly might be the one if there is a spot there.

Trader wrote:Abbott being selected over Richardson was a bit of a surprise, but perhaps that goes to my thoughts about playing the extra allrounder over the 4th bowler.

RB wrote:No Hanscomb or Marsh. Relief washes over me.

Lightning McQueen wrote:

RB wrote:No Hanscomb or Marsh. Relief washes over me.

Hosie's source failed again!

woodublieve12 wrote:

Lightning McQueen wrote:

RB wrote:No Hanscomb or Marsh. Relief washes over me.

Hosie's source failed again!

Has any of their predictions came true???

Dutchy wrote:How much cricket has Inglis played this summer?

am Bays wrote:

Dutchy wrote:How much cricket has Inglis played this summer?

1 x BBL match since the test series started IIRC.

Trader wrote:So assuming they do line up as:
Usman, Konstas, Marnus, Smith, Head, Webster, Carey, Starc, Lyon, Boland, Kuhnemann

That means the 16 man squad has 3 spare bats:
Inglis, Connelly and McSweeney.

And two spare bowlers:
Abbott and Murphy.

For years we had squads that would have 1 spare bat and 4 bowlers.

Is this a shift in thinking from the selectors?
Or more so just a realisation they need to start giving these upcoming bats a bit of exposure, and the bowlers not so much given Cummins and Hazlewood aren't on tour so the ones picked are already the 'next in line' so to speak?

woodublieve12 wrote:Big fan of the lad, but this series could make or break Konstas. Not forever but potentially send him back to shield for a long spell. No doubting his talent, but he needs to show that he can build an innings.

am Bays wrote:

woodublieve12 wrote:Big fan of the lad, but this series could make or break Konstas. Not forever but potentially send him back to shield for a long spell. No doubting his talent, but he needs to show that he can build an innings.

At some stage he'll get pushed out and will come back better. Not sure it will happen after this tour but it will happen.

S Waugh, M Waugh, Ponting, Hayden, Langer, Clarke, Boon, I Chappell, Martyn, Warner, Tayler et al all got dropped

The only two who never had an extended period out of the team as I recall are Greg Chappell (may have missed some ROW tests in 71-72) and Alan border (I think he missed two tests in 1979)