Hopeless...

[mal]

OK why are the Aussies losing ODI games
Not going to blame the captaincy
Not going to blame the batsmen
Im going to specifically blame the bowling

The selection of 2 frontline fast bowlers complimented by change bowlers made up of meduim pacers and spinners is the prob

At the moment there is SIDDLE and JOHNSON
IF those 2 dont perform then the opposition have it made
Get past those 2 and it becomes easy street as the rest of the bowling lacks POTENCY
HASTINGS/WATTO/MCKAY/HAURITZ/SMITH/DOHERTY/CLARKE are not strike bowlers


So who should be in the team ?
These 4 injured bowlers would make a difference
HARRIS
BRACKEN ?
BOLLINGER
TAIT

Whose leftover
WA..HOGAN...not on this good season start but bowling sensationally
SA...GEORGE...better in longer games
VI ...HARWOOD...superstar but too old now, NANNES maybe but too old as well, WRIGHT too old
TA.. HILFENHAUS....maybe
NS...STARC not ready as yet, LEE sadly missed but sadly struggling...CLARK too old now, CAMERON ?
QL...RIMMINGTON, not fast enough...CUTTING injured but capable, SWAN no

Why the thread heading Hopeless ?
With a glut of meduim pacers now playing
Im stunned, how can the selectors now vindicate the axing of James Hopes
HOPEless selection blunder I say

[Jim05]

Yeah bowling big problem. And to hear on radio that brett lee still available and under consideration for wc wtf!!
But as poor as our bowling is our batting is worse. We have poor shot selections and if you dont post 250+ you wont win many games. We seem content with 220-240 that was fine in the 90's but isnt enough anymore. Need 5 an over bare minimum. We dont have enough boundary hitting players. Doesnt matter what bowling we have if you cant put runs on board

[sherminator]

I agree with both posts to a point. I didn't see much of yesterdays game but wednesday our bowling was pitiful in the last half of SL's innings. It reminds me of when Lee first made the Aussie side and all the hype was about his pace. As a result he went out trying to bowl super-fast and intimidate which resulted in lots of pie-chucking. I think the Aussie quicks are a bit like that at the moment trying to bounce 'em out rather than get 'em out. Our best 2 quicks though aren't playing in Hilfy & Bolly.

I believe we will bounce back though. If you remember 4 years ago (sure we had a different side) we lost the ODI finals to England, went to NZ and were beaten 3-0. A month later we went to the WC having lost our last 5 ODIs and went undefeated in the tournament. Our current ODI form is poor, but its not the end of the world.

[FlyingHigh]

And it happened in the 12 months leading up to the 2003 World Cup too.
The selectors seem to have a ploy of trying numerous players in the seasons leading into the World Cup, and whilst there was criticism at the time, in the end their methods were justified.
However, this time it does feel different, with even many of our first-choicers struggling for form.

[Jim05]

We have serious issues. I think if we had an australia a team of the next dozen in line players they would belt the current aus team. We need to completely split the test/odi/t20 teams and have differant players and choose players that are suitable for each form of the game. Id even push for aus to have separate coaches for each form. Nielsen could be test but choose others for differant forms and have a head person overseeing the lot. Heard an interview where it was said that hussey needed to play odi's to get form for ashes what a load of crap. Pick your best 11 each form. There doesnt have to be any test players in the odi squad.

[Dog_ger]

Cricket in Australia is in serious trouble.

[smithy]

Who is the quite sharp pace bowler from NSW that has just come back from a couple years out with a back ?
I was impressed with him when he played against SA 2-3 years ago with his pace, although a little wayward.
He is certainly what you would deem a "strike bowler" I would've thought.
Does anyone rate him a chance in any form of the game to represent Australia ?
Sorry can't remember his name, I'm sure someone will know him.

[stan]

All we should take the 2 one dayers into perspective. We should be 2 - 0 up at the moment. But in the first game we stole defeat from the jaws of victory with our not able to knock over the last 2 wickets. Last night, we actually made more runs and in a shorter amount of overs than the sri lankans actually made and still lost due to the duckworth lewis system. So really last nights performance when we really got asre ****** with the conditions needs to be looked at with a grain of salt.

[Gozu]

Who is the quite sharp pace bowler from NSW that has just come back from a couple years out with a back ?
I was impressed with him when he played against SA 2-3 years ago with his pace, although a little wayward.
He is certainly what you would deem a "strike bowler" I would've thought.
Does anyone rate him a chance in any form of the game to represent Australia ?
Sorry can't remember his name, I'm sure someone will know him.

Mark Cameron? Bit too "Siddle-ish" for my liking.

[smithy]

That's his name GOZU.

he really impressed me when I last saw him 2 years ago.
has real pace and smashed Cosgroves elbow that game.

Is he back playing from his back injury? does anyone else rate him ?

[valleys07]

Just took 11 for in a sheffield shield match against qld smithy.....he is back playing but not australian material yet i wouldnt have thought

[brod]

Cameron has played 12 FC matches and taken 5wi 5 times, 10wm 2 times...not bad at all

[Media Park]

Cameron has played 12 FC matches and taken 5wi 5 times, 10wm 2 times...not bad at all

That's not too shabby at all.

[mal]

AU select 3 frontline quick bowlers and win the last game vrs SL
Unlike the newest Woodside residents, the Australian selectors missed the boat this series

[UkBuff]

Starc looked good today!

Doherty to play 1st Ashes test ?

[Ecky]

AU select 3 frontline quick bowlers and win the last game vrs SL
Unlike the newest Woodside residents, the Australian selectors missed the boat this series

I'm confused by your definition of "frontline quick bowlers", Mal.

Game 1: Johnson, Siddle, Hastings, Watson, spinners
Game 2: Johnson, Siddle, McKay, Watson, spinners
Game 3: Johnson, McKay, Starc, Watson, spinners

In your initial post you labelled McKay in your not-front line category

HASTINGS/WATTO/MCKAY/HAURITZ/SMITH/DOHERTY/CLARKE are not strike bowlers

and

NS...STARC not ready as yet

So where did your extra frontline quicks appear from in game 3?

PS Love your work usually though Mal

[mal]

Mckay became a frontline bowler after his 5 wickets !!!!
Starc became a frontline bowler after his 4 wickets !!!!!
B4 that they were both a notch below frontline bowlers

Geez that new skipper has turned a couple of bowlers into frontliners all of a sudden

Now to confuse and contradict matters even further
The jury is still out on Starc + Mcaky being very good front line bowlers
They played on a lively bouncy seeming deck at the Gabba
On this deck SL were like the newest Woodside residents were all at sea ....

OK what does this all mean ?
When we play on flatter decks we need to pick 3 good frontline quick bowlers

HOPES this makes sense ...

[Lightning McQueen]

Hopes isn't the answer IMO, too easy to score off and there's better options with the bat.

[Rik E Boy]

LOL@Hopes the front line bowler. Going real well with the Bulls at the moment.

regards,

REB

[smithy]

LOL@Hopes the front line bowler. Going real well with the Bulls at the moment.

regards,

REB

What's your thoughts on Cameron REB ?

his record is pretty impressive, so is his pace.
Any chance for a test match if fit ?