3rd Ashes Test - WACA

[FlyingHigh]

Could not agree more AH.
WTF is going on?
Doherty has his name thrust forward as a Test selection because of a couple of good one day performances, and now Beer gets a Test gig to see if he'll cut it in the one-dayers.
Personally I have felt a little bit for Hilditch over the last couple of years as he is in a more pressurised role than many of us ever will be in. But if that is true, then he must go.
I hope Beer does well for Australia, nothing personal against him, but can't really see it happening.

[Media Park]

Dear Andrew Hilditch,

Please find available the following, for the third Test:

Liam Davis
Phil Hughes
Usman Khawaja
Callum Ferguson
Mike Hussey (capt)
Brad Haddin (wk)
Dan Christian
Steve O'Keefe
Chris Swan
Trent Copeland
Mark Cameron

If you are going to select people from nowhere to play, at least select players that have shown some potential.

Kindest Regards,

Media Park

[dedja]

[smithy]

Stuart MacGill makes a lot of sense in this article.
After waiting so long and being the 2nd best leg spinner in the world for many years, yet unable to play test cricket because of Warnie, he'd be wishing he was 10 years younger.

Stuart MacGill believes the incomprehensible rise of Michael Beer into Australia's Test team proves selection chairman Andrew Hilditch has officially lost the plot.

Michael Beer? Oh, dear.

The unheralded 26-year-old left-arm tweaker was playing grade cricket in Melbourne last season.

He moved to Western Australia because he wasn't good enough to represent Victoria.

He has a mere 16 wickets at the unflattering average of 39.93 in the Sheffield Shield.

Hilditch claimed it was a horses-for-courses selection with Beer expected to excel on his home ground in Perth.

But as MacGill rightly pointed out, Beer has only played at the WACA ground three times in his life. And he's never taken more than three wickets in an innings.

"I am gobsmacked, shocked, I honestly cannot believe it," MacGill, one of Australia's greatest ex-spinners, said.

"To be honest, from Andrew Hilditch's comments, he doesn't even really know who Michael Beer is. He said he'll bowl well in Perth because it's his home ground.

"I'm not sure Andrew thought those comments through before he made them.

"Look, Andrew Hilditch is a lovely bloke but someone needs to tell him Michael Beer has not spent his career playing at the WACA.

"Three games there and nothing better than a three-for. Honestly, there is no big picture here.

"The team will have to change again after the next Test. Good on Michael Beer, good bloke and good player, but look at this as a job interview and show me his qualifications to get this job.

"He doesn't have any. He is not qualified for the job they have given him. Sending him out there next week, what are they trying to do?"

MacGill described Hilditch's decision to grab a Beer as the weirdest in about three weeks.

"Xavier Doherty was out there, too, to be honest," MacGill said.

"They are clearly telling Nathan Hauritz, 'You are never playing Test cricket again'. I don't understand that. Xavier Doherty should never have played the first two Tests. Michael Beer shouldn't be playing this one.

"Australia has one fulltime selector now in Greg Chappell. They should all be fulltime selectors because Andrew Hilditch is not watching enough cricket."

Beer's former teammate at St Kilda, Shaun Graf, said the bloke called Frosty was guaranteed to keep his cool in the heat of battle.

Graf, a former Australia one-day international pace bowler, said Beer would be in shock at his selection.

Beer, 26, comes from the same Melbourne club as Shane Warne and headed west to Perth in a bid to break into first-class ranks.

"Shane might have played once or twice at St Kilda with Frosty. It would have been a great buzz for Frosty but he's not someone who gets overawed," Graf said.

Beer lists his boyhood heroes as Warne, Merv Hughes and Dean Jones and his favourite Ashes moment is Warne's 700th wicket in the Melbourne Test of 2006-07.

Like Warne, Beer doesn't shy away from the psychological battles with batsmen on the field.

"He's a competitive cricketer by nature. He has a bit of steel in him but I wouldn't say he's a sledger," said Graf, who is CV operations manager.

[The Cadet]

I've just heard on a Melbourne radio station that Hilditch has stated Beer was selected with the World Cup in mind. WTF!!?? If this is true, then I am really ticked off about it. Since when did an Ashes series rate as a pre-season warm up for the Woirld Cup???

Cricket in Australia has seriously lost the plot.

He does even play one day cricket for WA !!!

[JK]

Beer's former teammate at St Kilda, Shaun Graf

Surely this bit isn't right??

[smithy]

Beer's former teammate at St Kilda, Shaun Graf

Surely this bit isn't right??

Thought that myself neverendinggism.

[Gozu]

"Time for cricket boss to go":

AUSTRALIAN selection boss Andrew Hilditch must resign or else be sacked after the World Cup.

That is the view of one of Australian cricket's most respected selectors as it emerged a staggering 36 players have worn the baggy green cap since the retirement of star trio Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer four years ago.

Of that group, 17 have played fewer than five Tests, underlining the selection merry-go-round that has sparked queries over Australian cricket's stability during Hilditch's tumultuous reign.

Hilditch, whose contract expires after the World Cup in April, is understood to be keen to extend his tenure amid reports Australia's selection policy on his watch will be a key agenda item when CA conducts an Ashes post-mortem.

But former panellist John Benaud says Hilditch, who replaced Trevor Hohns as chairman of selectors in April 2006 after joining the panel 10 years earlier, has run his race.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/tim ... 5969815879

[Jim05]

Why wait to world cup. He must be sacked now. Get some guys on their with some idea. AB needs to be in the system and i think slats or warney would be good additions.

[pmackk]

Sack ponting worst captain for a long time. England are better than us in all the areas like batting, bowling and fielding.

[Hondo]

Referring to that article, in some fairness to Hilditch in that time (last 4 years) 16 players with test experience retired after the Warnie & co retired. If you add Warnie and co I make it 22 players in 5 years with test experience have dropped out of the system. That of itself will force up the number of new players selected.

Since the start of the 2007-08 season these players have debuted (* played 1 or so tests and then dropped):

Johnson, Rogers *, Haddin, Casson *, White *, Siddle, Krejza *, MacDonald *, Hughes, North, Hilfenhaus, McGain *, Manou *, McKay *, Harris, Paine *, Smith, George *, Doherty *

Note that's only 19 not 36 . However, there are 11 with * of which 2 are back up keepers (somewhat unavoidable) and 5 are spinners. So the search for the next spinner has proved difficult.

So Benaud's comments seem flawed if he's using a figure of 36 which is wrong and then making that the sole basis of criticism. The revolving door with the spinners hasn't worked but 19 new playes over 4 years in a transition period is not over the top IMO. My criticism of Hilditch and his team has been their reluctance to let older players go rather than starting too many new ones. I think it makes a better argument to discuss the actual players selected rather than relying on statistics. So this isn't a defence of Hilditch as much as a criticusm of Benaud's comments.

[Dogwatcher]

What must be noted is the Australian selectors have dropped their expectations of our team with the dropping of Bollinger and selection of Beer.

With the recent retirements of those class players Warne, Langer, Hayden, Gilchrist etc we've been living a champagne lifestlye on a beer income.

[pmackk]

I think the selectors have lost the plot in terms of just giving baggy greens out at will

[Rik E Boy]

What must be noted is the Australian selectors have dropped their expectations of our team with the dropping of Bollinger and selection of Beer.

With the recent retirements of those class players Warne, Langer, Hayden, Gilchrist etc we've been living a champagne lifestlye on a beer income.

Very droll mate, very droll.

regards,

REB

[Hondo]

What must be noted is the Australian selectors have dropped their expectations of our team with the dropping of Bollinger and selection of Beer.

With the recent retirements of those class players Warne, Langer, Hayden, Gilchrist etc we've been living a champagne lifestlye on a beer income.

Very droll mate, very droll.

I read and re-read his post and missed his sublety there! Nice one DW

[Lightning McQueen]

Beer in the squad, what a joke!

Johnson straight back in, what a joke!

Smith finally called in which is good! Hauritz should have got a gig infront of Beer, but the selectors didn't want to admit they screwed up and pick Hauritz again

I'm not sure if I've seen him play, is he the one with the long neck?

[am Bays]

Beer in the squad, what a joke!

Johnson straight back in, what a joke!

Smith finally called in which is good! Hauritz should have got a gig infront of Beer, but the selectors didn't want to admit they screwed up and pick Hauritz again

I'm not sure if I've seen him play, is he the one with the long neck?

No but he regularly wears stubbies....

[Lightning McQueen]

Beer in the squad, what a joke!

Johnson straight back in, what a joke!

Smith finally called in which is good! Hauritz should have got a gig infront of Beer, but the selectors didn't want to admit they screwed up and pick Hauritz again

I'm not sure if I've seen him play, is he the one with the long neck?

No but he regularly wears stubbies....

Ahhh, I seen a picture of him in the gym, he has a fair 6 pack.

[Lightning McQueen]

He did well with the bat on the weekend, he was carton em everywhere.

[Jim05]

Cant wait to see the pommie headlines if he gets caned.
"Feels like home, aussies are serving warm and flat beer"