Australian International Summer 2024/25

[Lightning McQueen]

Was also interesting to hear in the commentary that Hussey and Haddin were both mentioning they expect Trav to go to the top of the order for the Sri Lanka tour.

They way they were speaking was that it was 'inside knowledge' not just speculation.

Does that mean a Khawaja retirement at the end of this series or McSweeney to go down the order where he is probably better suited.

It's even dumber now than when I constantly read it on here prior to this series, why would you f*** with the only thing that is working with our batting order?

My XI for the rest of the series:

Usman
Carey
McSweeney
Smith
Head
Marsh
Webster
Cummins
Starc
Gaz
Boland

Konstas will eventually assume the opening role but for the interim we are blooding an all-rounder.

My main concern is that we've basically kept the same foundation for so long and they are all around the same age, it's imperative that we start rotating our squad. I think dropping Laba will sort his ego out, he still has time to go work on his game and turn it around, for some reason I thought he was older than 30.

[mal]

heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

[Aerie]

Was also interesting to hear in the commentary that Hussey and Haddin were both mentioning they expect Trav to go to the top of the order for the Sri Lanka tour.

They way they were speaking was that it was 'inside knowledge' not just speculation.

Does that mean a Khawaja retirement at the end of this series or McSweeney to go down the order where he is probably better suited.

It's even dumber now than when I constantly read it on here prior to this series, why would you f*** with the only thing that is working with our batting order?

It is possibly easier to bat in Sri Lanka with the new ball. It'll take turn early. Prime spot for Head to come out and do his damage is around the 30 over mark in Australia when the new ball has settled. Prime spot in Sri Lanka is with the new ball when it is coming on to the bat.

I'd keep Labuschagne. He's very good against spin.

How good is Webster with his spinners? I haven't seen him play at all, but he apparently can send down offies as well as his medium pacers. That would be very handy in Sri Lanka, to go with his batting.

[Lightning McQueen]

Was also interesting to hear in the commentary that Hussey and Haddin were both mentioning they expect Trav to go to the top of the order for the Sri Lanka tour.

They way they were speaking was that it was 'inside knowledge' not just speculation.

Does that mean a Khawaja retirement at the end of this series or McSweeney to go down the order where he is probably better suited.

It's even dumber now than when I constantly read it on here prior to this series, why would you f*** with the only thing that is working with our batting order?

It is possibly easier to bat in Sri Lanka with the new ball. It'll take turn early. Prime spot for Head to come out and do his damage is around the 30 over mark in Australia when the new ball has settled. Prime spot in Sri Lanka is with the new ball when it is coming on to the bat.

I'd keep Labuschagne. He's very good against spin.

How good is Webster with his spinners? I haven't seen him play at all, but he apparently can send down offies as well as his medium pacers. That would be very handy in Sri Lanka, to go with his batting.

The problem is that if we keep Laba for Sri Lanka, he'll buy himself another summer here. If we play then we're just going to have to assume and hope that he'll get his mojo back.

For memory we struggle in Sri Lanka.

[Booney]

Nathan McSweeney has been dropped for the Boxing Day Test. Sam Konstas set to be called up

[Armchair expert]

Nathan McSweeney has been dropped for the Boxing Day Test. Sam Konstas set to be called up

This will be a disaster

[shoe boy]

Nathan McSweeney has been dropped for the Boxing Day Test. Sam Konstas set to be called up

Should of made that selection prior to the series starting.

[stampy]

should have gone the whole hog and fuqd usi off

[DoublebluTiger]

Horse has bolted, selectors.

Can see us getting comfortably rolled next Summer by the Poms and for me that won't be a bad thing.

[Lightning McQueen]

Nathan McSweeney has been dropped for the Boxing Day Test. Sam Konstas set to be called up

This will be a disaster

Yeah, lets destroy two young blokes confidences in the one series to justify hanging on to yesterdays heroes.

We needed an opener, we should have promoted an opener initially.

I'm all for putting Konstas in the hot seat, I think we will prepare a flat track which will see Usi ton up and buy another series.

I know we can all throw some shit at what the selectors are doing but there is no real answer atm, Henry Hunt should be the front runner for the opening role but his 2nd innings' continually let him down, I'd love to see Patterson given the next opportunity.

We are so lucky that our bowling attack is so strong, is it the best we've had?

[heater31]

Nathan McSweeney has been dropped for the Boxing Day Test. Sam Konstas set to be called up

Selectors are ******* cooked!

[am Bays]

Nathan McSweeney has been dropped for the Boxing Day Test. Sam Konstas set to be called up

Selectors are ******* cooked!

You've got NFI Heater old son,

How can you drop blokes when you've spent the last two years, on the team bus, hanging out all day with them in the tracksuit, doing throw downs and even offering tactical advice to the skipper....

[tigerpie]

I'm all for giving young blokes a go....if they are good enough and have performed consistently over a period of time.
Much longer than half a summer.
George Bailey and his mates are cooked if they think this is a good selection move.
The kid fails he gets dropped, then that's two careers hammered in one hit.
Geez at least give Mcsweeney a decent run at it.
But noooo. We'll keep usi and the lab.

[whufc]

Feel for McSweeney was stocked up by the selectors

However that decisions in the end had to be made, honestly didn’t look like making a score.

I guess the question is…..what’s his weapon??!

Other than being patient and waiting for a bad ball how was he going to score. Not sure that cuts it these days at test level. There just isn’t the bad balls, bowlers are fresher than ever before, most teams have five bowlers so shorter spells, they’re fitter then ever before, practise more than ever before and captains set more creative fields than ever before. All the best batsmen around the world at the moment are attack first and they have at least one shot that is world class.

[The Dark Knight]

Well I'm excited to see how Konstas goes but f**k me this is a real bad look and I feel sorry for McSweeney. Given an opportunity to play test cricket, promoted to do something he has never done before against the best bowler in the world and now is dropped despite having made more runs than Khawaja and Marsh. I'm all for backing in Khawaja and Marsh (if he's not dropped for Webster) to get runs in the next two tests but why can't McSweeney be afforded that opportunity?

Should of just picked Konstas from the start to open because he's an opener! And perhaps have McSweeney as the back up middle order batter. Frustrating for everyone. Ed Cowan was right! Lol

I'm real happy to see Richardson back in the squad, fingers crossed he can get an injury free run from now on!

[locky801]

Kontas from Shield and big bash cricket to a Boxing day test in front of 100,000 people in you debut test against the best bowler in the world

Brown stain stuff, hope he does well but he wont be getting many half trackers from Jaspit

Pressure on him as once again the media are building these kids up way too early as superstars

[amber_fluid]

Bailey and his boys club!
NFI
Sure bring Konstas in, great move but piss Marnus or Uzi off not McSweeney.
They brought Webster into the squad, they might as well play him instead of Marsh.

Hopefully Richardsons body holds up(not that he’ll play)

[Jim05]

At least McSweeney can go back and find some form in the Shield……….:…..

Oh, that’s right there is no SS before the boys head off to Sri Lanka

[FlyingHigh]

Feel for McSweeney was stocked up by the selectors

However that decisions in the end had to be made, honestly didn’t look like making a score.

I guess the question is…..what’s his weapon??!

Other than being patient and waiting for a bad ball how was he going to score. Not sure that cuts it these days at test level. There just isn’t the bad balls, bowlers are fresher than ever before, most teams have five bowlers so shorter spells, they’re fitter then ever before, practise more than ever before and captains set more creative fields than ever before. All the best batsmen around the world at the moment are attack first and they have at least one shot that is world class.

Yeah, it looked like at times he was unsure how to score, however he was put in some difficult situations:
second innings at Perth,
first innings in Adelaide, which he came through,
second innings in Brisbane when it seemed the team was confused on how to go about their batting.
He was looking all right those 13 overs on the first day at Brisbane, like he was trying to keep things ticking over by pushing the odd single and maybe getting a bit more comfortable in how to go about it.

While he was slow over 6 innings, Green at the beginning was just as slow over a lot longer period and he was batting at six. I'm still not convinced Green has worked out how to pace a Test innings.

I would go with:
Usi
Harris - limited but in Australia he's more chance of making a start than getting out early
Lab - he has the ability to turn it around
Smith
Head
McSweeney
Carey
bowlers pick themselves
Marsh is just not consistent enough for a top six batsman. Fabulous when he plays that occasional innings, but he's not Mitchell Johnson batting at 8.

After the Ashes next year, our batting line up needs to be:
??
??
Lab
McSweeney
Green
Head (going well at the moment, but will be getting on a bit by then)
Carey

[Arry Gablett]

Smith hitting a hundred has probably helped Marnus and Uzi

The selectors would be yep the bors will turn it around and all will be good

Bit stiff Mc Sween, gets the 3 difficult decks and the young lad Konstas will get to flat tracks as cricket australia would need the melbourne and sydney tests to go the distance