By Fred Magee -
November 26th 2009 @ 2:04am
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Many questions to be answered this summer
Australia's Michael Clarke in action - AAP Image/Tony Phillips
On the morning of the start of another Australian summer of cricket, I believe this could be one of the most fascinating of recent times. This is despite of the wide held perceptions of the low quality of the two touring sides.
The reason for my excitement is that there are a number of questions that need to be answered.
1. Will Michael Hussey last the summer?
My view is that if he scores anything less than 300 runs in the West Indies series, he should be dropped for the Pakistan series. It’s that simple.
2. Will Shane Watson transform himself as an opener?
The Australian selectors obviously feel that Shane Watson is an opener, but does he? If he is to continue as an opener he must convert his starts into big hundreds. If not, his place in the side may be dependent on the answer to the question above.
3. Was extending Andrew Hilditch’s tenure a mistake?
This has all the hallmarks of the decision St George Illawarra made to extend Nathan Brown’s contract prior to sacking him for Wayne Bennett. For the sake of Australian Cricket, I hope I am proven wrong.
4. How many spinners will Australia play this summer?
Logic dictates that Hauritz and Krejza should be the two that play Test cricket this summer, but then again, Hilditch did get his contract extended. So your guess is as good as mine.
5. Is this the right bowling attack to consistently take twenty wickets?
That sound you hear is me dragging my soapbox out again to bleat about the fact that the bowling attack needs to be able to take twenty wickets on a consistent basis. The current attack (bar Stuart Clark) have been given a shot at redemption. Let’s hope that they take it.
6. Are the tourists as bad as everyone thinks?
I won’t be putting my hard-earned on them to win the series but expect some brilliance from the likes of Chanderpaul, Sarwan, Mohammed Yousuf and Shahid Afridi. I still hope Younis Khan boards the flight to Melbourne.
7. Is it the end for Brett Lee and Stuart Clark?
Unless the incumbents are injured, it pains me to say that both Lee and Clark have played their last Test matches for Australia. Lee will join Andrew Flintoff as a short form specialist. The fact the NSW will benefit in having Clark available for the majority of the season is the only positive of his sacking.
8. Is Michael Clarke really planning a Captaincy coup?
During his period of convalescence, Michael Clarke has been seen at the Melbourne Cup and spending time with Tiger. If you believe the papers over the last few weeks, he also went to Fiji for a leadership course.
9. Will the 20/20 Big Bash be the highlight of the summer?
NSW’s win in the Champions Trophy and the inclusion of overseas players should make the Big Bash one of the highlights of the summer. There will be many that hope that this expectation extends to the speed dating in the stands as well.
10. Will Cricket Australia (CA) try innovative things to bring the crowds in this summer?
Well, reduce the prices for a start. $73 for a concourse seat for the Test and $85 for the ODI at the SCG is just taking the proverbial. At this rate, you will need to take a second mortgage out for next year’s Ashes series!
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Freud of Football said | November 26th 2009 @ 5:19am | Report comment
Yes, No, No, 2, No, No, Yes, No, No, No
Brett McKay said | November 26th 2009 @ 7:26am | Report comment
Hi Fred, great to see you back in these circles. Some good questions here, I might try and add a little more detail than Freud:
1. Huss: probably, I think the Indian series and the break now will help him. 2. Watson: I doubt it. I think he’ll be at 5 or 6 before summer’s end (which possibly contradicts my answer to 1). 3. Hilditch? Hmmm, maybe. Time will tell. 4. At least one spinner, and probably the two you’ve mentioned. Right now, I can’t think of a third banging down the door, and Krezja’a not exactly doing that anyway. 5. 20 wickets? Well, they’ve done it before, so they can do it again.
6. The Windies probably aren’t as bad as is being made out, no. 7. Lee, yes I think so; Clark, maybe not. 8. I’d be surprised if Clarke is planning a coup. 9. Big Bash, not sure about being THE highlight, but there would be big expectations. A Friday night FTA showing would help
and 10. Maybe not for the Windies series, but if the crowds are way down, they might need to do something for the Pakistan series. I don’t know they’ll change too much though, becuase they know next year is bascically a guaranteed sell-out. (btw, my tickets for Day1 in Sydney were the same as last year).
For the Freud-summary, that’s: Yes, No, Maybe, 1-2, Yes, No, Yes and No, Doubtful, Probably not, and Probably not again…
Fred Magee said | November 26th 2009 @ 8:13am | Report comment
Gents, thanks for your thoughts – both in detail and in summary. I think there will be a lot to come out of this summer and that it will not be the disappointment that many think it will be – if for nothing else than the fact that the Australian side is still a work in progress and I dont think they have it quite right yet.
Some of these questions were done with my tongue in my cheek…but one comment I would like to add; I dont think that Michael Clarke is making a push for the captaincy but there has been so much noise around the issue over the last few weeks, you would think that Ricky Ponting and Malcolm Turnbull were in the same boat!
Brett, good to be back…has been a busy month but now it is cricket season, I have returned.
draexem said | November 26th 2009 @ 8:51am | Report comment
It’s hardly a fascinating summer of cricket. Better words to describe it are ‘farce’ or ‘bore’.
1- Not really a fascinating question because everybody knows what the answer should be, this question just brings up frustration at the selectors. Hussey should have played his last test in the ASHES series, Watson should be moved down the order and Hughes should retain his position to inject some much needed youth into a very old Australian batting line up.
2- No. He’s not an opener.
3- Yes, the selectors have been making poor decisions for a while now.
4- Don’t know, depends I suppose. However, if two are used Steven Smith needs to be the second. Hauritz is nothing more than a stop gap. West Indies and Pakistan are not big names in test cricket at the moment. Good opportunity to blood the person who is most likely to fulfill the spinning duties for Australia into the future.
5- if this attack can’t take 20 wickets against the WINDIES, I will laugh and laugh and point and laugh. There are only 2 quality test batsmen in the WINDIES line up, Chanderpaul and Sarwan.
6- No, but they’re still pretty bad.
7- One of them should ideally still be in the side to help guide around what is a really young and inexperienced bowling attack. Hilditch is a Siddle fan though, and Johnson won’t be kicked out of the team because of how much the current selectors favour all-rounders (Johnson could almost be called a bowling all-rounder right now). So I doubt it.
8- Don’t care. Punter’s a shitty Captain (who only succeeds in leading from the front) and Pup Clarke ain’t much better.
10- Hmmm ,yes, I don’t know about bringing in the crowds, but CA’s innovation has again meant that the Associated Press will not cover the cricket being played in Australia. Good work CA. Top job.
Kento said | November 26th 2009 @ 10:24am | Report comment
This is the issue with Watson as opener. Any batsman can open and will do well every so often.
Consistency, though, is hard and this is where you need an experienced, trained opener like Rogers or Hughes.
Fisher Price said | November 26th 2009 @ 10:29am | Report comment
Watson as an opener looks like a walking LBW shout.
Fred Magee said | November 26th 2009 @ 10:47am | Report comment
He hasnt had a good start…shouldering arms and out for 0. Havent seen it yet to comment but from what i hear, doesnt look good.
Fisher Price said | November 26th 2009 @ 11:13am | Report comment
I base that assessment as much on the dismissals and favourable umpiring decisions during the Ashes.
Jameswm said | November 26th 2009 @ 11:19am | Report comment
Our “selectors” haven’t worked out that opening in one-dayers is not the same as opening in tests.
Fact is, they didn’t have the guts to sack Hussey, so leaving Watson at opener was the easy way out.
And forget Hughes – Jaques is the one who should be opening right now, with Kato.
Fisher Price said | November 26th 2009 @ 11:25am | Report comment
Hear hear.
Neither Hussey nor Watson should be in the side.
But Punter loves ‘em, so…
davido said | November 26th 2009 @ 11:42am | Report comment
That is pretty harsh on Hussey.
Fred Magee said | November 26th 2009 @ 11:44am | Report comment
If it werent for his knee injury, Callum Ferguson would have been my pick to replace Hussey. And no one can answer the question as to why Brad Hodge has his file stamped “Never to be selected again”.
I would be happy with Jaques or Hughes.
Fisher Price said | November 26th 2009 @ 12:55pm | Report comment
With you on all those points.
Hodge is seemingly not Punter’s glass of Cascade. Rogers neither.
jim_bar said | November 26th 2009 @ 11:53am | Report comment
1 Yes
2 No
3 Can’t decide
4 One
5 Let’s hope it is
6 No
7a Yes
7b Hopefully not
8 No
9 Who cares
10 No
Jameswm said | November 26th 2009 @ 12:00pm | Report comment
Brad Hodge is about to turn 35, so don’t waste your breath on him. I’m not a fan – flat track bully, rabbit in the headlights when the heat’s on.
I don’t agree on Watson – he is a very good bat and would be at test level batting at 5 or 6, which is his rightful spot. He is not a test opener which everyone with half a cricketing brain seems to have realised. Only Ponting, Watson and the selectors have not.
I agree on Ferguson though – he’d be my next middle order batsman picked. He makes it look easy when the others struggle and seems to have time. And has delivered under pressure many times in the one-day game.
Aussies 35 in the last 4 overs after a dry spell! Katich went 4-6-4-4 on four consecutive Rampaul balls spread over two overs.
Punter hits a 6 off a no ball on the stroke of lunch to bring up his 50. A 7 in fact, and the ball has to be re-bowled! Even with the over before going for only 1, the Windies have now conceded 48 in the 6 overs before lunch. Ouch!
So lunch and Aussies are right on top at 1 for 114- Katich 56no and Punter 51no – and off only 24 overs (4.8 per over). WIndies need quick wickets or this could get ugly this afternoon.
Fisher Price said | November 26th 2009 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
Was Hodge a rabbit in the headlights during his brief Test career? What about when he made a fifty in the West Indies when called on as a one-off injury replacement?
Watson’s decent but I think Hodge and Ferguson are better. Remember Punter’s favourite allrounder didn’t set the world alight when batting at number 7 over 4 Tests in India.
But then a disclaimer: my middle order (3-6) would be Katich, Clarke, Ponting and North. Proper openers opening.
All of a sudden though, 3 half centuries (in which he was palpably LBW several times) sees him rated by some as superior to openers with Test centuries (Jaques, Hughes) and a run-machine with 5 tons in his last 5 first-class matches (Rogers). Puzzling. Favouritsm.
Brett McKay said | November 26th 2009 @ 12:23pm | Report comment
Fred, guys, both Ponting and Katich look very comfortable at lunch, Rampaul is getting some swing (into Katich, away from Ponting), but other than that the deck looks pretty safe and the runs are flowing quite well – just under five an over…
I saw Watson LBW too, thought it was an outie, but it came back at him, and his bat was pointing at third man. Reckon it would have hit middle 2/3 the way up. Apparently that’s 10 LBWs in 19 Tests, and I’d reckon Bowled wouldn’t be too far behind.
Not sure why the selectors marked Hodge NTBPA, but I gave him that classification after the endless “I was born to play Test cricket” comments. Have Hodge and Robbie Farah ever been seen in the same room??
Fisher Price said | November 26th 2009 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
Watson’s been bolwed 4 times in addition to those 10 Lbs.
I note that Punter got hit on the pads a helluva lot today.
spiro said | November 26th 2009 @ 12:38pm | Report comment
Shane Watson is not an opener and it is foolish of the selectors/Ponting to want him to do this job. There is an element of the cheap-skate about the selection. The selectors want the cover of four fast bowlers when they play Nathan Hauritz, and they fit Watson in up the order to make the fit.
The answer is to play a spinner who might take wickets, which is not Hauritz and only to play Watson batting down the order if his bowling is good enough for him to be the third fast bowler.
Fisher Price said | November 26th 2009 @ 1:10pm | Report comment
Which it ain’t.