Ponting: A trust repaid or a trust betrayed?

Yes, they should just play newbies and take a bullet if necessary. But what do you think the chances are of that? Considering how much warm-up they consider necessary on tour these days, they probably think none at all is necessary at home. Gah!

Yes, that's just bad organization on behalf of CA. They agree to schedules that are too tight. One three day tour match before a test series? Even sillier, from what I see of the future schedule, unless they drop Mitchell Johnson from the ODI series v Sri Lanka and let him play in the touring match of Warriors v England in early Nov, he's only going to get one Shield match under his belt before the Ashes start. Poor organization again. Huss will have the same problem. It's crackers that a touring team to Aus is going to have a better warm-up to play tests downunder than the local players.

I don't think so Vinay. It would be a real surprise if Bolly isn't pretty much set in the team. He's been excellent in India in short formats so they are bound to give him the nod.

There isn't anyone. All our bowlers are about the same level at present. The fact that he is probably the most talented is quite depressing.

For those people that don't rate Johnson, it would be great if you guys can find someone else who has taken 150+ wickets @ 28 who can replace him?

I rate Ponting highly, as a batsmen, his IMO in the top 3 we have ever produced. As a fieldsmen - I have never seen a better allrounds fieldsmen. As a captain - he is solid without being in the class of, say, Mark Taylor. He is a street fighter and a scrapper. Just the captain we need for this team. Ponting has been betrayed by CA. Half his bowlers are in SA, the team has one warm up game, and then they are into the cauldron. The toss will be vital, lose it, and lose any chance of winning the match. If Ponting steals a series win against India then I am prepared to grant him godlike status. I give us a chance of winning, but the toss is vital.

Just having a dig! Who would your first choice be though? North for Hughes or Smith?

Johnson remains overrated. He isn't especially good.

And Khawaja.

Katich (c)

I'll stand up a bit of Johnson here - he is obviously a bowler who needs miles under his belt. Almost everytime he has come back from a "rest" or at the start of a series he has struggled. Cardiff was a classic case of mishandling him as he barely bowled a ball in the lead up. That said, I am hopeful that the Indian tour serves to give him some bowling miles prior to the Ashes. A first up match in Brisbane will also be good. Vinay - how can North be keeping two players out? I agree - it is one of Smith and Hughes but it can't be both! Personally, I would bat Watson at 3 and Ponting at 5 with Hughes to open.

Like some others, perhaps, I feel the key to this coming Ashes series is Johnson - and that makes me very nervous indeed. Johnson certainly owes Ponting and the team - remember Cardiff? In the end the captain took the ball off him and gave it to North!!!! I knew then we were in trouble. I think Lolly's point is valid. Johnson doesn't have the brains, apparently, nor the desire to improve. Siddle has the aggro and work ethic but not the talent that Johnson posesses. Pity! As for Marcus North, he's a lovely guy. He's not, unfortunately, good enough to be in the Australian team. That's not a criticism of North, by the way. I'm not good enough either! The truth is, though, that it's time the selectors moved on from the policy of "Ricky likes him" to "He hasn't done enough, get rid of him". The future is the youth, not the old men still hanging around because no-one else will pay that well. Let's not forget, also, that Hughes lost his spot in England not necessarily because of issues with the short ball but because Johnson was so horrendously pathetic and Watson was brought in as bowling cover. Unfortunately, the skipper forgot and only gave him about nine overs in the next three Tests. So much for the best laid plans. Hughes should open, North should go and Watson bat six. It's not a radical suggestion - people have been saying it for a year - but it is probably what should happen. Hopefully, GSC (and friends), and not the captain, will now be picking the team. As for Johnno, well, it's time to step up, or leave, or be sent. In Australia these days we seem to be fascinated with guys who can hurl it down at 150kph regardless of what happens next. We have forgotten, and quickly, that G. McGrath was about high 130s tops (mind you, I'd still like to have seen Ooh Aah against Richards, Lloyd and Greenidge at their best - or Sobers - I'm not sure 138 in the same spot every time would have been quite good enough). Personally, I'm glad we're taking some young, untried quicks to India and I would have no problem if they play at home against England in place of Johnson. While Johnson's total lack of radar may be a weapon of sorts (a la Thommo) I suspect his wicket tally is also a reflection on the fact that the overall standard of Test cricket has fallen. The modern players may dislike Neil Harvey for saying it but flat, covered pitches, ropes and the railway sleeper bats have inflated batting averages and deflated those of the bowling fraternity. There's hardly an Australian Test batsman of the last decade who hasn't averaged fifty at some stage of his career - and for a fair period of his career. And trust me, they're not that good compared to Ian Chapple, Walters, Burge, Harvey, O'Neill, etc. to name a few. So when Marcus North is only travelling at about 37 he should be attracting some attention. Somebody get that man a bigger bat. Still, like I said, Marcus is a lovely bloke - no, seriously, he is - but I'm a good bloke and I'm a mile and then some away from the Test team. As I should be. Another major concern is that the 35yo Katich is probably now our best and most consistent batsman. Bill Lawry was considered too old at 33. The skipper is but a shadow of the batsman he was, the Kat and Huss must be getting worse rather than better, Clarkey hasn't yet fully taken over and said, "Follow me!", Watto's still just a 29yo kid and Marcus, well, we've covered Marcus. Perhaps if the selectors continue to show faith in Johnson he might consider making a few runs to make up for his bowling deficiencies. By the end of summer, we may need those runs from the bowlers. All the bowlers. I sincerely hope George and Starc can bat. Still, I reckon we can probably count on one thing. The team that plays the first Test against India may be quite different from the team which plays the last against England. There will be a changing of the guard this summer it's just a matter of when.

Apparently it was the same pitch that was used for the CB 40 final on Saturday. Most of the Pakistan team really just don't move their feet out to the pitch of the ball at all with Swann. Apart from Yousuf and Afridi, but Yousuf got suckered in by a slider today. Afridi is a funny one isn't he? He has actually got a lot of shots and can play them properly if he even displays a modicum of patience but he'd rather hit and hope. He must have no attention span at all.