With Australia in horrible form and many Test players struggling to find their form, the selectors need to make tough decisions on these players. Though they have rarely made shock decisions or dropped players who have been loyal for many years, the time is now.
We all know that Hussey and North have been great players for Australia, but they’re not in the best of form – either of them.
Hussey’s average has dropped below 50 for the first time and he has only one century since last year’ Ashes. At 35, he doesn’t have long left. There are many players ready to replace him.
In North’s case, he hasn’t been around the international scene as long as Hussey, but has been around the domestic scene for years and came into the Australian side with a bang in South Africa then England.
However, he averages fewer than 40 with the bat, and that shouldn’t be tolerated. He constantly teases us by struggling in a few games then hitting a century. They need to drop him now.
There are many players who can take their spots.
For Hussey: Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson, George Bailey and Phil Hughes; and in North’s case: Steven Smith and Cameron White. Most of them are in good form and are a lot younger than North and Hussey.
Lolly
Guest
The preparation is completely CA's fault. The players and Nielsen have to wear whatever they get served up. It is insane that a touring side is getting a better preparation than the home team. How arrogant is that? Having said that playing the useless Warriors first up and then the Redbacks is hardly going to be a proper test of the English team. I imagine even Australia could beat those two.
Lolly
Guest
I saw that 19, it was genuinely horrible. Then Voges came in and started turning the strike over and putting the ball into gaps. I can't work out if North took the wicket with him and they relaid a new one while I blinked. Bloody Voges. He looks international class standing on his head when you watch him live. No wonder he's scabbed himself a CA contract.
Lolly
Guest
Excellent. I really don't know if he will be a success in international cricket or not as I can't bear watching him bat. I refer to him as Swish and Miss.
beowulf
Guest
Agree 100% with this side. Ponting to go after the Ashes and Katich to captain for 1-2 years with Ferguson his deputy. Once Pontings gone, Smith can come in as a support spinner and Khawaja can move to #3. Will never happen however with the current selectors.
Fisher Price
Guest
Krejza is rubbish.
Will
Guest
It's not just the team itself? It is our preparation as well. The players have no say in that. I mean, WTF? Doug Bollinger will, by all reports, have one game to push for selection. Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson are both struggling. Ryan Harris is back into the fray as well. Now, apparently, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke are only going to have one game before the start of the Ashes? The squad for the Gabba will be announced on the 15th of November, before the last round of Shield games and before the Aus A game. It is absurd, and I hate to say it, the preparation will probably cost us the urn. Even so, copping a smashing might mean that we finally clear out the dead wood. Like Sutherland as CEO. It pisses me off. It really does.
chris mackinnon
Guest
the australian team in general is playing poor. its seems michael clarke if he is not captain doesnt play like he is our best player. how many australian players are consistantly getting big scores of over a hundred. our 20/20 situation is a joke. clarke opening and even playing our 20/20 squad should hodge, bollinger, paine, george bailey, marsh, aaron finch give him a go at the moment he is good form, cameron white captain, david hussey, give dan christian a go, there is a few names. it seems all the players new and old are coming from new south wales, finch doesnt even get a look in, hauritz prime example he is there basically to put pressure at one end he cant buy a wicket. our spin stocks are such jason kryza number one spinner in the country with doherty, steve smith still to young and as a future test spinner maybe. looks like clarke is going to be only player to fall in to captain australia if u think back its like when graham yallop was made captain, no one else was seen as a worthy candidate. clarke is the youngest, north and katich not seen as long term prospects. until johnson can work out his bowling action he is going keep bowling rubbish
Oracle
Guest
They dropped the wrong selector whose name starts with "H". That is the main problem. At the end of the day, who knows how much say Ponting has anyway.
Oracle
Guest
Come of it Ian, Ponting is a terribly defensive captain at times when he should be going for the jugular. We need a captain with some flair, and it isn't Michael Clarke.
Oracle
Guest
And that is why we will lose. Keep Paine in, get White or Khawajah in for North, and Ferguson in for Hussey. Katcih must be kept though, as he streets ahead of Hughes, and put Mitchell Johnson on notice. Be interesting to see if Ponting's mates are picked for the first test, or Greg Chappell gets in with the big stick,which is sorely needed.
jameswm
Guest
Will - don't expect that direction from Hilditch, Boon and Cox.
Will
Guest
I just can't find any motivation for the upcoming summer. The team is at a low ebb. There doesn't seem to be any long-term succession plan to get us rocketing back up the rankings. Even if we do regain the Ashes, what is the point if we keep hovering in the lower reaches of the rankings? I want to see some direction and drive looking ahead, looking beyond the Ashes. What is the plan? I don't know. It's hard to explain.
Whiteline
Guest
jameswn, I have a gut feeling that Ponting will retire after the Ashes and not even go to the World Cup. I reckon he would just about have had enough by then... 12 months is a long time when it becomes a chore - it seems to me that he has lost a bit of drive in the last couple of years
jameswm
Guest
Nah - leave Punter at 3 for now, Khawaja at 5, and swap them in about 12 months. Let Khawaja settle in to test cricket first, then elevate him.
Fisher Price
Guest
Good side, though I wouldn't have Ponting at # three. O'Keefe and Khawaja are givens. Meanwhile in the alternate universe of master cricket experts Hilditch, Neilsen and Punteroo... PS: I'm quite pleased to see more people recognising Johnson's glaring limitations.
Timmuh
Guest
Ian, the difference is that there do appear to be batting choices. With the bowlers, there isn't anyone who stands ot as being any better. Hauritz, for all his deficiencies, probably is the best spinner available. Johnson is a wild sprayer who often lets oppositions away with no pressure but occasionally snare a bagful, while Siddle and McKay bowl tidier lines and look better, but struggle for wickets. Fergusson, Klinger and others are in the wings with the bat; but the bowling options seems to just offer either more choices of the same problems, or a change in problem areas.
jamesb
Guest
johnson is bowling rubbish while siddle is not an international bowler. Anyway my side for the first test, and it probably won't happen is S.Katich S.Watson R.Ponting M.Clarke U.Khawaja C.Ferguson B.Haddin S.O'Keefe B.Hilfenhaus P.George D.Bollinger I thought George did alright in India. I want O'Keefe in. He has the best stats in domestic cricket for a spinner and also he bats. Give Ferguson a go. Ok he averages in the late thirties in the shield, however he is a better player now. Of course Khawaja in, no brainer, in fact whatever happens, Khawaja should be in the first test period.
jamesb
Guest
then again he averages 50 plus at shield level, or maybe the shield comp isn't that strong
jameswm
Guest
Yes Ian. You have to take 20 wickets. You also have to score more runs than the opposition. I don't really know what your point is. No one's arguing that we don't need to pick our best bowlers, any more than our best batsmen. How about you explain it better rather than the occasional cryptic comment. Or better yet, explain to us how we fix the bowling issues, seeing as that seems to be your area of special interest.
ilikedahoodoogurusingha
Guest
I'm afraid that it is all too late. The time to act was last year or early this year. I don't think the selectors will through in raw youngsters in an Ashes series....more's the pity. They way we are going we will struggle against the poms......maybe someone ie Greg Chappell has the cojones to gamble....some old heads (Ponting, Kat, Watson, Michael Clarke...but for gods sake take the vc away from him; maybe Stu Clarke??), and throw the young guns in to see if they will sink or swim.