Oh the joy of cricket season! Nothing’s more Australian to me than seeing our cricketers battle the rest of the world in our own backyard, and this year we come up again the best.
South Africa will be a massive challenge, but for us to compete we need to find out who our best seven are first. I haven’t included the four bowlers yet as I’m undecided on who should play.
This is a team based on who I think will make up the best equipped team to win:
1. David Warner
Has been the find of the past 12 months. Started his Test career with two centuries last summer, scoring 123 against New Zealand in Hobart, and a sparkling 180 against a hapless India in Perth. What has impressed everyone is his endeavour in the field and his part time leg spinners.
One area of his game he can work on is his ability to be the cornerstone of the innings. Sometimes he gets carried away trying to bludgeon an attack. Sometimes less is more, David.
2. Phillip Hughes
I have picked Hughes over Cowan because Hughes is seven years younger than Cowan, giving him more time to build a successful career. Furthermore, Hughes has shown he has the ability to score big hundreds, whereas even though Cowan has been consistent at getting starts, his highest score is 74 – not good enough for someone who replaced Hughes and has now played eight or nine Tests.
Hughes has also proven himself against South Africa, and with his recent change to South Australia, he seems rejuvenated and ready to become the batsman we need him to be.
3. Michael Clarke
Our Test skipper is in first drop simply because I believe he needs to take more responsibility for the team. He has led well since taking over after the Ashes, leading a team in transition to wins over South Africa, India and West Indies. His 329 against India was mind boggling and showed just how far he has come as a person and a sportsman.
His greatest achievement as captain so far has been implementing the Argus Review. It’s helped change cricket in Australia for the better and soon we will be on top again.
4. Shane Watson
Arguably the glue that holds this team together, Watson has shown he is a match-winner. Anyone who has watched the Champions League recently would have seen he’s unstoppable on his day.
I’ve put him at number four to help him be relieved of the workload of batting first and opening second change (at times). He needs to fix his conversion rates, but if he is on fire, Australia will be hard to beat.
5. Ricky Ponting
A legend in his own right, but lately has been an average player. He drops down another position because of his age and slowing reflexes. His lack of competition has probably saved his axing, but I’m only being harsh on him because he’s Ricky Ponting.
Hopefully he can keep performing over this summer, and take the attack to Philander, Steyn and Morkel. The key for him is surviving the first half an hour, then he frees up and becomes the great he used to be.
6. Michael Hussey
The best cover driver in the game is still one of the first picked and rightly so. A true battler who seems to survive certain axings as each year progresses. Like Ponting, he is on borrowed time, but on his day he can be the most dangerous link in our line-up.
Susceptible to balls pitched just outside off stump, can push at the ball and needs to rectify his technique soon. His work with the lower order cannot be underestimated, and he provides the anchorman role for so many games (think 2011 Sydney Test v Pakistan).
7. Matthew Wade
Wade sneaks in front of Haddin because he has shown he is the future. He has all the attributes of a wicketkeeper and can bat very well. Does his job with minimum fuss and seems to have the temperament to handle top line cricket.
These choices will not be everyone’s cup of tea. So any improvements, Roarers?
TheGenuineTailender
Roar Guru
He's just so fat though!
The Bush
Roar Guru
I, like the majority of posters above, am a little wary of having Warner and Hughes open together. I am comfortable with one old head supervising another. If you are going to move Watson down the order, moving him to at least five. The reason for this is that three and four need to come straight off and pad up - a team always has the next two in padded up (that is school boy stuff). Therefore if you want Watson to be able to come off, shower and relax a little before he has to pad up and get warmed up, he has to bat five. Otherwise there is no point and he can just open the batting. As to the seasoned campaigners, this is it, either ditch one or both of them, or accept that we are going to have to back them all the way through the back-to-back Ashes. It was be completely ridiculous (but not beyond Cricket Australia/the Selection Panel) to drop Ponting and/or Hussey with less about ten tests to go before the Ashes and even more unfair to drop them mid-Ashes and expect some rookie to pick up the slack. I personally would have; 1. Warner 2. Cowen 3. Khawaja 4. Clarke 5. Watson 6. Hussey 7. Wade I would then back all of them for the entire summer and probably up to the Ashes and throughout. The only thought is perhaps Hussey wants a break at some point, say the tour of India, and you could use this as a chance to blood a new batsmen perhaps.
Skinnada
Roar Rookie
Australian selectors need to pick a squad and stick with them & not chop and change. Phil Hughes deserves a lengthy stay in the team to build a career but I am unsure whether they will drop Cowan yet. As far as Hussey changing his technique for the pitched up ball, I doubt that will happen as he is nearly 40 isnt he? I fear that Ponting may come unstuck against the hostile bowling of Steyn & Morkel which could and should be the end of his career. Then give a few younger guys a decent amount of time to get some runs.
Russ
Guest
Number three is simple: Cosgrove. Ignore the weight on his body, look at the weight of runs. Noone else combines as sound a technique, with experience in English conditions, with experience against the new ball, with the right age to be at his most productive. The guy can bat, and Australia aren't good enough to be prejudiced against someone who can bat because of peripheral issues.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
It's an interesting possie no.3. Generally regarded as the toughest spot, openers would beg to differ though I would think. l think AB had a tilt at it at some stage but can't quite remember. Seem to remember him there 1979, 79/80 but could be wrong. I'm not sure of Huss at no.6 ( or 5 if it's low and slow ). That's a spot for a new kiddie. He's played up the order for state and ODI. If things are crook during or after the series will he be required to move up?
Kristin Carville
Roar Rookie
What is this obsession with making Clarke bat at 3 to 'take more responsibility for hi team? Did Steve Waugh bat at 3 when he was captain? No! He batted at 5, and only had one season at number 3 in his career which was when AB was still captain. AB himself also batted at 5, so people need to get off this issue. If his best results come at 5, play him at 5. Simple as that. Cowan will be given at least the SA series to cement himself in the role. If he doesnt, and Hughes maintains his good start to the season, then there could be a change. Warner will need to get more consistncy going - he is doing exactly what Marcus North did in his career, and we saw how that ended.
jameswm
Guest
Nah I reckon he should bat 4. If Clarke can bat 5, then he can bat 4. It makes no sense, there's virtually no difference between the two spots. What that then means is Watto can bat 5 or 6, so he can have a break after bowling. It's psychological as much as anything - you need a shower and a bit of a sit down after coming off the field. Clarke bowls Watto when needed, so if Watto is bowling well and cleaning up a tail, Clarke should not have to take him off so he can have a break before batting.
jameswm
Guest
You need some new material. See above reply.
jameswm
Guest
You're seriously blaming that on Warner, who scored all our runs? Steve Waugh used to bat with the tail like that (let them block out their fair share). Go and criticise him for those tactics.
Oracle
Guest
I am more concerned that Ponting's road kill was not in line when photographed with his wife at the Caulfield Cup. The "Possum" was clearly on a different tangent to the remaining recession wear, and I think that explains why the helmet is never removed these days when our greatest batsman in the past 20 years passes a milestone.
Goanna
Guest
Clarke should start leading from the front and get up the order to bat at number 3. Don't like batsmen waiting around down the order to pick off the tired bowlers. Ponting could bludge down at 5 and get the runs too.
Jason
Guest
Warner can't play spin. His only spot is at opener. Phil Hughes shouldn't be anywhere near this team. Clarke should be locked in to bat at 5 for the rest of his career. Everyone else can work around him.
ak
Guest
Ponting at 3, Clarke at 5.
josh
Guest
How about all the other batsmen who didn't score over 20?
Cave Dweller
Guest
Yes how about that 7 run loss where he offered his tail on a plate for the NZ quickies? First ball over the over he takes 1 leaving 5 balls for quickies at 9, 10 11
josh
Guest
He averages 42? with series averages of 76.5, 44.33 and 28.5 (in a West Indian series where no recognised batsman averaged over 40). Warner will right. He's scored 2 100's 1 50. Cowan on the other hand averages 29.83 with only 3 50's, highest score of 74.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
I can't help feeling that Watson and Cowan could be an opening pair. Both play straight early on, and are reasonably reliable in terms of seeing off the new ball. Warner hasn't been tested yet against a quality attack, and no doubt will retain his spot (averaging 42 as an opener is far from bad). I just still have doubts about his approach at the top of a brittle line-up against a quality attack. Neither Watson or Cowan seem to make big scores, but they don't actually fail often either - to be fair, nor has Warner. Warner could be fantastic attacking option batting at around #5 or so, if he wants to be. Australia really should not need Watson as a front-line bowler. The fact that they have done shows how lacking in real quality the attack is. There is depth and promise but not, at this point, real match-winning capability.
Cave Dweller
Guest
When I think of Warner I think back to that 123 vs NZ and the lack of looking at the bigger picture in that game doing a Allan Lamb exposing his no 11 to a fast bowler who been ripping the top order to pieces
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Fair enough. I'm not opposed in principle then.
matthewthorpe
Roar Pro
cant see hughes getting a start, cowan has done nothing wrong and id say he will get first crack at opening. personally i feel warner is closer to being dropped - a few misses and not many hits, and all of a sudden the media will be on his back and saying he is only a t20 slogger