If there is one common consensus in all the talk about the Australian cricket team, it’s that the side isn’t right.
The team we put out on the paddock against India was nothing short of a disgrace and an embarrassment. You have players earning a spot who have either struggled in the international arena or, even more frightening, on that state scene.
It is little wonder India won the recent Test as comprehensively and brutally as they did.
In eight short weeks, Australia will play England for The Ashes. Before that time, things need to change and they need to change quickly.
The phenomenal brains trust that we call the selection panel need to wake up and smell the roses. Blind Freddy only needs to look at the second Innings scorecard of the Test in Hyderabad to notice we are in serious trouble.
Regardless of any scientifically engineered ‘rotation policy’, Australia must focus on winning The Ashes. Below are the changes that I would make to the side before the first Test:
1. Lyon In, Doherty Out
This fascination with attempting to unearth a left arm spinner needs to be erased from of the minds of the selectors. Xavier Doherty needs to be dropped.
Doherty has one stock ball, which hardly turns even on the spinner friendly Indian wickets. His three wickets in the last Test were all tail enders. There is an alarming trend here – he is simply not good enough.
The best spinner in the country should play in the Test side and that is Nathan Lyon. He can at least trouble the batsmen with movement off the pitch and proven himself a wicket taker – handy with the bat as well.
2. Four fast bowlers – Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle
On the green wickets in England, you need your best fast bowlers tearing in. This idea of having two all rounders in the side is pathetic.
If you were Alastair Cook, you would much rather get through the opening bowlers and face the gentle medium pace. We don’t want that!
Rattle the cages of these Poms and select the bowlers who are fast and, more importantly, can swing it.
You don’t need a gentle medium pace all rounder. All four of these men can bat and hopefully it will put the onus on the top order to perform.
3. Voges in, Watson Out
If Shane Watson isn’t going to bowl then he must become accountable for his batting. Put simply, it is not up to scratch.
He seems to still be carrying his niggling injuries and because he is not at 100%, he should not be playing.
Adam Voges is fast becoming the Brad Hodge of this cricket generation. Despite countless runs in both Sheffield Shield and International ODIs, he continues to be overlooked.
The man is in form and high in confidence. In addition, his fielding is brilliant and would be a welcome inclusion.
4. Clarke at three
I am going to say this bluntly, Michael Clarke needs to man up and stop hiding down the order. The day Ricky Ponting called it quits, Clarke should have put his hand up there and then, moved up the order and stamped himself as a top order superstar.
He obviously has the technique and the ability to hold his own at the position.
Regardless of whether he feels more comfortable down the order or not, his team and his country need him.
With Clarke at three, the innings can be gain some structure and a foundation can be built around him, such as with Ponting during his golden years.
My team for the first Test in The Ashes would be as follows:
1. David Warner
2. Ed Cowan
3. Michael Clarke
4. Phil Hughes
5. Adam Voges
6. Matthew Wade
7. Michell Johnson
8. Peter Siddle
9. Mitchell Starc
10. James Pattinson
11. Nathan Lyon
12th Man – Jackson Bird
ashes to ashes
Guest
Second choices in parentheses: Consider swapping positions for 6 & 7, depending on batting ability... 1. Cowan 2. Warner 3. Khwaja 4. Clarke 5. Bailey (or Marsh) 6. Best gloveman ??? 7. Watson (or Henriques) as seamer batsman — important in case of injury to strike bowler early in a match. 8. Pattinson 9. Harris (or Cummins or Starc) 10. Fawad Ahmed (or Lyon) 11. Bird (or Hilfenhaus)
The Bush
Roar Guru
Far to logical to ever be the team. Clearly you sir are out of touch with modern cricket! On a serious note, how good would it be to see some consistent selections of a proper team?
josh
Roar Rookie
8/119. it might not be as bad as we think? Two inept teams against each other?
Bob
Guest
Lets ask them not to bowl spin against him!
Bob
Guest
McGrath was boring but did pretty well. Siddle has a good record and is rated at 5 in the world. Who else are you picking?
Ian
Guest
No, we drop Warner because he does not have the right technique as an opening TEST batsman, where you cannot get away with poor technique over a protracted period of time. If we persist with him, this evidence will come to light in the long-term. Wait till he gets to England and watch how his average will drop (the England bowlers must be licking their lips at the prospect of bowling to him). His average is already dropping with the Indian series. Thus far, he's manage to average 28.5. It won't get any better in England. We should rather seek to blood and opening test batsman who has a solid technique. Warner, the master blaster, is much better suited to one day and twenty/20 cricket. Players should be used according to their strengths, not weaknesses.
Matt F
Roar Guru
As they showed in the 5th test in 2009 they can try but it will be like an Australian pitch that spins. Not much for the first few days but starts to turn from Day 3 onwards. It won't be turning sideways on Day 1. You're right that they'll be confident enough in their chances on any type of pitch, then again they are currently 5/80 against NZ!
Ian
Guest
Not sure I would totally agree. He plonks his foot down the centre of the pitch for his forward defensive shot, which makes him prone to being out LBW (dismissed 21 times). However, when he plays across the line, it's usually the pull shot that gets him into trouble. Since he's been out caught 26 times, I suspect this proves me right as he is often out pulling. Only out caught behind 10 times.
jameswm
Roar Guru
So this is the new selection criteria. We drop Warneer because Ian "is convinced" that Warner's strong start to his test career will not continue. Have the NSP been informed of the new slection criteria yet?
josh
Roar Rookie
Edit 4/69
josh
Roar Rookie
England are currently 6/64 v New Zealand
Red Kev
Guest
Watson's problem is that he has no technique, he plonks his foot down the line of middle stump and swings - defensive stroke or pull shot his feet move the same.
Ian
Guest
What happened in Perth against South Africa. Oh, that's right, he made 13 and 29!
Ian
Guest
The stats argue differently. Let him open again, and we'll see.
Ian
Guest
He swung, and swung against NZ and it came off. But that's the problem, it only happens once in a blue moon. He happened to connect against NZ, but quite frankly, you cannot compare their bowling attack to England's, who along with South Africa, have the best fast bowling attack in the world.
Ian
Guest
I would argue that Watson has a much more technically sound defence than Warner. Watson's biggest problem is not ability, or concentration, but he's not mentally strong (whereas I think Warner is).
Red Kev
Guest
Watson's average has been affected by form, not batting position. He had two good years, now he is back to the same mediocrity he always was.
Red Kev
Guest
Yeah he proved that against New Zealand on that Bellrieve green top ... oh wait that's right, he carried his bat through serious seam and swing in that second innings.
Ian
Guest
Both Cowan and Warner need more matches before their test averages will settle. When Kalllis began test cricket, I can't remember how many test he had played (I think it was near the 6 mark), and his average was something like 16. I think the reverse will happen with Warner. If he's given more time, I am convinced his average will begin to drop to somewhere in the mid 30's. Hopefully he will be dropped before that happens. Currently, Warner does not qualify for an official average (he's only played 17 tests), and neither does Cowan (15 tests). Watson's average is 36.03, but is 43.07 when he has opened the batting. It's difficult to make an accurate assessment of Watson since his average has been affected because of the different positions in which he has batted. These are his stats: Opening: 43.07 No. 3: 28:50 No. 4: 29:67 No. 6: 24:29 No. 7: 14.50 If that doesn't tell the selectors where he makes the most runs, then nothing will.
Ian
Guest
Warner hasn't played as many tests. Just give it time, and his average will drop below 40. Mark my words, Warner will be found out in England. He will not be able to cope with swing bowling.