Johnson unlucky and Hogg has a ping at Pat

No but Pat Howard said Watsons plays for the team "sometimes". Who needs enemies when your own hierarchy is sledging you?

The less said about Johnson the better. Mind you, I can't begin to describe how pleased I am to see Ryan Harris break down again just as he completed his second or third game back from the last time he broke down which was two or three games back from the previous time.....and so on. I know, I know, fast bowling is a stressful business but it seems positively fraught for some. Fortunately, we have high performance people to manage all this. As for Hoggy's view of Watson's credentials I can only assume he's been so busy having fun since Mrs Hogg baled out and allowed him to resume his cricket career unhindered that he hasn't been reading the papers. Watson stepped down - at least that's what Watson said - and if that's what the paper said it must be true. So why would he be upset, Hoggy? Of course, Watson's position a VC had become completely untenable so it's probably no great leap of logic to assume if he hadn't told us he'd quit he would have been sacked. I'm still trying to work out how a player who was stood down for disciplinary reasons ever got to come back next Test as captain. Mind you, that captain's tag is his and it can't be take away from him now - he's an Aussie skipper like Richie, Chappeli, AB, Tubby and Steve Waugh. Well, perhaps not quite like them but he is a former Aussie captain. And now he's also a former vice-captain - as he should be.

''Johnson is terrific bowler he has pace and the way he has been swinging it clearly shows he still has it in him”. Oh how many,many times have we heard this of Johnson and how often he has failed to deliver.

Johnson sent down his usual rubbish last time he played ODIs in England.

Starc's first class record - 34 matches, 98 wickets at 32.91. Excluding tests, 25 matches, 68 wickets at 32.43 Faulkner's first class record - 34 matches, 125 wickets at 22.34 Excluding tests, Faulkner's average bowling in a match is 3.7 wickets for 82 runs, Starc is 2.7 wickets for 88 runs. As a comparison (excluding Tests) Bird takes 5.11 wickets for 100 runs

Johnson should only be considered in Australia and South Africa where there's more bounce. Play Faulkner instead of starc. starc is just as likely to take 1/ 200 as he is 7/ 20. faulkner has a good first class record plus great potential to become a true all rounder.

Completely agree on Starc and Johnson. They bowl the odd wicket ball but so much crap that it just completely releases the pressure. Starc's first class record is pretty crap. Harris definitely looks shaky for a test role. Hilfy would probably be in line as the like for like replacement.

Surely in English conditions Hilfy is the man to replace Harris if need be

Knocked off his feet by a strong gust of wind?

Brett Lee is the dumbest bloke in Aussie sport, fair dinkum Brett, you talk some crap sometimes.

Problem with both Starc and Johnson is in they both generally bowl to many lose balls. The bowler at the other end builds pressure and these guys let it of with easy runs. Both bowl best in the shorter forms and seem to struggle converting it into the red ball. Starc is young and has talent just needs to get some consistency. I disagreed with Johnsons recall during the summer but hit did bowl some great spells. Whether he could deliver in England for the Ashes is a big question mark on which Johnson turns up. Maybe the selctors decided not to take this risk. Interested to see how Sayers gets on for Australia A. I haven't seen him bowl but he had impressive FC figures this season. Terrible news about Ryan Harris. Unfortunatly his body can't be relied on. If he is breaking down in 20-20 how is he going to be able to bowl 20+ overs in a day in a test match?

T20 performances shouldn't equal test selection, however it does seem some do get selected on T20 performances..... Warner, Shaun Marsh & Glenn Maxwell are just 3 who have been selected in Test squads on the back of T20 performances? If Johnson is swinging the ball as much as they are saying (really wish IPL was telecasted) why shouldn't he be in the mix? Yes he didn't bowl well in India, but it's hardly conditions to suit him!!!!

I was surprise Starc was preferred to Johnners in India given the experience gap. Then he was played needlessly in the last test when conditions strongly indicated a 6 batsmen 2 pace 2 spin set up. Would be nice if he wrought some poetic vengeance on the English spectators.

Even Gurinder Sandhu at 19 years of age is looking for a berth now.

kill. me. now. how can he honestly get a look in with Pattinson, Bird, Faulkner, Siddle, Starc, Sayers and Butterworth? It's a long line and he should never come back.

Ryan Harris has an achilles injury suffered in the IPL and is out for six to eight weeks, if all goes according to plan. Johnson may yet get a reprieve.

Johnson should definitely still be in the mix for ODI's and T20's. He can swing the white ball better, has genuine pace and when batsmen cannot afford to wait for the inevitable bad ball, they get out nicking the ones that go across. And he can give it a thump too. He is still a good back up at test level if there are a number of injuries, but with Faulkner being picked as the second left armer I think that is the end for Mitch Johnson at test level. Watson is on his last chance. If he fails in England he should be left out in Australia. Like Mitch he continues to be valuable in limited overs cricket and that is where his future appears to lie.

Watson didn't lose the VC position, apparently he stepped down. Can't wait until he steps down from Test cricket.

Pat Howard is not a selector!

johnson was lucky to play a couple of tests last summer after the tripe he served up in the past.never to play for Australia again I hope. as roarers point out on a regular basis,t20 performance doesn't equal test selection.that goes for Johnson and Watson.