Warner’s case to bat at six

my team would be including players not in the squad: COSGROVE(Very experienced at county level and a natural batsmen who if in reasonable shape is a good fit for tests) ROGERS(Experience and calmness) KHAWAJA(Proper spot is a no 3) DOOLAN(Good to have a righty who is a natural 3,4) CLARKE)Best spot for him) WARNER(Gilly style lefty) PAYNE(Combination of better keeper than Wade or Haddin and a more cautious/safe batsmen) O'KEEFE/FAULKNER(Depending on conditions) PATTINSON(Best overall bowler) HARRIS(If healthy a strike weapon) BIRD(McGrath like bowler with surprise on his side)

James "what are you basing your 90% certainty that robson would accept? all i know is what iv read and that is that by all accounts he has chosen england." Robson hasn't explicitly said that he would reject Australian advances. He has just said that he considers it unlikely Australia would approach him and that he loves England. "to get a call up to play for australia nowadays is much easier than it was, robson has been playing really well for quite a while now, the notion that he has not been touched yet by the australian selectors is almost impossible. the most likely scenario is that they have offered him a test berth but that he has refused it because he wants to play for england more. i just cant fathom that he has not been approached yet and offered a test place already quietly and quietly said no, so both sides save face." I'm copying my response to you from another thread, as it deals with precisely this question It's absolute nonsense that Robson has already been offered a Baggy Green. Apart from anything, his own words suggest that is certainly not the case. It's not "much easier" to get a Test cap with Australia. The notion that someone with his stats (in the Sheffield Shield!) has not already been offered a Baggy Green is almost impossible. But the notion that someone with his stats in County cricket has not already been offered a Baggy Green is plausible and probable. The Australian selectors much prefer players who have developed in the Australian domestic competition. They should be smart and humble enough to accept Robson’s feats in County cricket. It’s very parochial and stupid, and I hate it. But that just the lines along which they think. I’m hoping they change. Besides Robson himself has said, I think recently, that it is highly unlikely Australia would ever court him. This makes it almost impossible that Australia already have approached him. He wouldn't tell an out and out lie for trivial reasons. I think Robson would prefer to play for England. But unless he’s even more stubborn than Ryan Giggs (with regard to Giggs choice of Wales over England), which is unlikely, AT THIS STAGE, he’d accept a Baggy Green in the Ashes and the opportunity to tie down Aussie opening batsman position for the next decade. With Cook, Root, Compton (and even Carberry and Chopra) he shall probably have to wait till he is in his late 20s to get a regular gig with England. But, if the Aussie selectors can shelve their pride (unlikely proposition), he can walk into the Aussie team now and be a key player for years to come. The only downside of him accepting a Baggy Green is that it would forfeit his local position at Middlesex. But I'm adamant that I could convince him that this would hardly be the end of the world. For starters he would automatically become NSW's best opener. Secondly, because of the County success he has already achieved, he'd almost certainly be picked up as the overseas player for another county (probably even in the County Championship). And it's common place for players to switch counties, so that's hardly the end of the world. Finally, because Chris Rogers is 35 and won't be playing at Middlesex indefinitely, it's possible Sam Robson could become Middlesex's overseas player. He would then be playing full-time for NSW and Middlesex, and opening the batting for Australia. I think that's a very, very compelling argument. You don't need to be a QC to persuade him. I'm 90% sure because one can't be 100% sure of anything. But given he has a far, far better chance at a long Test career with the country of his birth and upbringing, human ambition and common sense dictate that it's highly likely he'd accept a Baggy Green (at this stage). Based on what Robson himself has said and the history of Cricket Australia with regard to its selection policy, it's almost impossible Robson has already been approached and rebuffed an offer. I say that without even taking into account the fact that Robson would probably take up a Baggy Green at this stage for the reasons I have outlined. This has nothing to do with "saving face" or any nonsense like that. It's all down to the fact that CA are too arrogant and parochial to offer a Test cap to somebody who hasn't established himself in Australian domestic cricket. Let's hope they change their tune before it's too late.

he's ok for Australian conditions but Siddle is not in the top 4 in English conditions. No good him getting 3 for 100 in an English total of 400. We need to be bowling the Poms out for under 300 every time to even have a sniff and Siddle is not great economically or skilfully. He doesn't pitch it up enough and he too quickly gets ruffled and then tries to be indimidating a la Andre Nel. Siddle and Andre Nel - both have ticker but they won't win you a series in England.

yes and against australia james anderson has shocking career statistics. its got to be easier to bat well when you have in your team ponting, gilchrist, hayden etc destroying and completely intimidating the bowlers before you come in which was what watson benefited from in addition to him being really quite good back in the day.

i dont know if bird is necessarily better but the thing that puts him ahead of siddle is that siddle is not feared by good batsmen which england have. bird looks as good as siddle and he also has that surprise factor that siddle really doesnt. granted the surprise could be that he could be figured out right away and be hammered but i feel australia should choose that over siddle, a guy that the english will see in the bowling line up and not be worried about.

what are you basing your 90% certainty that robson would accept? all i know is what iv read and that is that by all accounts he has chosen england. to get a call up to play for australia nowadays is much easier than it was, robson has been playing really well for quite a while now, the notion that he has not been touched yet by the australian selectors is almost impossible. the most likely scenario is that they have offered him a test berth but that he has refused it because he wants to play for england more. i just cant fathom that he has not been approached yet and offered a test place already quietly and quietly said no, so both sides save face.

Nor has he proved himself in First Class cricket in the batting department. Bowler only. Haddin will never "steady the ship" or has he ever and giving him Warner as the person to do it with is an easy 5-for to Anderson.

Say what you will about Siddle lacking the extra gear of some of the other guys but for mine he'd easily be the most consistent bowler in for Ausralia in recent seasons.

If Watson doesn't bowl then drop him and put Warner to 6, get him to work on his leggies aswell. Cowan can then come back in to open with Rogers.

Bird is better? Not sure where that conclusion comes from? Only need one stock bowler? So we just pick a bowler who's record says he is no good, in all first class? You are from nsw right?

Good call on Head- very talented young player

I like you Disco :)

Geez why does everyone always bag Peter Siddle? What is this rubbish everyone keeps spouting about him having no skill? He hits the deck hard and gets seam movement. He gets a little bit of conventional swing early in the innings and has the ability to reverse it a little at the end. Combine those skills with his endurance and consistency and you have a quality test bowler. His stats reflect all this as well. To say that he lacks skill is just absolute nonsense.

Agree with Harris....he no doubt has the class... Burns , Lynn , Doolan , Silk , Maddinson , Patterson , Travis Head , Marcus Harris ...... good crop of batsman coming up.. btw any idea what Joe Burns is up to ?? he was supposed to play county cricket right ?

Starc over Siddle? I assevyoubare from nsw! Starv two lots of five wickets, cleaned up the tail of stag Africa after they over 500 and cleaned up the tail of Sri Lanka when the game was over. Against quality, Seth Africa and India, he was useless, expensive, wayward, and amazingly for a left armed, swingless! Siddle is honest and the stock bowler every team needs. Starc is about as good as bollinger and bracken.

Personally, I think Katich should've replaced Ponting as Test captain in 2009.