Sorry Shaun, but Usman and Joe took their chances first

Burns is also playing well. He has averaged 46.88 in calendar 2015, as an opener. SMarsh has averaged only 42.1 over the same period batting against the older ball.

Sure look younger by all means if we need to replace him but I think there is higher than a 50/50 chance that he will maintain his form through to the next ashes. Considering he has the highest test average in the world right now it's hard to write him off. But we have seen in the past when players get to his age the form can leave them completely and not quite ever return. time will tell.

Don I was simply highlighting it is unfair to pick and chose which innings you want to disregard in order to make a point. Can you explain why you think Burns is a "Manufactured Opening bat"? Is he not regularly a top order batsman for Queensland at first class level? Marsh has not done enough to cement his spot as a test opener which is highlighted by the fact that he played in the last test match as a fill-in in the middle order and wasn't playing because he had forced Burns out of the opening position on merit.

Its frightening to see both Marshes in the batting order ... always get a feeling that we are playing with 4 batsman and the wicket-keeper batsman..Imagine this batting lineup in NZ... 2 wickets for free lol Burns does deserve a fair go in this team , either in the mid order or at the top.. We always complain about how a guy with a poor FC record gets a go in the test team sometime ...here is guy with a good solid FC record - give him a fair run...Shaun was the last man in and should be the man to make way for Ussie...anyone remembers Brad Hodge ? Poor guy dropped after making 200 .. The decision is simple for me ... drop SMarsh for Uzzie , if you wanna play SMarsh drop MMarsh..MMarsh is a number 8 batsman at best at Test level for now.. The sooner we get rid of the "all-rounder is the most necessary thing" idea the better it will be for the team !!!

The way I see it is this: I believe (like 99.9% of people here) that Khawaja needs to find a spot in the Boxing Day Test, especially after passing his 'fitness test' of the BBL. However, I feel it is extremely harsh to drop a guy who has just made a century, and also played a pretty good innings in tricky conditions to lead the team to victory (in Adelaide). It wasn't pretty to watch by any means, but it got us over the line. Although I can see why Burns' should keep his spot in the team, his last 3 tests haven't produced much. I know it seems unfair considering he scored 200 runs in the Brisbane test, but on supposed flat track in Perth, and against the 'worst bowling attack in the world' in Hobart, he failed. A test century is a test century; the runs still need to be made, regardless of who it is against. And making it in a partnership that set up the match for Australia, I think Marsh should be rewarded.

It's not "exactly (your) point". It is a parody of your point. Burns is a manufactured opening batsman. Shaun Marsh is one of the premier short form openers in the world and has done fine opening for Australia and averages 47 opening for WA over his career.

Exactly my point Don Freo, it's a pointless exercise to disregard certain innings in favor of others. Aransan, Marsh has had multiple opportunities to prove himself and the results meant that the only reason he was even playing was due to injury and even then, plenty were saying we should have picked someone else to have a chance to prove themselves. Are we taking one innings these days as an indicator of form? The point is Marsh is fighting for a middle order spot, NOT an opening spot.Marsh is not an opener and Khawaja is better suited to 3. Khawaja, Smith and Voges have earned their places in the side on merit. If Marsh is to be seriously considered it has to be in lieu of his brother, not an opening Bat. Considering there isn't another opener busting down the doors to take Burns' spot off him there is absolutely no justification for him being dropped out of this side. At least not until after Sydney.

Great post Aransan.The use of averages on this site from a traditional cricketing sense is often disappointing.Averages should be looked at,and are by cricket purists,at the completion of a players career. If statistics are to be used and a player is yet to retire aggregates for a series or runs during a calendar year are the figures we need to be looking at,if we are desperate to use averages they need to be placed alongside these figures.If a player is still playing and thereby available for selection,current form has to be the most important criteria.

Chris, after 6 matches and 11 innings Joe Burns average is meaningless. The selectors have to go on a lot more than test statistics in the early stages of a cricketers career and even first class averages often don't translate well to tests. One of the criticisms of the treatment of Phil Hughes was that he was selected when out of form. Shaun Marsh doesn't have many chances left, I wouldn't like to drop him when he is in form. Give him the opportunity to prove himself one way or the other.

Lynn has a great FC record. I always wonder how he's managed to accumulate because he is constantly injured.

Take one Burns test out (Brisbane) and his average plummets below 30. Take Marsh's last test out and his average remains above 35. Now that's misleading because Marsh has played about 3 times as many innings, and he has 3 centuries. Which is my point. If we think it's an anomaly from Joe in Brisbane then we should look at alternatives. If we think that in every 6 tests he'll score a century and 3 halves at an average of 40 then he is absolutely worth persisting with.

yeah right. Too old. Voges is now the senior experienced player taken over from Rogers. And doing a fine job at that. We need to look under 30

Voges is now Buck Rogers full time replacement as the senior experienced player. We need to look younger. e.g Burns, Maddinson and all the others. Not oldies like Shaun Marsh. Now Voges spot.

We can do way better than NCL. There are many younger bowlers with at least the same or more talent than him. Injuries excepted of course ...................

Agreed about Lynn. He is still very "one dayish" but can be groomed for it. Look at Warner. Lynn is a real talent and I hate QLD. Gotta be honest.

Agreed, Haydos did well. Many former players bag Gillespie's double ton the same way. Did not see them do it.

Ah...but if you take their 3rd and 4th last innings off...and leave the last one on...the numbers look different again. It's easy to lop off the innings you don't like to make the point you want to make.

I agree and with most of what you have said here keggas except without that sentence this article would still have had some major credibility issues.

Yeah we need McGrath back. Forget about calling on rookies like BIrd, Paris, Sayers of Behrendorff. Their FC record suggests they have no chance.

I wouldn't write off Adam Voges to maintain the rage well into the next Ashes, the bloke looks extremely fit right now and is averaging through the roof. You'd want a serious and prolonged form reversal to be dropping him at this point.