How will Cameron Bancroft slot into the Australian Test side?

Hi Ben, Our views are generally very similar. However, here we differ. Bancroft is an opener. It is unfair to batsmen to continually reshuffle the batting order. Opening batsmen especially hate waiting to bat. Bancroft is primarily an opener. He is an exciting talent but nevertheless he should not be crushed under the weight of our expectations. Nor should he be expected to solve two problems for Australia. Renshaw could potentially return this season if Warner's form fails. This is an exciting time for Australian cricket, with Weatherald, Bancroft, Harris and Renshaw as potential future top order batsmen. Smith, Handscomb, Hughes, Patterson et al in the middle order. Doran as keeper. Talk of Marsh returning is perplexing. His 2017-18 average of 39.33 is below Maxwell (40), yet he does not offer maxwell's ability in the field or ability to accelerate the scoring.

Hi David, I am confused by your claim that SA's last match was against Vic. In fact, SA played WA in round 3 in which Jake Lehmann scored 13 and 24*. The Vic bowling attack in the game you cite was Siddle, Tremain, Boland and Ahmed, which is a long way from the strongest attack in the Shield. Lehmann's average of ~50 is below Hughes(~70) and Weatherald (~70). Hughes is more consistent with Weatherald's average boosted in the most recent Shield round, However, Weatherald's selection would surely herald the return of the late, great Tony Greig's Weatherwall. On that note David, I'd love to read your recollections of Tony Greig's role in the creation of WSC especially in selecting and approaching players many of whom Greig knew through county cricket or from S Africa.

Agreed Reece but he shouldn't be keeper.

Hard to argue with your team, except for a fifth bowling option.

Agree with half of that, the Marsh selection is ridiculous but I don't mind the Paine selection. Whilst it is a bit out of left field he is more in form with the bat than Wade or Nevill and is around the same age. Many people high up in Australian cricket rate him as the best pure gloveman of the lot so in a keeping sense it's a good move. Also with Whiteman being injured there just isn't a young candidate putting there hand up. I was keen on Bancroft taking the gloves but it seems the selectors are clearly keen on a full time keeper getting the nod. Would've thought being a first choice state keeper would be a pre requisite although I suspect Tassie wanted to play Paine anyway but CA wanted Wade to play. Now they've backflipped and suggest Paine is the better player! Long term I feel Whiteman is clearly the keeper for Australia but I feel more comfortable with Paine than Wade or Nevill to be honest. Shaun Marsh however is a joke of a decision, cannot believe CA are going down this line again. Fools everyone with early season form then flops at test level. Great limited overs cricketer but his time is up at test level. Would've preferred Maxi or Cartwright or Weatherald for that matter.

One would hope before Jake Lehmann enters the test fray, he develops a defence and learns to bat time. Run a ball innings are pure spectacle but they don't often win matches.

If Tim Paine gets selected for the Ashes, Australia's current coach will have scored a more recent Sheffield Shield century (Nov '07) than our wicketkeeper (Oct '06).

if this is all true - it's fairly ridiculous stop-gap-selecting... we've not learned anything from what happened 12 months ago. now if smarsh fails again (which given his inconsistencies of high score, duck, duck, duck, high score... etc) and paine fails - we've brought in 2 old players at the expense of 2 younger ones who'd be that much better this time next year for the extra experience and might even be good for the next 6 or 7 years.

Seems it's pretty much confirmed that Paine will keep and Bancroft will open. I'm surprised by Paine but not entirely against the idea. A better bat than Wade or Nevill and probably a better gloveman. However going back to Shaun Marsh over the likes of Maxwell and Cartwright is pure lunacy! How many times does the bloke fail at international level yet gets another chance! Ludicrous decision, should've been Maxwell I feel. I bet the poms are far happier knowing it'll be S Marsh at 6. Happy for Bancroft and probably fair enough on Renshaw, he's young and will get another chance in the test team. Paine surely is a stop gap until the best wk bat in the country Whiteman is fit and firing.

Tim paine and sean marsh to make a comeback

I’m pretty comfortable with the Paine selection. I think a lot of people would regard him as the best gloveman in Australia, and he certainly isn’t going to do any worse with the bat than Wade, Neville and Carey. Too big a risk to use Bancroft as keeper. Personally I would have stuck with Renshaw. I rate the lad highly and reckon he would have stepped up when it mattered. I would have then had Bancroft at 6. Geez Don Freo is going to be in bed early tomorrow night after having to defend S. Marsh’s selection. It’s a left field selection but I’m not totally against it.

I have no words. The prospect of an extremely rare Shield win for Tassie sacrificed in the name of national try-outs.

Feel sorry for Maxwell if he's left out.He has this perception of losing his wicket chasing quick runs but every batsman in the Australian team does the same thing bar Renshaw.Now Renshaw is under scrutiny for soaking up too many balls which i thought is a perfect compliment to the rest of the Aussie top order. Maxwell has a lot to work on his game but he would be better focussing on his after match hanging with the boys skills.He could possibly ask Okeefe or Katich for some tips. I can just imagine the boys in the dressing room asking Shaun wheres Mitch? BTW I actually don't mind Shaun in the side and would be happy if Mitch become what we all want him to be. I just think Maxwell gets a pretty raw deal compared to others. I don't know Maxwell or Okeefe but maybe they are just not people you like having about.

They're smokin something surely. I'd be backing S Marsh to open and Bancroft to keep. With Maxwell or Cartwright at 6. But then the selectors have had some pretty funky form of late so who knows.

The Langer influence on Aust cricket is huge if true Bancroft & S Marsh in, Renshaw out.

"Foxsports.com.au understands Tigers coach Adam Griffith was made aware that Paine was in contention to play in the first Test, which heavily influenced captain George Bailey’s decision not to declare despite Tasmania leading by more than 450 runs on day three. It is not clear how heated the conversation between Bailey and Griffith became. What is known is that Bailey’s primary objective was to allow his bowlers enough time to take 10 Bushrangers wickets to gain outright points after a miserable first two rounds, while for Griffith winning was a dual objective alongside getting Paine into the Test team for the first time since 2010." So that is a quote from foxsports. Surely that removes any doubt about how broken the Shield is. Paine is good with the gloves and if they are picking him because of his glove work then great, but he should have been allowed to keep for his State. If his State didn't think he was good enough then Tim has problems but from all reports their coach wanted him to keep. I am guess Wade forced his hand and demanded the Gloves. I guess Griffith would have been put in a very awkward position probably have the NSP order him to play Wade and when Wade didn't work out order him to play Paine. The whole thing is a mess. Just let States pick their best teams and go from there. Stop all the interference.

It does seem a lot riskier than handing Bancroft the gloves and playing an extra batsman. Maybe this is all hot air, we'll see...

True but didn't some of that have to do with CA pressuring Tas to give Wade the gloves? Did Paine do much keeping in FC last season? I honestly don't remember, they have so many

I never would have predicted this. This is lunacy.

Paine must have impressed Smith with some boorish sledging.