There are ten games until the World Cup and we have Alex Carey and Aaron Finch as openers.
Carey’s displays have shown he is not the answer at the top. It’s not so much his return, but the way he has been getting out. He seems rushed, and with what Australia has available, I don’t see him making playing eleven.
Finch is a worry. Has he been found out or is it that his quest to become a Test batsman has cost him few of his strengths? This can happen to good players – while strengthening/ironing out a weakness they can nullify their strengths. This happened to Shane Watson as well. When Watson tried to not plant his front foot in Tests, he was never as effective in ODI cricket again.
Sometimes, it’s better to just concentrate on the format that has been working really well and not try to master them all.
Finch’s confidence is shot, the ‘criss-cross-applesauce’ position he gets himself into is spiralling out of control, and it threatens to bring an abrupt end to his dominating ODI carrier. He is a champion bloke, fits ‘elite-honesty’ and it is not his fault him opening the Tests against India costs us few games.
We learned the hard way there. Everyone and their dog could see he is not our best batsman against new-moving red ball, yet the selectors persisted and we paid the price by watching a rampant Indian team ‘do us slow’.
There is pain, and then there is self-inflicted pain, but this was pure agony, every Australian fan could see it from a mile. I know Hillary Clinton lost the election and she has gotten over it, or not, but I promise the Aussie fans will get over the loss too, or not.
But, and my heart sinks as I write this, are we headed the same direction in the World Cup, i.e., are the mighty ‘Australian Selectors’ repeating the dosage; is the pattern showing, is it that the one lesson we have learned is that we have not learned any of history’s lessons?
Now that my whinge is out of the way, here is my World Cup 11:
1. David Warner (and captain if not for self-inflicted wounds)
2. Usman Khawaja (brings stability and controlled aggression)
(AAP Image/David Moir)
3. Shaun Marsh (solid form)
4. Peter Handscomb (keeper/captain?)
5. Glenn Maxwell (has to face more over – captain – whoever is better leader between PH and Maxi)
6. Chris Lynn (let him loose in the last ten overs, with a clear mind to hit)
7. Marcus Stoinis
8. Ashton Agar
9. Mitchell Starc
10. JA Richardson
11. Josh Hazlewood
Bench
Bowlers: Pat Cummins/Jason Behrendorff/Adam Zampa
All-rounder: Mitch March (also acts as reserve batsman)
Batsmen: None, we have what we have, and give them the confidence and backing, if injury, M. Marsh.
This to me is a side that can win against our competition (England/India/SAF). So, here I’m hoping the pattern won’t continue and a loss at the World Cup is not what it should take to make tough calls to give this Australian side a decent chance against other gun teams. But then the thought of how common sense is the most limited of natural resources drains me of my confidence and images of Maxwell batting seven and facing five balls, not out, surface.
J. Q
Guest
I think a week is a long time for Australian cricket at the moment so much changes, with a week passing we have the emergence of pucovski and Patterson in red ball cricket so I think it’s hard to put together a team for the World Cup just yet one guy I have been impressed with is c.green for the thunder in the big bash may be a smoky who knows, I still think there is a bit to come out of the woodworks before the word cup
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Sorry for late response mate. I reckon Lynn can be a good finisher. We have too many options at the top. We just need to back Lynn.
Abdushakoor
Roar Rookie
Good points raised especially about Chris Lynn batting as a finisher. That's a superb idea because if he has to get in there early he can defend some and can cut the ball too. And when he gets comfortable in that situation, he could go berserk.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Smith struggled in ODIs before suspension, and his captaincy has always been weak. I would be happy for him to just concentrate on Red ball cricket. Marsh should never play Test cricket again, or else there will be riots in Australia.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Harsh for Carey, but Handscomb is better batsman and keeps well.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Yep, Marsh is a good short form player, but leader he is not. His Tests days are over.
Peter Warrington
Guest
I think if S Marsh is told he is never playing tests again, but will captain both albino teams for 3-4 years if he talks, things can be sorted.
Peter Warrington
Guest
yes, Carey is talked about as if he is a deadset star already, but hasn't 1 50 for Australia in any format. he goes in 6 places ahead of a player who has centuries for Australia in all 3 formats. bizarre. elitley bizarre
Peter Warrington
Guest
Agree. Smith should never play white ball cricket again, and S Marsh never the red. like fish and meat...
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Good points Wasim. If Lynn is pushed up and we end with top 3 of Lynn/Khawaja/Warner, that’s a solid top 3. Lynn needs to be backed and told to stop looking over his shoulder, same with Khawaja, give them the backing and take pressure of them. Who would you drop for Zampa? Agar must play, he keeps them tight, brilliant in the field, and with the bat.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
True mate, it's not Finch's fault they asked him to open in Tests when in Shield for Victoria he batted in middle order and did well, baffling!
Wasim
Guest
Excellent!! Would be tempted to play Lynn and Zampa though. Lynn could prove lethal at the top, especially in view of the fact that the wickets in England should be batsmen friendly , at the time the world cup is to take place.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Rob, it’s not so much that Finch is struggling, it’s the way he has been getting out. Plonking his left foot on off stump, and anything that is straight or, god forbid, anything that swings-in, he gets his legs into scissors, head falling over loses his balance and gone. Ponting and Inzy had similar issues but knew how to sort it. This problem for Finch has persisted for a while now, and I really think he needs time away to sort it out. Stoinis has done well for Melbourne Stars, but we have better players at top available. Warmer and Khawaja can smash teams, and Marsh can play that anchor role. Marsh/Handscomb/Maxi in the middle are good runners. Lynn with his hitting, can win a game on his own. We need Lynn and Maxi on slow grounds in England. Agar and Starc give us a solid tail. With that in mind, Stoinis and Lynn coming late can be really aggressive. This side, I believe, will be hard to beat. Just need to back them.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Thanks Paul. Sorry for the confusion, what I meant was Warner could have been great Captain, but his self inflicted Sandpaper issue has prevented that unfortunately. Marsh can’t be captain, too quite, was looked over for WA Captaincy for that reason. I would still have Lynn over Carey for reasons mentioned above. Thanks for challenging my thought process mate.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Paul, dropping Carey will be harsh, but those are the decisions that need to be made. Australia has plenty of good options at the top, I don’t see how he can bat better than Warner/Khawaja/Lynn. The way I look at it, it’s Carey or Handscomb, and latter is better batsman. Last game Handscomb played for Melbourne Stars, he scored 70 and kept wickets, he is good enough keeper in short form.
Rob
Guest
Okay Finch is currently struggling but he has scored 11 centuries and 8 of those are against England and South Africa. Do they lack pace? I think Lynn is a better striker than Finch but he struggles against spin and has to be hidden in the field. Khawaja, Marsh, Stoinis and Lyn together would actually be gifting 50 plus runs in the field and running between the wickets IMO. Stoinis is a slow starter and poor runner between the wickets. I can’t see him being effective late but certainly can cause major damage early when the field is up. The best late order bats have been Hussey and Bevan IMO. because they knocked good balls into gaps and ran quickly. Smith, Maxwell, Handscomb, Carey and Agar will score al round the ground but also can hit the bad ball over the rope as soon as they walk in.
Paul
Roar Guru
Tana, just a point on your WC selection which I think could work - almost. You named Warner as captain but he has been banned from all leadership positions. In the WC team, I'd maybe have Marsh as captain, Lynn in the squad but not a first choice in the team and Carey batting at 7. Handscomb could relieve Carey with the gloves when we play the weaker teams
Paul
Roar Guru
Tana, I think Carey needs a few more chances before axing him. In an ideal world right now, he and Finch would open the batting with Finch getting us away to a flier and Carey providing support. Finch is obviously out of touch so I think Carey is trying to up the ante when that's not his game. By the way, how much keeping has Handscomb done recently in this form of cricket? Not much I suspect.
Sunny
Guest
I think Chris Lynn should open alongside David Warner. This will add more firepower at top of the order, and being left-right combination will only add to bowler's problems. Khwaja, Marsh at 3 and 4 will bring stability with controlled agression in the middle needed to build innings if early wicket is lost. Maxi or Handscomb at 5 or 6 depending on situation. Finch is prime example of trying too much. But can't blame him, getting a baggy green is dream and proud moment for any Aussie.
Tana Mir
Roar Rookie
Matt, Cummins is a solid No. 9 in ODIs. He has played some good knocks for Sydney Thunder.