Maxwell's hot form a World Cup boon for Australia

I also think Shaun is only really a top 3 option. I believe Khawaja and Finch have jumped him in the pecking order now. Can he cope with the moving ball in English conditions is the question? Then again all of Australia's top 3 options could be questionable against good swing bowling. I really worry we lose runs with Marsh's fielding and running between the wickets, considering what young Richardson brought to the team. I'm convinced it's what Australia's selectors should put more weight on in the selection room.

also, please note I have never ever suggested anywhere that anyone should be picked for ODI on averages. and, in relation to your #4 position issue, Stoinis' sample is admittedly small, but pretty dire. FWIW, I now have Marsh opening in my team with Warner.

you asked me about those 4 games

No you were right the first time 131 off 123. Fun thing is Stoinis averages 38.52 at SR 93.5 with the bat and S.Marsh averages 41.6 at SR 81.5. Stoinis hasn't played Scotland and Bangladesh to boast his numbers either. Peter, The aim of limited overs cricket is to score as many runs as you can in 50 overs. Shaun Marsh has a good average but is batting 4 through the middle overs against the weakest bowlers in the opposition team with the field spread difficult? Australia have consistently been beaten because they don't score enough, especially when Shaun is the key contributor. Which is the bleeding obvious from the results IMO. I actual think batsmen can be forced into getting out when they know they need to score more runs? Usually it's someone batting with Shaun for an extended period. There were 11 batsmen (6 Pakistan) who scored faster than Shaun Marsh in the Pakistan Series? There were 20 players that scored faster than S.Marsh in the India Series? Series Australia have recently won. No dead people just defunct batting in my opinion. Might be wrong but I think we can do better without Shaun Marsh in the field also.

Absolutely Peter, as I told these guys before, blaming Marsh for being the best batsman when we lose is like the Monty Python and the Holy Grail sketch where the witch is tied to a rock and thrown in the river - if she floats she’s a witch, if she drowns she was innocent. There’s a Witch-hunt like hatred for the Marshes due to their Test performances, often from the same kind of people who think Stoinis should be in the Test team due to his T20 record (which is inferior to Marsh’s anyway, but that’s beside the point). The ODI series in England last year was lost badly mainly because we had a bowling B team- Neser, Stanlake, Tye, a green J Richardson. Just like our bats have just dined out on Pakistan’s B team, although nowhere nearly as well as the English bats dined out on ours.

That first one should be 131 off 116.

I see dead people? resulting is definitely the wrong word. coinciding is more apt. 1. 113 off 116 in 304 chasing 340. Short Stoinis Finch and even Maxwell all went lower and slower. Tye going at 9 was the biggest issue. 2. 101 off 92 in setting 302, which england cruised to. Finch took 14 more balls for his ton. Head went at 100 (Marsh 110). Nobody else contributed. Maxwell didn't play. Neser and Richardson went at over 8. 3. 106 off 102 in 290 chasing SA's 327. Head got 6 off 21. Stoino 63 off 76. Carey and Maxwell tried to get it there. Stoinis went at 10. 4. 131 off 123 in 298 which India got in the last over. Finch got 6 off 19. Us 21 off 23. Carey 18 off 27, opening. Stoinis 29 off 36. MAxy's 48 off 37 gave us a push. You could criticise Marsh getting out straight after Maxwell. Siddle got 0-58 off 8. Maxwell got 1-16 off 4 and Finch should have bowled him more. So.... I can't see any rational explanation that would allow you to apportion blame to Marsh for these losses. Perhaps he should going even harder earlier, or bat for longer. But he was miles ahead of most of the guys in the team in those games. I can't believe you goaded me into defending Shaun Marsh on the internet : (

Peter, what's your take on Shaun Marshes 4x100's in ODI's in the last 18months all resulting in Australia losing badly? It's also fascinating and somewhat bizarre that out of the last 6 games that when Shaun Marsh has scored less than 20 runs Australia has won 5 times?

agree. I ended up dumping both Smith and Khawaja in my vote for the squad selection. Marsh and Khawaja probably should have been allowed to bat in the sub-continent for a place, and Marsh has superior record and form and strike rate. I am having trouble comprehending why Smith is a lock because he played well at the WC in 2015... but Marsh's form over the last 12 months doesn't count.... and Maxwell's superior performance in 2015 didn't stop him being dropped, and/or have his place questioned as recently as a few weeks ago.

Also, Marsh has a superior T20 scoring rate and average to Khawaja and Smith, which is relevant to ability to up the rate in an ODI. But Smith’s big match experience and temperament, including in the WC, can’t be discounted.

Exactly Peter, strike rate in the last 12 months is more relevant than career strike rate. Anyone playing before 2011-12 will also be affected by the fact that scoring rates were slower beforehand the introduction of using two new balls for ODIs which made a big difference. In fact Marsh, amazingly, played 35 of his 71 ODIs before 2011-12, during which time he scored at 76 (average 37). Since the last World Cup in 2015, he has scored at 89 with an average of 45. This is superior to both Khawaja (84, ave 47) and Steve Smith (84, ave 42). Which is why I think Khawaja is a potential liability. Marsh hasn’t been looking as good lately on Asian pitches but he had a great ODI series in England last year and has a good record there in County and other white ball cricket. Khawaja has never played an ODI there.

yes he does but he went at 90 in NZ, 100 in England and against SA here. 80 in pakistan just gone. each of his tons from mid-2018 were at better than 100. he has been playing since 2008 i think. I would rather focus on the last 18 months than the last 12 years. he probably should be opening but all of Finch Khawaja Warner Stoinis and S Marsh probably should be opening in comparison, Smith's ODI strike rate had been on a steady decline before SA i am not picking Smith in my squad, let alone my team.

Maxy at 3 for wc

Here's cricinfo from their Mad Maxi profile piece: Here are Maxwell's stats as a finisher, floating between No. 4 and No. 6, in Australia's victorious World Cup: six innings, 324 runs, including a hundred and two half-centuries, at an average of 64.80 and a strike rate of 182.02.

Shaun Marsh has the slowest career Strike Rate of all the batsmen listed.

You have Shaun Marsh batting at 5-6 but state he generally gets a SR 100 when he gets 100? If he scores over 83 runs Australia lose. If Marsh had scored another 20 runs last night then Australia probably get beat. The only Marsh that should be in the ODI mix should be Mitch IMO.

I too have been obsessing over this. The one thing that has lightened my gloom is that S Marsh generally goes at 100 when he gets a 100. I had a crack at Finch for not doing similar. He then (unrelatedly) went and pulled a quick ton out of somewhere. Agree re Khawaja's starts and then stutters. He probably should be told to go Gilchristian on the bowling, see if he can tee off and get us up to 1-80 by 10, and then NOT slow down, as we will have batting in depth. Prefer 50 from 35 from him than 80 off 90. (But he can't do that if he isn't opening - maybe he and Warner double hammer with Finch at 3 if things go awry?) In Warner Hando and Maxwell we have guys who can go hard for long. Marsh and Finch to steadily ratchet it up. Both in good form (now). Smith - just in the Marsh competition for mine, and not starting at this stage. My top 6 includes Warner, Finch, Hando, Maxwell and two of Khawaja/Marsh/Smith. But like others it all depends on bowling attack (Stoino) and keeping (Carey). Spinner tracks: Khawaja Warner Finch Handscomb (wk) Marsh Maxwell (can be elevated) Turner Carey Cummins Starc Lyon/Boyce Zampa Quick tracks: Khawaja Stoinis Warner Finch Handscomb (wk) Marsh Maxwell - floating for maximum impact NCN Cummins Starc Zampa Actually, looking at this, I have no idea. A needle that can't be threaded, so many are the options?! But so light on are the tonkers who bowl seam. On that we are no closer... Wade....?

Its a bit of a worry. Maxwell is the only Australian batsman with a strike rate over 100. England has 5 - Roy, Bairstow, Buttler, Stokes and Ali. And Root and Morgan aren’t far behind Stoinis and ahead of Smith, Khawaja, Marsh and Carey (though Marsh has been in the 90s for the past year or two, and Stoinis only in the low 80s). Australia’s no.2 careerscoring rate is actually Handscomb’s, at over 98. It’s a pity they didn’t give him and Stoinis more batting time in the UAE, and see how Handscomb went as keeper, It’s all very well scoring easy runs on dead pitches against the Pakistan B attack (only Imad Wasim would be in their normal starting lineup). Good to get Finch back in some form, but Khawaja is going to run out of luck and is a scoring rate liability after the first ten overs. Maxwell by his nature is going to be inconsistent. I think Handscomb needs to be first choice out of him, Khawaja and Marsh. Carey looks like a great team guy but a failed experiment - he only makes sense if he bats near the top of the order and succeeds there. Wade would have been the only option for a keeper in the 5-7 slots, but that’s obviously too late. So Handscomb to keep, persevere with Khawaja as opener and bat Warner in the middle order?

Interesting comments last night from Waqar Younis who coached Warner briefly in the Pakistani T20s. He mentioned that Warner had no issues at all batting down the order so they tried him at 3 & 4, which worked okay. The nice thing with Warner batting lower down is, he can always be brought up the list if the match situation demands a hitter. He can also revert to opening if the Finch/Khawaja combination goes sour.

"The Villanous Cartoon Eunuch". In the immortal words of Pauline Hanson, please explain !!