Revealed: The Roar's Australian XI for the first Ashes Test

Only change I would make would be Labuschagne for Wade. Not a wade fan and in the past he was part of the problem.

Well said. :). "telling contributions" is the key, off either skill/discipline and valued for what they bring beyond that ie. team balance, ensuing bowling attack isn't overburdened.

"We expect our all rounders to be deliver on demand. We don’t seem to accept that they might be off one skill at a point in time and we really don’t seem to have an attitude of patience with that" I think that's a pretty fair summary of our expectations for sure DP but my question is, is that an unrealistic expectation? I'm not talking about making a century every time they bat or a 5 fa, every time they bowl, but across the course of a series, making telling contributions with either bat or ball and, on rare occasion, with both. It's extremely rare that an all-rounder can be Test quality in both batting & bowling, but the yardstick by which their judged is their contributions to the team. From Ben Stokes, for example, I'd expect him to make at least 400 runs, given that's his current strength, take at least 15 wickets for around 35 but make one telling contribution with the ball. The issue with Matthews is a tad more complicated; he made out he WAS a Test quality spinner and there were times when that appeared so, The problem was, those times didn't coincide with the times we needed him to bowl well ( it also didn't help he badly rubbed people up the wrong way). This whole issue is complicated by having three formats, so a guy who wants to be an all-rounder isn't only judged by performances in Tests, for example, but how they go against short form cricket as well. For mine, we may need to lower our standards if that's the measure we expect from our all rounders, or ask them to specialize in long or short form cricket.

I originally wrote a 32 line response. Hope the abridged version answers your question. We expect our all rounders to be deliver on demand. We don't seem to accept that they might be off one skill at a point in time and we really don't seem to have an attitude of patience with that. Matthews had a test average in the 40's yet batting at #7 and was expected to be a strike spinner and was axed when he wasn't. Instead of being satisfied with his contributions either way he was under constant pressure to deliver in both departments each time. Top drawer all rounders are rare but even they need to see a pathway to keep working on it. South Africa produce them regularly, they are seen to have a place in the test team. Even now, where is the motivation for someone like Pattinson or Neser to get their batting up to scratch?? We encourage our quasi-allrounders to participate in ODIs and T20s, not for the tests. Max never seems to be valued as being multi skilled, he's been told to improve his batting only. Nobody went to him and said pick up on both skills and you could get the number 6.

Well, there was Andrew Symonds. His fall from favour was more about off-field issues. His talent was incendiary - a blazing bat, probably our best ever all-round fieldsman, and more than passable as a trundler at either medium pace or spin.

please please please DO NOT PIK starc or hazlewood for the 1st test! starc 2015 ashes in England - 6th on the averages with 18 wickets in 5 tests; tellingly at a rate of 3.85 an over - 1st test in 2015 - sprayed it and let the english off the hook with an average of 4 per over in the 1st inning sand nearly 5 in the second - his stats in the last year in tests have been poor - 9 matches and 18 wickets with one 5 wicket haul - so 13 wickets in 8 matches - very poor! hazlewood 2015 ashes in england - 4th on the bowling averages - 16 wets in 4 tests - but i remember the first morning of the first test he looked very poor and let england again off the hook going at nearly 4 an over - his 2018 record is averaging above 33. apart from stats the issue is we don't need pace, we need accuracy and subtle swing and seam - starc is pace and once it stops swinging he's expensive - hazlewood is bounce - which is not a factor in england. go with siddle, cummins and pattinson PLEASE!!!!!

yes if we had been more judicious and less Simmoan, Matthews might have been Bob Cowper with a 40+ average and taking 50-60 handy wickets with part time offies of course the lack of a quality spinner between Yardley and May/Warne really hurt him. (Sounda sleep tried to be all things and became no things. Philpottian.)

Harris and Patterson last test centurions and the voting public casts them aside for two that haven't player red ball cricket in over a year. And they're saying the Hoff isn't in the top three bowlers in the country. It's a tough crowd....

I'm thinking the Roars side picked is pretty much what they will go with . Khawaja is fit and in and the rest is based on form and stats. Wade has done everything possible to get picked and deserves the spot ahead of the others. Probably the same is said of Pattinson. If it is the side picked I think Harris is the only one who can claim to be getting a raw deal.

I'm curious to understand what you mean when you say "we don't encourage them", DP. My impression is, apaer from Gichrist who you rightly name as an all-rounder, we don't exactly have a lot of fruit falling from the tree and haven't had for decades. I remember watching Shane Watson coming up through the ranks and he was touted as the next great all rounder from an early age, particularly when he was bowling at 140+. What killed him was injury, of course, but he was certainly encouraged to both bat & bowl, maybe even encouraged too much, hence the injuries.

MM should get a look in for Lord's, where he has a good record. Unless the pitch has completely changed at Edgebaston, I wouldn't consider Mitch for the first Test.

To be fair, Mitch has had a few moments too. Unfortunately, the emphasis is on 'few'...

Great work Roar Think Tank! I have three objections: 1 I'd open with Bancroft and Harris, Khawjia at first drop, Smith, Head and Marnus. 2. Give Warner a break before he breaks. 3. Bowlers, watch the Weather Report, Cummins, Siddle, Neser and Lyon are still my picks. The wicket might be bone dry today but after three days of rain it might be sticky cover and all.

So it's like Siddle/Starc/Hazlewood competing for one bowling position. And Wade/Labuschagne/Marsh for number 6. Innit?

Sure we have, Gilchrist! An all rounder is one who can do two jobs and he was good enough to bat at 6. It would have been a great think for our sometimes overworked bowling attack. Aside from him, I reckon Matthews was close. He didn't have the best bowling record at test level but I don't think he was used the best way. And I'd say our biggest problem is that we really don't encourage them. We seem to be stuck in the 6/1/4 system mentality.

27 with the ball i mean. fast fingers...

other than the original Watson, we haven't had one since Miller. not a pure one. Ron Archer showed potential. 22 with the ball and 31 with the bat. not counting Gilchristian, of course.

so do I DP, the problem is, we haven't had a decent one for decades. Watto had his moments and a few others have as well, but I don't think we've had a Test quality all rounder for maybe 50 years.

The pitch for the first test has been dubbed "hard and dry with virtually no green grass covering" by langer. So, it's a flat pitch by the looks of it.

knifed by the Board for sticking up for his players.