Warner and Maxwell demolish Sri Lanka

You must be looking at the wrong cricketer...or a previous year. I doubt that you speak for PaulD. He knows sport...but he certainly doesn't think like you or approach conversations like you do.

I expect mainly because of lack of runs, Don. It’s often the measure used, given that we can’t always see how well they’re flushing them in the nets. To be fair to Ashton, I will acknowledge his stellar shield season in 2015/16, when he scored two shield tons, a half century and averaged 36 with the bat. Let’s not forget he has backed that form up with two half centuries in shield cricket since then, so that’s something.

How many games has Agar played this season, Don? Surely, someone as knowledgeable as you claim to be can’t be suggesting that a couple of games played on the decent batting strips in Perth is a comprehensive form guide? Perhaps if he is averaging 50 after playing on the bowler friendly pitches in Brisbane or Tassie, you would have some credibility. Even your stats of choice require context to have meaning, Don.

General your generally right except in some territories like england you just have to use common sense if there is great county form or build up form and a player has been ambiguous there in the past or no record there its a very dangerous mentality on such foreign pitches to go with the better long term average if a player hasn’t shown very good form in the last 6 months or lead up or has struggled on similar pitches in the past. I think your long term numbers , averages and form stack up on home soil quite well . Evidence of this goes with someone like warner who just loves the flat tracks and will no doubt get his eye back in with red ball at home instead of being dropped in england where his form has always been a bit shaky outside of some decent first innings in the capital, let alone off the back of poor real time form this year after a long break. It was always risky and I noted it pre series to not get overconfident with him . Selectors of course would not budge or be fluid on that point and it cost the nation . Shame we have so long between drinks this year though. If we look at that comment on ponting its a valid point but also valid in that some of these guys like paine and warner may begin to tail off sharply , specifically overseas tours 2021/2022. the problem is we don’t have the calendar in 2020 abroad to start consolidate the group as some of them get much longer in the tooth and enough time to try out a few newcomers or give them solid home test match experience. This second pakistan test or a dead rubber may be a great time to do that but man seem hell bent on sticking with experience and the higher averages with a barron winter of test cricket ahead.

Interesting comments general. I think to be a bit more specific on carey I think he was a missed opportunity in England where he looked very very good on those pitches . There were selection risks with white ball conversion but where everyone else was failing he looked very composed and racked up runs every match whilst here was there for the most part whilst so many flopped. I stand by that as the test team batsmen flopped for the most part where siddle and pattinson produced top 5 averages in the side. not selecting him as a batsman there may have really cost us as he was playing the english wickets so well . I did say back in Australia with kookaburra and on the drop in pitches we need to see all this shield form. I don't like it where a player is tainted as next coming as a keeper/captain so far ahead of time but doesn't mean in a second test against Pakistan I wouldn't consider giving him a run if his shield form is holding up well. We also must look to the future. So far the only player that did well in england to show consistency in the shield back here is Labuschagne who was the other guy I was fully supporting for first test selection in England. Its pretty ambiguous on the 1, 2, 5 , 6 and 7 places as far as batting is concerned right now per the results we have seen so far in shield except the allegiance to warner and wade seems very forward with australian selectors and longer

yes I had thought that matt, Smith can find singles and twos and time the boundaries all day long on most occasions

Smith is just insurance in case we lose a few early. Even in T20 you can just have sloggers all the way down. We found that a few years ago when we included Lynn and Short and we tended to lose too many wickets.

Yes Jero, I keep saying to myself just ignore him, I really do. But I just cannot help myself with some of his posts. It must be a weakness on my part, I will really try in future, I really will. Oh spruce gave him a little serve on the Warner article. I reluctantly agreed with him.

Don Freo, General, please. Make love, not war.

Your reply is just silly, as is your pattern.

re Carey, I have criticized his keeping, as I think he has to improve in that area, but always considered his batting to be fairly good. In fact he could not do any worse than some of our current test batsmen. The thing that I point out is the fawning of some that he is the greatest thing going. One on here predicted he would have a test average of 45. I have often stated that if and when he has played 10 test matches will be the time to judge him. Also he has just been named to captain the Australia A side, so the selectors must think he could be the future captain. A bit of a kick in the teeth for Head (test vc) and Khawaja (shield captain). Maybe they are letting them concentrate on their batting in this game along with all the other test candidates.

You already criticize them buddy.i.e Alex Carey. I seriously rate him.

That's just silly...as is your pattern.

Form is fleeting mate. I only consider a players whole record as to judging their overall career. Ricky Ponting for instance. In the last 12 to 18 months of his career, he would not be rated in the top 200 top players to have played for Australia. So in your mind he is a failure. That he is considered one of the best players we have ever had is in your thinking false due to your assessments. The overall career of a player is the way it is judged.

That's simply not true. Check my comments I've said it was a good hundred, I've supported people who say he's a lock for T20 and ODI selection. I've even said he's a lock for home tests this summer. May he score many more centuries in this format. I'm saying he over-celebrates. That's undeniably true. No one else in his team, or any other team comes remotely close to the over the top celebrations he carries on with, and I am asking for a bit of decorum. Even tennis players don't carry on like him. I say this looking from the outside...I was in an expat bar overseas - people noticed it. People talked about it. Flog was a word used. It's 100 runs. Not winning lotto.

I thought he is primarily a bowler. I must be wrong. Yes he is definitely a top 4/5 batsman, that's why he has batted in 8 of his 16 T20's at an average of 13.66. Great figures for a batsman.

Yet you spent a whole day yesterday arguing about Agar's ability with the bat in T20 cricket. Go figure. Maybe you valued T20 yesterday and don't today.

Players have the right to celebrate personal or team moments in the game however they want provided they’re not being offensive. Warner offended nobody but delicate wowsers like yourself. Boring point of view. Get over yourself.

That wasn't the point.

You're apparently correct about Bradman...from many account about the man.