Roar Rookie
Joined April 2013
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Thrifty is a lover of all things Australia and all things sport. A big serving left hander, it was only his lack of natural ability and dedication and his love of beer that derailed an otherwise mediocre professional tennis career.
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Process. It's one of the ubiquitous buzzwords that are associated with modern sport. "We've just got to get the process right and the results…
This isn’t the team I would have picked, but it’s sensible. Cowan has his chance to make big runs. If he doesn’t do that (or runs out half the side) then he can be replaced by Khawaja.
Given the reports of a dry pitch, Siddle had to play. I hope the selectors have Jackson Bird in the front of their mind if the pitches later in the series offer more moisture.
I love the Steve Smith decision. He’s not my favourite player, but he’s hardly put a foot wrong since returning to the side and deserves his chance.
UPDATED - Australia's First Ashes Test team - Smith, Agar in - Warner, Lyon out
There are a couple of problems with this theory.
First, if our pace attack doesn’t knock over the England top order quickly (a distinct possibility with the likes of Cook and Trott about) then we’ll be asking our quicks to bowl a lot of overs. That hasn’t fared well in recent years.
Second, we’ll be without our captain and best batsman for several Tests after he is suspended for slow over rates.
I like the idea of getting some runs on the board though!
Australia needs to bench Nathan Lyon for Ashes success
The consensus seems to be that Faulkner isn’t a good enough batsman at this stage to bat at 6. I agree.
Happy for him to bat at 7 provided you’ve got a top 6 that make runs consistently. Unfortunately we don’t have that top 6 at present, so I think he probably gets squeezed out by Shane Watson who is regarded as the better batsman. Whether Watson is a better batsman is another question entirely.
Is Faulkner our all-round answer?
Wonderfully written Layth. Let’s hope he gets his chance and makes some runs
Chris Rogers, even the English are behind you
I agree with the philosophy that if Johnson wasn’t going to play then he should have been in Australia playing first class cricket. That said, the decision not to pick him for England is spot on. There is a world of difference between intimidating a second rate Sri Lankan batting line up and being successful against Cook, Trott et al in England.
Mitchell Johnson should be more than frustrated by Ashes omission
Red Kev – With Cowan at Nottinghamshire and Rogers at Middlesex, I think we have a 10 week bat-off ahead
CA selectors have got it right
I think the squad is well balanced and well considered. One question though – how can the NSP give Hilfenhaus a contract and then say that “Ben Hilfenhaus also came under consideration for selection for both squads but at this point in time others were viewed as having stronger claims.” If they (see Bird, J) have stronger claims then they should have been given a contract in front of Hilfenhaus. Either that or Hilfenhaus will open the bowling in the Champions Trophy.
Khawaja, Rogers, and Faulkner in Ashes squad
I suspect the omission of Faulkner from the A squad is due to his inclusion in the ODI squad for the Champions Trophy, which is on at the same time. The same goes for Warner, Watson, Wade, Maxwell and Starc (if recovered).
Ashes Test squad announced: Who's in, who's out
Handles, I don’t have any problem with including Harris for Starc, but he is very unlucky. Let’s not forget that he was “informed player managed” out of the side for the Boxing Day Test. Now he misses Lord’s. That’s a lot to cop as a promising young player.
ASHES: Cowan, Starc dropped - Usman Khawaja, Ryan Harris in