1st Test Border Gavaskar Trophy November 22-26 1350hrs @ Perth Stadium

[010203]

Cricket Australia to me just seems like a massive boys club.
Once you're in, you're in for life and performance is irrelevant as long as you're mates with the guys at the top. We've seen it for years, squads get picked on past reputation rather than current output. It's difficult because it's such a small group, I could imagine it would be an awkward situation when Cummins has to tell his mates they're not playing anymore. It doesn't seem like they know how to do it, everyone can just continue on as long as they want and no one is giving them the tap on the shoulder.
Let's be honest, Warner went on way too long. Smith is done. Starc should probably be done in the test format at least. Labuschagne needs to drop down a level and earn his spot back. Head is averaging 23 this year and needs to kick in to gear. Khawaja is going ok, but hasn't made a century in 25 innings and is nearing 40. Its time to start blooding the replacements, ok good we've given McSweeney an opportunity, but we're going to need to find 4 or 5 more players somewhere who can step up to test level.

Since Pat Cummins became captain, this team has looked like a clique, bordering on being the matiest of mates who ever mated to steal a line from Geoff Lemon. I'm not calling for the return of Justin Langer but this team environment feels a little cosy.

 

[chriso11]

Australian team and coach Ronnie copping it in the press… rightly so. Been shiezen over 2 days

 

[chriso11]

Jesus man, this thread!

Our last series we beat NZ away from home. We had the weird draw against the WIndies, but before that we whacked Pakistan at home and retained the Ashes away in an all-time series.

But we're sacking the whole team after 2 shitty days?

Who are we replacing them with? We couldn't find one opening bat who looked convincing in the whole Sheffield Shield, and the bloke we did end up picking out of position looked rougher than most of the guys this thread wants sacked.

It's wild to me that you'd drop guys who are proven at test level in favour of guys who, in some cases, are barely proven at Shield level. We're not England, you don't hand out baggy greens on the back of 2 or 3 good first class performances, hoping you might find some sheckles of silver on the way.

At some point you have to drop the proven guys to give the next generation a go. Right now it feels like some players have a spot on reputation not form

 

[chriso11]

Yeah I was thinking that ....can I dream of chasing 400 plus on a Perth pitch...SA did it years ago....but they did have Ab Devillers

Travis Head can emulate De Villiers, and Marsh can also hit out although I really think Marsh is a downhill skier

 

[chriso11]

I would have liked stiffer resistance from the brothers against denzel. He walked over them too quickly , guess ridley really wanted to move the plot along .

Denzel seemed weird casting for a roman epic for mine … couldn’t hide the seppo accent

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

At some point you have to drop the proven guys to give the next generation a go.

There is no next generation.

That's how dire things are in this country when it comes to red ball batting.

I don't think people understand this.

 

[damochandler]

The middle order has been pretty ordinary for a couple of years.

Marnus, been struggling since the end of our summer in 23

Smith he’s been in decline since 2019

Head hit and miss, since the ashes he’s been a miss

Green you know you are going to get a solid innings out of him. Has the best hands in cricket and can get crucial wickets.
Marsh if he can’t make runs he won’t take wickets

 

[damochandler]

nothing new.. shot legends always get alot of lee way.... Ponting 5+ years of crap..... Warner 4+ years of crap.... Hayden 3+ years of crap... Mark Taylor 5+ years of crap..... batsmen suck when they hit the mid 30s

It was 2 years of crap fir Ponting,
Hayden a year and half, Taylor is a lie as it was only 2.

 

[damochandler]

There is no next generation.

That's how dire things are in this country when it comes to red ball batting.

I don't think people understand this.

That’s right. The bloke they really wanted won’t be ready for another 3 years probably. The bloke who was going to replace usman retired 2 months ago because of concussion

 

[Saints4ever]

Agree we need to look at bringing in youth.
Only problem is their is literally nobody banging the door down.
It’s easy to say drop Lab, Smith, Ussie etc but who are you replacing them with.
Here’s a list of the leading run scorers this shield season. It’s pretty dire.

 

[samFFC]

Jesus man, this thread!

Our last series we beat NZ away from home. We had the weird draw against the WIndies, but before that we whacked Pakistan at home and retained the Ashes away in an all-time series.

But we're sacking the whole team after 2 shitty days?

Who are we replacing them with? We couldn't find one opening bat who looked convincing in the whole Sheffield Shield, and the bloke we did end up picking out of position looked rougher than most of the guys this thread wants sacked.

It's wild to me that you'd drop guys who are proven at test level in favour of guys who, in some cases, are barely proven at Shield level. We're not England, you don't hand out baggy greens on the back of 2 or 3 good first class performances, hoping you might find some sheckles of silver on the way.

Openers is fair. But the rest of the batting line up, there are players out there racking up runs. (Inglis, Cartwright, Harris even)

Or you pick the youngsters with the flare and something different (Konstas, etc)

Someone mentioned earlier using ODI matches to blood some potential test batsmen and that is a good call too. Giving some international experience against high quality bowling .

 

[samFFC]

Agree we need to look at bringing in youth.
Only problem is their is literally nobody banging the door down.
It’s easy to say drop Lab, Smith, Ussie etc but who are you replacing them with.
Here’s a list of the leading run scorers this shield season. It’s pretty dire.
View attachment 2173878

As above. At least 1-2 changes is important for accountability and pressure on spots.

 

[TubbsFarquhar]

Smith's and Labs' form has been poor for a couple of years now and shouldn't be safe from being dropped. If they fail again in Adelaide, then the question has to be asked for Boxing Day. Whether we make a big call and bring in Konstas to open allowing McSweeney to bat in his preferred position, or we bring in someone like Cartwright who's been solid in the Shield this season probably doesn't change much, and you can make the point that it's shuffling deck chairs, but there also needs to be some form of accountability.

Realistically, Uzzie, Smith, Lyon and possibly Starc will all be gone in the next couple of years, so it's probably worth blooding more players over the next few series (SL and WI) to generate a gradual turnover rather than a whole bunch of replacements at once.

 

[PhatBoy]

Lyon - wouldn't get a game in a stronger era of Australian cricket. Good bowler but that's it. It's through his longevity that he has taken so many wickets.

I rank MacGill ahead of him in terms of best spinners in Australian cricket over the last 40 odd years (Warne clearly number 1).

‘stronger’ era: what era are we talking? The eras when the 3-4 better spinners in Australia’s 150 year history have been around?

I don’t even like the guy but this sort of flippancy is just ridiculous.

MacGill was a big-turning leg spinner who yes, could bowl some ridiculous deliveries but could not maintain any pressure and profited an incredible amount from what he had at the other end for the majority of his career.

People love quoting the ‘he outperformed Warne when they were in the same team’ stat but rarely bother trying to figure out that 90 per cent of batsmen are inherently going to go after the guy that can’t land two balls on the same spot when there’s a leg spinner at the other end who puts 11 out of every 12 balls exactly where he wants them.

 

[Stiffler's Dad]

Smith's and Labs' form has been poor for a couple of years now and shouldn't be safe from being dropped. If they fail again in Adelaide, then the question has to be asked for Boxing Day. Whether we make a big call and bring in Konstas to open allowing McSweeney to bat in his preferred position, or we bring in someone like Cartwright who's been solid in the Shield this season probably doesn't change much, and you can make the point that it's shuffling deck chairs, but there also needs to be some form of accountability.

Realistically, Uzzie, Smith, Lyon and possibly Starc will all be gone in the next couple of years, so it's probably worth blooding more players over the next few series (SL and WI) to generate a gradual turnover rather than a whole bunch of replacements at once.

Konstas would be canon fodder. Wouldn't trouble the scorers against Bumerah.

 

[Marshland]

Konstas would be canon fodder. Wouldn't trouble the scorers against Bumerah.

And you say this on what basis?

 

[Marshland]

People love quoting the ‘he outperformed Warne when they were in the same team’ stat but rarely bother trying to figure out that 90 per cent of batsmen are inherently going to go after the guy that can’t land two balls on the same spot when there’s a leg spinner at the other end who puts 11 out of every 12 balls exactly where he wants them.

MacGill - "a guy that could’t land two balls on the same spot"???

 

[eltrain]

Jesus man, this thread!

Our last series we beat NZ away from home. We had the weird draw against the WIndies, but before that we whacked Pakistan at home and retained the Ashes away in an all-time series.

But we're sacking the whole team after 2 shitty days?

Who are we replacing them with? We couldn't find one opening bat who looked convincing in the whole Sheffield Shield, and the bloke we did end up picking out of position looked rougher than most of the guys this thread wants sacked.

It's wild to me that you'd drop guys who are proven at test level in favour of guys who, in some cases, are barely proven at Shield level. We're not England, you don't hand out baggy greens on the back of 2 or 3 good first class performances, hoping you might find some sheckles of silver on the way.

This happens literally every summer. People who watch a handful of games of cricket per year flood these threads during the home test series and immediately want everyone sacked when a session or day doesn’t go our way.

 

[Redline]

The middle order has been pretty ordinary for a couple of years.

Marnus, been struggling since the end of our summer in 23

Smith he’s been in decline since 2019

Head hit and miss, since the ashes he’s been a miss

Green you know you are going to get a solid innings out of him. Has the best hands in cricket and can get crucial wickets.
Marsh if he can’t make runs he won’t take wickets

Agree with most of that except Head got a hundred against the Windies. He is due though.

Not sure we can say we know we will get a solid innings out of Green. He has a fair way to go but at least has youth on his side.

I don't mind Marsh at 6 but I expect his body might let him down again soon.