Australia vs England: 1st Ashes Test in Brisbane Nov 25-29

[ElectricEelMan]

Australian squad is named today at 11:30am EDT

I have heard/read different possibilities in regards to the squads make-up.

SMH and Daily Telegraph expects up to 16 players named:

POSSIBLE SQUAD: Ricky Ponting (c), Michael Clarke (vc), Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger, Phillip Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/hughes-khawaja-in-line-for-ashes-callups-20101114-17su1.html

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...lias-ashes-squad/story-e6frey50-1225953514240

While Peter English from Cricinfo expects only 13 players named:

Likely squad Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2010-11/content/current/story/486958.html

IF SMH and DT are right, the next ten days are going to be among the most intriguing ten days in Australian cricket for a while, with either a very frustrating pay-off (no changes to the team except for Siddle in for Bollinger) OR a very exciting pay-off (one or two new comers in the team AND hopefully no Siddle) OR frustratingly exciting (one or two newcomers AND Siddle)

 

[ElectricEelMan]

The squad is: Ponting, Clarke, Bollinger, Doherty, Ferguson, Haddin, Harris, Hauritz, Hussey, Hilfenhaus, Johnson, Katich, Khawaja, North, Siddle, Smith, Watson

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/live-blog-australian-ashes-team-announcement-20101115-17te6.html

No Phillip Hughes!
Really a guy with over 50 batting average in tests and first class games is NOT in the best 17 players in Australia.

Is it little wonder we are now 5th rated test team in the world with these first rate buffoons selecting our side

 

[lockyno1]

Why would he be? Seriously what are his last scores for NSW? He has barely scored any runs at all, was very scratchy against Victoria. We don't need another opener, we have 3 in the squad (Usman can open)

 

[yappy]

Hughes finished last season on fire with a 192, 149 and two other 50's in the last four games and scored an unbeaten 86 off 75 balls in his last test innings when called up to fill in for Watson. He then dislocated his shoulder and has only had a few knocks since returning. He'll make a big score very soon.

 

[aussies1st]

Hughes started last season slowly as well, then he kicked into gear.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

Why would he be? Seriously what are his last scores for NSW? He has barely scored any runs at all, was very scratchy against Victoria. We don't need another opener, we have 3 in the squad (Usman can open)

Hughes did better than Watson last Sheffield Shield game.

And plus Watson has averaged less than 40 opening this year for Australia.

Hughes > Watson (as opener)

 

[Twizzle]

Hilditch explains Hughes snub

Monday 15-November-2010 06:34

Hughes - out in the cold.



Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch says Phil Hughes' current form simply did not warrant his selection in the squad for the Ashes opener in Brisbane.
Hughes was a shock omission from an extended 17-man line-up named on Monday, with fellow New South Welshman Usman Khawaja and South Australia's Callum Ferguson both chosen ahead of the Blues star.
The 21-year-old has not been a permanent member of the Australian XI since he was replaced by Shane Watson ahead of the third Ashes Test last July.
But having played matches against Pakistan and New Zealand as an injury replacement, the diminutive left-hander, who also travelled with the squad on the recent tour of India, was widely considered the next Australian batsman in line.
However, Hughes' modest return of 78 runs from three first-class and two domestic one-day innings since returning from the subcontinent sealed his fate.
"Phillip's playing for Australia A (against England in Hobart) this weekend and obviously I've spoken to Phil this morning and he's disappointed, but he needs to score runs," Hilditch said of Hughes this morning.
"On the other side of the coin we're really happy with our opening partnership (of Shane Watson and Simon Katich) and Phil's primarily trying to crack into that spot.
"We would consider him in a middle order position but at the moment we think the two young players (Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson) from Australia A that we've picked are in a bit better form and ready to go."
Selectors will decide which 12-13 players they take to Brisbane at the conclusion of this week's Australia A and Sheffield Shield fixtures.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting backed Hughes to bounce back from his latest disappointment.
"You've just got to tell him to keep working hard and keep doing his best and make sure he knuckles down this week and makes some runs, I mean that's about all you can say," Ponting, who is yet to speak to Hughes about his non-selection, said.
"The one thing you don't want to do with young blokes is over complicate things and get them thinking about too much stuff.
"He's a good young kid, he knows where he's going and he knows what he has to do to score runs, so hopefully for him it turns around pretty quickly."
Simon Katich added: "He'll bounce back from it. As Punter (Ponting) said he's obviously a very good young player. During your career some things don't always go to plan, so it might be a setback for him but at the same time if he keeps making big runs then there's no doubt he'll come into calculations I'm sure."
Hughes boasts an impressive record of 615 runs at 51.25 from seven Test appearances, including two centuries against South Africa.



http://www.cricket365.com/news/story/6508829/Hilditch-explains-Hughes-snub

so what about Johnson North, Hussey and Hauritz form back in Australia yet they are in the Aussie squad.

Since when is current form an issue with this clown ?

Just seems to me he is being selective here, he seems to have favourites and people he doesn't like, and he comes up with stoopid reasons to justify his decisions

 

[TheParraboy]

Maybe Hughes should get the southern cross tattooed on his back?

 

[JW]

Hildud talks about form in a squad that contains North, Hussey and Peter f**king Siddle.

:crazy:

 

[Bazal]

I have a feeling Hughes might just tear a second string England attack a new one in Hobart to show the selectors how utterly stupid they are

 

[lockyno1]

Hughes finished last season on fire with a 192, 149 and two other 50's in the last four games and scored an unbeaten 86 off 75 balls in his last test innings when called up to fill in for Watson. He then dislocated his shoulder and has only had a few knocks since returning. He'll make a big score very soon.

Has not scored any runs this season though- those scores are 6-12 months ago!

 

[lockyno1]

Hughes did better than Watson last Sheffield Shield game.

And plus Watson has averaged less than 40 opening this year for Australia.

Hughes > Watson (as opener)

Did Hughes get any wickets? Sorry must have missed it. A wicket=20 runs (5 wickets is the same as a 100).

 

[Bazal]

Jesus you talk some total sh*t locky...I'm amazed you have the neural capacity to keep a steady heart rate, let alone actually function at a level where you can use a keyboard to express the utter dribble that your malfiring neurons cobble together...

 

[TheParraboy]

Lockys world of cricketing wisdom and analogy knows no boundaries

 

[lockyno1]

What have I said that is wrong- 1 wicket=20 runs, Watson got 2 or 3 from memory (so that is 40-60 runs), plus the 50 odd he got with the bat. All up he is over the 100 runs value for the team. Much better than Hughes who played 2 atrocious shots to get out!

 

[Twizzle]

since when does an opening batsman have to take wickets to hold his spot in the team

should drop Katich if that's the case

 

[ElectricEelMan]

As Opener:

Watson averages less than 40 this year. Has scored only two centuries as opener and needed help through approximately 4 dropped catches to obtain those two centuries.

Hughes averages over 50. Scored two centuries in the same test against South Africa in South Africa. Was dropped two testes removed from above test because Ponting still thought he was too young and we needed Watson to improve our bowling.

If other players were dropped with the same 'form slump' as Hughes than North, Hussey, Clarke, Watson, Ponting and Katich would all have been dropped by now.

After scoring the two centuries in the same test Hughes scored 152 runs in 5 innings at an average just over 30 before being dropped.

Now lets look at the form slumps of these other batsmen AFTER Hughes's dropping (5 innings or more slumps)

North - A couple of Norths slumps. 128 runs in 8 innings and 46 runs in 6 innings.

In fact since Hughes's dropping North has scored 837 runs at an average of 32 (about the same as Hughes who was only given 5 innings before being dropped - North has been given 27 innings)

Hussey - Since his last century Hussey has scored 280 runs in 11 innings at an average 25.45. In his last 7 innings Hussey has scored 112 runs. That's 40 less than Hughes in two more innings.

Ponting went through a 'form slump' when he scored only 126 runs in 6 innings. Considerably worse than Hughes's 'form slump' when considering Ponting batted against New Zealand and Pakistan in his slump. Ponting has only scored one century in his last 16 tests ... and if you remember that century, he was dropped on ZERO by a guy who likely intentionally dropped the catch. Here's a link if you don't remember:

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...er-investigation/story-e6frepmo-1225912067829

Meanwhile Hughes has scored twice as many centuries in half as little tests AND was on his way to scoring one more (before we won the test to stop his inning)

Clarke has scored 265 runs in his last 10 innings ... since his last century.

Watsonscored 274 runs in a ten inning stretch playing against Pakistan and New Zealand (considerbaly worse opposition to who Hughes played against during his 'form slump'). Watson did come good against India but he was given that chance because HE WASN'T DROPPED DURING HIS FORM SLUMP SOMETHING HUGHES WASN'T GIVEN!!

Katich seems to be the best of the Australian batsmen, being very consistent. Although he only scored 134 runs in his last 6 innings (still worse than Hughes's slump)

As shown all Australian batsmen, even our most consistent batsmen in Katich have gone through worse slumps than Hughes AND in most cases considerably worse slumps.

Why were these batsmen given more latitude than Hughes?

 

[ElectricEelMan]

double post

 

[Twizzle]

Hughes wasn't dropped due to a form slump in his batting, he was dropped do make way for Watson because Notch was bowling crap and we needed another bowler.

His record as an opener is still better than Watson's.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

Hughes wasn't dropped due to a form slump in his batting, he was dropped do make way for Watson because Notch was bowling crap and we needed another bowler.

His record as an opener is still better than Watson's.

I have heard this ... but I can't believe it because it would prove our selectors and coach and captain are worse than first imagined. And it is hard to believe they could be possibly be any worse then we know them to be.