2nd Test: Australia v South Africa at Hobart on Nov 12-16, 2016

[jargan83]

Might as well pick a couple of kids running around in Shield Cricket, it can't be worse than the bullshit we keep seeing from the current mob.

 

[The Charlatan]

Absolutely pathetic.

Massive changes are needed.

The first should be the f**kwit CEO who lives in fantasy land, secondly his Yawnion head of cricket who had absolutely no idea what he is doing.

Make Sheffield shield the priority and stick the 20/20 crap on the back burner.

They should try and build a team around Smith, Warner, Starc and Haze.

No more aging stop gap journeymen, pick some young blokes in form and give them a decent crack. And if they aren't up too find some they are. And build from there it's what we did in the 80's. Find some tough characters, some of the blokes being picked are soft as butter milk.

I remember a young bloke they gave a go in the 80's. Took him 27 Tests to get his first ton and his cumulative average was 30 before that ton. Ended up going OK, scored over 10,000 runs and finished with an average of 51.

 

[undertaker]

Is Marcus North still hitting them well in the nets??

before he got dropped, it's hard to believe at one stage he was being touted in the media as a potential future captain in the test team. LOL!

 

[Iafeta]

What's wrong with the domestic competition??? It's not producing good batsmen. Remember the old saying, you pick three 3 Australian teams and they'd all be a good chance of winning. Heck they proved it with Australia A in the World Series.

Blokes like Siddons, Jamie Cox, Dene Hills, Bevan, Hussey, belted runs for fun and couldn't get a look in. Hayden and Langer scored thousands of runs before earning a long term run.

I reckon it's the wickets. For the past 5 years they've been roads. Perth used to be fast and bouncy, Brissy bouncy with movement, Melbourne slowish, Hobart a seamer, Sydney spun wickedly. You got cricketers who could adapt and play late against a moving ball. With flat decks and 20/20 they all try to take the ball early with lots of bottom hand and no one leaves over after over.

Then theres selection isn't there a bloke in a Sydney grade cricket who has 3 years of averaging 70 plus but because he's in his late 20s and didn't go through a high performance centre, he can't get a run. The young punks get picked because they've been through the system.

 

[T-Boon]

1.
2.
3. Khawaja
4. Smith (c)
5. Warner
6. Patterson
7.
8. Starc
9. H'Wood
10.
11. Lyon

 

[Front-Rower]

They really need to get an AB or Steve Waugh type character (if not the men themselves) in the dressing somehow to give these guys the revving they deserve. Then they have to keep them around to mentor the side for at least a couple of years to build their mental strength.

Or just ban test players from participating in T20. Works in union with sevens, so why can't it work in cricket?

 

[The Charlatan]

AFL, T20 and drop in pitches has f**ked Australian cricket.

Thanks Obama.

 

[JJ]

I remember a young bloke they gave a go in the 80's. Took him 27 Tests to get his first ton and his cumulative average was 30 before that ton. Ended up going OK, scored over 10,000 runs and finished with an average of 51.

Yeah, while those teams took some beatings, none were as embarrassing as this one, and around Border the likes of Boon, Jones, S Waugh, McDermott, G Matthews etc were at least young, talented, and future oriented

 

[undertaker]

I can imagine the likes of Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers, Ryan Harris, Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, and Brad Haddin must be very happy they are retired now and no longer part of this mess. Hard to believe they were in the team only 18 months ago.

 

[Meth]

Not sure who the solutions are, but there's a few positives to build the team around-

1- Warner (shit attitude, undeniable talent)
2- ???- someone whose approach offsets Warner's aggression
3- Khawaja- showed enough in these two Tests to keep the wolves at bay
4- Smith- bedrock, but really needs the top 3 to not put him under so much pressure.
5- ???
6- ???
7- Nevill
8- Starc
9- Hazelwood
10- Lyon
11- Bird- absolutely crucial, that 3rd bowler.

 

[undertaker]

Yeah, while those teams took some beatings, none were as embarrassing as this one, and around Border the likes of Boon, Jones, S Waugh, McDermott, G Matthews etc were at least young, talented, and future oriented

Australia only won one test series between 1983/84 vs Pakistan (when Chappell/Marsh/Lillee retired) and the 1989 Ashes (1987/88 vs New Zealand).

Also, there was some shockers that Border had to deal with during the first half of his captaincy. None take the cake quite like the one and only GLEN TRIMBLE!

 

[Front-Rower]

Blokes like Siddons, Jamie Cox, Dene Hills, Bevan, Hussey, belted runs for fun and couldn't get a look in. Hayden and Langer scored thousands of runs before earning a long term run.

I'll use Khawaja as my example, but the noise made to pick him in the test side was deafening due to his form in the big bash..there is the problem.

 

[The Charlatan]

Yeah, while those teams took some beatings, none were as embarrassing as this one, and around Border the likes of Boon, Jones, S Waugh, McDermott, G Matthews etc were at least young, talented, and future oriented

No more stop gaps. No more Marcus Norths, Adam Voges etc. The all rounder wankfest must stop as well. We have plenty of skilled pacemen (just a shame that Patto and Cummins are perpetually injured,) that can get the job done. We don't need a part time pacer jeopardising a batting spot in an already fragile top and middle order.

I don't know what the f**k CA is doing with talent identification but is someone identifying kids showing promise in the Test arena and putting them on a pathway to realise that (i.e. shield cricket, exporting them for a season or two of county.) Is anyone tapping these prospects on the shoulder and saying "you've got a future in the baggy green, give the Big Beat Off a miss this year and focus on the red ball cricket and with results you'll be considered."

I'm undecided on Nevill. I will take a top notch gloveman who's shit with the bat rather than the other way around. Keepers win Tests with their ability behind the pegs, not in front of them.

 

[JJ]

Not sure who the solutions are, but there's a few positives to build the team around-

1- Warner (shit attitude, undeniable talent)
2- ???- someone whose approach offsets Warner's aggression
3- Khawaja- showed enough in these two Tests to keep the wolves at bay
4- Smith- bedrock, but really needs the top 3 to not put him under so much pressure.
5- ???
6- ???
7- Nevill
8- Starc
9- Hazelwood
10- Lyon
11- Bird- absolutely crucial, that 3rd bowler.

Not so enthralled with the Warner talent bit tbh, but he's safe

I reckon Nevill's for the chop, their solution could be a better bat at 7 - if they bring Mitch Marsh and his levers back at #6 it'll be hysterical - choosing someone young at 5 or 6 is the right move, it's just that Marsh is no good - they need to bite the bullet and introduce the next wave of bats

 

[hineyrulz]

before he got dropped, it's hard to believe at one stage he was being touted in the media as a potential future captain in the test team. LOL!

Being a mate of Ricky Ponting helped.

 

[Incorrect]

They need to pick the best 11 CRICKETERS in the country.
Warner
Meg Lanning
Khawaja
Smith
Lehmann
Ellyse Perry
Nevill
Starc
O'Keefe
Bird
Hazelwood

As in Jackson Bird? Or just one of the "birds" from the women's team??

I could go with either...

 

[hineyrulz]

Bancroft at the top, and Either Maddison or Patterson in the middle for the next test. It won't happen, they will continue to try and paper over the cracks. The side needs a total overhaul no more of these older deubtants who are stop gap solutions at best.

 

[Meth]

Not so enthralled with the Warner talent bit tbh, but he's safe

He's overrated, for sure.

Smashed us in Brisbane and Perth in 2015.

Think he scored a century v West Indies in the Boxing Day Test last year...since then, his 97 in the last Test has been his best innings for quite some time.

 

[undertaker]

Btw, Kyle Abbott must be Darius "princess" Boyd's brother separated at birth

 

[BunniesMan]

Fun Fact.
The amount of times we've lasted less than 100 overs in both innings combined:
Between 1918 and 2014: 3.
2015-2016: 3