5TH ASHES TEST: England v Australia at The Oval Aug 21-25, 2013

[JW]

Twatto at 3 as well according to @CricketAus.

Awesome :lol:

 

[jargan83]

Watson at 3? :lol:

Sounds like the white flag is going up

 

[Meapro Ham]

Probably they are not confident of Watson being able to bowl by bringing Faulkner in. Or possibly its just that they are understandably more confident of a bowling all rounder getting runs than Hughes. Thank christ sanity has prevailed and Hughes is not in. What would have been the point of that? So he can prove for a 4th time he's not up to it?

So that's it. No more Hughes. Ever. Sucked in Bunniesboiler. Who are u gonna stalk now? You'll have to find a new love interest.

 

[lockyno1]

Don't mind the changes, but please can Faulkner bat at 6...Watson was good at 6, not sure why we are moving him back to the top 3.

 

[Timbo]

That's the end for Hughes if he's not picked here.

I see it being Ferguson or Maddinson for the return series.

 

[lockyno1]

Everyone, this is hilarious...BM getting all excited...and then they bring in Faulkner for Khawaja LMAO

 

[lockyno1]

That's the end for Hughes if he's not picked here.

I see it being Ferguson or Maddinson for the return series.

I would give Doolan first crack, don't think Ferguson is a number 3. Clarke and Smith are 4 and 5, Watson at 6. We are looking for a number 3. The options are Doolan, Jordan Silk (very green), Doolan, Darsh

 

[aussies1st]

Did not have Faulkner in the side with Watson. Might as well chuck him at 6, if he's in there give him a bi more security in the batting than just the tail behind him.

 

[hineyrulz]

Everyone, this is hilarious...BM getting all excited...and then they bring in Faulkner for Khawaja LMAO

:lol: Anorher loss is almost worth it after BM's meltdown :lol:

But honestly if Watson can't bowl what is he doing anywhere near the side???

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Our weakness is batting so how do we fix it? By dropping a specialist batsman and bringing in an all rounder.

The writing was on the wall for Khawaja but who replaces him for the next test? No doubt someone who scores a fantastic :roll: 50 in the meaningless ODIs in India. :roll:

 

[franklin2323]

That's the end for Hughes if he's not picked here.

I see it being Ferguson or Maddinson for the return series.

Maddinson's Australia A numbers have been great. Doolan should be next in line surely based on shield form.

 

[Twizzle]

Hads at 6 and Falkner at 7 according to Foxsports nooos

 

[TheParraboy]

Steve Smith and Sunshine will be the next two to go if they don't pull their fingers out, Cant keep living off one or two fifties and then average mid 20s for the series. Bowling has perhaps saved one or both of them. Hell everyone will be able to bowl come return ashes series the way our selections are going

Maybe HAH will bring out the drinks and change of gloves for the players, to give BM his hoover fix?? lol

 

[DC_fan]

Our weakness is batting so how do we fix it? By dropping a specialist batsman and bringing in an all rounder.

We have three specialist batsmen in this team in Rogers, Warner and Clarke. The rest are either all-rounders or bowlers.

Not exactly the batting line up I would want to go in to a test with.

 

[Timbo]

Could be Robson from some of the whispers about. He would be handy at #3 right now.

 

[Red Bear]

I just hope they go into the Ashes with some clear idea of who their best XI is and stick by it for a length of time. This series was killed, in part, by poor decisions in the early couple of test matches that has lead to constant chopping and changing

Also furious Bird gets one test, and bowled quite well for much of it, before getting canned for a guy who cant bowl an over.

 

[Twizzle]

Dont know whether you guys remember it but there was an interview with the fossil about a year ago where he said they wanted multi skilled players in the team so everyone had to have more than one skill and that included being a fielder in a a specialist fielding position like bat pad or gully etc.

It seems that is still his MO. Smith, Watson and Warner and these guys seem to be getting an extended opportunities yet players like Oozie get dropped pretty quick and replaced with another all rounder.

Also explains the love for Starc as the guy can bat.

 

[TiggaPlease]

I thought Boof would bring some stability and sanity to team selections, looks like selection roulette will continue for a long time instead. How hard is it to pick and stick? We were always going to take a flogging in both Ashes series, but I'd hoped we'd come out the other end with a settled stable line up who'd be the backbone of the team for years to come.

 

[TiggaPlease]

Both QLD and Tassie's shield teams could beat the current Aussie team.

 

[Meapro Ham]

Problem is there won't be consistency of selections until there is consistency of selectors. In the last 3 or so years we've had Hilditch then the combined Fossil/Clarke/Arthur/Howard team now apparently its Lehman and Rod Marsh.

To further add to the confusion the fossil still has the job title of chairman of selectors so its not even clear who will be in charge of selections after the current tour. Lets hope it will continue to be Boof but he has shown he's prepared to keep tinkering with selections until he's happy so we'll probably have to put up with the instability for a fair while yet even if Boof does keep the job.