Australia A

[Deleted member 10972]

A four day game:

Australia squad (IMO): Katich, Watson, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, North, Haddin, Johnson, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger, Hauritz, Harris (12th man), Hughes (13th man)

Australia A

1. Ed Cowan
2. Tim Paine (+)
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Callum Ferguson
5. Mark Cosgove - part-time medium pace
6. Steve Smith - spinning allrounder
7. Mitchell Marsh - seaming allrounder
8. Steve O'Keefe - spinner
9. Mitchell Starc - left-arm seamer
10. Peter Siddle - pace spearhead
11. Peter George - accurate seamer

12th man: John Hastings


If it was a one day game:

Australia squad (IMO): Marsh, Watson, Ponting, Clarke, White, Hussey, Haddin, Johnson, Tait, Hauritz, Harris, Bollinger (12th man), Warner (13th man)

Australia A

1. Liam Davis
2. Travis Birt
3. Callum Ferguson
4. Adam Voges - part-time offies
5. Steve Smith - spinning allrounder
6. Dan Christian - seaming allrounder
7. Matthew Wade (+)
8. Xavier Doherty - spinner
9. Ben Cutting - pace spearhead
10. Clint McKay - accurate seamer
11. Dirk Nannes - left-arm seamer

12th man: John Hastings

I think that should be it for Hopes. He is 32 now, and guys like Mitch Marsh, Dan Christian and John Hastings offerfar more with the ball and bat, are younger and more energetic too. I would like to see these guys pushing for a spot.

Hilfenhaus, Katich, North, Hughes are Test specialists.

Tait, Marsh, White, Warner are ODI specialists.

Likewise, guys like Cowan, Khawaja, Siddle and George should only be considered for first class matches with Australia A, while at the moment Birt, Davis, Voges, Cutting, Doherty, Nannes etc are more specialized to the limited overs arena.

 

[lockyno1]

Cosgrove? 1 good innings doesn't make a summer. Failed in his last dig as well.

 

[aussies1st]

1-P.Hughes
2-M.Klinger
3-U.Khawaja
4-C.Ferguson
5-G.Bailey*
6-S.Smith
7-T.Paine+
8-S.O'Keefe
9-J.Pattinson
10-T.Copeland
11-P.George

Would pick a similar team with Maddinson in for Klinger, he doesn't seem to be on the selectors radar so may as well give someone who will be.

 

[Collingwood Storm]

Aus A team has been announced...

Hughes
S.Marsh (subject to fitness)
Khawaja
White (c)
Ferguson
Smith
Paine
O'Keefe
Cameron
Starc
George

Not sure who is on standby for Marsh... maybe Cowan?

Only real surprise is Cameron, many better options than him IMO.

 

[Red Bear]

Cameron did just take 11 wickets, I guess they think he's worth a look. I'd have Copeland ahaead of Starc also, especially first class level. Otherwise probably what I would have gone for, maybe Klinger instead of Marsh

 

[Scarves]

I recall when the Australia A team was full of superstars in its own right. Guys like Hayden, Langer, Martyn as captain, Bevan, Blewett.

Now we have Shaun Marsh opening. Selectors have systematically stuffed the balance of Australian cricket since Steve Waugh retired. They usurped the pecking order back then and now no one knows who is next in line. It's a mess.

 

[Deleted member 10972]

Aus A team has been announced...

Hughes
S.Marsh (subject to fitness)
Khawaja
White (c)
Ferguson
Smith
Paine
O'Keefe
Cameron
Starc
George

Not sure who is on standby for Marsh... maybe Cowan?

Only real surprise is Cameron, many better options than him IMO.

Where is Mitchell Marsh? He is god-given talent.

 

[Twizzle]

be good to see O'Keefe and Smith bowl in tandem

 

[Red Bear]

But mitchell Marsh has done f**k all at first class level. Averages under 20 with the bat

 

[hineyrulz]

I'm suprised they have picked a decent side, some youth there and blokes not far away from the top side. Glad to see Cameron get a go if he can stay injury free he's a bolter for a test this summer. Much better option than a Nuffy like sh*ttle.

 

[Red Bear]

Im concerned that Siddle isnt in the Aust A squad, meaning he could be in the test squad

 

[yappy]

Im concerned that Siddle isnt in the Aust A squad, meaning he could be in the test squad

Yeah it would be a bit much to expect the selectors to have worked out he isn't in the top half dozen pace bowlers in the country.

Would have liked to see Copeland get a go instead of Starc, but being a lefty is probably helping Starc. Not having a go at him as I think he will become really good eventually, just don't think he's good enough yet.

 

[aussies1st]

More about the variation, George is a similar bowler to Copeland and since he picked there wasn't the need for Copeland. Unlucky for him but that is the way the selectors saw it.

 

[beads6]

Im concerned that Siddle isnt in the Aust A squad, meaning he could be in the test squad

my thoughts exactly, surely Greg Chappell isn't that dumb.... Maybe we are all wrong ?? :crazy:

 

[Twizzle]

I think he is only being looked at for the ODI team at this stage

The Australia A game will be a 4 dayer

 

[Collingwood Storm]

Copeland is being seriously overrated in this thread.

He would be about 15th in line for any Australian team.

 

[aussies1st]

7 matches, 45 wickets at average of 18 and strike rate of 41. May as well call every bowler in the history of the game overrated if he is overrated.

 

[yappy]

Strike rate of under 42, average of under 19, taking over 6 wickets per match - name another first class bowler with stats anything like that.

Yes he's only just starting out and all of those numbers will blow out some, but no one else has come into first class cricket and performed so consistently well at the start of their careers. He wasn't one of the chosen ones like Hazelwood or Starc who have been fast tracked into the side as teenagers. He earned his spot by destroying First Grade sides with a ton of wickets.

No I don't think he's the second coming of Lillee, but he has earned the right to be looked at very closely. His worst First Class match figures are 5/159 in the recent game against SA. That's right he has not yet failed to take 5 wickets in a game. Even in his second game against Vic where we only took 14 wickets he still bagged his 5. Most very good bowlers average a bit over 4 a match. The Blues, due to poor batting lost the first two games he played. Since then we've had 5 straight outrights in which he's more than played a part taking 30 wickets. I'll admit that with 3 of those coming against SA it might not be all it seems, but FFS he has done everything asked of him and more. Stats don't tell the whole story, but geez this bloke's stats tell a pretty good story so far.

If he is 15th in line for the Australian team then a lot of imposters are in front of him and will be looking over their shoulders. If he keeps taking bags of wickets he'll be a hell of lot closer than 15th in a hurry.

 

[Red Bear]

It just boggles me that no one has burst on the scene like that (Maybe Hughes as a batsmen) in recent memory yet somehow he didnt make any of the winter performance squads and whatnot. I worry sometimes that, with someone like Chappell in charge, we'll only look at guys who've come under his wing at the high performance unit(or whatever its called) and only those who've come thru the junior rep comps, ignoring the late bloomers like Copeland.

I mean that someone like Starc, averaging 35 in f/c cricket, is considered to be ahead of the guy averaging 19 is a bit ridiculous

 

[Deleted member 10972]

As it is a 4-day match, I would have liked to see:

1. Phil Hughes
2. Tim Paine
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Mark Cosgrove
5. Callum Ferguson
6. Steve Smith
7. Mitchell Marsh
8. Steve O'Keefe
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Ryan Harris
11. Peter George

Justification for choices...

Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson are the three specialist batsmen pushing hardest for Hussey's spot in the team. Paine will obviously be there too.

Steve Smith is a genuine top order batsman who can bowl effective leg spin when required - he can push for North's spot, and offers more in terms of Test match potential then Cam White.

Mitch Marsh, well, I picked him over Cameron White as this kid has god-given talent and needs an extended run against higher level opposition to really see if he has the potential to take it to the next level.

Cosgrove is the bolter. I picked him over Shaun Marsh, as Cosgrove has had more success in First Class cricket. I rate Shaun Marsh as a ODD opener, but he has serious technical flaws. Cosgrove, on the other hand, has a very good technique and it is only his weight holding him back. I rate him very highly though.

As for bowlers, I would have picked Harris over Cameron. I rate Cameron highly, but Harris would do well to have the run before the Test match. Plays with a lot of gusto, always puts in a massive effort too.

So, from the team named, the changes I would make are:

OUT = Cameron White, Shaun Marsh, Mark Cameron
IN = Mitchell Marsh, Mark Cosgrove, Ryan Harris

If it was a limited overs match, however, I'd be looking at getting guys like Liam Davis, Travis Birt, Adam Voges, Dirk Nannes, Dan Christian and John Hastings into the mix.