Best players in key positions not picked

[booligal bill]

This is fairly simplistic, but if you break a cricket team into positions you could have : top order batsman, middle order batsmen, keeper, pace bowler, spin bowler. So there are 5 'positions'.

I would argue, that incredibly, the VERY BEST players in FOUR of those positions in Australia are not even in the Test team. Michael Clarke (middle order batsman) aside, in my opinion the VERY BEST in the other positions are: top order bat - Chris Rogers, keeper - Chris Hartley, spinner - Steven O'Keefe and pace bowler - Ryan Harris. I will grant that Harris is just returning from injury so it hasn't been realistic to think that he should have been in the team recently. But as for the other 3, I simply cannot believe they are not there.

I would be interested in others thoughts......

 

[Horrie Is God]

Rogers is an interesting one..

He has been scoring runs for years without being given a real crack..

He struggled in his only test against the Indian bowlers,but that was a weird game..

His biggest problem is he looks more like the team scorer than an opening bat..

SOK has got the best first class record of any spinner around & it's ridiculous he can't get a look in to the test side when players like X & Maxwell get starts..It's mind boggling,but my only answer is that his personality may be keeping him out..Someone in a high place doesn't like the kid..

Harris has the durability of Watto unfortunately..He's good,but only for a test a year..

Hartley should be test keeper IMO..We need a keeper who can catch waay more than one who can bat well..

 

[jargan83]

I saw a quote in The West Australian on Monday from Micky Arthur stating their ODI form played a big part in Doherty amd Maxwell being selected

I agree regarding the wicket keeper as well, what's the point of having a keeper that can bat when he gives so many lives behind the stumps. Wade will have to come out and score a 100 every innings with the amount of missed chances

 

[herbert henry1908]

In terms of Chris rogers he turns 36 this year. It just isn't going to happen.

Hartley there is a very good case for , especially with wade's ordinary keeping. The big stumbling block here is Adam Gilchrist really moved the dial for what you want from a keeper. Hartley would be more of a move back to the Ian Healy days.

SOK should be there , no question. It's simply mind boggling.

Harris as you said is injured all the time. Plus he's on the wrong side of 30. Very bad combination in a fast bowler. But pace bowling isn't really where our problem lies anyway.




Our biggest problem is the young guys aren't putting up their hands at FC level. Not only does it mean we have less to pick from , but its taking pressure off the test players.

 

[Pete Cash]

I agree with hh on people not putting up their hands in shield cricket. Who is the most inform batsmen in that form of the game ?

Its Ponting a dude who is heading towards 40 and just retired because he couldn't handle international attacks. Out of all the batsmen who have scored over 500 runs in shield there is Hughes, Rogers, Doolan, Ponting and Cosgrove. Out of them only 3 of them have averaged over 50 and Ponting has almost averaged double the next best. All things being equal he should over take Hughes for the most runs scored this year.

Now I understand Ponting is one of the best batsmen we have ever produced but what does it say about the depth in both batting and bowling when he steps down from international cricket because he struggles against top bowlers but then completely dominates shield cricket.

 

[hineyrulz]

Our selectors have been clueless for ages, it's just before we had the depth to cover for their f**k ups. Now sadly we do not. If Ponting ends up the top run scorer in the Sheild it really shows the lack of depth in the batting ranks.