Changes Are Necassary

[JoeysChiropractor]

Prematurely turning your back on Hayden. Nobody was calling for him to go until they showed some stats. Just media hype and tension.


I'd say leave him for the rest of the series and then reassess at the end of the ashes where his career is going. Him and Langer are the best opening pair we have. You can't replace him with Katich, a bloke whos done nothing all tour either, or Hussey, who is suited to the middle order. The English bowling with the new ball is good, and then theres no rest when Flintoff and Jones come on. Its difficult for the top order.

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Martyn
Hussey
Symonds
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Tait
McGrath

Katich > gone
Clarke > gone

Symonds offers another bowling option with spin or mediums, he won't make errors in the field, and has belted the poms around for years in county cricket. Him and Hussey were our best players through the ODI series, but Hussey would be risky to open. It would leave us exposed. At least Hayden has a reputation which plays on the poms minds.

 

[aussies1st]

Good point you make on Hussey. Hayden unlike Dizzy is doing ok. The two i want to see are Tait and Symonds. They will give us that added fiz they are missing currently. If Symonds did get picked I hope selectors give him time you can't expect miracles from the man in one game.

 

[JoeysChiropractor]

Yep exactly, I think they turned their back on him too quickly.


Another point on Hayden is that he has been getting starts and its only a matter of time until he converts one, and he has also scored a few runs on this tour in the trial matches and went quite well in the one dayers.

If Australia was winning, there wouldn't be any talk of him being gone. It is only the press looking for someone to blame.

Dizzy needs some time out, being smacked around does no one any good.

 

[aussies1st]

Dizzy needs to figure a new way to get players out. It just ain't happening right now.

 

[SirShire]

Haddin as a specialist batsmen

 

[Earl]

Haddin as a specialist batsmen

Would be the worst move since in history of the ashes

 

[aussies1st]

If that happened Gilly to opener Haddin 7. No idea what they would do with the keeping.

 

[Timbo]

My 4th test side would go:

1-J.Langer
2-M.Hussey
3-S.Katich
4-D.Martyn
5-R.Ponting
6-B.Hodge
7-A.Gilchrist (c,k)
8-S.Warne
9-B.Lee
10-N.Bracken
11-G.McGrath

Hayden's so out of form it isn't funny. He has to go. Ponting no longer deserves to bat at 3 the way he's playing, IMO Katich is the only one sensible enough to bay there. Ponting has also shown why he was such an advocate of Darren Lehmann-He made all the fielding and bowling changes. Ponting doesn't have a bloody clue. Welcome back captain Gilchrist. Clarke is not only injured, but was probably on the verge of being dropped till his innings in the first test. Hodge has earned a call up. Gillespie....well, enough said really. And I think Bracken is perfect for English conditions.

 

[aussies1st]

Bracken defintiely should have been picked in the squad. He is one of our bowlers that can swing and left hand bowlers are hard to bat against.

 

[brooksy19]

Can Covell bat ?

 

[SirShire]

Would be the worst move since in history of the ashes

Him and Hussey have been the form Australian batsmen of the past 12 months. Haddin is the kind of players who you can rely on to build a strong innings, and not throw his wicket away, al la Clarke.

 

[Slappy]

Gillespie is a spent force, unfortunately his dramatic decline had to peak during the Ashes! If he ever bowls for Australia again (test or ODI) I'll spew!

Hayden should be punted too, he's a deadset oxygen thief! Langer makes him look like an amateur. Hayden should spend less time meditating and 'absorbing the atmosphere of the ground' and more time reading books on batting!
He's been a protected species for too long. f**k him off now!!!!!!!!!

 

[aussies1st]

Just watching the SBS coverage Dean Jones is certain Tait will play. I hope hes right.

 

[Earl]

If he was a selector then I'd be excited.

 

[IanG]

How's this for a line up?

1. Langer
2. Hussey
3. Ponting
4. Martyn
5. Hodge
6. Katich
7. Gillchist
8. Warne
9. Lee
10. Tait
11. McGrath

 

[Big_Bad_Shark_Fan]

Can Covell bat ?

no
in his junior days he was a tearaway fast bowler
he can bat obviously, but not up to test standard

 

[aussies1st]

Tearaway fast bowler you say, any idea if he was as quick as Lee.

 

[Earl]

How's this for a line up?

1. Langer
2. Hussey
3. Ponting
4. Martyn
5. Hodge
6. Katich
7. Gillchist
8. Warne
9. Lee
10. Tait
11. McGrath

I like that side its a start, but you've ommited Michael Clarke, I'd only drop him through injury. He is the only Australian to pass 90 this series remember.

 

[Stuart]

Ok ive dredged up the stats of some of the guys playing in England.
First Class
Name Mat I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St Team
DJ Hussey 11 15 1 883 118 63.07 74.70 1 8 21 - NOTTS
MEK Hussey 8 15 3 775 253 64.58 53.89 2 3 18 - DURHAM
A Symonds 2 3 0 300 134 100.00 69.12 2 - 1 - LANCS
PA Jaques 10 18 2 1039 219 64.93 73.27 2 6 12 - YORKS
BJ Haddin 1 1 0 94 94 94.00 97.91 - 1 2 - AUS
MJ Di Venuto 10 20 2 1031 203 57.27 54.52 3 5 10 - DERBY
SR Watson 2 4 0 203 82 50.75 67.66 - 2 3 - HANTS
CJL Rogers 3 6 0 441 209 73.50 72.53 1 2 4 - LEICS

Bowling First Class
Name Mat O M R W Ave Best 5 10 SR Econ Team
SR Clark 1 45 10 129 7 18.42 5-61 1 - 38.5 2.86 MIDDX
SW Tait 1 13 4 51 2 25.50 2-51 - - 39.0 3.92 AUS

A number of guys are performing over in county cricket in England, as the list compiled above shows. The team i would like to see is assuming Clarke is injured

1-Jaques
2-Langer
3-Ponting
4-Martyn
5-Hussey
6-Katich/Symonds
7-Gilcrist
8-Warne (captain, even if Ponting is still the figure head, this guy should be making the decisions)
9-Lee
10-Tait
11-McGrath
12-Symonds

A little bit harsh on Hodge but ive left him out because of lack of cricket. I think going with in form players who are performing is the way to go. Jaques is an in form opening batsman and i think its time for Hayden to step down and Hussey is the sensible player we need in the middle order. I would even consider Hussey 4, Martyn 5.

 

[Earl]

The stupid thing is they are reluctant to play Shaun Tait due to his lack of cricket, but if a batsman goes down, the first player picked will be Brad Hodge, even though he has hardly played any cricket.

Australia f**ked up by leaving Michael Hussey and Nathan Braken out of their touring party.