Clarke dropped!

[JJ]

he's better than those three put together

we'll see how good a judge you are in a year or so

he might be in a year or so, but he's not now - and that's all I'm talking about

 

[Red Bear]

The opinions of Locky are not those of a sane person and should be disregarded.

Seriously, Warne should average 25 in cricket. He's settles down over the last year and has been batting brilliantly(including 2 firstclass centuries inengland). Lee is also an excellent batsmen of a lower order player, with good technique. I would personally rather see this side.

Langer
Hayden
Ponting
Hodge
Hussey
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Bracken
Mcgrath
Macgill

Symonds is a nuffy, Watson is a decent batsmen but a piss poor bowler, and certinly not at test standard, Innis, Williams better than Bracken??Pffft. Kasper was sh*t in the Ashes. I wouldnt mind seeing Bichel get a go actually, but highly unlikely he will ever be back. Beven would be a great batsmen to come in if he werent injured, sh*ts on Symonds from a great height.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

No I actaully have nothing against Clarke to be honest and unlike Katich, becuase he is young, I am prepared to give him time. But to be honest he has been awful for the last 12 months and is struggling against this WI side. His dropping is fair, but unlike Katich I wish him well to get back in the side. But when he comes back he should be at no6 not no4. Currently Clarke is a waste in this team considering there are better batsmen around the country. He is still young and should improve.

Just like Symmonds. Bad luck you can't say the last bit for him.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

It's got nothing to do with Symmonds being a queenslander. I didn't like Watson but I was willing to give him a chance, because there is definately potential there. But Symmonds, ffs. He'll never be better than a part time bowler and a bloke than bat ok. It's like playing Ian Harvey in the test team.

That's a pretty stupid comparison. Harvey was a woeful failure with the bat at international level. Symonds international career has been almost all at ODI level where he has compiled an outstanding record with the bat.

If you look at Symond's ODI batting career since the 2003 World Cup, the combination of an average well over 40 and a strike rate in the 90s is as good as any ODI batsman in world cricket.

Symonds first-class record certainly suggests that he is not good enough to play test cricket for Australia as a specialist batsman. However, his ODI career suggests that he should at least be good enough to average mid/high 30s in test cricket which is good enough for a fill in.

You are probably right to suggest that Australia could/would win a test with Warne batting at 7, but to suggest that Warne is good enough to bat 7 for Australia is pretty ridiculous.

Perhaps it would make sense to play 7 batsman (try out someone new) and 4 bowlers, although again it's not an ideal balance. Your prior comment about Symonds doing nothing for the balance is off the mark imo. ODI and test cricket are obviously totally different, but Symonds clearly has experience facing and often dominating international bowling. He may not genuinely be a test class batsman but he is capable of scoring runs and rolling his arm over. At the moment I think he is the logical fill in.

If Bracken is a test player than so is Symonds imo.

 

[choc_soldier]

Not 100% convinced of Symonds ability in tests yet - but the same was said when he first made the one day team, and was given enough chances to prove himself. Perhaps they're thinking the same for the 5 day version.

Clarke, well, it was as obvious as the sun rising tomorrow. But not sure if he'll exactly be killing them in the Pura Cup anytime soon, but any batsman that good won't be down for too long. He'll be in the South African squad most likely. I think he'll be back in the team within 12 months.

 

[choc_soldier]

It's like playing Ian Harvey in the test team.

*shudder*

Now there's someone who NEVER appeared to justify his position in the one day team. Rarely rose to the occasion with the bat, and his bowling was just above average.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

Thanks for the meaningless ODI stats Thierry. They're great but meaningless.

Deadset mate, I can't believe you brought up ODI stats like they are actually relevant. I expected more from you.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

And Symmonds does NOTHING for balance because he can't bowl. His overs are merely token.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

ODI cricket is stacked against a batsmans average, especially now that the only difference that favours the batsman is 1 bouncer per over in ODI cricket against 2 bouncers an over in test cricket.

It's almost impossible to average less in tests than ODIs. Guys like Sarwan, Gayle and Ganguly who have had similar averages in ODIs and tests are pretty rare. Bevan is one example, of course, but he played in the 0 bouncer era, and imo he would have improved his record with more tests (or maybe he's just a unique statistical curiosity....)

 

[Red Bear]

Beven should've played more tests, was marked as never to return despite anoutstanding firstclass record.

 

[Jobdog]

How Symonds stays in the team is totally beyond me. I've made no secret about the fact I thought Clarkey should have stayed in the team, but if he is to go out of the side, then FFS its only fair Symonds gets the boot as well. Symonds as good a player as he is in the one-dayers, is not a Test player. I shake my head at the fact that Clarke gets dropped, but Symonds stays in.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

Bevan would have easily been a 40-50 run average test player if he was given an extended run. I've got no doubts about that whatsoever.

 

[Twizzle]

I'm a huge fan of Clarkey as well, but we have to be fair to Hodge and Hussy, they deserve thier spots more than Clarkey

Clarkey's last Pura cup dig was about 170, so he will keep reminding the selectors how good he is

I dont think he will be out for very long

 

[Jobdog]

But Twizzle, then u have the old adage of "its hard to get INTO the Aussie side, but its a lot harder to get OUT of it". If thats the case, will he get back into the side? Hopefully as you say, he's not out of the side for very long. If he keeps scoring runs for the Blues, then I spose he's going to be back knocking on the door. If he keeps scoring BIG runs, he might be banging the door down. Lets hope so, cos there is not a doubt in my mind that he has extreme potential.

 

[ryanallen]

Symonds might not be all that good with his medium pacers but why not give him a go at his off spiners. He bowls effective offies in the one day game so why can't he do it in tests.
Also saying clarke should of been kept and symonds should of got axed is ridiciulous.
Since clarkes debut he has had 15 tests averaging just 24.7. He has had time to convince the selectors, so why shouldn't symonds have the chance to proove himself and convince the selectors? Fair enough he failed in sri lanka,and missed out on the runs in hobart but he has had 3 matches to proove himself to clarkes 15.
So just because you fail in 1 test match doesnt mean you should be compared to a guy that has failed in 15 previous matches.

 

[El Diablo]

Hodge and Hussey are old. I can't see why we're picking 30 year olds to replace guys.

They are not the future.

 

[Twizzle]

Symonds might not be all that good with his medium pacers but why not give him a go at his off spiners. He bowls effective offies in the one day game so why can't he do it in tests.
Also saying clarke should of been kept and symonds should of got axed is ridiciulous.
Since clarkes debut he has had 15 tests averaging just 24.7. He has had time to convince the selectors, so why shouldn't symonds have the chance to proove himself and convince the selectors? Fair enough he failed in sri lanka,and missed out on the runs in hobart but he has had 3 matches to proove himself to clarkes 15.
So just because you fail in 1 test match doesnt mean you should be compared to a guy that has failed in 15 previous matches.

his offies aren't really penetrating stuff, enough to get test match wickets

he may be able to tie some batsmen down by bowling flat offies in a ODI, bt that wont get wickets in a test match

 

[aussies1st]

Bevan would have easily been a 40-50 run average test player if he was given an extended run. I've got no doubts about that whatsoever.

I agree, they were showing the scorecard of the 99 Adelaide test match where Bevan was able to get 6 wickets. If only we used him more as he would have fitted that all rounder that the selectors seem to want. His batting alone would have got him in the side if he was given a chance.

 

[El Diablo]

He averaged 55 in that series v the Windies and they say Bev can't play the short ball :roll:

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

bevan would of been a 10,000 run test scorer for any other nation