Name YOUR test team for Brisbane

[ElectricEelMan]

This is not what you think the team the selectors will pick, this is what you hope the team the selectors will pick.

1. Katich
2. Hughes
3. Ponting
4. Khawaja
5. Clarke
6. Watson
7. Haddin
8. O'Keefe
9. Johnson
10 Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

12. S Smith

OR

1. Katich
2. Watson
3. Ponting
4. Khawaja
5. Clarke
6. S Smith
7. Haddin
8. O'Keefe
9. Johnson
10 Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

12. Hughes

Points:
* Khawaja is Australia's future first drop.
* I like the balance of the side with Smith there, but I also like Watson batting at 6. He gives a bit of stability to the lineup that we are dearly missing right now.
* O'Keefe is doing everything right.
* Just realized ... GO NSW!!!

 

[beads6]

1. Katich
2. Watson
3. Ponting
4. Clarke
5. Khawaja
6. Haddin
7. SMith
8. Johnson
9. Cutting
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

12th Hauritz.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

By the way, here is the side the selectors will pick.

1. Watson
2. Katich
3. Ponting
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. North
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Hauritz
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

Three test losses in a row and counting

 

[Twizzle]

I would not change the top 4, they have carried us for years.

5 and 6 I would go with the next two in the pecking order which would be Khawaja and Hughes. I agree Usman will eventually be an ideal no 3 for us and he and Hughes will find their way up the order if they are consistent over the next 5 years.

Haddin is our best keeper, Pain just showed us that his is our No 2.

Our 3 best quicks would be Hilfy and the rug, Notch maybe but he has been rubbish and still cant bowl seam up so he will never have the benefit of reverse swing so I'm not sure he is worth investing any more time in. I liked what I saw of George, hit the deck seam up bowler. I also like Harris. Siddle is rubbish and cant play 2 days in a row. I also like Hazlewood and Pattinson but they are not quiet ready yet.

Spinners would be between Smith and O'Keefe and in some games I would play them both depending on the pitch and omit Hughes. One thing for sure is we wont lose much in the batting, both guys capable of making tons with the bat. I cant remember the last time we played 2 spinners in a test match.

Thats more of a squad than a team but it depends on the pitch conditions and where abouts in the world we are playing. India is the ideal place to play two spinners you only have to look at the team combinations that India use at home and we use the same combination all around the world, 6 batsmen, a keeper, a spinner and 3 quicks.

No lateral thinking by our selectors whatsoever.

The other big issue for me is our skipper, if we dump Punter he may retire but one thing is for sure, I do not rate him as a skipper, and I'd have Clarke as first choice and Haddin as VC. I've seen Kat make some huge f**k ups for NSW as skipper and he'll probably retire soon as well.

 

[Jobdog]

Simon Katich
Phil Hughes
Ricky Ponting
Michael Clarke
Michael Hussey
Shane Watson
Brad Haddin
Steve Smith
Mitchell Johnson
Ben Hilfenhaus
Doug Bollinger

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

The NSW side demolishing South Australia.

 

[Red Bear]

My team?

Katich
Hughes
Ponting
Watson
Clarke
Khawaja
Haddin/Paine
Smith
Johnson
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger

Harris

Selectors will keep roughly the same side with Bollinger back for George and the keeper issue a flip of the coin job.

 

[Mr Angry]

Katich
Hughes
Ponting
Clarke
Watson
Khawaja
Paine
Smith
Johnson
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger

 

[TheParraboy]

By the way, here is the side the selectors will pick.

1. Watson
2. Katich
3. Ponting
4. Clarke
5. Hussey
6. North
7. Haddin
8. Johnson
9. Hauritz
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

Three test losses in a row and counting

If Peter "Southern cross tat on my back in amongst the zits" Siddle bags a couple of wickets in a one dayer, the selectors will announce he is back to the peak of his powers and want to reunite the successfull wicket takers of the 2009 ashes campaign.

I fear for Dougy

 

[madunit]

Katich
Hughes
Ponting
Khawaja
Clarke
Watson
White
Paine
Johnson
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger

Ferguson 12th

Although I'd be inclined to give George another crack on Aussie soil, in place of either Johnson or Bollinger

White and Smith to fight for the slow bowler gig.

Stronger batting line up, especially the middle order which has been a sore point for us for a while now.

 

[Twizzle]

Harris should be in the mix when he is fit again, his short test career was impressive imo

 

[gorilla with a shotgun]

Watson
Katich
Ponting
Clarke
Khawaja
Ferguson
Haddin
Smith
Johnson
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger

If we cant win atleast we wont lose with that batting lineup

 

[franklin2323]

The only changes the Selectors will make is Haddin and Bollinger in the tards.

I would go with:

Katich
hughes
Ponting
Clarke
Watson
Ferguson
Haddin
Smith
Johnson
Hiffenhaus
Bollinger

 

[JW]

1. Katich
2. Hughes
3. Ponting
4. Clarke
5. Khawaja
6. Watson
7. Haddin
8. Smith
9. Johnson
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Bollinger

Huss to ODIs/T20s. Haury on standby 'incase'. North to get a job.

 

[Cockadoodledoo]

Harris should be in the mix when he is fit again, his short test career was impressive imo

Harris in Brisbane would be a pretty good selection..

My team.. No Ponting as picking Ponting ensures Hussey, North and Hauritz will be in the team. I would rather lose with youngsters than has beens or never were's.

Hughes
Watson
Katich
Clarke
Khawaja
Smith
Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger

 

[hineyrulz]

1. Katich
2. Hughes
3. Ponting
4. Watson
5. Clarke
6. Khawaja
7. Haddin
8. Smith
9. Johnson (needs to lift but)
10. Hilfy
11. Dougie

12th man Harris

If it looks a real seamer Harris for Smith, this sort of move should have been made last summer but instead we are stuck with three 35 yr olds, a nuffy like North and a straight breaker like Haurie :?

 

[Chook Herron]

IMO O'Keefe will overtake both Smith and Haurie for the spinners position in the side sometime in the next 24 months. I'd like to see Copeland and Cutting in the mix as well for the pace attack

 

[sam54no]

What i'd like to see.

1. Katich
2. Hughes
3. Usman
4. Ponting (c)
5. Clarke
6. Watson
7. Paine
8. Smith
9. Johnson
10. Harris/Siddle (whoever is fit)
11. Hilfenhaus

There's a few things that can be taken out of the pointless series against India.
-Ponting is still and always will be the best batsmen in the country. He was all class.
-Hauritz is a pie chucker. Bring in Smith.
-Paine can handle test cricket, and can be there for the next 10 years. Haddin only has a few years left, so why not take a punt on youth.
-Mitch and Hilfy are our best quicks. But they can leak runs galore. They need someone who is economical to balance the atttack. Perhaps Copeland.
-Pup needs to pull his head in, and only worry about batting. Not twitter, not Captaincy as yet, not which model he's dating this week... just batting, cause he's up there with the best.
-Although Hussey is a great player and a match winner, he keeps getting himself out. Just concentrate on the shorter form of the game.
-North is just S**t. Only scores runs when he's about to get dropped.

In 3 or 4 years time, i reckon our team will be back to our best. I'd love to see 1. Hughes 2. S.Marsh 3. Usman 4. Clarke (c) 5. Watson (vc) 6. Ferguson 7. Paine (Wk) 8. Smith 9. Johnson 10. Copeland 11. Hilfenhaus

 

[Iafeta]

I would think Marcus North is an absolute certainty. I doubt they'd have perservered with him only to drop him off the back of a ton. I think they'll give Hussey 3 tests in the Ashes to prove himself.

Being a neutral, I would say the line up would be:

1 Shane Watson
2 Simon Katich
3 Ricky Ponting
4 Micheal Clarke
5 Marcus North
6 Mike Hussey
7 Brad Haddin
8 Mitchell Johnson
9 Nathan Hauritz (this is the best question mark - Ponting clearly lacked confidence in him, his field settings were diabolical and he got tonked left right and centre. If Steve Smith was a bowling all rounder rather than a batting all rounder I would say he is a certainty. Given he's not, I think they'll stick with Hauritz.)
10 Ben Hilfhenhaus
11 Doug Bollinger

 

[simmo1]

Watson
Katich
Ponting
Clarke
Khawaja
Smith
Paine/Haddin
Johnson
Harris
Hilfenhaus
Bollinger

I'm not sold yet on Smith as a genuine fourth bowler. Given that Brisbane usually favours pace, I included Harris as a fourth seamer. As much as I hate to say it, I'd probably go with Hauritz if we come up on a turning pitch. O'Keefe would also be a possibility.

The top six bastmen basically pick themselves, and the choice of wicketkeeper really is a toss of the coin job.