Ryan Harris a Certainty (apparently)

[Bgoodorgoodatit]

AUSTRALIA'S selectors will consider the extraordinary step of naming a 14 or 15-man Test squad to compensate for the injury and form concerns swirling around key players.

One thing is certain - Ryan Harris will get the nod after taking nine wickets for Queensland against Tasmania.
Channel 9 released an invitation to its Ashes launch last night saying: "Join Nine's Wide World of Sports cricket commentary team and players from the Australian Cricket Team as they celebrate the launch of the Vodafone Ashes Series at the SCG Members Pavilion."
Players listed to attend were Ricky Ponting, Doug Bollinger, Simon Katich and Harris.
Australia's vice-captain Michael Clarke failed to field for NSW at the SCG yesterday when his back problems resurfaced, Nathan Hauritz was temporarily sidelined, and Ashes contender Mitchell Starc was wiped out of all cricket for a month with a side strain sustained in the Sheffield Shield game between NSW and Victoria.


With Katich and Bollinger returning from injury today in the backblocks of grade cricket, and middle-order batsmen Marcus North and Mike Hussey fighting for their Test careers, selection chairman Andrew Hilditch might be reading a longer list than anticipated at the Opera House on Monday.
"They might name 12 but they might name 13, 14, 15 - we just don't know yet," a Cricket Australia spokesman said.
"If circumstances warrant it and there are concerns, we can name more than 12. A couple of years ago we took 14 to Brisbane because the selectors were still getting a few things straight.
"If there's one or two they're still looking at, they might have 14 names on Monday."
Hauritz and Clarke's confidence-boosting performances for NSW made them a rarity among the 11 players expected to play the first Test.
Form lines have not been fantastic. Katich and Bollinger are sidelined.
Captain Ricky Ponting made five for Tasmania in Hobart yesterday.
Hussey's latest returns for WA have been nought and three; North's have been 19 and one. Brad Haddin's only innings for NSW amounted to just two runs. Mitchell Johnson is out of sorts to the extent he's playing grade cricket today in Perth.
If every form worry and injury niggle is a factor, Hilditch will need a squad of about 50 on Monday.
Matthew Hayden says Ricky Ponting must battle on as Test skipper, passing on lessons from Australia's golden generation to a new breed finding their feet in the baggy green.
Ponting is the remaining torchbearer - and conduit - for the art of combat that defined a decade-long domination and should lead Australia for the foreseeable future, Hayden insists.
"In my opinion I think Punter has a lot to offer. His book should be Last Man Standing because he is from the end of the era we came to understand for over a decade," 103-Test opener Hayden said.
"That is why I played for as long as I wanted to so I could pass on as much as I could, that culture between the old and new in the team."

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...plague-australia/story-e6frepmo-1225952894158


this is a change from wednesdays paper where craddock said that siddle was favored ahead of harris and bollinger for the first test.

this is definitley much better news (if true)

if siddle gets a spot in this test match considering his recent form whatever little faith i have in the Aus cricket team/selectors will be completely gone.

 

[beads6]

I'd be more worried about Harris being picked ahead of Bollinger a the moment.

 

[Bgoodorgoodatit]

very true.

didnt even contemplate that at first

however i am sane, unlike the AUS cricket Selectors

Hilfenhaus and Bollinger should be the first selected without a doubt

then Harris, and johnson as a lucky forth

 

[Panther_Daz]

Harris should be there no doubt.

 

[Matt23]

I'd certainly prefer him to sh*ttle

 

[lockyno1]

I'd play him ahead of Bollinger, not sure I would want to go into a test match with a bowler short of match fitness (Bollinger).

 

[Twizzle]

I'm not sure why Craddock would make such a statement, he's not a selector

 

[hineyrulz]

I'd certainly prefer him to sh*ttle

I'd prefer Brett Finch over sh*ttle. Finch used to try hard as well :crazy:

 

[aussies1st]

Bollinger would have to be there if fit. Harris in over Hauritz would be the easy option especially on the Gabba wicket.

 

[lockyno1]

Not sure he will be. He'd have to bowl 50 overs in the next Shield match for me to consider Bollinger.

 

[Big Pete]

I like Harris as a player. Technically not the most dangerous bowler around but damn he's incredibly competitive and he rarely gives his opposition an inch these days. Australia needs a player like him and it'd be great to see him and Dougy ball in tandem.

Great win to Queensland by the way.

 

[zombie jesus]

Are the Test players going to play the next Shield match? Even if they don't there's a lot of water to go under the bridge before the Test team is named on match morning, not paying attention to media speculation just yet.

 

[Marshall_magic]

I'd pick Harris over Siddle any day of the year, for me the 3rd quick in the side is between him and Hilfy, (or pick both at the expense of Hauritz if the conditions suit). The fact that Siddle is even in contention is worrying though, he's ordinary at best.

 

[aussies1st]

Simon Katich and Doug Bollinger will be named in Australia's Ashes squad on Monday after obeying selectors' orders and proving they have recovered from injury.

Katich has been sidelined with a thumb problem and Bollinger an abdominal strain, but both have returned to action in Sydney grade cricket just 12 days before the start of the Ashes series.

Michael Clarke didn't bat on Saturday as he takes extreme precaution with a recurring back problem that flared up again during the Shield match against Victoria at the SCG, while the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Mike Hussey and Nathan Hauritz are all searching for top form.

Watch the announcement of Australia's squad for the first Ashes Test live on foxsports.com.au from 11.30am (EDT) on Monday, November 15.

But Katich's confident return at Coogee Oval was music to the ears of the national selection panel as they prepare to announce their highly-anticipated squad to take on England.

Playing for Randwick-Petersham against Manly, Katich made 94 in his first match since picking up a fracture and ligament damage in his left thumb in a tour in India.

Katich said this week he didn't expect to get picked in the Australia squad unless he could get some cricket under his belt and he responded with nine boundaries and two sixes in a 132-ball stay at the crease.

Katich now plans to turn out for New South Wales in Wednesday's Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania before the first Test against England starts at the Gabba on November 25.

"It's a handy score. It's good to spend time in the middle and score some runs," Katich said after his innings.

"The hand feels good.

"I've been training down at the SCG the last few days and there's been no problem batting.

"There were no real surprises, I pulled up okay and I'll be ready to go in next week's Shield match.

"There was never any doubt that I was going to be right for that game."

Bollinger meanwhile successfully completed two spells for Fairfield-Liverpool in their match against Northern District, finishing with 1-30 from 10 overs in his first outing since October 5.

Bollinger is likely to make a four-man pace attack in the Ashes squad alongside Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris.

Peter Siddle, who showed reasonable form for Victoria against the Blues, could also be added if selectors announce an extended squad.

Katich, like most other pundits, is expecting an even contest when the first Test starts at the Gabba on November 25.

"England's got a well-balanced side and their preparation has been good," he said.

"It's going to be a very tight series."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket...ey-grade-cricket/story-e6frf3gl-1225953070749

If the article is right then that is good signs that Harris is next in line on the bowling front.

 

[Big Pete]

I think either way we can all agree Australian's preparation has been piss poor for such a series and if they lose they have nobody to blame but themselves.

Why they didn't play more Tests in preparation for this series is beyond me, how are players supposed to prove themselves in only a few games?

 

[beads6]

If Johnson was going to be dropped it would have already happened IMO. He will get the Gabba test and if we lose he will get dropped. Interesting to see if we go 4 quicks or not. At least Harris is ahead of Siddle.

 

[Twizzle]

I think you are right, they will select him no matter what he does next weekend for WA.

It was persevering with Johnson et al that cost us the first 2 test matches of the last ashes in England, hard to come back from 2 zip.

Our selectors wouldn't react to bad form back then so I dont see them changing their habits now.

 

[beads6]

I think you are right, they will select him no matter what he does next weekend for WA.

It was persevering with Johnson et al that cost us the first 2 test matches of the last ashes in England, hard to come back from 2 zip.

Our selectors wouldn't react to bad form back then so I dont see them changing their habits now.

Johnson did bowl pretty well in India got a 5 wicket haul but ever since getting home he has been a joke. Needs to takes wickets in the shield game otherwise I think the selectors will really think of dropping him. He is our only real X factor and I think that is what gets him selected. Four quicks at the Gabba though IMO and if Johnson doesn't fire he goes regardless of the result.

 

[lockyno1]

Lets be honest here, Johnson is a heck of a lot better on Australian pitches, has a number of 5 wicket hauls on Australian pitches.

 

[Twizzle]

Lets be honest here, Johnson is a heck of a lot better on Australian pitches, has a number of 5 wicket hauls on Australian pitches.

didn't help 2 weeks ago at the WACA, he was rubbish