Selectors Considering Hussey & Watson

[Earl]

AUSTRALIA may be forced to summon Mike Hussey from county cricket if they decide this week to end Matthew Hayden's Ashes tour. Hayden's exasperating run of form continued on Saturday when he fell for 26 off 41 balls in the fourth Test after being caught in the gully with a miscued edge off Andrew Flintoff.

He has now gone 30 innings and a year since the most recent of his 20 Test centuries, and has passed 50 just five times in that period.

His Ashes series has reaped him just 180 runs at 22.

Selector on duty Trevor Hohns will have to discuss with captain Ricky Ponting whether Hussey and perhaps Shane Watson should be recruited to the squad for the final Test at The Oval from September 8.

Hussey, who starred for Australia during the two one-day series which preceded the Tests, has carried his great form into the county championship where he has 982 runs at 75 including three centuries for Durham.


Hayden has a Test average of 51.31 and it is normally unthinkable for a batsmen with such a record to be discarded. But the numbers of more interest to the selectors will be the fact that he has averaged around 30 from his past 30 innings.

The selectors have been given permission to recruit players from outside the squad and already briefly called up paceman Stuart Clark when there were doubts about Glenn McGrath's fitness.


Reserve batsman Brad Hodge is not suited to opening. Hayden has had trouble negotiating the inswinging ball from opening bowler Matthew Hoggard who dismissed him leg before in the first innings of the current Test.

I fail to see how Shane Watson will help us win this match but f**king great news on Hussey. To know they are at least considering it is good stuff.

 

[wittyfan]

Watson should be included without fail.

Martyn should go.

 

[Twizzle]

good news about letting Hayden go, and no mention of droppping Kat either

Watson will only be considered if we are playing 2 leggies imo

 

[Stuart]

Watson would be a huge gamble. Cant really bowl anything other than balls that go dead straight and the jury is out on whether he can be a consistent top order batsman. I would prefer Symonds if they are going for an allrounder.

Great news on Hussey, pity its 3 tests too late but better late than never.

 

[JoeysChiropractor]

If Australia was 4-0 up, no one would be saying Hayden needs to be axed.


I think in terms of this series, Watson would be selection suicide. And Hussey, he is in good form, but if he is picked for Hayden and has a poor test, then the selectors and Hussey will cop it for dropping someone who has been there all series with a career average over 50.

If they want an allrounder, Symonds SHOULD get it. Katich's ability to hang around in the last test has taken his head off the chopping block, but Martyn's is still in the spotlight.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

Watson? God no. At this stage he offers nothing. No doubt he will be a better cricketer in a couple of years.

But putting him in for the final test? Very silly imo.

 

[[furrycat]]

How can people want Watson at this stage? He is trying to bowl too fast, his batting is very average. We don't need an attempt at our own Flintoff.

 

[aussies1st]

Watson is our poor man version of Dizzy minus 5 odd years in age. (This is the current dizzy) He bowls straight and thats it. Batters just block with ease and take him to the cleaners when needed. Hussey has to come in. If its for Hayden or Martyn it doesn't really matter as both are going crap.

Symonds should be the all rounder as the pitch will be flat. If Tait couldn't do much on a flat pitch Watson has no hope in hell. Why not just get Symonds a guy who can bowl accurately and do his offies.

 

[Tommy Smith]

Watson should be included without fail.

Martyn should go.

If you actually thought with your head for once instead of your groin area you would realise that you're an idiot to suggest Watson should even be near the test side.

Watson is the worlds number one pie thrower. Hes in the guiness Book of Records for longest thrown pie, im sure of it.

Having said that i hope they pick him. And MacGill too...what better way to get the scoring rate moving than to have half-tracker MacGill bowling to you. Vaughan will be thinking its Christmas! Again! After the murderous display we saw in th Sydney test.

 

[Alan Shore]

We need Symonds and Macgill to spin the English out of the test.

 

[aussies1st]

I don't know about Symonds spinning them out maybe the odd wicket which is more than what Watson would get. A better way is MacGill spinning them out and Symonds clonking them out.

 

[fish eel]

If you actually thought with your head for once instead of your groin area you would realise that you're an idiot to suggest Watson should even be near the test side.

Watson is the worlds number one pie thrower. Hes in the guiness Book of Records for longest thrown pie, im sure of it.

Having said that i hope they pick him. And MacGill too...what better way to get the scoring rate moving than to have half-tracker MacGill bowling to you. Vaughan will be thinking its Christmas! Again! After the murderous display we saw in th Sydney test.

Watson's time isnt now, though he is a very good, technically correct batsman who will be able to hold down the number 6 position.

He'll never be a great wicket taker, but will still be able to play a role with the ball.

He'll be important to the side post McGrath and Warne, because his give us extra options.

 

[Mr Angry]

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
Clarke
Katich
Hussey
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Tait
McGrath

 

[Big Mick]

Hussey
Langer
Ponting
Katich
Clarke
Watson/Hodge/Symonds
Gilchrest
Warne
Lee
Tait
McGrath

 

[fish eel]

Just as an aside to this:
Watson is currently 91* for Hampshire against an attack containing south africa's ntini.

 

[aussies1st]

His batting has never been doubted, its his bowling.

 

[waltzing Meninga]

Selectors have to go with Magilla. He has one of the best strike rates of any Australian bowler of all time against England. He is a wicket taker. It would be suicide not to select him even if the wicket is not turning a great deal.

The English Batsmen have shown they are very suspect to quality leg spin bowling especially under pressure. Then we would have 4 genuine wicket taking bowlers:

Mcgrath
Warne
Lee
MacGill

I also think Hussey should come in for Hayden, and Katich should open the batting.

It is a huge advantage to be used to the English conditions/pitches as shown by Shane Warnes batting this series, and Shane Watson has that advantage and is showing good form in his county match.

My side

Langer
Katich
Ponting
Martyn (just holds his spot)
Hussey
Gilchrist
Watson
Warne
Lee
Mcgrath (Yes he is batting at 10!!!)
MacGill

 

[aussies1st]

Why is Clarke dropped? He has outperformed Martyn all series.

 

[Ant]

I think the Australian cricket team does need something.

In saying that I think this series turned on a Mcgrath twisted ankle. We destroyed them in game one and McGrath was that destroyer. We have had no McGrath in the two tests we lost and a half fit McGrath in the game we drew.

A fully fit McGrath will help halt the England batting.

I think clearly Hayden's time is up. He had a great period for Australia, but has done nothing for a long time. He has averaged around the 30 mark for the last 18 months, that just isn't good enough. 18 months is too long a time, he must be dropped.

Hussey averaged 55 in Pura cup last year, and goes great in England, averaging about 65 in county cricket over the last 5 years. He should come in for Hayden.

Now Martyn, well thats tougher. He is not batting well, but he has averaged over 40 any every series since the end of 2002. The last 2 series he has averaged 103 and 78. I think he is allowed a bad series, when you compare him to hayden there is no comparison. I think he deserves a chance to right the ship.

If he was to be dropped then I would go for Hodge or Watson. Hodge has been a run machine in recent seasons at Pura cup level and should be next in line.

I am suprised people are so against Watson, I do agree his bowling is not yet at test standard, but he is capable of good spells and at the very least can hold up an end. But his batting is very solid, he has averaged about 45 in Pura cup in the last couple of years. And is averaging nearly 50 in county cricket. The man can bat, his bowling is an advantage. A man who averages 45 with the bat and 30 with the ball is a good player, he first class averages are far better than flintoffs. Flintoff had 8 test series before he averaged under 30 with the ball, even this series he averages 30 with the ball. We expect every aussie player to come in and be a superstar. I think watson is already a good batsman, and a solid bowler, I would have no problem with his selection.

Now bowling, well warne, McGrath are obvious. Lee I guess so, he has bowled awesome, he has bowled ok and he has bowled terrible. When you have mcgrath and warne in the team its not a great issue.

Final choice, Tait or McGill, its easy depends on the pitch. But McGill is a proven wicket taker, against England, and warne has been into them. I would go for McGill.

 

[fish eel]

He has outperformed Martyn all series.

Martyn seems to be dodging the critics.

Hayden has scored more runs than him this series.