Quote:
Originally Posted by flibbertyjibber
Will be fascinating to see if Australia have the bottle to make the changes the fans seem to want to the batting order.Not too fussed either way,either you have under the pump oldtimers struggling for form under pressure or new kids expected to produce the goods right away.Win win for England really.
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Mate, as an Aussie, you've completely nailed it in one. Our selectors have absolutely no imagination and we've slid down a slippery slope.
Grimly held onto Hussey & North. Watson & Clarke should be batting at #3 and #4. We should have kept playing Phil Hughes (still averages 51 in Tests and nearly 57 in FC). Ponting should have dropped down to #6 as part of sucession planning. Haddin shouldn't walk back into the side.
Bottom line, if we don't win back the Ashes, based firstly on age, secondly on ability:
Hussey gone. In decline over the past few years.
Ponting gone. Ditto.
Haddin gone. Keeping is a liability. Been dismissed 40 times in Tests, scored >50 seven times.
North going, going. Unreliable.
Katich going, going. Maybe 18 months left in him as long as his form is good.
Clarke on notice.
Then you ask, who is the long-term captain of Australia?
If it isn't Clarke, Cameron White from Victoria has the best leadership pedigree, leading the Vics since he was 20, in 2003/04, with pretty good success:
FC Winners: 03/04, 08/09, 09/10
FC Runners Up: 05/06, 07/08
1-day Domestic: got the Vics to the last 4 finals (we choked each time)
But we really need to bottom out and play the kids.