The "No-Loyalty" XI for the Gabba

[Great Birtannia]

Originally Posted by FaaipDeOiad

McGrath is a different case and I think there was some legitimate worries, but they were settled a few weeks back IMO.

True. I was worried about playing McGrath, if he didn't get back to something nearing his best, and Clark (more of a reflection on my opinion of Clark) together before the champions trophy finals and the warm up games in Australia.

[Matt79]

Its hard as well, because whilst I love the guys in the current team, you get the feeling sometimes that we are almost being 'robbed' of the best years of guys like Jaques. I don't want the current guys to get axed, but I'd love to see some of the exciting young talent around the place getting a chance - players like Mitchell Johnson and Cosgrove. I think its why people like Clarke so much - he still had that youthful enthusiasm and spontenaity when he came into the team. The seasoned pros like Hussey are awesome, but you kinda miss seeing players who aren't fully developed cutting their teeth and developing in front of you, like we got to see with the Waugh brothers, or Shane Warne or McGrath.

[silentstriker]

*COUGH* Told ya so *COUGH*

[GIMH]

Let's all calm down, he's only taken two wickets. There's plenty of grounded cricket balls for him to negotiate yet.

[PhoenixFire]

First wicket was fluke, second was a quality delivery.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

Let's all calm down, he's only taken two wickets. There's plenty of grounded cricket balls for him to negotiate yet.

The wickets don't have all that much to do with it for me. Obviously it was nice that he took a couple, and the ball to get Cook was spectacular, but it was more the fact that he was bowling in the low to mid 130s, getting sharp movement off the seam on a fairly pedestrian surface, and beating the edge and getting LBW shouts and so on. Basically, he was still McGrath.

Radar was off a little in the first couple of overs though, I think the Strauss wicket settled him down a bit.

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

That Cook delivery was something special. Remniscent of McGrath at his peak. Not saying that he's past it, but it was a quality bit of bowling.

[Perm]

Definately, the ball to Strauss was in the right area too, probably just a tad short but it encticed Strauss into a miscued shot. Then the ball he bowled to Alistair Cook was absolutely marvellous, McGrath at his best really. Just goes to show that the English bowlers didn't get it right, they were too short and not getting the bastman to come forward.

[Matt79]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

First wicket was fluke, second was a quality delivery.

What - drawing an opening batsman into a stupid shot and exposing a technical flaw? If that's a fluke, he's been doing it consistently for a decade.

[Nnanden]

I`d like to see McGrath when he`s not past it.

[pasag]

Funniest thread.

[Matt79]

My turn to dig out this thread. Hope Langer and McGrath can turn it around.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Originally Posted by Matt79

My turn to dig out this thread. Hope Langer and McGrath can turn it around.

Yeah, I'm a bit worried too, especially about Langer. He's only averaging 93 for the series now.

[Complicated]

I wonder if Lee, will be dropped for Tait / Johnson at some point in this series?

[BoyBrumby]

I have to say the Sky team were being a little previous in the reposting of the McGrath obituary in the lunch break, Atherton especially (although with his record against the great man one can possibly understand him enjoying a spot of schadenfruede at his expense). He did looked pretty ordinary pre-lunch admittedly (I crashed & burnt after so didn't see the last two sessions), but it is a truism that when players get to a certain age a blip in form is seen as terminal. Dead flat track & a bruised heel would hamper anyone's effectiveness.

Whether he should have played with his heel is rather more open to debate, he's not 100% for me & with the 4 man attack someone really should have taken a firmer hand. It's a no-brainer that any player worth his salt (especially seamers, who're not generally renowned for their acumen as a group ) is going to want to play; the question is really should he have? It was reported on Sky here the final decision was left up to McGrath because "he knows his body best" & then at the same time people are saying "he'd need his foot amputed to miss the test". Slight contradiction for mine...