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What's Your Aussie Ashes Squad?

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Echoing these thoughts. If Australia are 40/5 on the morning of the first test and McDonald walks to the crease, does anyone expect them to get out of it? When Symonds comes out it's a different story altogether.
If we're 40/5 on the first morning we're ****ed regardless of who's in next. :happy: Given Symonds current form I wouldn't back him to anything special in those circumstances.
 

pasag

RTDAS
Serious question here - why didn't Symonds sign up for a county side? Would have had 3/4 matches to prove himself to selectors and if he did well he'd have definitely been selected.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Serious question here - why didn't Symonds sign up for a county side? Would have had 3/4 matches to prove himself to selectors and if he did well he'd have definitely been selected.
No idea, is it too late now or does he still have some chance of signing up on a short contract? Also madness that Hodge would chose this year to rest as I reckon at least one player will get called into the squad at some point.
 

Uppercut

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If we're 40/5 on the first morning we're ****ed regardless of who's in next. :happy: Given Symonds current form I wouldn't back him to anything special in those circumstances.
Not convinced he's in bad form, tbh. With all the necessary cross-format qualifications, you don't smash IPL attacks apart if you're in a sticky patch.

I only say Symonds is a good man in a crisis because he's shown it before. There was his arse-saving from a position of 18/5, from a position of 134/6, a rescue act from 84/5. Can McDonald or North turn the momentum of a game like that? Possibly. We don't really know. But Symonds has proven he can do it.
 

Uppercut

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Serious question here - why didn't Symonds sign up for a county side? Would have had 3/4 matches to prove himself to selectors and if he did well he'd have definitely been selected.
Because the IPL is still running and the selections have already been made. If you're asking why he didn't ditch India for some county stuff, I suppose it's because he didn't fancy going somewhere cold and wet and taking a massive pay cut when it probably wouldn't have made a great deal of difference to whether he was selected.
 

pasag

RTDAS
Because the IPL is still running and the selections have already been made. If you're asking why he didn't ditch India for some county stuff, I suppose it's because he didn't fancy going somewhere cold and wet and taking a massive pay cut when it probably wouldn't have made a great deal of difference to whether he was selected.
I think it would have made a huge difference as the selectors want him there but can't justify it on form. If he could have shown he was back in nick he would have been in the squad pretty easily. But yeah, money and all that...
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Not convinced he's in bad form, tbh. With all the necessary cross-format qualifications, you don't smash IPL attacks apart if you're in a sticky patch.
Maybe not, but I doubt the IPL attacks are all up to scratch in comparison to test attacks he'd face. Considering there's a lot of guys no one's heard of, or who are considered Twenty/20 specialists for whatever reason. Symonds hasn't done much in the longer form this season, so I can understand him not being picked.
 

Uppercut

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I think it would have made a huge difference as the selectors want him there but can't justify it on form. If he could have shown he was back in nick he would have been in the squad pretty easily. But yeah, money and all that...
I think I'm on the same wavelength with the selectors in the sense that he's a player I'd really like in the team but I can't quite find space for him in the team. North's debut century was absolutely fantastic, and his off-breaks suit the balance of the side a lot better.

Where I differ is that I'd without question have him in the squad. Apart from him being a class player, they look a batsman short with the current lineup. Besides, he's the ultimate twelfth man.
 

howardj

International Coach
I thought the squad was almost exactly what I thought it would bealthough not neccessarily what I would have chosen.

Hauritz- only in the squad to make the english think we might play a crap spinner.

Manau - not surprised that he was picked given he got a contract, but I don't think he deserved it. Really what has he done; been mediocre to average for most of his career up until this season when he produced numbers that were not even better than his two closest rivals who are both younger (in Wade's case much younger) and have yet to produce the kind of poor seasons that Manau has made a career of. Strange. In fact I'd rate him 5th or sixth as an Aussie keeper (Haddin, Wade, Hartley, Ronchi, Croswaite, Manau, Paine).

A dire waste of a selection on a player who is never going to be good enough to play for Australia.

cheers
Agree Re Manou.

A bit of a hack.

Apologies to our South Australian cousins, particularly Top Cat.
 

howardj

International Coach
The heart break story would have to be Bollinger.

Played the last Test in Australia, and then toured South Africa.

He joins Jones (1993) and Hayden (1997) as the Ashes heart break kids.

You can never get an Ashes tour back - the big bus, the big fridge in the bus, the sightseeing, golf at St Andrews etc.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
I think I'm on the same wavelength with the selectors in the sense that he's a player I'd really like in the team but I can't quite find space for him in the team. North's debut century was absolutely fantastic, and his off-breaks suit the balance of the side a lot better.

Where I differ is that I'd without question have him in the squad. Apart from him being a class player, they look a batsman short with the current lineup. Besides, he's the ultimate twelfth man.
Whomever of Watson or North is not in the XI would be the back up batsman.
 

Noble One

International Vice-Captain
Pleased with the squad selected, no major suprises from the selectors.

Good move to include the back-up keeper. Australian selectors have always been keen to either have a reserve keeper on tour, or atleast the next in line playing county cricket. Can never guarantee Brad Haddin will stay injury free, would prove crucial if on the morning of a new test he broke down with injury and no spare keeper. Manou is simply the perfect back-up. Manou is a fantastic, very tidy wicket-keeper. Which is essentially all that should be asked of your reserve keeper. Runs will prove a bonus, and should not be overawed as he has been playing the game long enough.

Andrew Symonds I never wanted to see back in the Test side until he had shown some form in domestic cricket. His summer with Queensland last year was largely terrible. His game almost looked to have deserted him. Struggled at times with some really poor defensive technique. Then other games attempting a big shot due to the pressure applied from the bowlers and often holing out to the fielder (FRC final).

Regardless of his good form in the IPL, I don't think that really shows Symonds is in good touch. Slapping 120 km/h medium pacers over mid on does not prove the sort of knick Symonds is in. Worrying he has been bowled 2 or 3 times thus far in the IPL by basically missing straight deliveries. So credit to the selectors for bypassing Symonds.

.
 

four_or_six

Cricketer Of The Year
Was just looking at the county scores and I noticed Chris Rogers batting away. The squad looks even more sensible if you take into account that he's there to cover the top three batsmen, because Watson can cover the middle order.
 

Uppercut

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Was just looking at the county scores and I noticed Chris Rogers batting away. The squad looks even more sensible if you take into account that he's there to cover the top three batsmen, because Watson can cover the middle order.
Serious question here - why didn't Symonds sign up for a county side? Would have had 3/4 matches to prove himself to selectors and if he did well he'd have definitely been selected.
Bit of irony here- signing up with a county side could even harm someone's chances of selection in the squad, because CA know you'll be in the vicinity anyway.
 

Noble One

International Vice-Captain
Bit of irony here- signing up with a county side could even harm someone's chances of selection in the squad, because CA know you'll be in the vicinity anyway.
Very good point. But it is always a nice guarantee that by signing up for county cricket you will always remain in the frame for an Ashes call up, rather than a blind hope of squad selection.

Far easier for Chris Rogers to put his name up for selection by crashing some big centuries in County Cricket compared with Shane Watson sitting on the bench carrying drinks.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
My first thoughts on seeing the squad were that I was glad Symonds isn't there, tbh. Uppercut has kinda summed up why.
 

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