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Michael "Frosty" Beer

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Also don't think you can lump Casson in as a dire spin selection, IIRC he was picked to tour on the back of a promising season with the intention of giving him experience of being with the squad and working with MacGill - which from a development POV was actually a reasonably decent idea. The only reason he has a baggy green is because MacGill unexpectedly retired mid-series.
The thing is, he - like everyone else we've picked - was arguably the best available but it was still only based on a punt on a very small sample size. Casson had half a good season. He'd actually done that before, incidentally, before returning to the mean of mediocrity in Shield cricket and averaging 40+. I'm not saying there was anyone better but that's the basis of my point - all the spinners in Shield cricket have basically proven they aren't good enough yet, so they've picked someone from outside Shield cricket (until this season anyway). It's flawed logic because the blokes playing Shield cricket were selected ahead of Beer, but (last season anyway) this was ironically on Cricket Australia say-so.

I think it's ridiculous Hauritz was dropped and I think it's even more ridiculous that Beer was preferred to O'Keefe but I was just trying to find some rationale beyond "well Warne rates him."
 
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vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Jewell played a lot of cricket with Beer at St Kilda, and sums him up pretty well.

Tall spinners stick out from the crowd
Former Victorian opener Nick Jewell, a club and state teammate of Beer throughout the spinner's career, said the left-armer's height was pivotal to his armoury.

''I've never seen a left-arm finger spinner get so many blokes out bowled or lbw. Particularly with blokes spinning the ball away from the stumps, but his stock wicket would be bowling the right-hand batsman,'' said Jewell, who retired this year after 62 first-class matches over 10 seasons. ''His strength was his ability to change pace, doing them in the air more so than off the pitch with his variation in speed and coming from a higher height.

''He was never a big traditional drifting spin-away type orthodox bowler, he was more angle in and getting it to straighten and beat them with a change in pace.'' A taller bowler also has the advantage of having a trajectory that raises the batsmen's eyes. This can increase a batsman's likelihood of moving his head, which makes them more prone to making errors.

''Because he's a bit taller he doesn't have to throw it up as high as a shorter spinner with the loopiness and his higher release point,'' Jewell said. ''Getting it above the batter's eyes is half the challenge of the spinner, above the eyes and down in time to beat them off the air and off the pitch.''
 

Hoggy31

International Captain
Liking Micky Arthur's wraps (more-so than anyone elses) on him seeing he was a bit of a bolter behind Heal and Mangan at WA, too. Doherty was picked on stats despite being a known dart-thrower, at least this bloke's talent is being recognised before results. Wonder what a par match performance would be - 3/150?
 

Burgey

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How tall is Beer? Ashley Giles is 6'4"/1.92m and his height didn't seem to help him much.
Come on mate, Benn is an all time great you know? The shorter blokes like Warne, Murali, Benaud, Grimmett, Verity, Bedi, Chandra, Qadir et al have nothing on him (left out Kumble as he's disappointingly tall for this argument).

Though tbf the taller spinner can be a very awkward proposition, particularly if they give it some air.
 

pskov

International 12th Man
Liking Micky Arthur's wraps (more-so than anyone elses) on him seeing he was a bit of a bolter behind Heal and Mangan at WA, too. Doherty was picked on stats despite being a known dart-thrower, at least this bloke's talent is being recognised before results. Wonder what a par match performance would be - 3/150?
He took 5-207 in the tour match against England and I reckon Australia would be very pleased if he repeated those figures.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
He took 5-207 in the tour match against England and I reckon Australia would be very pleased if he repeated those figures.
if he gets out all top order batsman, I would be reasonably happy with those figures on debut.
 

Spikey

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8. Each Applicants’ Entry and optional (but encouraged) two minute video clip must not be:
a) late;
b) delayed;
c) incomplete;
d) incomprehensible;
e) unlawful;
f) obscene;
g) defamatory;
h) libellous;
i) threatening;
j) pornographic;
k) harassing;
l) hateful;
m) racially or ethnically offensive;
n) capable of encouraging conduct that would be considered a criminal offence;
o) capable of violating any law; and/or
p) capable of giving rise to civil liability.

damnit
 

Burgey

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8. Each Applicants’ Entry and optional (but encouraged) two minute video clip must not be:
a) late;
b) delayed;
c) incomplete;
d) incomprehensible;
e) unlawful;
f) obscene;
g) defamatory;
h) libellous;
i) threatening;
j) pornographic;
k) harassing;
l) hateful;
m) racially or ethnically offensive;
n) capable of encouraging conduct that would be considered a criminal offence;
o) capable of violating any law; and/or
p) capable of giving rise to civil liability.

damnit
One man's porn is another's ****** art. Back yourself.
 

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