*Official* Fourth Test at the MCG

[Johnners]

Ugh, unchanged lineup. If Beer gets selected, plays like ****, does this mean we can get Hauritz back for Sydney? Please?

[turnstyle]

Any chance Cosgrove's name might be thrown in the hat if Ponting doesn't pull up, or is he still too fat these days?

[vicleggie]

Originally Posted by Clapo

Ugh, unchanged lineup. If Beer gets selected, plays like ****, does this mean we can get Hauritz back for Sydney? Please?

unless beer shows signs of being a genuine wicket taker, even if we win in melbourne, surely we HAVE to play hauritz at sydney. cant have a bull**** spinner as our only one in sydney on the last day, who cant take wickets.

[andyc]

Given the batting form Hauritz is in as well, having him in the team should effectively make up for the loss in batting from playing Smith at 6 over Khawaja.

[Spark]

Yeah he's in quite some form. It would make our lower order amazingly strong with Johnson back in nick.

[andyc]

Is just so infuriating that the selectors haven't even waited till the end of the NSW-QLD game before picking the squad. Means that Hauritz could take a bagful to go with his second consecutive ton and still be completely overlooked. Ridiculous.

[flibbertyjibber]

So which versions of the Jekyll and Hyde outfits that are Australia and England will turn up in Melbourne.

Be nice if both play well in the same game for a change.

[Ruckus]

Hauritz will never play again...How can he? He solds his pads at a garage sale.

[Jayzamann]

Originally Posted by Spikey

well beer is a local boy so he'll know the conditions well

Good call

[Oscillatingmind]

Originally Posted by andyc

Is just so infuriating that the selectors haven't even waited till the end of the NSW-QLD game before picking the squad. Means that Hauritz could take a bagful to go with his second consecutive ton and still be completely overlooked. Ridiculous.

Nothing he does would get him in, that line of thinking suggests that the selectors have shown a respect or care about Shield form.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by andyc

Is just so infuriating that the selectors haven't even waited till the end of the NSW-QLD game before picking the squad. Means that Hauritz could take a bagful to go with his second consecutive ton and still be completely overlooked. Ridiculous.

To be fair, dropping Beer for another spinner before even giving him a game would make even less sense than picking him in the first place. It'd probably work out better in the short term but to see the selectors do that would be a very bad long-term indication of their processes.

[vicleggie]

Originally Posted by Oscillatingmind

Nothing he does would get him in, that line of thinking suggests that the selectors have shown a respect or care about Shield form.

absolutely stupid if they're not considering selecting hauritz despite him continuing to play well.
if thats the case, maybe they're planning to have seamers/non turning wickets in the next 2 tests to nullify the gulf in spin qualities.

[stephen]

It'd be tough on Beer to be dropped from the squad, but there's no reason why the selectors couldn't have announced a 13 man squad.

I would not want to lose an Ashes series because the selectors were too stubborn to pick the best spinner in the country.

[Spikey]

Originally Posted by turnstyle

Any chance Cosgrove's name might be thrown in the hat if Ponting doesn't pull up, or is he still too fat these days?

It's unlikely tbh - the cantering staff for all the major grounds in Australia wrote, signed and sent a letter to Cricket Australia which pretty much said that if Mark Cosgrove ever plays test cricket in Australia, Cricket Australia must pay for the food consumed by Mark Cosgrove during the match as their budgets just can't afford it. Bit of a bummer for Mark but hey that's politics for you

[Uppercut]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

To be fair, dropping Beer for another spinner before even giving him a game would make even less sense than picking him in the first place. It'd probably work out better in the short term but to see the selectors do that would be a very bad long-term indication of their processes.

Nah, I'd be very encouraged if they did so because it would indicate the ability to admit it when they've made a mistake.