*Official* Road to 2013 Ashes

[LongHopCassidy]

Now we're out of the CT, do the test players join the A squad for some FC warm up games? Be handy for them tstl.

You'd hope so. Let the callow youth development projects go home and live out their last days of puberty.

Except Smitty. Smitty can stay if Wattogate comes to a head.

 

[NUFAN]

Yeah you would hope so but I'm not sure how much Watson, Hughes, Wade, Starc and an injured Clarke and suspended Warner will add to the A squad.

EDIT - oh and Faulkner too.

 

[Ruckus]

Will be pretty damn annoyed if 'off-field' commotion plays a big role in how the Aus team performs in this Ashes series. I actually think, on paper, it has every chance to be a really exciting series...really not wanting it to be heavily influenced by low confidence levels because of poor performance in the CT, or silly rifts between players, or some other trivial nonsense. Australian cricket will take a hammer blow if they don't at least show some character.

 

[Furball]

Now we're out of the CT, do the test players join the A squad for some FC warm up games? Be handy for them tstl.

There were Test players in the CT squad?

 

[Adders]

Will be pretty damn annoyed if 'off-field' commotion plays a big role in how the Aus team performs in this Ashes series. I actually think, on paper, it has every chance to be a really exciting series...really not wanting it to be heavily influenced by low confidence levels because of poor performance in the CT, or silly rifts between players, or some other trivial nonsense. Australian cricket will take a hammer blow if they don't at least show some character.

I think it has to in one way or another. Some teams rise from adversity and put in performances well over and above expectations, most go the other way. Either way the current chaos is either going to make or break them.

I reckon we are only hearing half the story in terms of how the Aussie side is travelling behind the scenes, the reality is probably far worse. BUT, they have a very real chance if they can hit the ground running in the series. England are well known to start poorly in just about every series, the first test is the opportunity for the Aussies to get into it. If they lose that then it's all over IMO, England will get stronger and from 1-0 up it will be one way traffic. If the Aussies can win at Trent Bridge though.........game on.

 

[NUFAN]

Burgey, I just read that Hughes and Wade are joining the A squad and should line up in the next match starting on Friday.

For some reason the other Ashes Squad members from the Champions Trophy are in London doing 'low profile sessions'.

 

[Spark]

Cricinfo is playing it as an extended fitness session for Clarke. Doesn't explain what Watson's doing there, though.

 

[Spikey]

i don't really find it surprising that a bunch of players who don't need the gametime as much as others aren't going to the aus a squad

 

[NUFAN]

Why does Wade need the game time more so than Starc?

 

[Spikey]

Aus A already has Bird, Harris and Siddle they need to put time into, plus maybe Lyon and Ahmed. Plus it's not like Starc won't be able to bowl.... Wade meanwhile is gonna get to play like maybe 2 more games on the tour, but will always have to be on stand by.

 

[Spikey]

I mean, I guess I'm just not that surprised we haven't formed a 24 man squad or whatever for a 3 day tour match against Gloucestershire

 

[the big bambino]

Why not pick a 24 man squad? We've got an ashes to promote.

 

[uvelocity]

spikey is such an establishment man

 

[Spikey]

we should be sending less people to Gloucestershire not more

 

[ajdude]

phillip hughes refers to ahmed as a "great kid", further doubts about ahmed's age arise

 

[Spikey]

do we know ahmed's stance on popped collars

 

[uvelocity]

whats your problem with Gloucestershire spikey and why did you have to cut and paste to spell it correctly

 

[Spikey]

statistical fact that every place that starts with G is horrible eg Gosford, Georgia, US, Gippsland region of Victoria

 

[NUFAN]

statistical fact that every place that starts with G is horrible eg Gosford, Georgia, US, Gippsland region of Victoria

Ahh, US starts with U mate.

Glebe is good

 

[Spikey]

it used to be good but something happened to the place about a year ago