Australia's test side for the Ashes in Australia

[The Battlers Prince]

Wonder if Invers still has Wade as the reserve keaper

 

[the big bambino]

I like Bailey. Think he has a cool head, good bloke and all that. Still not convinced he should be picked even though his odi form has been great. If it came to a choice btwn the 2 I'd go for Wade at 6 and I'm still wondering who of Doolan, Hughes or Usman should replace Watson. Probably in that order as they head into the straight.

 

[Burgey]

Reckon Warner might be a tad fortunate Watson is injured. If they are going to discount ODI form for the likes of Bailey and Faulkiner, then I don't see why ODD form for Warner should count buckets when he's hardly scored a FC run in a year.

Anyways, assuming Watson is out, I would hope they'd go with:

Warner
Rogers
D00lan
Clarke
Smitteh
Bailey
Haddin
Anyone but Johnson
Harris
Siddle
Lyon

However, they are likely to try and be funky so they may well go with:

Warner
Rogers
D00lan
Clarke
Smitteh
Haddin
F0rkers
Johnson
Harris
Siddle
Ahmed

If Watson were fit I would like to see him at three, and either D00lan or Bailey at six, with Lyon still playing. Watson has said this morning his injury is only a very slight one, so hopefully he will be ok by the 2015 World Cup.

I can't think of a more poorly treated Australian cricketer than Lyon in recent times. He bowled ****e in one test in India, got dropped, came back and in his third test there got 9 for the match. He then went to England, got dropped for a 19 year old, came back and bowled well. Now it seems like he might be dropped for a bloke who's had one good dig (fair play to him btw). Lyon's no world beater but he gets the job done and he's a tidy enough bowler. Will be so pissed off if he's dropped again for the first test.

 

[Spikey]

Blogs: Matt Cleary on George Bailey's possible Test selection | Cricket Blogs | ESPN Cricinfo

a truly awful article. like, maybe try to explain why you think he averaged 17, instead of just repeatedly saying he averaged 17

 

[andyc]

Doubtless now we'll see a ridiculously unbalanced XI including Bailey and Forkers Faulkner (if Watson isn't fit), especially since the latter made that ton. Something like:

Rogers, Warner, Clarke, Bailey, Smith, Haddin, Faulkner, Johnson, Harris, Siddle, Ahmed, IMO.

God I'd be livid if that was the team.

 

[social]

If Watto is unfit to bowl and MJ is picked as part of a 4 man attack then this is going to be the cricketing equivalent of watching a potential train wreck

If they pick him and he serves up his usual dross against the Poms thereby forcing Clarke to bowl Harris and Siddle into the ground, then Invers & Co should be shot because virtually everyone else would have seen it coming

 

[uvelocity]

i think the selectors are busy thinking of how they can fit both bails and fourkers in the same team tbh

 

[social]

i think the selectors are busy thinking of how they can fit both bails and fourkers in the same team tbh

I have no problem with Faulkner being selected as at least he has performances on the board and wont cost us a match or series

But Johnson !!!!!??????

FMD

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Faulkes has done enough in FC to warrant it. But not with the new pill, so Sidds needs to ****ing step up and bowl with the new ball.

 

[dermo]

or we could pick noted new ball bowler dougeh

 

[Spikey]

faulkner's done nothing I say. nothing!

 

[Tangles]

I don't think Faulkner adds anything to the batting or bowling at Test match level. He a 1 day bowler that shouldn't be batting as high as six.

 

[dermo]

if watson isn't fit i expect the selectors to pick forkas but bat him at 8, behind siddle

 

[hendrix]

dunno how Faulkner can be ahead of Johnson unless we're talking as a replacement for Watson.

 

[social]

Faulkes has done enough in FC to warrant it. But not with the new pill, so Sidds needs to ****ing step up and bowl with the new ball.

Johnson's record as 3rd or 4th bowler is better than his record with the new ball as well and it was as the latter that he really lost the plot so ......

Plus one positive for Oz out of the last series was the stranglehold that we put on Eng's top 3 as the series wore on and history says that Johnson is far more likely to dish up leg side or short, wide filth than continue that trend so we cannot possibly risk him doing the same here in game 1 of a 5 test series

Or could we?

 

[NUFAN]

I don't think Faulkner adds anything to the batting or bowling at Test match level. He a 1 day bowler that shouldn't be batting as high as six.

I think Faulkner's batting is underrated a fair bit but in saying that in this circumstance I don't want him in the team for the First test. I'm definitely in the 6 batsman, keeper, 3 quicks and spinner camp.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

He'd only be in my team if Watto's not fit. Though he's about on par with Cutsy overall.
Cutting adds more with the ball less with the bat, and has been holding some great catches lately in the field.

 

[Maximas]

If we pick MJ and Watson isn't fit I'd be tempted to go with Forkers, his case would also be slightly strengthened if Lyon was picked to bowl into his footmarks (ftw).

And as Social is always saying, if we pick MJ we probably need extra options with the ball in case he is on a match-losing rampage

 

[The Battlers Prince]

so true, he has that ability to produce nothing does MJ

 

[uvelocity]

thats the thing, johnson on his day is one of the best bowlers you will see. but if someone happens to mention his shoelace is untied, he goes to water and you'd be better off playing with 10 men. just one of those ****s. fourkers, otoh, is one of those ****s who has no ability at all, you'd not pick him as a bat, bowler or fielder, yet give him a big moment, and does he grab it and run with it or what. avg of 68 with the bat and 22 with the ball in shield finals. in the absence of talent, give me fight.