Andrew Mcleans article on Australia being Too good...

[FaaipDeOiad]

Not if the incumbents were performing well. Not if the team is consistently winning. Lets quickly review what Australia has done with Kaspa in the side. Beat Sri Lanka 3-0 in Sri Lanka (without McGrath), beat India 2-1 in India, for the first time in over 30 years and then have won the last 5 tests. Why do we need to change?

I'm talking about other sides. Seriouisly, what other side would not want Lee in, given how he has been playing in ODIs? England have probably the strongest pace attack aside from Australia, and he would beat Jones into the team with ease on current form, and aside from that no other side has a set pace bowling lineup. He would make India ahead of Zaheer, West Indies ahead of anyone, Pakistan ahead of Rana or Sami or someone, Sri Lanka ahead of Zoysa or Fernando etc.

 

[mavric41]

I'm talking about other sides. Seriouisly, what other side would not want Lee in, given how he has been playing in ODIs? England have probably the strongest pace attack aside from Australia, and he would beat Jones into the team with ease on current form, and aside from that no other side has a set pace bowling lineup. He would make India ahead of Zaheer, West Indies ahead of anyone, Pakistan ahead of Rana or Sami or someone, Sri Lanka ahead of Zoysa or Fernando etc.

I've got no doubt that he would make any other nation's team. Problem is - he's not playing for them. Maybe we can loan him out.

 

[Deja moo]

Well, Lee already earns a bundle in India with his ads, he might as well play for us too

 

[telsor]

It's badly written, but I think he was trying to say that if Zim and Bang should be dropped because matches involving them aren't competitive, then Aus should be dropped for the same reason ( albeit in reverse ).

The argument doesn't hold up, but I think that was he was trying to say.

 

[mavric41]

It's badly written, but I think he was trying to say that if Zim and Bang should be dropped because matches involving them aren't competitive, then Aus should be dropped for the same reason ( albeit in reverse ).

The argument doesn't hold up, but I think that was he was trying to say.

Yeah - that makes sense. Strive for mediocrity.

 

[Richard]

I'd be interested to know these 4 or 5 better options.

Kyle's given them enough times.

 

[Richard]

Yes, because so many sides in the world have superior backup to that, don't they? And none of those players would comfortably walk into other test sides, would they?

Nope.
Averaging over 30 (which all do - MacGill once you get rid of the Bangladesh games) does not make someone anything other than a seriously questionable Test-quality-bowler.

 

[Richard]

so now you have established that Australia winning has very little to do with the australians, can you possibly give some reasons why the Aussies opponents get decimated by injury, become collapse happy (of course that has nothing to do with Australia bowlers does it?),and drop catches?

Of course it sometimes has something to do with the Australian bowling.
But as for the dropped catches and injuries - can anyone explain it? No. It's just one of those coincidences, there can be no other explanation. There's no mysterious force that goes around injuring people and causing attacks of butter-fingers.

 

[Richard]

Given that Clarke is regarded as the next batting superstar by almost all who have seen him - Lara, Tendulkar, Crowe, etc - its hardly surprising that he was picked before his performances matched his talent.

Interesting how an average of 48 makes him the next batting superstar (most runs coming when the ball's not been doing much), given that it's roughly average (especially for Australians) in the last 5 years or so.

On current form< lee walks into any test team other than Australia.

Really? So 3 years averaging 38 would mean someone walks into a team?
World cricket is poor ATM, but it's not quite THAT poor.

MacGill has the best strike rate of any spin bowler since 1900.

MacGill has a strike-rate of 67.2 since December 2000 - and wait, average is far more important than strike-rate - and his average is abysmal, too - 37.40.

Bichel had a successful career and would've played more with most.

A phenominally successful career, averaging 32.24 despite playing amonst bowlers who can easily make an average bowler look better.

Williams has the potential but is injury prone.

So much potential that he can't even average under 30 in his First-Class career of 10 years.

Bracken was tried and discarded.

Because he wasn't good enough.

Now that we've established that you dont know what youre talking about, what's next.

Now that we've established that I've examined the situation far better than you could clearly ever dream of doing, what's next?

 

[Richard]

On current general bowling form. You can say the two forms are unrelated all you want, but if any bowler on the fringe of any other side had 26 wickets @ 19.62 with an eco of 4.35 for the summer, do you really think they wouldn't get an immediate test call-up?

He walks into a Test-side on ODI form.
And how often have we seen that backfire?
So many times you lose count.

 

[Richard]

Most sides in the world would happily take Lee and Macgill, and Williams and Bracken would have been given plenty more opportunities in other sides.

They aren't all world class players, but it's so ridiculous how Richard decides he isn't a fan of one player or another and bashes them relentlessly like they are the biggest joke to ever play international cricket, regardless of the results they get.

I bash them like they're wholly average players who are treated like the ritz.
And in the case of Bracken and Williams, please tell me how their ENTIRE TEST-CAREERS aren't a big joke?
As for the case of Bichel, you've simply got to look at MOST of his Test-career to see that it's a joke. And with MacGill and Lee, you've got to take it from a certain point onwards.

 

[marc71178]

On current general bowling form. You can say the two forms are unrelated all you want, but if any bowler on the fringe of any other side had 26 wickets @ 19.62 with an eco of 4.35 for the summer, do you really think they wouldn't get an immediate test call-up?

It would all depend onwhat their Test record was like for me.

I note that Australian's have stuck to the 3 incumbents, which I think was the correct move.

 

[marc71178]

Kyle's given them enough times.

He has?

I must say I don't remember seeing this list.

 

[Richard]

Something like: Hodge, Katich, Love, (some have added Maher and Hussey but they're openers) and someone else (might have been North).

 

[tooextracool]

I too found that quite astonishing.
Almost as astonishing as I found Vettori doing so well ITFP.

even though hes been doing it for 4 years now.

 

[tooextracool]

Yes, because so many sides in the world have superior backup to that, don't they? And none of those players would comfortably walk into other test sides, would they?

with relation to bracken and williams, hows this for an answer........HELL NO.

 

[Ming]

So how does he walk into any Test side on current form then?

I would say Brett Lee would be in the starting Test XI of NZ, South Africa, Zimbawe, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, England, Sri Lanka.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I would say Brett Lee would be in the starting Test XI of NZ, South Africa, Zimbawe, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, England, Sri Lanka.

You don't think he would make the West Indies side? He's a hell of a lot better than any of their bowlers.

 

[marc71178]

I would say Brett Lee would be in the starting Test XI of NZ, South Africa, Zimbawe, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, England, Sri Lanka.

I couldn't see him in the SA side, and to be honest I wouldn't pick him for England either (and I know this is going to lead to a mass outcry, but I'm being honest about it)

 

[Zinzan]

I couldn't see him in the SA side, and to be honest I wouldn't pick him for England either (and I know this is going to lead to a mass outcry, but I'm being honest about it)

No outcry.....Thats a predictable call by you. Like TEC, you've always had a chip on your shoulder about Lee.
One things for sure....The NZ batsmen will be thanking their lucky stars Lee wasn't playing today or do you think they were sad he wasn't playing????