Churchy's successor

[LongHopCassidy]

When Adam Gilchrist calls it a day, who are Hohns and co. going to haul in?

The next best in Haddin?

A long-term investment in Ronchi?

Or a keeper-batsman (not a batsman-keeper) in Seccombe?

Your thoughts?

 

[Adamc]

There are a few decent options, but the fact is that none of them are going to come close to matching Gilchrist in terms of his worth to this side. Same goes for whoever replaces McGrath and Warne. Australia will probably still be at the top or close to it when those three leave, but they won't be able to dominate in anywhere near the way they are doing now.

 

[masterblaster]

I'd say Ronchi seems to fit the bill at the moment. He's got a lot of batting ability and his keeping is already pretty good and is only going to get better.

So Ronchi for me, he has youth on his side too.

 

[iamdavid]

I think it all depends on when Gilchrist calls it a day.

Right at the moment Haddin is clearly the best option, his keeping is solid and his batting has clearly moved up a notch over the last 12 months.
He has attributed most of this improvment to the added responsibility of captaining NSW and the time he spent training with the Australian coaching staff while he was in the ODI squad last year, so as he spends more time with the team particularly in England and more responsibility is placed on his shoulders I believe he will continue to improve.
Obviously nobody is going to fill the void left by Gilchrist but Haddin will play in an identical role as a counter-attacking stroke player at 7 in tests and a dashing opener if required in ODI's.
12 months ago I wasnt so sure but I am now confident he has what it takes to succeed at that level.

Wade Seccombe is too old now and his batting cannot compete with some of the younger options. Picking him would change the balance of the whole side and I feel the selectors are after a like-for-like Gilchrist replacement.

Luke Ronchi has shown plenty of shots and he looks a decent keeper but he'll have to put together a very solid season at first cl*** level before he can seriously challenge Haddin, time is on his side though.

I rate Graeme Manou but he has not to date made the most of his talents, his batting is occasionally brilliant but lacks the consistency.

Then there are the younger guys, Crossthwaite and Hartley, both of whom have huge raps on them and have shown glimpses of their potential at first cl*** level.
If Gilchrist hangs around another 3 years then dont discount either of them to be right in the mix.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I agree with iamdavid. Haddin will be the replacement if Gilchrist retires soon, but if he plays on for any significant length of time after the 2007 world cup other players such as Ronchi will come into the equation.

 

[Hoggy31]

Ronchi, Crosthwaite, Paine and Hartley will probably be in the mix in the future

 

[LongHopCassidy]

It's astounding to see the depth of talent in Australia........ Keepers, spinners, pacemen and batsmen that would stroll into most other teams waiting in the wings.

 

[Deja moo]

It's astounding to see the depth of talent in Australia........ Keepers, spinners, pacemen and batsmen that would stroll into most other teams waiting in the wings.

batsmen..yeah.

But which keepers/spinners/pacemen ?

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Batsmen: Hussey (both) North, Hodge, Thornely, Jaques and Love.
Pacemen: Tait, Bracken, Watson, Bichel.
Spinners: White, Cullen, MacGill.
Keepers: Haddin, Ronchi, Butterworth, maybe even Seccombe.

 

[Deja moo]

Pacemen: Tait, Bracken, Watson, Bichel.
Spinners: White, Cullen, MacGill.
Keepers: Haddin, Ronchi, Butterworth, maybe even Seccombe.

Other than MacGill perhaps, none of the others are a shoo-in into any of the major test team IMO (except maybe the pacers for India).

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Other than MacGill perhaps, none of the others are a shoo-in into any of the major test team IMO (except maybe the pacers for India).

You don't think Tait or Bracken would be picked for Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand etc? Cullen in the West Indies or South Africa? Haddin for England?

 

[LongHopCassidy]

I'm sure England would prefer Haddin to Jones. As they would Bichel to Simon Jones. And South Africa would take any keeper over an incompetent Tsokeile and a past-it Boucher.

Rest assured New Zealand and the Windies would take any of the spinners or pacemen, India would take any of the pacemen, and Pakistan would take any of the batsmen.

 

[Deja moo]

You don't think Tait or Bracken would be picked for Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand etc? Cullen in the West Indies or South Africa? Haddin for England?

Pakistan would await the return of Gul, Shoaib and Shabbir.

South Africa - Pollock, Ntini and Nel..maybe replace Nel.

WI - No Idea....they do seem to perform decently if they have a good total to bowl to.

NZ - would await Bonds return ( if he does return, that is)..

As I see it, India would accept them in a blink, while SL would take Bracken . I have no idea about Tait.

And spinners are tricky,arent they? I mean if the spinners Australia carried to India are preferred to (and hence, better than ?) Cullen, it doesnt speak very highly of him.

As for Haddin, England seem to prefer batsmen-keepers to pure keepers, and IMO Geraint Jones > Haddin as a batsman.

 

[Deja moo]

The batsmen though would make it into any team, including India currently( given how Ganguly,Yuvraj,and to a lesser extent,Kaif are struggling)

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

If Pakistan had a young quick bowling at express pace who took 60 wickets @ 20 with a strike rate in the 30s in a domestic season, he would come in ahead of Gul in a heartbeat. Same is true of South Africa and Nel, and New Zealand and Martin or Franklin.

Cullen wouldn't make any of the good spinning sides on the back of one season, but he'd walk into the West Indies in a second.

And Haddin is a far better batsman than Jones in my view, and obviously a better keeper to go with it. He did average close to 60 in the last season and lead his state to the Pura Cup title with a vital innings in the final.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

And spinners are tricky,arent they? I mean if the spinners Australia carried to India are preferred to (and hence, better than ?) Cullen, it doesnt speak very highly of him.

The Indian tour was before Cullen's excellent season.

 

[Isolator]

I thought Dhoni was Gilchrist's successor...?

 

[tooextracool]

You don't think Tait or Bracken would be picked for Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand etc? Cullen in the West Indies or South Africa? Haddin for England?

i dont think bracken would be a shoe in for bangladesh. if he's test class then please, so am i.

 

[tooextracool]

South Africa - Pollock, Ntini and Nel..maybe replace Nel.
.

out of all those bowlers you replace nel???

 

[tooextracool]

And Haddin is a far better batsman than Jones in my view, and obviously a better keeper to go with it. He did average close to 60 in the last season and lead his state to the Pura Cup title with a vital innings in the final.

and what a roaring success hes been in his international career thus far.