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Dan Cullen - what do you think?

Alysum

U19 Debutant
Having made his test and odi debuts in Bangladesh. Cullen is tipped as the spinner to take over Warnie later.
While I believe he has talent and a good stock delivery, I have questions over his bowling variations; I haven't seen any top spinners, arm balls or doosras.
Other interesting thing is his average whether it's test, odi or even first class, aren't really good at all. I know it's only the beginning...but perhaps he's better off getting a few more years with S.A then get into the ODI side after the WC when Hogg retires and in the test side in a few years when MacGill and Warnie are gone.

Also his bowling stance, the way he holds the ball till he bowls it, isn't that a bit too indicative for the batsman to what he is going to ball? (stock ball grip)

What do you think?
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Cullen has quite a good arm ball actually. His action is too orthodox to bowl top spinners or doosras though.

He's an old school off spinner really. He tosses it up outside off on a good length and makes the batsman come to him. He's not going to absolutely rip through batting lineups like Warne or MacGill, but I can see him playing a very important role in years to come.
 
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FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Obviously the aim in picking him now is to give him a bit of exposure in insignificant matches at the top level. He's rated very highly by everyone affiliated with the Australian team, and they certainly seem to believe that he can go a long way.

He'll never be a replacement for Warne obviously, but I do like the look of him more than most of the spinners competing for his place. One of the problems I had with Hussey's captaincy yesterday was his unwillingness to show some faith in Cullen. Lara was going after him, but he was going for far less runs than Clark and was actually threatning to get a wicket. It would have at least achieved something to give him a few more overs, even if he got smashed.

As has been said, he has quite a good arm ball, but he lacks the variation in pace and flight that makes someone like Vettori such a good ODI bowler. Hopefully that sort of thing will come with experience.
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
I think he will be the number 1 spinner in the OD's if Hoggy ever retires ;). I certainly think he will take quite a few ODI wickets. Test matches im not so sure about - i think he will get a few, not so sure about how he will go on wickets that aren't so helpful though.
 

MinorThreat

Cricket Spectator
i think he needs a few more years playing for South Australia before he is given a greater opportunity in tests
 

Mister Wright

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
MinorThreat said:
i think he needs a few more years playing for South Australia before he is given a greater opportunity in tests
Absolutely. His results for S.A. last season weren't that impressive. I'm sick of the Aussie selectors rushing these new players in. Australia has the best breeding ground for International players and I don't see the need to rush them into the national side. Of course it would be different if Cullen was averaging 12 with the ball in both forms and was a gun, but both he and Clarke had mediocre (at best) results for their states when they were selected to play for Australia. Not like the old days when guys like, M. Waugh, Hayden, Slater etc were all high 40-50+ domestic averages.
 

Chubb

International Regular
I saw Cullen bowl a lot of overs for Somerset against Worcestershire earlier this year. He took 1-73 off 26 overs, but then he was outbowled by both Gareth Batty and Ray Price who looked far more threatening than him. Batty took 6-119 for Worcester in the Somerset second innings. If a test offie gets outbowled by Gareth Batty, he must be in trouble.
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Dan Cullen is no doubt and exciting prospect, but IMO he's still a fair way away from being a Test Class spinner. His stock delivery is strong, but he needs to on his variations in flight/speed/line if he wishes to be taken seriously.

Two other young spinners of note that came through this season just gone in the pura-cup were Daniel Doran of QLD (age=25), and Cullen Bailey(age=21) (D Cullens teammate). Both are of the leg-spin variety, and impressed many with their bowling this year.

Being from QLD i naturally followed Doran's progress more than i did Baileys, and what i saw was very impressive. In his 5 matches (only 89 overs bowled though :blink: ) Doran took 15 wickets @ 28 a peice, with a strikerate of 35.8. He's a noted big turner of the ball, and possess' a healthy range of variations.

A ball of note was one that pitched outside Leg, and cleaned up the off stump of David Hussey in the final of the Pura-Cup!!!

So whilst we may not have another Warne in the making, there are at least a few good prospects out there!!
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
Mister Wright said:
Absolutely. His results for S.A. last season weren't that impressive. I'm sick of the Aussie selectors rushing these new players in. Australia has the best breeding ground for International players and I don't see the need to rush them into the national side. Of course it would be different if Cullen was averaging 12 with the ball in both forms and was a gun, but both he and Clarke had mediocre (at best) results for their states when they were selected to play for Australia. Not like the old days when guys like, M. Waugh, Hayden, Slater etc were all high 40-50+ domestic averages.
To be fair to the selectors, is there the same depth of talent out there in terms of batsman that there was in the days when Mark Waugh, then Darren Lehmann and Damien Martyn couldn't get into the team?

We still have some guys, like Hodge, who's average in FC (or Tests! :tongue: ) hasn't brought them an international career...

But were the bowling stocks ever that thick? In the late 80s-late 90s there was McDermott, Hughes, Rackemann, Fleming, Reiffel, and McGrath. Admittedly very good bowlers, but after that its not like there were another dozen top performers - who was it - Mueller? Paul Blocka Wilson? Nicholson? Good players, but probably not test standard.

There used to be a reasonable argument 5 years ago that Australia A would beat most test teams, but that certainly isn't the case now.
 
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FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
Of the latest bunch of hyped leg-spinners, Cullen Bailey seems to have the most backing. It'll be interesting to see how he develops in the Pura Cup.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
Apparently he (Bailey) had a really interesting couple of meetings with both Warne and McGill last Aussie summer and made some comments about how he felt he learnt more about the mindset of being a wrist spin bowler over dinner with the two of them than he had in his career to date. Hopefully that kind of exposure will bring him along in his art.

Shame Cameron White hasn't kicked on.
 

brockley

International Captain
Gee south australia what depth cleary,gillespie,tait rolfe,cullen and bailey.If cullen has another pura season like he did last year i reckon bailey will leap frpg him into the state team.Bailey did outbowl cullen in the recent A series remember.
 

Johnners

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
FaaipDeOiad said:
Of the latest bunch of hyped leg-spinners, Cullen Bailey seems to have the most backing. It'll be interesting to see how he develops in the Pura Cup.
Agreed..... his stats from last season don't read all taht well, but he was impressive...
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
Spin bowling is probably a bit of a learned craft, the potential may be evident, but you need a bit more experience and cricket smarts to turn that potential to results, in most cases. More so than pace bowling, where the ability to generate speed and movement will often produce immediate results, at least at district and maybe FC level, even before that experience is accumulated (witness Tait, who will no doubt improve as well). I think both Bailey and Cullen have that evident potential quality, and should hopefully put it all together in the next couple of years. Possible shades of Tim May and Warney... :)
 

marc71178

Eyes not spreadsheets
Matt79 said:
There used to be a reasonable argument 5 years ago that Australia A would beat most test teams, but that certainly isn't the case now.
And that argument was based only on supposition.
 

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