If Symonds does not return to the Aussie squad...

[Matt79]

Don't know that Symonds adds much to our team at the moment. If he plays like he has been for Qld, we're certainly better off without him.

 

[Prince EWS]

Do I see a presumption that Symonds will improve Australia's batting unit?

Given he'd probably come in for White at the moment, yeah.

 

[Mister Wright]

Well Shane Watson is a better longer-form batsman than Symonds so Symonds absense is irrelevant....and Australia.

God damn. If Symonds was returning the figures Watson is in India then there'd be a call for his head. Double standards on this forum if I've ever seen 'em.

 

[Mister Wright]

If Tahir plays for SA, then they probably have a better all round bowling attack.

If Jaques plays for Australia, then Australia probably have the better batting line up.

Jaques is out for the summer.

 

[Matt79]

Jaques is out for the summer.

Thought that was the case.

 

[Uppercut]

God damn. If Symonds was returning the figures Watson is in India then there'd be a call for his head. Double standards on this forum if I've ever seen 'em.

Yeah, i'd say Symonds's batting is better. Watson's a much better bowler though.

They miss Symonds's fielding, too.

 

[pasag]

How quickly we forget his heroics in the West Indies just one series ago where not one Australian batsmen looked like getting bat to ball and he went on to score a brilliant and matchwinning counter attacking 80. As much as I love Watto, I'd take Symonds any day (although not on current form admittedly).

 

[Richard]

Yeah but that involved Umpiring let-offs like almost all his innings' of note. The presumption is always that such let-offs are going to stop as of the next innings. Clearly, if they don't, he'll keep getting runs.

 

[Richard]

Given he'd probably come in for White at the moment, yeah.

You reckon? That'd surprise me TBH, but I guess we'll see in due course.

Surely White isn't going to stay in the side when they return to Australia?

 

[pasag]

Yeah but that involved Umpiring let-offs like almost all his innings' of note. The presumption is always that such let-offs are going to stop as of the next innings. Clearly, if they don't, he'll keep getting runs.

Symonds > Atherton

 

[Uppercut]

Symonds > Atherton

Troll of doom.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Haha, that's such a good response.

 

[Richard]

Symonds > Atherton

I'd love to see what Atherton could do in a year where he got an Umpiring let-off practically every innings, plus the flat pitches and average-fare bowling.

Really would love to see it.

 

[andruid]

Symonds > Atherton

Sig it

 

[Prince EWS]

You reckon? That'd surprise me TBH, but I guess we'll see in due course.

Surely White isn't going to stay in the side when they return to Australia?

I reckon Symonds will come straight back in for him upon return to Australia.

I don't really think it'd make for the right balance given the qualities of the rest of the team, but it'd make for a better balance than the one we're seeing currently which contains a poor-man's version of Andrew Symonds batting 8 and bowling fourth change.

This is the team I expect to see for the first Test of the Australian summer:

1. Katich
2. Hayden
3. Ponting
4. Hussey
5. Clarke
6. Watson
7. Symonds
8. Haddin
9. Lee
10. Johnson
11. Clark

It's not the team I'd pick at all as I think it's ridiculous to stack the batting to such an extent when the established batsmen are in so much better stead the established bowlers, but that's what I expect to see. It's the easy way out of a selection drama of sorts on two levels.

I'm Andrew Symonds biggest critic but he's both a better batsman and a better bowler than White for mine so it's a step in the right direction anyway.

 

[Prince EWS]

How quickly we forget his heroics in the West Indies just one series ago where not one Australian batsmen looked like getting bat to ball and he went on to score a brilliant and matchwinning counter attacking 80. As much as I love Watto, I'd take Symonds any day (although not on current form admittedly).

I have a lot more faith in Watto as a Test cricketer, but Symonds has obviously done more at Test level to press for selection at this point in time. Whether or not he has the technique to keep it up is very much debatable but he definitely has the character to perform to his ability and beyond in tough situations. He's the anti-Clarke.

 

[Richard]

I reckon Symonds will come straight back in for him upon return to Australia.

I don't really think it'd make for the right balance given the qualities of the rest of the team, but it'd make for a better balance than the one we're seeing currently which contains a poor-man's version of Andrew Symonds batting 8 and bowling fourth change.

This is the team I expect to see for the first Test of the Australian summer:

1. Katich
2. Hayden
3. Ponting
4. Hussey
5. Clarke
6. Watson
7. Symonds
8. Haddin
9. Lee
10. Johnson
11. Clark

It's not the team I'd pick at all as I think it's ridiculous to stack the batting to such an extent when the established batsmen are in so much better stead the established bowlers, but that's what I expect to see. It's the easy way out of a selection drama of sorts on two levels.

I'm Andrew Symonds biggest critic but he's both a better batsman and a better bowler than White for mine so it's a step in the right direction anyway.

There's absolutely no doubt he's a better bowler and White has hardly made himself look like a better batsman in the 3 Tests he's played so far, so I don't doubt if it was a case of Symonds vs White Symonds would come-out on top easily. I'm just surprised that's what it is. I'd have presumed if Symonds came back in he'd replace Watson (who hasn't exactly set The World on fire so far, though obviously there's a Test to go) and White would be replaced by another specialist bowler, ergo, top-five of Hayden, Katich, Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, then Symonds and Haddin, then the bowlers including Clark, Lee and Johnson.

Australia have, as I've mentioned before, gone in with eight specialist batsmen (including the wicketkeeper-batsman and several capable batsmen-bowlers) in the not-too-distant past, but it'd still surprise me any time they repeated it.

 

[social]

I'd love to see what Atherton could do in a year where he got an Umpiring let-off practically every innings, plus the flat pitches and average-fare bowling.

Really would love to see it.

Probably average what he did for his 100+ tests or isnt that a big enough sample for you?

 

[Prince EWS]

top-five of Hayden, Katich, Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, then Symonds and Haddin, then the bowlers including Clark, Lee and Johnson.

Yeah, that's the way I'd go, but I don't see it happening like that. Ponting actually hinted that Watson may have played in India anyway even if Symonds was on tour at one point.

Dropping Watson for Symonds, or indeed leaving Symonds out, would be a hard decision for the selectors to make, so they just won't make it. I'm sure they'll feel much more comfortable about the whole situation by just bringing Symonds straight in for White and having him play a similar role with the ball. White's only playing to add variation to the bowling lineup and Symonds's off breaks could do that anyway - whether or not you believe in the variation theory or not.

Unless Krejza or White do something really remarkable in the fourth Test against India or McGain makes a miraculous recovery and takes bag-fulls for Victoria before the first Test in Australia, I reckon we'll be seeing the team I named above. A mistake IMO, but the way they'll go.

 

[Richard]

Probably average what he did for his 100+ tests or isnt that a big enough sample for you?

No, he never had that benefit for more than 1 or 2 Tests at a time in his career.