***Official*** Australia in South Africa

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by centurymaker

If this series were to be played against some other country, I wouldn't pick johnson tbh.

What's happened to Bollinger? Is he no longer fit enough for tests? He was superb back in 2010.

He had fitness issues last summer, played Adelaide and died in the arse while bowling, after coming back from a side strain suffered in the first test of the Indian tour. He fell out of favour after that.

[Burgey]

Originally Posted by flibbertyjibber

Bresnan is a class act though, others mentioned apart from Warne aren't.

Obviously Warne is a world beater.

Oh I think Bresnan is a very good bowler.

But then Johnson looked a million bucks in SA last time we toured there.

I actually think Johnson's best chance of performing decently over the medium term, is if he's operating in an attack with the likes of Harris and Copeland, who are very disciplined bowlers. Lets him run in and bowl, not worry about being "the leader", or getting caught between trying to bowl accurately and try and be something other than what he is - a fairly enigmatic performer.

Having said that he should go in favour of Dougeh, I should say I thought he bowled better than his figures suggested in SL just gone.

[popepouri]

Originally Posted by arachnodouche

sa are so so heavily dependent on the two quickies. An injury to either rules out any chance of them bowling out a decent opposition for an acceptable score. Australia have a more balanced attack in terms of pace at least + lyon/hauritz are bit more of a proven quantity than tahir though his subcontinental skills could play a role.

lmao

[vic_orthdox]

Originally Posted by Spikey

Ok but all of that list Dougeh has by far the best record

well perhaps not far, but he's clearly got the wood on Hilf and Siddle

Two things: Doug bullied Pakistan and West Indies, and you don't see the players or anyone in the hierarchy wanting him back. Cricket Australia obviously have to take some responsibility for what happened, but the longer that this goes on, the more that you have to start thinking that he didn't take the personal responsibility to get himself as right as he could be, and that his team-mates felt let down by that. He's never had the reputation for being the hardest worker.

[vic_orthdox]

It also makes me laugh that Brad Haddin kicked up a stink about being dropped from the T20 side at the beginning of this year, only to retire a few months later after getting a recall. A lot of ego about that, for a guy with not much of a T20 record to speak about.

[Howe_zat]

Random thought:

It strikes me as unfair that Tsotsobe is regarded as hopeless based on him being a very good ODI bowler that's played a handful of mediocre Tests; while Tahir is regarded as the answer to SA's spin problems based on him being a very good ODI bowler that's never played a Test.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by Howe_zat

Random thought:

It strikes me as unfair that Tsotsobe is regarded as hopeless based on him being a very good ODI bowler that's played a handful of mediocre Tests; while Tahir is regarded as the answer to SA's spin problems based on him being a very good ODI bowler that's never played a Test.

It's aesthetics, really. Even when he was bowling well in ODIs, Tsotsobe never really looked like he'd be a penetrative Test bowler. I don't think it's really based on failing in Tests, as such.

[flibbertyjibber]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Oh I think Bresnan is a very good bowler.

But then Johnson looked a million bucks in SA last time we toured there.

I actually think Johnson's best chance of performing decently over the medium term, is if he's operating in an attack with the likes of Harris and Copeland, who are very disciplined bowlers. Lets him run in and bowl, not worry about being "the leader", or getting caught between trying to bowl accurately and try and be something other than what he is - a fairly enigmatic performer.

Having said that he should go in favour of Dougeh, I should say I thought he bowled better than his figures suggested in SL just gone.

Agree with all of that, Johnson is a matchwinner and if Harris and Copeland play there should be less pressure on him. I think it has got to the stage though that he puts too much pressure on himself now and underperforms. maybe the happy hunting ground of SA will spark him into life again.

[SamSawnoff]

Originally Posted by vic_orthdox

It also makes me laugh that Brad Haddin kicked up a stink about being dropped from the T20 side at the beginning of this year, only to retire a few months later after getting a recall. A lot of ego about that, for a guy with not much of a T20 record to speak about.

So glad he's gone from at least one format. He's the one who came out and said that his arm was so bad that he could hardly hold the bat during the World T20's last time. AFTER the tournament. He's a very unreliable person.

[Apo]

Time to blood in Tim Paine in all 3 formats, Haddin's time has long passed.

[BlazeDragon]

Originally Posted by Apo

Time to blood in Tim Paine in all 3 formats, Haddin's time has long passed.

Uhhh he's not very popular in this forum with people that follow first class cricket. I brought him up too once and it turned into Tim Paine bashing. He doesn't have a very good FC record from what it seems like. I think people here would rather have Matthew Wade.

Then again Marsh was getting about the same type of treatment....

[Son Of Coco]

Originally Posted by flibbertyjibber

Agree with all of that, Johnson is a matchwinner and if Harris and Copeland play there should be less pressure on him. I think it has got to the stage though that he puts too much pressure on himself now and underperforms. maybe the happy hunting ground of SA will spark him into life again.

This is the main problem with Johnson. The bloke's a zombie. If a doctor let a patient flatline as long as Johnson does before 'coming to life' he'd be de-registered.

Hopefully he does something again in SA, it gets frustrating having to rely on a wing and a prayer with him though.

[GotSpin]

Originally Posted by Son Of Coco

This is the main problem with Johnson. The bloke's a zombie. If a doctor let a patient flatline as long as Johnson does before 'coming to life' he'd be de-registered.

Hopefully he does something again in SA, it gets frustrating having to rely on a wing and a prayer with him though.

But don't you know, the guy is a match winner...

[Son Of Coco]

I now realise that when Dennis Lillee described Johnson as a 'once in a lifetime bowler' that he was actually talking about how often he'd perform.

[NasserFan207]

Originally Posted by Son Of Coco

I now realise that when Dennis Lillee described Johnson as a 'once in a lifetime bowler' that he was actually talking about how often he'd perform.

This deserves a round of applause