***Official*** South Africa in Australia 2012

[uvelocity]

clarkeh aint playing that shield game n00fan, not sure about the others

I have no idea which way they will go with the pace, but it's a brilliant problem to have.

[vic_orthdox]

And then we drop Starc when we play England so that Swann doesn't get footmarks to bowl into?

Don't agree with either sentiment, we just pick our four best bowlers. Morne bowls around the wicket enough to generate some footmarks if you're that concerned.

[Prince EWS]

I'd be really tempted to include Starc anyway but I agree with Jack; picking bowlers for footmark reasons just makes a relatively simple task overly complicated.

The impression I've got from what I've read is that the bowlers will be rotated around anyway. Which of the quicks happen to play in each match will have as much to do with workload management and fitness as it will with any sort of pecking order, so I guess it's lucky that we actually have five or six quality options. If there was a bigger gap between our best three quicks and the next lot, resting Pattinson from a couple of Tests and having someone like McKay in his stead really wouldn't have gone down well with me at all.

[Top_Cat]

Starc's red-hot and so's Pattinson but Siddle/Hilf/Starc would be my pick at the moment. Starc against the Saffer bats and their big fat front pads will be more than handy at the moment.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by NUFAN

Reckon you are basing your decision from a South African POV.

Watson, Warner, Hussey, Clarke, Hilfenhaus, Starc could all do with the state game leading up to the Test match.

The A team will still be competitive.

It seems to be pretty common practice to have all six state sides playing during the A match. Its happened for the last couple years. Basically allows the selectors to have a look at as many players as possible.

Only issue they always end resting the Test players, which defeats the purpose. I remember one season NSW had 3 guys in the A side and then 4 guys rested from the Test side.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by Spark

Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin's Test career finished | The Courier-Mail

itstl

Harsh on Haddin if that is the way he goes out.

But sooner or late you are going to have to look to the future.

[NUFAN]

If Hilditch was around Xavier Doherty would be in the first Test due to his good spell against South Africa in the T20 World Cup. Thank **** he's no longer.

Pattinson must play, it annoys me a bit that the media are grouping the bowlers into young vs experienced. For me Pattinson is pretty much a finished product while Cummins has a fair few question marks despite an unbelievable Test debut.

Reckon barring injury - 1. Cowan 2. Warner 3. Watson 4. Ponting 5. Clarke 6. Hussey 7 Wade. 8. Siddle 9. Pattinson 10. Hilfenhaus 11. Lyon 12. Starc is paying about $1.09 with the bookies for our First Test squad.

[uvelocity]

yank cowman, huss to 3 and hughes to 6

[NUFAN]

Originally Posted by uvelocity

yank cowman, huss to 3 and hughes to 6

Paying about $71.00. I would bring it in perhaps 3 rolls if you kept Huss at 6 and just replaced Cowan with Hughes.

[uvelocity]

not long enough for my money

don't you have a few grand coming in from a forum member soon?

[Spikey]

Putting everything I have on CA picking Wade over Haddin, who then retires, and then a CA hired goon taking out Wade, ensuring Paine is back where he belongs

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by Spikey

ensuring Paine is back where he belongs

not scoring hundreds at test level...

Even Thami has more hundreds then him at FC level.

[SeamUp]

@Nufan & @Chaminda

Fair enough. Agree with Chaminda, it would spoil the purpose if the internationals don't play in the Shield then.

[NUFAN]

It would be absolute madness if some of the Australian batsman in particular don't play for their states. NSW are playing QLD in Brisbane (where the first Test is being played) so you would think it would be an ideal opportunity for Watson and Warner in particular to get some practice with the red ball against a pretty decent QLD attack.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by NUFAN

It would be absolute madness if some of the Australian batsman in particular don't play for their states. NSW are playing QLD in Brisbane (where the first Test is being played) so you would think it would be an ideal opportunity for Watson and Warner in particular to get some practice with the red ball against a pretty decent QLD attack.

Considering Clarke being rested for this match due to his hectic schedule of grade cricket and two FC games this season. I would be surprised if others aren't also rested.

Madness yes, that seems to be the policy of CA. If aren't playing they can't get injured.

This tactic has worked brilliantly for Sri Lanka with Dilhara Fernando and Lasith Malinga. This tactic turned them into the Test workhorses they are today.

Can't remember they last time either of those two players played FC cricket before an International series. This was before Malinga's Test retirement BTW.