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**Official** Australian Domestic Season 2013/14

uvelocity

International Coach
i dont think he bowls very smart is my problem with haze. it wasnt that cutting put his angling into the pads length balls onto the roof, it was that the next dozen were all length balls angling in. then one full ball on off that worked, and back to the crap on the pads again. just dumb stuff.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Cant believe that Hazelwood is in consideration for a test berth as he has a bit of potential and that is it

Not particularly quick, not particularly accurate and doesn't get many wickets

Cant bat

Cant field

Surely there must be many, many bowlers ahead of him
 
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Tangles

International Vice-Captain
He just doesn't trouble batsmen enough. An extra yard of pace or some consistent movement would help a lot. Bowling in the same spot to a hitter who is in makes me wonder where his thinking is. Unless he just wasn't able to execute bowling somewhere else. Which is a different problem to someone with Test aspirations.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Tbh, I am not that concerned about him being belted at the end of a one-dayer at North Sydney Oval.

Of greater concern to me is that I have rarely, if ever, seen him bowl with any real penetration and he seems to be still "learning" his action.

Granted, I have only seen him bowl about 10 times and might simply have caught his off days.

However, given the number of pace bowlers performing well around the country in recent times, it seems premature to elevate him to the test squad when there is obviously still room for lots of improvement and he isn't even a standout amongst his peers.

Reckon people are just getting caught up with the alleged similarities to McGrath more than anything else
 

Top_Cat

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Would argue that McGraridor was just as unpenetrative and learning his action at the same age.

McGrath got a bit lucky early days; took a lot of Shield poles before his first Test but his big bunches were against weaker sides and a lot of 7-11 in there too. And, unlike now, there weren't a ton of other guys challenging so deserved to leap-frog Kasper, BJ, etc. But he looked pretty straight for a couple of years after getting picked (anyone remember how badly he bowled when trying to learn how to bowl out-swing in Tests?). And, of course, he never had the injury interruptions that Hazelwood has had.

Not that I'm saying Hazlewood doesn't deserve to be well back in the pack as things stand but I would urge patience with a bloke like him. McGrath's big attribute was just how quickly he put together the pieces to be a top Test bowler. That Hazlewood hasn't put it together as quickly is a harsh standard by which to judge the man.
 
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Top_Cat

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That said, if he's really going to push things forward, now's the time. He's getting the new ball with a bloke at the other end who's bowling amazingly well and may get called up. A good time to bowl for any quick. McGrath had Holdsworth, let's see how Hazlewood uses Dougie.
 

adub

International Captain
That's all true. I do however try to judge him on his own merits and not against McGrath. What McGrath did seemed on the face of it so simple, but the fact there aren't stacks of others doing the exact same seemingly simple things marks him out as the freak he was.

I judge Haze against what should be I believe simple baseline minimums to be considered Test quality. As I've said before, maybe just being chucked in at test level is the shot he needs to find his next level and realise his potential, but that would be fingers crossed hope for the best selection and frankly I'm sick of those. Who can say the other Shield bowlers who have more consistenly taken wickets wouldn't also raise their game if they got the same shot in a Test. It's voodoo **** when selectors think they're smarter than the game. The game sorts the weak and the strong out just fine. Reward those who perform most consistently and tell the rest they need to lift their game to get a shot. Haze hasn't earnt a spot. I wish he would hurry up and earn it, but maybe being a 'chosen one' isn't the right path or giving sufficient motivation to make it happen. Or just maybe he isn't good enough and will never be.
 

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Definitely agree he shouldn't be in the Test side, particularly since there are so many options around at the moment. I'm just hesitant to go too hard at a **** who's barely put together a full season yet. Being injured on a regular ****s with your progress in so many ways.
 

adub

International Captain
I think we're on the same page then TC. The best thing for Haze would be to play as much Shield as possible, not have dickwad selectors talking about him playing tests this summer, not being rested from Shield games unless he has an actual injury and just use time in the middle to work out his game, build up his body for the task, and learn how to take bags of poles. Everything else is just bull****.
 

Burgey

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McGrath's analysis of Hazelwood's front foot landing on the ball and not heel first was interesting the other day. He reckons it's likely the cause of a few of his ankle/ foot injuries, but that sort of **** is pretty hard to alter I'd imagine because I'd bet London to a brick Hazelwood wouldn't even know he's doing it, it would just be a natural way of bowling to him.
 

adub

International Captain
Guru beats half his team mates to catch.

CA saving money. Hire sparrows to commentate at MCG
 

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Must be ****ing weird for Harris and Cosgrove at the moment. 6 or 7 years ago they were lining up for The Jets together, now they're playing against each other for completely different states.
 

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