Australia's Test Squad for England and West Indies

[Justo]

Shows more intent.

 

[Spark]

Australian Test Squad for tours of the West Indies and United Kingdom | 2015-16 Contracted Players List | Cricket Australia

Michael Clarke (c) NSW

Steve Smith (vc) NSW

Fawad Ahmed VIC

Brad Haddin NSW

Josh Hazlewood NSW

Ryan Harris* QLD

Mitchell Johnson WA

Nathan Lyon NSW

Shaun Marsh WA

Mitchell Marsh WA

Peter Nevill NSW

Chris Rogers VIC

Peter Siddle VIC

Mitchell Starc NSW

Adam Voges WA

David Warner NSW

Shane Watson NSW

 

[Spark]

a little surprised not to see burns in there but not massively disappointed either

 

[Prince EWS]

I don't really like Burns being dropped for seemingly no reason. He looked okay in his two Tests, went back and averaged 58 in the Shield games between those Tests and the end of the season.

I've always liked Voges and I really hope he does well if he plays, but I just buy into the idea that someone who has been playing Shield cricket for 13 years without ever putting back to back seasons together before now should leapfrog an incumbent just because he's seeing it well.

 

[howardj]

Picking a 35 year old journeyman who has never produced the consistency required to knock on the door, over a young guy who has just peeled off two 50s in his last Test and has the ability to bat anywhere in the order...

Is quite shocking

 

[Prince EWS]

I think it's probably okay if it's for the right reasons. If they think Voges's proven ability in England vs Burns's mediocrity when he played there is a big factor, or they've spotted something technically with either player that think will help/hinder in WI/England, or they've identified a real change in Voges's game that has resulted in his good 2014-15 season, then I think that's fine.

But to me it just reeks a bit of the selectors looking at the Shield stats for this season and going "Oh wow, Voges had an awesome season! Get him in therrrrre!" ... which just isn't good selection process from any angle.

 

[howardj]

First the Gabba gets dudded with the scheduling, and now none of our boys make the Test squad

#nswmafia

 

[Pratters]

The Ashes is the main tour here. Voges has experience in England, which can be a difficult country first up. I watched him in some domestic 40 over game from England a few years back and he looked extremely comfortable. Voges' record in FC cricket has been okay without being spectacular but add his runs in the Sheffield Shield this season and his experience in England, it makes sense.

 

[3703]

Fawad Ahmed may get the nod ahead of Lyon, and if so, would give Australia a monster advantage in the spin department. Bloke is excellent.

 

[howardj]

I think we’re still being punished for producing Sir Joh, Pauline, Kevin, Scott Muller etc.

 

[Red]

But to me it just reeks a bit of the selectors looking at the Shield stats for this season and going "Oh wow, Voges had an awesome season! Get him in therrrrre!" ... which just isn't good selection process from any angle.

I'm not sure why you think this isn't a good selection process tbh. Isn't it the ideal selection process?

Consistent first class runs over a season earns a test chance, surely...

 

[howardj]

And Burns had a bad summer?

Is he not the incumbent?

Is he not the future?

Is he not more versatile?

 

[morgieb]

And Burns had a bad summer?

Is he not the incumbent?

Is he not the future?

Is he not more versatile?

Voges can bowl, so this isn't 100% true. Plus you could argue Burns was only there because Clarke and Marsh were injured.

 

[Cabinet96]

Voges was probably a tad unlucky not to make the WC squad, so happy for him. Does he play ahead of Watson?

 

[Spark]

what does versatile even mean

 

[Prince EWS]

I'm not sure why you think this isn't a good selection process tbh. Isn't it the ideal selection process?

Consistent first class runs over a season earns a test chance, surely...

Nah basing your whole selection process on eleven domestic games is nuts tbh.

I've got no issue with a selection process being primarily performance-based.. but if so, Burns shouldn't be dropped as his performance was fine, and you really should be looking at performances beyond just what happened in the most recent season.

There's way too much variance in batting for just looking to see who averaged the most in the last season to be a good idea. Even when I was a huge advocate of picking international teams based on domestic performance, I found short-term-formists pretty annoying. Given no-one was saying "Voges might be a good Ashes pick if he has a good Shield season here" before the season started, the fact that he's been picked just strikes me as a knee jerk, particularly given nothing disastrous happened to the batting stocks in between.

 

[Cabinet96]

I'm not sure why you think this isn't a good selection process tbh. Isn't it the ideal selection process?

Consistent first class runs over a season earns a test chance, surely...

A season is a pretty short time though. Gap between the start of November to end of March is the same as here to the Ashes. Could easily lose that form, and given he's never had great back to back seasons it's not that unlikely. Unless you think he's improved, but he's not exactly young.

 

[Prince EWS]

what does versatile even mean

I think howardj just meant he was comfortably in more batting positions.

 

[Red]

I am wondering if the selectors are worried about the significant leadership vacuum that will happen once Clarke, Rogers, Haddin and Watson all go, which realistically could happen sooner rather than later considering the series to come and injury propensity. Voges is in form, he's very durable, and he could be of benefit to Smith for 12 mths as Smith captains without the experienced heads around him.

Kind of like what Lehmann did for Ponting when Ponting first took the reigns.

All speculation of course, but Watson and Clarke are always only a hamstring away from weeks out of the game, Rogers will go post Ashes, and Haddin might not have long to go I'd imagine. That creates a big experience drain on the team.

Ideally we'd stagger these guys leaving, I'd discard Watson from tests now, Rogers will retire post Ashes and then Haddin after the Aust summer. Clarke will play as long as fitness and desire allows him to. I just feel they want an experienced guy like Voges to be in the side now just in case the worst case scenario happens and we lose Clarke to another injury.

 

[Prince EWS]

A season is a pretty short time though. Gap between the start of November to end of March is the same as here to the Ashes. Could easily lose that form, and given he's never had great back to back seasons it's not that unlikely. Unless you think he's improved, but he's not exactly young.

Yeah it really does depend on the rationale. If the rationale is just that he scored lots of runs this season then I think that's pretty dire given he's not so much filled an open position as replaced someone who didn't really need replacing. If the rationale is something more nuanced then it's fine. I just can't help but feel it's the former.