Why Symonds?

[iamdavid]

Best replacement for Steve Waugh in the Aus test squad

The best man to replace Steve Waugh was Mr Darren Scott Lehmann , who was correctly chosen to replace him.

However I think you mean the best spare batsman/allrounder , in which case it would be a race between about 8 contenders -
Love , Clarke , Symonds , Hussey , Hussey jnr , Hodge , Watson & North.

Probably Love for me , deserves a chance ahead of the Hussey's , Symonds & Hodge as he's played tests already & done nothing wrong.
Clarke & North arent ready for test cricket yet & Watson's game isnt really suited to Sri Lanka.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He could do some damage with the ball too as the SRL batting is not that great .

They're pretty good against spin though.

 

[Richard]

One thing that needs to be grasped here:
Symonds when bowling spin is a batsman who bowls a little bit. About as much as Martyn or the Waughs (actually, I think Mark's spin was better than Symonds').
Symonds is a pretty good bowler when the conditions suit seam and he bowls it. But his spin is so useless it's barely worthy of consideration. Even in Sri Lanka.
His batting is OK, meanwhile, but not IMO Test standard.
As for the spare batsman issue, IMO Love has done far more to deserve a place than Symonds has ever done. Higher FC average, better last 2 or 3 seasons, good Test record.
Pretty simple.

 

[Ford_GTHO351]

IMO out of those three, Symonds is the best all round package

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

his spin is so useless it's barely worthy of consideration.

IMO his seam is not worthy of mention either.

 

[Richard]

Believe me, you'll see plenty worse.
He's no use when there's no seam or swing, but that's no different to many, many of today's bowlers.
His recent domestic figures have been pretty impressive.
He's a far better seamer, certainly, than he was 2 and 3 years ago. However, his bowling is still not the sort that will be any use against rampant Sri Lankan batsmen.

 

[Mr. P]

He's bowled one first-class over from memory.....Hardly something that needs persevering with.

Besdies, its ridiculous to suggest that Symonds has been picked as a geniune all-rounder, because quite simply he's not.

Hes not, but maybe hes been picked as one.

Seen highlights of the first two ODIs? Symonds has not only put the ball in the right places and bowled superbly, hes been turning the ball a LOT too.

Some spinners i don't think use the Sri Lankan wickets very well. I think Symonds does.

 

[Dasa]

I don't think Symonds will have great success at Test level, and I don't think he should've been picked. Symonds just doesn't seem like the type of player who can play a long innings, and his bowling is hardly enough to get him into the Test side.

I still cannot fathom why Hodge hasn't been given a run in the side, or why Love is out of favour with the selectors (or so it seems).

 

[Eclipse]

I don't think Symonds will have great success at Test level, and I don't think he should've been picked. Symonds just doesn't seem like the type of player who can play a long innings, and his bowling is hardly enough to get him into the Test side.

I still cannot fathom why Hodge hasn't been given a run in the side, or why Love is out of favour with the selectors (or so it seems).

Symonds usualy does not play long innings but he can play big ones.

He has a few high 150's and at least one big unbeaten double ton that I know of.

He has an exeptional eye and he is supprisingly hard to get out once he is setteld.

 

[marc71178]

But that is in FC Cricket - there's a distinct difference in pressure and quality of opposition when it comes to Tests.

 

[Richard]

Good players aren't bothered by anything outside the game - it disappears once you reach the middle.
And India's attack isn't much less popgun than the routine Pura Cup one.

 

[marc71178]

Good players aren't bothered by anything outside the game - it disappears once you reach the middle.

In theory, but not in practise.

 

[Richard]

If it was in theory only, Test-cricket would not be played.
Because no-one would be able to stand the pressure.

 

[marc71178]

Where have you got that from?

It's exactly the oposite of what I said, and I don't see how it can be true.

 

[Craig]

Good players aren't bothered by anything outside the game - it disappears once you reach the middle.
And India's attack isn't much less popgun than the routine Pura Cup one.

Actually some of the pura Cup attacks are fairly decent and a little better then popgun.

 

[mavric41]

Symonds has come along in leaps and bounds since the big unit Matty Hayden has taken him under his wing. Symonds credits Hayden for showing him to train productively and effectively and for being able to handle pressure situations (I read this in the Sunday paper)

He has always been a supremely talented athlete and deserves a shot. I would love to see Martin Love play but the postion available 5 or 6 doesn't suit him - he needs to play 4 or higher and thats unlikely to happen in the near future.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Good players aren't bothered by anything outside the game - it disappears once you reach the middle.
And India's attack isn't much less popgun than the routine Pura Cup one.

Well that knocks Lara and Tendulkar out of the good players category...

Even the good players are human Richard.

 

[Richard]

If Tendulkar and Lara really were bothered by the pressure of all the millions of expectant fans when they got to the middle they wouldn't score a run.
But they, any many, many others, have the ability to wipe it from their mind and concentrate on what is at hand.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

If Tendulkar and Lara really were bothered by the pressure of all the millions of expectant fans when they got to the middle they wouldn't score a run.
But they, any many, many others, have the ability to wipe it from their mind and concentrate on what is at hand.

Ridiculous yet again. It's not all or nothing. I've seen several times that Lara in particular has looked out of sorts due to things other than what's on the field. No batsman is able to be unaffected by things off the field, positive or negative. We are human beings first, then everything else.

 

[Pace Setter]

Ridiculous yet again. It's not all or nothing. I've seen several times that Lara in particular has looked out of sorts due to things other than what's on the field. No batsman is able to be unaffected by things off the field, positive or negative. We are human beings first, then everything else.

Obviously as humans, its impossible to be in a robot, all or nothing frame of mind, but if you've played professional high-intensity sport at all before, then you'd agree it's certainly VERY close to "all or nothing" out there, at least close enough to almost completely remove effects of the outside world from your game.