Aussie team picked - no MacGill

[Dingo]

Stuart MacGill is the shock omission from the Australian team to tour Zimbabwe - he's made himself unavailable due to moral concerns over the tour. In just as big a shock, Victorian skipper Cameron White replaces him. Glenn McGrath has returned to the squad, replacing rookie Shaun Tait. Andrew Symonds has also been dumped from the Test squad.

Test squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist (v-capt), Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Michael Kasprowicz, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer, Darren Lehmann, Shane Warne, Cameron White, Brad Williams.

One-day squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist (v-capt), Michael Clarke, Jason Gillespie, Brad Hogg, Ian Harvey, Matthew Hayden, Michael Kasprowicz, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Darren Lehmann, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson, Brad Williams.

 

[NikhilN]

I like the Test squad...but still I remember him saying in the Indias tour to Australia saying that with Warne back on the side it will be hard for him to be selected...but I still dont get why he was replaced by cameron white...never even heard of the guy...

 

[age_master]

Macgill has apparently refused to tour on Political grounds... interesting indeed

i gotta admit im very impressed

 

[Adamc]

Well i've never been a huge fan of Macgill, but I must admit it is a fairly courageous move, especially considering he is doing it alone (is he?). Cameron White seems a strang choice - I doubt he would get into the team as a specialist spinner, even if Warne was unavailable.

 

[Slow Love™]

Great stuff by MacGill, and brave also - he's probably kissed his test career goodbye with his protest. Particularly given that there were probably quite a few wickets for the taking on the tour for him.

Bit surprised that players like Gilchrist and Hayden didn't display more reservations about going.

Wasn't White pretty much considered the next in line behind Warne and MacGill as a frontline spinner though? Why is everybody so surprised?

 

[NikhilN]

Well now that I know it is because of the state of condition that MacGill is not going I agree with him %100...if I was any other player I would not go either...

 

[Andre]

Full report: http://www.cricketweb.net/articles/EplkVEZFylhsdPyKdY.shtml

Take a bow, Stuart MacGill. You've done something more important than could ever be done on a cricket feild. Well done.

 

[Adamc]

Hmm does this mean Warne is still retired from ODI cricket?

 

[Raj123]

maybe he thought coz he was the 2nd spinner in the squad(which isnt really needed for zim tour) mcgrath was going to replace him anyway.

but if the decision is based purely on moral reasons it truely is a very courageous move

 

[Gaijin-san]

Woooot! Watto's back! Should be a great ODI tour, I'll get to see Watto and Clarke!!

Disappointed not to see Clarke's name in the test squad.. Fair enough though, I guess. I got a false sense of hope from a cricinfo report that said Symo was gone, probably for Clarke. Sounded even better when he started his county career on 73* after his first day but petered out afterwards..

Still, Watto's back!! Yeeeeehaw. It's about time.

 

[Warne is god]

Cameron White is a 21 yr old Victorian Allrounder for those who don't know. Very Very good player, he is a serious chance to play a test if the track suits him cos he is more than capable with the bat. If it is a spinners track it could be the 3rd test squad except: IN McGrath, OUT Lee; IN White, OUT MacGill

 

[Andre]

Cameron White is a 21 yr old Victorian Allrounder for those who don't know. Very Very good player, he is a serious chance to play a test if the track suits him cos he is more than capable with the bat. If it is a spinners track it could be the 3rd test squad except: IN McGrath, OUT Lee; IN White, OUT MacGill

He's little or no chance of playing unless injury strikes.

Oh, and Lee and MacGill didn't play in the 3rd Test.

 

[iamdavid]

I know there was really no option but to pick White for this tour now that MacGill's gone , as Hauritz isnt doing anything at Pura Cup level & the others havent been around long enough.

But long term I dont really think he's gonna be Warne's succesor , handy batsman & he can be a probing leggie on pitches which suit him , but I think we have better.

Beau Casson to me looks the best prospect long term , its early days still but he can bat (not quite as well as White , about Warne standard) & he can turn the ball on any surface , a prodigious spinner of the ball & he's got some nice variations.
Only downer is his poor control , but he's only young & if he improves his accuracy with time I think he'll shoot ahead of Hauritz , White & Doherty to become Warne's long term succesor.

 

[Andre]

Hoggy can't have been too far away from selection.

 

[Craig]

Well done to MacGill. It takes a lot of guts to do so, and I guess following Andy Flower's and Henry Olonga's stance WC 2003, he is a very brave man to do so, although James Sutherland has said it has no harmed his Test career.

I hope so, as it would be a kick in the guts to have your Test career finished like that.

(Hi from boring Bundaberg)

 

[Adamc]

Just heard on the news that "up to 7 players" were considering not touring, though only Macgill has confirmed so far. No word on who the other 6 are.

 

[Ford_GTHO351]

Well using the test & ODI squads named, here are my starting lineups:

Tests
Langer
Hayden
Ponting (c)
Martyn
Lehmann
Katich
Gilchrist (wk)
Warne
Gillespie
Kasprowicz
McGrath

ODI's
Hayden
Gilchrist (wk)
Ponting (c)
Martyn
Lehmann
Symonds
Watson
Hogg
Gillespie
Kasprowicz or Williams
McGrath

The test side picks its self vurtually.

With the ODI side, I would have Watson in for Clarke & its a toss up with Kasper or Williams in the ODI side as both have bowled well.

 

[Ford_GTHO351]

Its a gutsy decison by Stuart MacGill not to tour Zimbabwe.

Also I was wondering if Warne did not want to be picked in the ODI side or the selectors decided not to pick him?

 

[luckyeddie]

Top decision by Stuart MacGill on moral grounds - let's hope there will be others.

 

[Gaijin-san]

\ODI's
Hayden
Gilchrist (wk)
Ponting (c)
Martyn
Lehmann
Symonds
Watson
Hogg
Gillespie
Kasprowicz or Williams
McGrath

Clarke won't lose his spot yet. He'd get in ahead of Symonds any day at number 6 I think.
Personally I think Australia can afford to move Gilly out of the opening position and try someone else capable of attacking heaps. Dunno who it could be, but I think Gilchrist would be valuable down the order, and many of the players in the Aussie lineup can be as attacking as him. If Symo wants to set his career in concrete, he should reinvent himself as a ODI opener!