***Official*** Australia in South Africa 2018

[Pup Clarke]

Why not an eighteen man squad?

 

[Bahseph]

Pretty happy about playing Aus in Durban and PE especially. Kingsmead is probably the most spin friendly pitch in SA if you ask me. The Dolphins regularly play three spinners there. Should bring Lyon into the game as well. Poor QDK.

 

[Marius]

Going for the first three days of the Kingsmead Test and will try catch some of the Wanderers match.

This is going to be an epic series, can't wait!

 

[Stefan9]

Let's see if faf gets the pitches he has demanded. He wants slow seamers for Aus.

 

[vcs]

I know Australia love playing in SA but I really think this is the time for SA to break the home hoodoo (regardless of pitches, I actually think Faf shouldn't worry too much about pitches because SA are talented enough to beat Australia at home on fast, bouncy tracks as well). If Amla can find some form (big if), they look stronger all around.

 

[Marius]

Wonder if we'll go for the five bowler approach against the Aussies too.

I think we should me a bit more conservative and go for six batsmen.

Injuries permitting (and assuming no Steyn) my side would be:
Markram
Elgar
Amla
AB
Faf
Bavuma
QDK
Philander
Maharaj
KG
Morkel

 

[vcs]

AB back and close to his best is absolutely massive for RSA right now, now that there's no Smith or Kallis any more and Amla's form has dipped.

He was a bit overshadowed by those guys in SA's 2010-2014 team since one of the other three always seemed to be the guys playing the clutch knocks.

I hope he has a stellar couple of years and puts the "overrated in Test cricket" criticisms to bed. Would be nice if he could get close to 30 centuries before he retires.

 

[GRAB]

How have Holland and Agar got the jump on O'Keefe?? The man hardly seems to do anything wrong, but never gets a consistent chance...

 

[Cabinet96]

Never does anything wrong on the pitch maybe.

 

[smash84]

i wish this series was starting a little earlier. Really looking forward to it. I hope its a pace barrage galore with wickets to support it

 

[Bolo]

Would possibly imo, be the best assembly of bowlers since WI toured pakistan in 1990. In the 3rd test the bowling attacks were: Bishop, Ambrose, Walsh and Marshall vs Imran, Wasim, Waqar and Qadir. Ordinarily, i wouldn't encourage rsa to play 5 bowlers and possibly be a batsman short against Australias formidable attack but despite their ashes exploits, i still think that australia has a very fickle batting lineup . I'm actually looking forward to this series more than most others.

On paper, that must be the strongest lineup ever assembled. Imran, Wasim, Waqar, Ambrose, Marshall are all gold tier. Bishop doesn't get a ranking due to injury, but would likely have been gold. Walsh is a notch just below in my book, and Qadir another small step down.

In reality this attack must have been way weaker than on paper. Imran barely bowling and past it, Marshall arguably in decline, Qadir spent, Walsh was a decade away from his absolute best.

The Australian/SA attack is way weaker on paper even if Steyn plays, but just about everyone on both sides is at peak or close to it. So we are likely comparing 9 bowlers to 6 (assuming Marsh plays, who I refuse to count as a bowler when looking at these kind of names but south Africa play 5). And it's effectively 2 spinners vs zero. If everyone is fit and firing, this collection of bowlers will run any match attack in history fairly close. The South African lineup is brutal. Best I can think of ever from anyone other than West Indies, and having a spinner helps narrow the quality difference in the pace bowlers.

 

[StephenZA]

Just trying to bump this thread as the SA/Aus Test is getting discussion in a number of other threads.

I do want to say how much, even by accident and politics, I like the fact that SA and Aus have seperated the Test and LO's stuff. The fact that we get to concentrate and enjoy a 4 Test series without the series then dragging on into a LO campaign is great. And vice versa it is nice that when we do play the LO's stuff that is the focus. Think it may be a good change to consider for a number of tours that tend to drag.

 

[GotSpin]

Just trying to bump this thread as the SA/Aus Test is getting discussion in a number of other threads.

I do want to say how much, even by accident and politics, I like the fact that SA and Aus have seperated the Test and LO's stuff. The fact that we get to concentrate and enjoy a 4 Test series without the series then dragging on into a LO campaign is great. And vice versa it is nice that when we do play the LO's stuff that is the focus. Think it may be a good change to consider for a number of tours that tend to drag.

Completely agree.

In fact, that type of method should allow better tours as well in the future with better prep

 

[Marius]

Looking forward to this. Going down to Durban for the first three days of the Kingsmead Test. Never watched a match that and I hear it's a nice stadium.

 

[Bahseph]

Looking forward to this. Going down to Durban for the first three days of the Kingsmead Test. Never watched a match that and I hear it's a nice stadium.

I'm planning to go as well. It's the best stadium in SA btw. (Just a joke, I'm a bias Durban boy)

 

[StephenZA]

Hopefully going to take the Friday off to attend the 1st and 2nd day of the St Georges match....

 

[GoodAreasShane]

O'Keefe busted his calf in the big Bash iirc

 

[Heboric]

Man we got to win this, even i wasnt around when we last beat Australia at home

 

[Daemon]

Aus - SA has been the best series to watch for ages now. The fact that we can't decide who has the better batting or bowling points to this one being yet another great one. Seriously excited for this.

 

[Marius]

Man we got to win this, even i wasnt around when we last beat Australia at home

Not many of us were. If you were a new born last time we beat them in SA< you'd be almost 50.

Last time we beat Aus in SA I don't think I was even a concept, never mind a twinkle in my dad's eye.