An open apology to Marnus Labuschagne

[Flem274*]

sometimes selectors get a punt right. fair play.

would he make australias team of the decade?

 

[aussie tragic]

Anyway, Labuschagne took the same amount of innings to get to 1000 runs as Mike Hussey.

Didn't realise how fast to 1000 runs. Only Bradman, Harvey and Barnes were faster and equal with Walters, Taylor, Hussey and Voges. Selectors nailed it!

 

[Red]

sometimes selectors get a punt right. fair play.

would he make australias team of the decade?

I think he probably does, tbh

Warner
Rogers
Labuschagne
Smith
Clarke
Voges/Hussey
Haddin


Lot of players playing in the first three or the last three years of the decade, with only really Warner, Khawaja and Smith (and SMarsh) being around most of the decade.

 

[stephen]

Yeah Australia's batting ranks at first class level are thin, but we could easily field a second world class pace attack (assuming Pattinson is in the first XI) with Bird, Richardson and Neser.

Genuine Australia A:

Bancroft/Harris
Renshaw/Hughes
Marsh
Cooper
Patterson
Pucovski
Carey
Neser
Bird
O'Keefe
J Richardson

12th: Henriques

This side would beat a number of sides at home but would suck away.

 

[Daemon]

That's not beating anyone imo (well Sri Lanka and Bangladesh I suppose)

Even Pakistan dominated their tour games against sides that were not too far off from that standard

 

[marc71178]

Yeah Australia's batting ranks at first class level are thin, but we could easily field a second world class pace attack (assuming Pattinson is in the first XI) with Bird, Richardson and Neser.

Cute

 

[Gnske]

I think he probably does, tbh

Warner
Rogers
Labuschagne
Smith
Clarke
Voges/Hussey
Haddin


Lot of players playing in the first three or the last three years of the decade, with only really Warner, Khawaja and Smith (and SMarsh) being around most of the decade.

It's amazing that Rogers was barely around 2 years and he's still easily the best second half of the opening.

It looks jarring that top six knowing Phillip should be in there.

 

[SteveNZ]

Shows that the FC system is terrific. The standard.

No it doesn't. The standard is popping out a tremendous amount of guys who can't make it.

It shows that with the right mental and physical application to their game, nearly anyone at FC level can make it. And Marnus clearly has worked his arse off. But not everyone, in fact few have the tendency to want to

 

[SteveNZ]

Yeah Australia's batting ranks at first class level are thin, but we could easily field a second world class pace attack (assuming Pattinson is in the first XI) with Bird, Richardson and Neser.

Genuine Australia A:

Bancroft/Harris
Renshaw/Hughes
Marsh
Cooper
Patterson
Pucovski
Carey
Neser
Bird
O'Keefe
J Richardson

12th: Henriques

This side would beat a number of sides at home but would suck away.

The bowling depth is great....but let's not get carried away, that side would be 100 all out plenty. It's a very sub par batting line up.

 

[stephen]

The bowling depth is great....but let's not get carried away, that side would be 100 all out plenty. It's a very sub par batting line up.

I'm not saying that they would beat India, England, New Zealand or South Africa at home, but they'd be competitive with Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the West Indies in Australia. Away from home they would get destroyed though.

 

[stephen]

Cute

Bird and Richardson are proven international quality fast bowlers. Neser is unproven, I'll grant you but that pace bowling attack is better than some top 8 countries right now.

 

[stephen]

It's amazing that Rogers was barely around 2 years and he's still easily the best second half of the opening.

It looks jarring that top six knowing Phillip should be in there.

Yeah but Rogers was robbed of a genuine career due to being stuck behind Hayden, Langer and Jaques, all three of which were extremely good opening batsmen. The real shame is that Watson was preferred to him as an opening batsman for so long.

 

[Athlai]

No it doesn't. The standard is popping out a tremendous amount of guys who can't make it.

It shows that with the right mental and physical application to their game, nearly anyone at FC level can make it. And Marnus clearly has worked his arse off. But not everyone, in fact few have the tendency to want to

Don't agree with this at all. I don't think it's fair at all to say the right "mentality" or "application" is all that keeps a FC player from succeeding at Test level. There are countless FC champions that have some flaw in their game that is only exposed at the highest level, while allowing them to absolutely dominate at FC level. I don't think it's about "wanting it" enough, though admittedly for some people it is. Its just a too simplistic take on it.

 

[marc71178]

Bird and Richardson are proven international quality fast bowlers. Neser is unproven, I'll grant you but that pace bowling attack is better than some top 8 countries right now.

9 and 2 Tests respectively - that is not proven.

 

[Spark]

Having that extra bit of drive and focus is a talent all unto itself and is no easier to teach than a 1ms improvement in reaction time.

 

[Flem274*]

the higher you get, the more important method becomes. i think being able to bat with a full technique requires more mental 'talent' or processing power than it gets credit for.

technique muddles the clarity of mind batsmen need but provides the method to combat harder bowling. you can cruise through on talent alone like colin munro does, but you will eventually encounter something that requires more than pure clarity of mind (see ball, hit ball).

this sounds like an easy way out, but the muddle of technique can make players genuinely worse and i don't use see ball hit ball as a synonym for slogging (well in munros case it kinda is). whenever martin guptill and brendon mccullum err towards technique brain over see ball hit ball brain they struggle. when they just think about playing their timing and gap finding for the singles improves out of sight.

i think this is where the #intent #thatsthewayiplay memes come from. batting is about making good, quick decisions to score runs. that requires a clear brain. sometimes it is better to leave a batsman lacking technique be because he will score more runs for you in his imperfect state than he would if he tried to be kane williamson.

brendon mccullums final test century or ross taylors century in the uae are good examples of this.

 

[SteveNZ]

Don't agree with this at all. I don't think it's fair at all to say the right "mentality" or "application" is all that keeps a FC player from succeeding at Test level. There are countless FC champions that have some flaw in their game that is only exposed at the highest level, while allowing them to absolutely dominate at FC level. I don't think it's about "wanting it" enough, though admittedly for some people it is. Its just a too simplistic take on it.

I said nearly anyone, I should have said a lot of FC players. And it's true. The guys who truly want to make it, who work their absolute ring piece off and work smart as well to eliminate their flaws...you couldn't name too many who could say 'well I did all I could but it wasn't enough'. I'd challenge you to think of a single NZ player at least who did that and didn't make it

Marnus also benefits from almost completely tailoring his approach to a single form of the game at international level.

 

[Red]

Marnus also benefits from almost completely tailoring his approach to a single form of the game at international level.

Tbh I wouldn't be disappointed if he just played tests and FC cricket his entire career and didn't worry about the shorter forms, but that's his (and the selector's) call.

Admittedly his List A record is decent, but I wouldn't mind him being a long form specialist.

 

[SteveNZ]

Tbh I wouldn't be disappointed if he just played tests and FC cricket his entire career and didn't worry about the shorter forms, but that's his (and the selector's) call.

Admittedly his List A record is decent, but I wouldn't mind him being a long form specialist.

Not at all - that would be an ideal result. But as you say, you can never begrudge a guy wanting to be relevant in all formats

 

[NUFAN]

I don't understand that comment Steve?

He has only played Tests at International level so he is displaying Test technique.

Marnus has now won 2 one day domestic player of the tournament awards. The Marnus can contribute well in 50 over cricket too.