*Official* Road to the 2025-26 Ashes

[govinda indian fan]

I'd like to see Aus go with:


Jake Weatherald
Kurt Patterson/Matt Renshaw
Steve Smith
Cam Green
Travis Head
Beau Webster
Alex Carey

Would feel a lot more confident than Khawaja/Konstas opening. It wont happen though.

No khawaja or marnus

 

[the big bambino]

I hate when TBB and GAS fight. Like choosing between 2 drunk & angry divorced uncles wrestling at a family function

I promise to stay off the grog this Christmas.

 

[GotSpin]

I'm not sure why its come down to this, but I asked google "CA and the purpose of A team tours". The AI response was that CA uses them as a crucial component of their talent development pathway. To provide opportunities for emerging players to gain experience and showcase their skills internationally. The tours are a bridge between domestic cricket and the senior national team.

I can just imagine the response to this: Something belligerent about AI being irrelevant. But I think that is the understanding of just about anyone who follows cricket. Does it matter that Peake has been selected on promise? The selectors may well think he has international potential and his A team selection confirms it. But he hasn't been selected for the national team (I'd even be ok if he was in some circumstances like an off broadway odi series). It just means they want to see if he can be developed into an international player. I don't think the A tour overlaps the shield season so its an additional opportunity for him. In fact we might even be grateful for it because he might not even be selected for his state team.

Yeah it’s actually an opportunity for some of these guys to play a ton of FC cricket

 

[shortpitched713]

Honestly not trying to RIS bait here, but for England I think a fit and firing Chris Woakes is going to be key.

Last series shows that he England side bowling attack right now absolutely lacks the consistency and stability that one would hope Woakes could help provide by this stage in his career. Obviously he was very poor in that series, but I'm honestly expecting a very strong comeback from him as long as he's fit.

 

[Johan]

Honestly not trying to RIS bait here, but for England I think a fit and firing Chris Woakes is going to be key.

Last series shows that he England side bowling attack right now absolutely lacks the consistency and stability that one would hope Woakes could help provide by this stage in his career. Obviously he was very poor in that series, but I'm honestly expecting a very strong comeback from him as long as he's fit.

Woakes should focus on reducing pace and developing a skillset for England, he was given two full proper tours of Australia and failed so spectacularly. His bowling style just doesn't work in England, doesn't hit the deck hard enough and bowls too full, he has never liked the kookabura either, it's just time to let go any hopes of overseas Test Cricket imo.

 

[Gob]

I'd like to see Aus go with:


Jake Weatherald
Kurt Patterson/Matt Renshaw
Steve Smith
Cam Green
Travis Head
Beau Webster
Alex Carey

Would feel a lot more confident than Khawaja/Konstas opening. It wont happen though.

Thankfully

 

[Gob]

No khawaja or marnus

He tends to pick a weird team before any big series for some reason.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Out best team doesn't include Khawaja or Marnus tbh. But we will be stuck with Khawaja at the least

 

[Gob]

lol

 

[trundler]

Out best team doesn't include Khawaja or Marnus tbh. But we will be stuck with Khawaja at the least

Yeah there are at least 20 better Shield openers who just never get picked for some reason

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yeah there are at least 20 better Shield openers who just never get picked for some reason

You and Gob both on my list of people to laugh at when I'm proven right, as I always am

 

[Qlder]

Yeah there are at least 20 better Shield openers who just never get picked for some reason

So with only 6 Shield teams you think there at lesst 20 openers out there better than Khawaja lol

 

[Red]

He tends to pick a weird team before any big series for some reason.

And you make a snide comment. And life goes on.

I’m picking the two best performing Shield batsmen to open (the best opener and the best #3 who has succeeded at test level). Both had excellent FC seasons.

Konstas will be good but get the pressure off him and let him spend a year in the Shield.

Khawaja has got to the point where he’s justifying his inclusion by saying he’s there for Konstas. Get real. Either make runs or get dropped. Comes across as entitled. Poor test performance over an extended period should see you dropped for performing Shield batsmen.

So, what’s your argument?

 

[Red]

So with only 6 Shield teams you think there at lesst 20 openers out there better than Khawaja lol

Weatherald and Patterson both made good runs in the shield, while Khawaja (apart from one good innings) was mediocre at best over the last two years. He’s also almost 39.
There’s not 20 guys but there’s a few who deserve a chance over Khawaja justifying why he’s still there on any criteria that doesn’t include making runs.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Weatherald and Patterson both made good runs in the shield, while Khawaja (apart from one good innings) was mediocre at best over the last two years. He’s also almost 39.
There’s not 20 guys but there’s a few who deserve a chance over Khawaja justifying why he’s still there on any criteria that doesn’t include making runs.

It's a delusional obsession with incumbency. These people are blinded by how good Khawaja was 2 years ago that they are ignorant of his current level of ability and performance. He will get picked for the ashes and he will fail. There will definitely be Shield batsmen that would do better at this point in time.

Marnus is still up in air. There's no reason he can't return to his best form and be a 40+ averaging Test bat, it will be the early Shield rounds that will show us whether he's back in our best 5-6 batsmen or not

 

[Red]

It's a delusional obsession with incumbency. These people are blinded by how good Khawaja was 2 years ago that they are ignorant of his current level of ability and performance. He will get picked for the ashes and he will fail. There will definitely be Shield batsmen that would do better at this point in time.

Marnus is still up in air. There's no reason he can't return to his best form and be a 40+ averaging Test bat, it will be the early Shield rounds that will show us whether he's back in our best 5-6 batsmen or not

Correct, and this incumbency/entitled thing needs to be dispensed with.

Marnus has also said to media something along the lines of “I’m willing to come back and open or bat at #3”.

I mean, sure mate. You’re talented and you could. But the way you do that is making a few FC hundreds and pushing your way back in. Not by media statements. Same as Khawaja saying he’ll mentor Konstas. lol. Just make some runs.

 

[Gob]

lolol

 

[Gob]

Correct, and this incumbency/entitled thing needs to be dispensed with.

Marnus has also said to media something along the lines of “I’m willing to come back and open or bat at #3”.

I mean, sure mate. You’re talented and you could. But the way you do that is making a few FC hundreds and pushing your way back in. Not by media statements. Same as Khawaja saying he’ll mentor Konstas. lol. Just make some runs.

I've had this discussion pointlessly way too many times with tjb. Marnus still averages 46 in Test Cricket, relatively young and scaled heights that some of his potential replacements could only dream of (like accumulating over 900 points in the ICC ratings). It's hilarious that some blokes are like let's bin him for good and move on to the next shield bat with an average of 35 when Konstas is stinking it up by averaging 8

I think it was good for him that he missed the wi tour and I admit that he needs a score but as soon as he is back in form, he should be back at 3. Marnus and Head are the ones to guide Australia through the transitional period post Smith

 

[TheJediBrah]

I've had this discussion pointlessly way too many times with tjb. Marnus still averages 46 in Test Cricket, relatively young and scaled heights that some of his potential replacements could only dream of (like accumulating over 900 points in the ICC ratings). It's hilarious that some blokes are like let's bin him for good and move on to the next shield bat with an average of 35 when Konstas is stinking it up by averaging 8

I think it was good for him that he missed the wi tour and I admit that he needs a score but as soon as he is back in form, he should be back at 3. Marnus and Head are the ones to guide Australia through the transitional period post Smith

I literally never said that. You were saying we should pick him for West Indies and the WTC final when he was batting like a blind man, that was our disagreement

 

[Gob]

I literally never said that. You were saying we should pick him for West Indies and the WTC final when he was batting like a blind man, that was our disagreement

You said that great many times

I do find a lot of similarities with your style of posting and Brendan Julian's style of commentating