LongHopCassidy
International Captain
No clown lineage there?ClownSymonds said:He's one-half Pirate, one-half Scarecrow.
No clown lineage there?ClownSymonds said:He's one-half Pirate, one-half Scarecrow.
There's good puns. Then there's great puns.luckyeddie said:Apparently, it's so that if he yells at anyone, they are immediately galvanised into action.
Yes indeed, I can see there are no flies on you (chokes back joke about it being a stray bit of wool).Voltman said:TC,
Isn't zinc used to galvanise things like nails? I hope I got it...
Test runs.open365 said:Thats because Symonds rules; he bats,he bowls spin,he bowls pace,he fields,he has unknown origins,his nickname is roy.
What more do you want>?
He's got you all therehowardj said:Test runs.
good callhowardj said:Test runs.
But given enough chances, any decent player will come up with a good performance like Symonds at the MCG. It's just a matter of how many crap performances are you willing to put up with in between?Maison said:good call
(excuse the angry face... )
then again, he's gonna have to 'get it right' sooner or later in test cricket, cause he could make a pretty handy test batting-allrounder
howardj said:Merv Hughes (Australian selector) stated that Symonds is being picked and judged as a number six batsman, and his bowling is just a bonus. On that rationale, I don't think anyone can justify his retention for the South African tour. To me, he looks very uncertain on off-stump. That he only averages 37 in the Pura Cup (the FC competition in Australia) is an indictment on his batting in the longer form of the game.
Whilst Michael Clarke's average in that competition is similar, the difference is that Clarke is only 23 and has major scope for improvement (for instance in his last two Pura Cup innings he is turning his average of 37 around, by making two double centuries). By contrast, Symonds is 30 years of age, and has much less scope for improvement, in my view. I think the miserable batting start to his Test career, is not a mere blip, but (as his Pura Cup record attests) a fairly true reflection of his ability with the bat in the longer form of the game.
Fair enough. Some good points there. And, yeah, Symonds did bowl well in Melbourne and Sydney. In the end, though, I just don't think Australia can afford to have a number six who, in my view, is out of his depth with the bat. Particularly when that number six is book-ended by a shaky number seven (Gilchrist), and a not-so-great number four (Hodge).Maison said:okay sure, merv said that they didnt 'judge his' bowling... that quote means nothing in the end really, cause ponting still picks symonds to bowl overs, and quite a few if he has to.............. merv didnt really mean what he said, what he said was probably their (the selectors) 'initial thought'....
you cant just 'shrug' off symonds test bowling efforts...
:/
howardj said:Fair enough. Some good points there. And, yeah, Symonds did bowl well in Melbourne and Sydney. In the end, though, I just don't think Australia can afford to have a number six who, in my view, is out of his depth with the bat. Particularly when that number six is book-ended by a shaky number seven (Gilchrist), and a not-so-great number four (Hodge).
I think he'd do well. I think he's genuinely improved, as instanced by his very patient Pura Cup double century against Queensland, just after he was axed from the Test team. That Qld attack had an in-form Andy Bichel and Mike Kasprowicz in it. In my view, they would have given him a more thorough examination than the West Indies attack (the attack that put him into the Test cricket wilderness). Plus, he would be extremely hungry for runs. Most of the Australian players (Martyn, Ponting, Hayden, SWaugh, Langer) were dropped when they were young, like Clarke. They all came back super hungry and kicked on to have awesome careers. Clarke will too, I reckon.Maison said:okay since we both understand what symonds has done, and has not done, and we both value michael clarkes position in the squad.... how do u reckon clarke would do if he was given another chance?
lets say..... in south africa? which is AU's next test series
Yes you're right there. If not for that 203*, Hodge would have a fair amount of pressure on him.Jono said:Yeah really, I don't think there are too many fans, both Australian and just general cricket fans, who wouldn't want to see Martyn back in the Aussie team. He's just such a fantastic player, and is great to watch. Then again, there may be some SA and in particular English fans who enjoy seeing Symonds in there ahead of him, along with Hodge too who has had one knock of any subtance (though that was a very good knock).
BoyBrumby said:I think Merv is being a bit economical with the truth there myself. Symonds must've been selected as a batting all-rounder or his retention makes no sense at all. If he's the 6th best test batsman in Oz then I'm a monkey's uncle!
That might say more about the quality of Ponting's captaincy than it does about the quality of Symonds' bowling.Maison said:ponting always uses symonds as a bowling option...