Australian Discussion (Final Squad Announced Post #82)

[social]

In my experience, Hilditch isn't an idiot, tbh. I just reckon he's not committed enough to the job, relies on his minions to give him good info. Someone's getting a paddling today.

Guy is definitely not an idiot

IIRC, he is a partner in a law firm and whilst that does not automatically prove that you are more intelligent than a garden slug, it's a fair indicator

Anyway, IMO, the fact that he has a full time job should disqualify him from the position as one of the fundamental tasks of a national selector is to watch some cricket other than test matches and ODIs

He obviously doesnt have the opportunity to do so and it's therefore hardly surprising that he's clueless as to Michael Beer's background etc

 

[Spark]

I quite liked the look of Hastings when I saw him, seriously huge guy who got some troubling climb off the pitch, but I'd have been more inclined to have a wicket-to-wicket sort of bowler like Hopes in the all-rounder's seat myself.

Don't have a problem with Hauritz's recall either but, as others have pointed out, the thought process behind it seems baffling to anyone even vaguely welded to logical reasoning. Presumably the issues which lead to all the "over my dead body" noises emanating from his captain's camp have now been resolved & the selectors have presumably latterly decided to take into account X-D'oh's test form, despite him being considered a live option for the first ODI versus us and him being one of the more economical performers on display.

Different captain for a while may help.



EDIT: As soon as I hit "post" I immediately thought of some of the logical implications of what I said there tied in with some rumours going around from the start of this year. There's a can of worms on the horizon, and I'll be watching it closely.

 

[Ausage]

In my experience, Hilditch isn't an idiot, tbh. I just reckon he's not committed enough to the job, relies on his minions to give him good info. Someone's getting a paddling today.

There's no excuse for saying you're picking someone for the the opposite reason you dropped them only months prior. Carelessness and idiocy are close cousins anyway.

 

[howardj]

I don't watch much Shield cricket either, but I know that:

- picking Cam White at no.8 in a Test match when he doesn't bowl
- picking Xavier Doherty for Tests
- picking Beer for Tests
- continuing to pick North after 20 Tests
- continuing to pick Mick Clarke for T20
- picking Hilf for Sydney when he'd averaged 80 for the Series

...is just so, so incompetent. I'm sure there are more that I can't think of at such an early hour.

I don't care if he's the head of the IMF and a past Noble Peace Prize winner.

In cricketing terms, the guy is a low rent hack, and so incredibly defiant.

 

[Top_Cat]

Can't pin that all on Hilditch, though. Chappell, Boon, Merv, etc. need to cop as much of the blame.

Not that I'm suggesting Hilditch isn't a well-known, jumped-up bureaucrat.

 

[Howe_zat]

Okay, so we have that Hilditch doesn't make most of the decisions, that he often doesn't know why decisions have been made, and doesn't watch enough cricket to make an informed decision or suggestion.

What exactly are CA paying him for?

 

[howardj]

He is the chairman,

Even being 20% responsible for the above selections should be enough to get you punted.

In any case, even leaving aside the above selections, it's the sheer defiance that clinches it.

Put it like this - would Australian cricket suffer if Hilditch's services were no longer provided?

 

[howardj]

The same defiance and stubborness that saw to it that Hauritz was not recalled during the Ashes series, even though after Adelaide the team was crying out for a steady, tidy, serviceable spin option. It became in part about the selectors and not backing down; it became in part about them rather than the best interests of the team.

IMO anyway.

 

[howardj]

Anyway, back on topic,

same with the Hodge non-selection for this WC squad.

 

[Top_Cat]

Not denying the selection panel's decisions have been off at times. Just saying that Hilditch, as the chairman, is the biggest and most public target. Trevor Hohns was too and yet he's being sounded out to resume the spot if Hilditch steps down, despite he and his panel making almost as many bone-headed calls as the current lot. But, well, the team was winning so even the silly decisions could be justified on the basis that it didn't cost a match/series.

Point is that shuffling the deck won't solve all the on-field problems. They might not have been spanked by an innings x 3 but selecting Hauritz/Hodge/Khawaja/Doug for the whole series and dropping Hilf/Ponting/Clarke/Norf at various points of it is pretty unlikely to have prevented a solid series loss. Sure the selection team isn't always picking what I think is the best available combo of players but what is the best ain't that much better.

 

[Uppercut]

No Marsheh?

Many more innings like this one and you'll be praying for someone to break down.

 

[Spikey]

i already was before this match, but for some reason God got David Hussey confused with Nathan Hauritz.....

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Should just **** off Xavier Doherty and include Shaun Marsh.

 

[Cevno]

Should just **** off Xavier Doherty and include Shaun Marsh.

Don't think just having Steve Smith as your only spinner in the squad is going to be a wise move in the subcontinent.

 

[Prince EWS]

Don't think just having Steve Smith as your only spinner in the squad is going to be a wise move in the subcontinent.

Is having Xavier Doherty as your only spinner really any wiser a move?

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

You always say that! I want to take a chance!

 

[DragonPunk]

Nathan Lyon for the spinning job imo.

 

[Spikey]

Don't think just having Steve Smith as your only spinner in the squad is going to be a wise move in the subcontinent.

you're forgetting about

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Should be down to Lyon, Nathan and Beer for the final spinning spot...

 

[DragonPunk]

or SOK.