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Australian Test Selection 2016/2017

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
With the First Test against South Africa in under 4 weeks time I'm keen to see who people would pick to form our 5 man bowling attack. There is talk that Starc and Siddle will not be available for Perth, and of course there is no Pattinson or Coulter-Nile either. I am going to assume that Hazlewood, Lyon and Marsh will be there, along with 2 other quicks. This is of course if Haze doesn't get an injury unwrapping himself from cotton wool.

I think that the obvious selection to join the other 3 would be Jackson Bird. He was on our most recent tour, has bowled well in his Test Career and for my money is clearly the best quick left standing. For the final spot it gets tricky. I don't think having Hazlewood and Bird helps the chances of the other right arm quicks who bowl line and length in the low 130s, so this would rule out last years Shield leading wicket taker Mennie. Ideally a lively quick like Cummins would be ideal or perhaps a left arm quick in Paris, but Cummins hasn't played red ball cricket for ages and Paris is injured at the moment.

Sayers, Fekete, Worrall, Mennie and Tremain have all been selected on the 1 overseas tour recently but I can't see how any of them deserves a baggy green right now. The first round of Shield matches is October 25-28 and First Test is Nov 3, so I don't even think any of the first Test hopefuls will get a full match hit out, CA might allow them to bowl in the first innings, if they are lucky. With all this taken into consideration it makes me think that the final spot will be fought between the two Victorians, John Wayne Hastings and Scott Boland.

You don't really think of Hastings as a genuine Test chance but I think he is. The CA contracted player, has been in great ODI form and his experience and extra batting is a bonus considering Haze, Lyon and Bird is a long tail. Hastings bowls at that 130 speed, but he certainly bowls differently to the other guys (although maybe Marsh is a bit similar?). Against Duke is that he has shown before that playing a Test match vs South Africa in Perth is not easy, taking 1/153 on debut. Boland has made a number of tours and was picked as 12th man on a few occasions. He is clearly in the selectors thoughts and has shown glimpses for Australia, however he has gone the journey a bit too often.

The one other quick that might come under consideration (in theory) is Jason Behrendorff, given the match will be at his home ground and the LH quick does offer that point of difference. I watched him in the Matador Cup the other day and I feel like he needs to bowl more to be a realistic option.

So after all that, assuming we can't pick Starc, Siddle, Pattinson, Cummins and Coulter-Nile I am somewhat reluctantly handing out Test Cap number 445 to Scott Boland.
 
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Gnske

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
As much as I think Hastings is a man for all formats, the WACA would provide severe PTSD
 

Shady Slim

International Coach
or alternately a legendary story of a man who went back to where it all went wrong to set things right
 

Gnske

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I'd love nothing more

But in a worst case scenario Hastings/Bird/Haze/Lyon for me

But if I was a selector knowing how the WACA is, I'd want to select someone I wanted to get mauled, in which case I agree with Bland over Hastings.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
With our Test number 6 and 7 average below 25 and since I picked Bird, Lyon and Hazlewood, I really do feel as though Hastings will come under consideration as our team is going to look light on if we lose a couple of early wickets, which isn't that unlikely against Steyn and co.

RSA are of course a genuine chance of winning, hard to argue that they aren't a chance.
 

Shady Slim

International Coach
still see no reason to bat marsh at 6 and nevill at 7

nevill's best comes when he has time to set up and tick over, while marsh, at least in the eyes of the selectors, is there to turn a game - surely you would want to give nevill more time, and anyway giving marsh the extra time is just diminishing returns imo (like i just can't see him playing an innings at 6 exceptionally longer than one at 7, compared to the nev)
 

Shady Slim

International Coach
could go the balls to the wall that the vics did and pick michael beer and go two spinners at the waca if the test is a lost cause anyway
 

SeamUp

International Coach
With the First Test against South Africa in under 4 weeks time I'm keen to see who people would pick to form our 5 man bowling attack. There is talk that Starc and Siddle will not be available for Perth, and of course there is no Pattinson or Coulter-Nile either. I am going to assume that Hazlewood, Lyon and Marsh will be there, along with 2 other quicks. This is of course if Haze doesn't get an injury unwrapping himself from cotton wool.

I think that the obvious selection to join the other 3 would be Jackson Bird. He was on our most recent tour, has bowled well in his Test Career and for my money is clearly the best quick left standing. For the final spot it gets tricky. I don't think having Hazlewood and Bird helps the chances of the other right arm quicks who bowl line and length in the low 130s, so this would rule out last years Shield leading wicket taker Mennie. Ideally a lively quick like Cummins would be ideal or perhaps a left arm quick in Paris, but Cummins hasn't played red ball cricket for ages and Paris is injured at the moment.

Sayers, Fekete, Worrall, Mennie and Tremain have all been selected on the 1 overseas tour recently but I can't see how any of them deserves a baggy green right now. The first round of Shield matches is October 25-28 and First Test is Nov 3, so I don't even think any of the first Test hopefuls will get a full match hit out, CA might allow them to bowl in the first innings, if they are lucky. With all this taken into consideration it makes me think that the final spot will be fought between the two Victorians, John Wayne Hastings and Scott Boland.

You don't really think of Hastings as a genuine Test chance but I think he is. The CA contracted player, has been in great ODI form and his experience and extra batting is a bonus considering Haze, Lyon and Bird is a long tail. Hastings bowls at that 130 speed, but he certainly bowls differently to the other guys (although maybe Marsh is a bit similar?). Against Duke is that he has shown before that playing a Test match vs South Africa in Perth is not easy, taking 1/153 on debut. Boland has made a number of tours and was picked as 12th man on a few occasions. He is clearly in the selectors thoughts and has shown glimpses for Australia, however he has gone the journey a bit too often.

The one other quick that might come under consideration (in theory) is Jason Behrendorff, given the match will be at his home ground and the LH quick does offer that point of difference. I watched him in the Matador Cup the other day and I feel like he needs to bowl more to be a realistic option.

So after all that, assuming we can't pick Starc, Siddle, Pattinson, Cummins and Coulter-Nile I am somewhat reluctantly handing out Test Cap number 445 to Scott Boland.
Been trying to think about this too and I was more along the lines of Bird is probably 3rd choice not even knowing Starc could miss out.

Personally I would go for Behrendorff then (eventhough not a massive fan) over the others mentioned. In an ideal world - Paris.

Look you guys have been hit hard but I think you probably have to start looking at who the young guys are coming through after Paris. ie Bartlett/Agar/Grant that will potentially make a major impact at test level.

Was also thinking how tough it is to pick a pecking order for your top 7. It's so competitive but not many clear candidates. Your next few sets are probably equal strength.

1. S.Marsh
2. Warner
3. Khawaja
4. Smith
5. Voges
6. M.Marsh
7. Nevill

1. Bancroft
2. Burns
3. Patterson
4. Handscomb
5. Head
6. Henriques
7. Wade

1. Renshaw
2. Dean
3. Stoinis
4. Maddinson
5. Heazlett
6. Cartwright
7. Whiteman

1. Cowan
2. Dunk
3. Doolan
4. Ferguson
5. Lynn
6. Webster
7. Paine
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Been trying to think about this too and I was more along the lines of Bird is probably 3rd choice not even knowing Starc could miss out.

Personally I would go for Behrendorff then (eventhough not a massive fan) over the others mentioned. In an ideal world - Paris.

Look you guys have been hit hard but I think you probably have to start looking at who the young guys are coming through after Paris. ie Bartlett/Agar/Grant that will potentially make a major impact at test level.

Was also thinking how tough it is to pick a pecking order for your top 7. It's so competitive but not many clear candidates. Your next few sets are probably equal strength.

1. S.Marsh
2. Warner
3. Khawaja
4. Smith
5. Voges
6. M.Marsh
7. Nevill

1. Bancroft
2. Burns
3. Patterson
4. Handscomb
5. Head
6. Henriques
7. Wade

1. Renshaw
2. Dean
3. Stoinis
4. Maddinson
5. Heazlett
6. Cartwright
7. Whiteman

1. Cowan
2. Dunk
3. Doolan
4. Ferguson
5. Lynn
6. Webster
7. Paine
Yeah Starc is still some chance of playing, Starc, Hazlewood, Bird and Lyon is a perfectly good bowling unit. With regards to your 4 teams, interesting lists. You've forgotten Maxwell. I guess Lehmann might make some people's teams over say Webster or Heazlett too.
 

SeamUp

International Coach
Yeah Starc is still some chance of playing, Starc, Hazlewood, Bird and Lyon is a perfectly good bowling unit. With regards to your 4 teams, interesting lists. You've forgotten Maxwell. I guess Lehmann might make some people's teams over say Webster or Heazlett too.
I thought about Maxwell and then moved on.

But in all seriousness - the fast bowler injuries thing really does need to end. We got to see Cummins/Pattinson etc on the park. Can't always have this on the back of your shoulder and there must be a legitimate reasoning. Not all of them could have had bad diets growing up. Too much of a co-incidence ?
 

91Jmay

International Coach
It is interesting that physically very 'mature' young men are constantly dealing with injuries... Wonder what could possibly cause being stronger than most of your peer group as well as making someone more susceptible to injury?
 

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