Is there any better WK in Australia than Wade?

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Nah Clarke was a tough bastard. You don't score a ton with a barely functioning back in the immediate aftermath of burying your best mate if you're a soft ****.

Or make one with a fractured shoulder.

 

[Burgey]

Nah Clarke was a tough bastard. You don't score a ton with a barely functioning back in the immediate aftermath of burying your best mate if you're a soft ****.

Or with a busted collar bone in SA

Edit: as Sm00teh said

 

[the big bambino]

Correct. If you pick a player like Renshaw you do it with the long term in mind, and not drop him at the first sign of something. Renshaw stays in the side.

Pleased to see Cartright in as well. Long term we should look at him pushing up the order by the end of the summer. By the end of the Australian summer we should have almost fully transitioned into Smith's Own Team imo

Warner
Renshaw
Cartright
Smith *
Handscomb
Patterson
Nevill (or another young keeper)
Starc
Cummins/Pattinson
Hazelwood
Lyon

I've only once seen Cartwright play and he seemed just ok. I've read other's opinions about his technique and ability and it seems to vary. Have you seen him play much and what is it about him that impresses you that he could hold down 3?

 

[Burgey]

He's very compact and plays it late from what I've seen of him.

 

[howardj]

Re Clarke

Anybody who plays 100 Tests and averages over 50 has incredible mental toughness

Imagine going to work every day, and a pack of 11 wild dogs are trying to destroy your career.

 

[the big bambino]

Well that's good signs from Cartwright. The 3 spot is Uzzy's by default atm (seeing that Smith seems to prefer 4). Nice to have someone pressure him.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Well that's good signs from Cartwright. The 3 spot is Uzzy's by default atm (seeing that Smith seems to prefer 4). Nice to have someone pressure him.

Smith prefers 3 doesn't he?

 

[the big bambino]

Smith prefers 3 doesn't he?

Maybe. I'm just going by the batting order Australia has gone with for a few seasons now which I've taken to mean he prefers 4. Could be he's been convinced its in the team's interests to step one back to allow Usman a chance as close to the new ball as possible. Anyway I'd still be happy if Cartwright develops into a no.4

 

[Spikey]

I've made this point before, but reading Daniel Brettig's Whitewash to Whitewash, you really get a sense for how sincerely the Australian team really does believe in playing hard, sledging batsmen, mental disintegration etc etc, so it's no surprise that after they were destroyed at home, they looked to replace an under performing keeper who was quiet with a similarly under performing keeper, but one with past success and the exact attitude they want.

 

[howardj]

Lehman is a huge driver of that...hairy chested, in your face, abrasive, play your natural game, all-out attacking cricket

 

[the big bambino]

Why did they pick Nevill in the first place?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Lehman is a huge driver of that...hairy chested, in your face, abrasive, play your natural game, all-out attacking cricket

Which is funny because I don't think the team he's got right now fit in very well with that mindset.

Smith, the leader of the team, has the personality of a potato and looks like a pre-pubescent 11 year old girl, he's not going to intimidate anyone. Cummins is far too much of a nice guy for what he bowls. Starc and Hazlewood you get the feeling that they're big softies just trying hard to be ****s. Even Warner has mellowed out and Lyon is just a blank state mentally and intellectually.

The closest they've got to a genuine **** is Pattinson and he's not even playing

Why did they pick Nevill in the first place?

he was one of the best Shield batsmen at the time. Was legitimately knocking on the door for selection as a batsman alone. Personally I was pushing for him to get selected ahead of Haddin for about a year before he finally did.

 

[the big bambino]

Well that's right. No one is being picked and dropped on their sledging ability.

 

[stephen]

Nevill could made a case to be selected above #7. He's a grafter not a slogger and would be better batting at 5 IMO.

 

[Burgey]

I'd find it astonishing if they tried to manufacture Handscomb into a keeper for a home summer. It just goes against everything the States and CA do with pathways and preparation. Cricket NSW has basically told Berto that he's now a keeper-batsman since ZCarters retired, and therefore work like hell on his keeping if he wants to get into the Shield side at some point. It's just not a skill you can realistically be half-arsed about.

 

[honestbharani]

I've made this point before, but reading Daniel Brettig's Whitewash to Whitewash, you really get a sense for how sincerely the Australian team really does believe in playing hard, sledging batsmen, mental disintegration etc etc, so it's no surprise that after they were destroyed at home, they looked to replace an under performing keeper who was quiet with a similarly under performing keeper, but one with past success and the exact attitude they want.

So the entirety of the Aussie cricketing culture at the top level is based on bullying?

 

[TheJediBrah]

That kind of blunt un-intellectual sledging works better if you have some physicality to back it up, eg. Matthew Hayden

If little Matty Wade started sledging me I'd tell just tell him to shut up and **** my **** while he's down there

 

[Spikey]

So the entirety of the Aussie cricketing culture at the top level is based on bullying?

[youtube]David Warner barking[/youtube]

 

[Gnske]

So the entirety of the Aussie cricketing culture at the top level is based on bullying?

Why do you think the Indian players can never handle the banter?

The cream of our crop are moulded by fire.

 

[Starfighter]

So the entirety of the Aussie cricketing culture at the top level is based on bullying?

From experience, not just the top level either.