Strength of First Class Competitions

[Salamuddin]

how does the performance of your A team reflect the strength of your domestic comp. There are massive alterior motives when it comes to choosing an A side, and it isn't simply the second best team...

Well if you have weak A team, it doesn't say much about the quality and depth of the players who you have in your domestic league (ot of whom the A team was picked) now does it ?

 

[Slats4ever]

your argument would have some merit if the A team was chosen solely as being the second best team. However unfortunately quite often (well at least in Australia's case) it isn't chosen like that. Often young players who are unproven at first class level are thrown into the team ahead of someone who has well and truley proved themselves at first class level.

I think a more effective way of judging the strength of a domestic competition is to investigate the performances of first class sides against touring test teams....

 

[Salamuddin]

I think a more effective way of judging the strength of a domestic competition is to investigate the performances of first class sides against touring test teams....

No it isn't.......because domestic and international teams take varying approaches to tour matches.
A lot of English county sides rest their best players for tour games for example. That doesn't prove anything. Try again buddy.

 

[Slats4ever]

and you can quite as easily argue that
international "A" sides take varying approaches to matches!!!

 

[Salamuddin]

and you can quite as easily argue that
international "A" sides take varying approaches to matches!!!

Pretty much every time, I've seen A side named .....it's effectively a combination of the best talent outside the national team.
So if your A team sux, you got problems at domestic level....

In any case, that A side that the Aussies brought to Pakistan was pretty strong. I find it hard to believe that wasn't your 2nd best set of players or very close to it at any rate.

 

[James90]

Would you really expect an Australian Second XI filled with young players who have never played in the sub-continent to beat a team filled with players from the national team who play on those pitches every week.

The success of Hodge and Hussey shows the quality of Australian domestic cricket. Did Australia A not beat the Pakistan national team last year? Pakistan at number 1 is a joke.

 

[Slats4ever]

no damien martyn, no brad haddin, no stuart mcgill, no darren lehmann, no jason gillespie....

i'd imagine that the above mentioned players and quite possibly more would definatley take a place in australia's second best side. However the motives of the selectors was to choose a younger side to "blood" new talent.

 

[Salamuddin]

no damien martyn, no brad haddin, no stuart mcgill, no darren lehmann, no jason gillespie....

i'd imagine that the above mentioned players and quite possibly more would definatley take a place in australia's second best side. However the motives of the selectors was to choose a younger side to "blood" new talent.

MEK Hussey b Shahid Nazir 2
PA Jaques not out 92
BJ Hodge b Mohammad Sami 6
DJ Thornely lbw b Umar Gul 5
SR Watson lbw b Shahid Nazir 1
*+BJ Haddin c Mansoor Amjad b Mohammad Sami 9
CL White c Bazid Khan b Shahid Nazir 23
NW Bracken b Mohammad Sami 4
MG Johnson st Zulqarnain Haider b Shoaib Malik 24
ML Lewis c Asim Kamal b Shoaib Malik 9
DJ Cullen lbw b Mansoor Amjad 0

If that's not a second string Aussie side, I don't know what is ?

 

[Salamuddin]

Would you really expect an Australian Second XI filled with young players who have never played in the sub-continent.

mate, get your facts right !!

Several of those players have been on youth/academy and even ODI/test tours to the subcontinent.

 

[Slats4ever]

MEK Hussey b Shahid Nazir 2
PA Jaques not out 92
BJ Hodge b Mohammad Sami 6
DJ Thornely lbw b Umar Gul 5
SR Watson lbw b Shahid Nazir 1
*+BJ Haddin c Mansoor Amjad b Mohammad Sami 9
CL White c Bazid Khan b Shahid Nazir 23
NW Bracken b Mohammad Sami 4
MG Johnson st Zulqarnain Haider b Shoaib Malik 24
ML Lewis c Asim Kamal b Shoaib Malik 9
DJ Cullen lbw b Mansoor Amjad 0

If that's not a second string Aussie side, I don't know what is ?

P Jaques
J Maher/M Love
M Clarke
D Lehmann
D Martyn
S Katich
S Watson
B Haddin
J Gillespie
M Kasprowicz
S McGill

 

[Slats4ever]

mate, get your facts right !!

Several of those players have been on youth/academy and even ODI/test tours to the subcontinent.

who had been and actually played a role in a ODI/test tour just out've interest.

 

[Salamuddin]

who had been and actually played a role in a ODI/test tour just out've interest.

Bracken, haddin, Watson and White

 

[Salamuddin]

P Jaques
J Maher/M Love
B Hodge
D Lehmann
D Martyn
S Katich
S Watson
B Haddin
J Gillespie
M Kasprowicz
S McGill

McGill's in your test team. Gillespie and Kasprowicz are washed up and so are Lehmann and Martyn. Katich was woefully out of form and Hussey is far better player than Love/maher....teh lot that you picked for Pakistan was the best that you had.

Sorry, looks like you lose again.....

 

[Slats4ever]

Bracken tests played in Asia = 0 OD played in Asia = 9 (none of which were in Pakistan)
Haddin tests played in Asia = 0 OD played in Asia = 1 (played in Sri Lanka)
Watson tests played in Asia = 0 OD played in Asia = 1 (played in Sri Lanka)
White tests played in Asia = 0 OD played in Asia = 0

mate, get your facts right.

 

[Salamuddin]

Bracken tests played in Asia = 0 OD played in Asia = 9 (none of which were in Pakistan)
Haddin tests played in Asia = 0 OD played in Asia = 1 (played in Sri Lanka)
Watson tests played in Asia = 0 OD played in Asia = 1 (played in Sri Lanka)
White tests played in Asia = 0 OD played in Asia = 0

mate, get your facts right.

I never said they played in pakistan.....I said they had experience playing the subcontinent. Don't misquote me. Cameron White was on the Aussie tour to India in 2004.

 

[James90]

Gillespie and Kasprowicz are washed up and so are Lehmann and Martyn.

So who do you think's been performing in domestic cricket this season. I'd be very surprised if Kasprowicz or Lehmann return to international cricket but Martyn is anything but washed-up. In fact he should be in the test side at the moment.

 

[Slats4ever]

McGill's in your test team. Gillespie and Kasprowicz are washed up and so are Lehmann and Martyn. Katich was woefully out of form and Hussey is far better player than Love/maher....teh lot that you picked for Pakistan was the best that you had.

Sorry, looks like you lose again.....

what do i lose though? i'm not really competing for anything. well i don't think i am. And heck if you're the judge of who win's or not, i'm putting $100 on you to win.

McGill's in and out so if he's in we'll have Bracken...
Gillespie is having a grand year for South Australia at the moment and would take apart a Pakistan side better than any of those in our "A" team.
Kasprowicz is hitting form again for QLD... and heck he averages 17 against your best side.
Hussey can't play because he's in our first team.
Lehmann scored a triple hundred this year in our domestic comp and is far from a spent force.
Martyn is similarly hitting great form and would also warrant a spot in that side ahead of the players that played.

 

[Salamuddin]

So who do you think's been performing in domestic cricket this season. I'd be very surprised if Kasprowicz or Lehmann return to international cricket but Martyn is anything but washed-up. In fact he should be in the test side at the moment.

ok maybe i was a bit harsh on Gillespie....certainly around september he seemed washed up....As for Martyn, I don't think he will ever play test cricket again.

 

[Slats4ever]

I never said they played in pakistan.....I said they had experience playing the subcontinent. Don't misquote me. Cameron White was on the Aussie tour to India in 2004.

care to read post number 32..

Cameron White didn't bowl a ball on tour.

 

[Slats4ever]

ok maybe i was a bit harsh on Gillespie....certainly around september he seemed washed up....As for Martyn, I don't think he will ever play test cricket again.

that may well be the case. but it doesn't mean that he wouldn't make the second best side.

In fact it further highlights to alterior motives that selectors have when picking "A" teams. Whilst Martyn is clearly deserving of a spot in the top 22 cricketers in Australia, it has perhaps been conceded that he'll never play tests again. Hence selectors have chosen a younger (probably inferior player atm) to try to "blood" him.