Wastemen etc

[outbreak]

by in his current form i mean his weight issues. I'm all for him playing for australia and i think he'd do better then half the players we have/rate highly now but from their point of view, which i understand, it's hard to pick a guy who won't stick to the fitness regime and diets players are put on.

 

[Ruckus]

That's if he was in good shape; being a fattie means he'd have to do that much more to convince the selectors.

Sensitivity galore

 

[Spark]

That he can't stick to a fitness/diet regime is concerning beyond the weight issue though - it shows a potential lack of discipline, and the last thing we need now is undisciplined cricketers.

 

[Ruckus]

What if it's glandular?

 

[outbreak]

What if it's glandular?

ive herd he does have a medical issue, but i've also herd he doesn't stick to the fitness training aswell...

 

[Top_Cat]

I saw him a few times playing for Glamorgan last year and his weight didn't seem to be much of an issue. With Samit Patel he really looks to be blowing out of his arse after a long innings, but Cos played some sizeable ones and didn't seem to run out of steam.

Bowls at a decent lick too; was up around and even over 80mph when he sent down a few overs.

Yeah he's actually relatively fit but, owing to weight, eventually playing a long knock is tough.

Especially if he bowls and, as he does actually bowl quite well, he'll get some overs.

If he was scoring mountains of runs, his weight wouldn't matter, ala Boof Lehmann. As it is, he's doing well enough to be a first pick for any state team (except maybe a full-strength NSW), but needs to do a fair bit more to make the national team, you'd feel. That's if he was in good shape; being a fattie means he'd have to do that much more to convince the selectors.

Agree with this. Lehmann was in a similar situation and realised runs weren't enough, had to be able to keep up in the field/fitness and score big tons. Once he started doing that, he got a baggy green because, as one of the most talented players of his generation, what he could do with the bat wasn't in any doubt.

 

[robelinda]

Who?

Cosgrove.

 

[Top_Cat]

Reckon unless they've also got chronic fatigue, a sportsman will have a hard time convincing anybody they have a thyroid problem.... As far as I'm aware, the directionality of obesity vs hypothyroidism hasn't been established anyway.

 

[Spark]

Cosgrove.

well he was only ever picked because blokes were being rested, so i assume he just got forgotten about after everyone back back...

 

[Ruckus]

Reckon unless they've also got chronic fatigue, a sportsman will have a hard time convincing anybody they have a thyroid problem.... As far as I'm aware, the directionality of obesity vs hypothyroidism hasn't been established anyway.

I wasn't actually being serious in the first place . As far as I know saying "it's glandular" was only ever a Simpson's quote.

 

[Furball]

That he can't stick to a fitness/diet regime is concerning beyond the weight issue though - it shows a potential lack of discipline, and the last thing we need now is undisciplined cricketers.

I think that's bull**** personally. He's obviously shown the discipline to knuckle down and improve his game if you look at his Shield output in the last couple of seasons. His weight issues should have nothing to do with his selection if he's churning out the runs.

 

[Spark]

TBF I did say "potential".

 

[Furball]

TBF I did say "potential".

Regardless, it's an issue which has nothing to with how well he can bat.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Regardless, it's an issue which has nothing to with how well he can bat.

Well, obviously it might do, as T_C said. Long innings do require a lot of fitness (Nass complimented Cook on his fitness after his latest epic) and a bloke of 5' 9" who weighs (I'm guessing) 18 stone is rarely going to have the stamina of one who weighs 11-12 stone even if he was 18 stone of muscle, which Cosgrove patently isn't.

That said I'd still certainly consider picking him, regardless of bulk. He has the game for tests (IMHO, obv) and a chap running out of steam after a ton is more of an asset than one who slashes at wide ones or plays airy drives with no score to speak of.

 

[Furball]

I'm perhaps influenced by the fact I've just finished reading Moneyball, but for me, the fact that Cosgrove's a fatty doesn't matter one little bit if he puts up better numbers than anyone else.

 

[Top_Cat]

Hmmm, yes and no. A bloke like Phil Hughes is woefully out of form and in-form, he's more likely to score big. Cosgrove is in form and is averaging in the 50's, a decent season but not outrageously awesome. Would back him to score more heavily at Test level than Smith, though.

 

[BoyBrumby]

This comes with the disclaimer that I haven't seen a shot he's played in Oz in 10/11, but his record suggests he's kicked on the last three years now. Looks like more than just a purple patch to me.

 

[pup11]

That he can't stick to a fitness/diet regime is concerning beyond the weight issue though - it shows a potential lack of discipline, and the last thing we need now is undisciplined cricketers.

Can't totally disagree with this but the sad part about this is that, he is probably the most naturally gifted batsman in Australia right now, but despite his undisciplined attitude he is still doing as well as anyone.
His numbers overs the years have been solid and with him, I get a feeling that he doesn't even try that hard but still manages to score so many runs.
I think it really can't hurt to bring him into the Australian set-up and see how it goes, he certainly has the pedigree to do big things.

 

[Top_Cat]

This comes with the disclaimer that I haven't seen a shot he's played in Oz in 10/11, but his record suggests he's kicked on the last three years now. Looks like more than just a purple patch to me.

Yah but one of the two tons he scored in his last season here came bashing NSW in a hopeless cause on top of 4 ducks in 5 knocks. Was looked at here as too little too late/same old story; showcased he's an awesome player but his runs rarely translated into wins. This was compounded by some scores early on last year which he didn't convert, pretty rank on Adelaide Oval. Believe he was told before the season began if he didn't score some tough runs he was in trouble contract-wise too so they might have felt the pressure to follow-through on that threat and that he's in Boof Lehmann's camp who is persona non grata with SACA..

That said, no way did I agree with turfing him. A strong side could have afforded to but not SA, especially since he was one of SA's most consistent LO batsmen. Am pretty happy to see him doing so well for Tas.

 

[vic_orthdox]

He would've played on some dodgy ones this year at Bellerive to be fair.