Now Langers time is up...

[mal]

REB thanks for the complement[must be you NYR ]

What I really really admire about Jayell is he will finish his committment
to the WA team in the domestic comps.
Thats being the ultiMATE team man.
Had he jettisoned the WA team and retired from all 1st class cricket he
would have left his state team in the lurch.
At the start of the season he + WA would have expected him not to go to
the West Indies with the o/d squad, therefore his availabilty for the
duration of the season.
Now he has an opportunity to play in a Pura cup final.
This also means a replacement mid season is not equired by WA

Talk about loyalty, what a man

PS SA V WA March 8-11 Adelaide OvaL is the last p/cup game of the season.
If we cant make the p/cup final I hope he makes a ton.

[bayman]

I'm old enough to remember Lillie,Marsh and Greg Chappell retiring
within twelve months of each other.
Hopefully the next generation of test cricketers are able to step up
and not let the national team fall away as it did in the mid '80s

Within 12 months?? try 4 weeks......

well isn't 4 weeks within 12 months ??

[sydney-dog]

I just caught up on this news today

I just hope someone at the ACB bottles his attitude and feeds it to the next batch of test cricketers, his courage, hunger for a contest and just the manner he played the game, he is a true credit to himself

The future, Interested in people's thoughts,

Has Jacques slipped in the pecking order or should he still be given first opportunity ?

[RoosterMarty]

Jacques hasn't been in the best of form but there is a huge break between test matches so he has time to make runs again, Chris Rogers is going alright too...

[Aerie]

I just caught up on this news today

I just hope someone at the ACB bottles his attitude and feeds it to the next batch of test cricketers, his courage, hunger for a contest and just the manner he played the game, he is a true credit to himself

The future, Interested in people's thoughts,

Has Jacques slipped in the pecking order or should he still be given first opportunity ?

I think Rogers would be next cab off the rank to partner Hayden on current form. Other possibilities could be moving Hussey to open and Hodge into the side at number 4. Though I would be reluctant to move Hussey as I think a middle order of Ponting, Hussey and Clarke could form the nucleus of a very strong Australian batting order for the next 5 years. I would expect Watson or Symonds to take the number 6 spot as I think without Warne and McGrath the selectors will want a 5th bowling option.

Rogers, Hodge, Jaques, Voges, North and Haddin would be the next in line IMO.

All this could change if some other batsman around the country finish strongly and score a few big centuries in the Pura Cup competition between now and next November. Hopefully Cosgrove pushes his case. If I was Cosgrove I'd ask Lehmann if I could open in the Pura Cup comp as that is where the spots are going to be in the next couple of years with Hayden near the end as well.

I think the side for the next couple of years will be:

Hayden/Jaques (when Hayden retires)
Rogers*/Jaques
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds*/Watson
Gilchrist/Haddin (when Gilly retires)
Lee
Johnson*/Tait or Hilfenhaus
Clark
Macgill*/Bailey (when Macgill retires)
12th man Tait

* spot in side no certainty and would depend on form leading in to next Test match

There are certainly some interesting times ahead for Australian cricket which will probably be built around a heap of runs from numbers 3, 4 and 5.

[am Bays]

Good post Aerie, the good thing about it is that it shows that there will be plenty of competition for spots next November despite the retirements of four players within 22 days.

Don't discount Hodge either for a spot, not that i think he should be in the side ahead of the players you named - he'll be around the mark keeping those players in the side on their toes.

Cosie doesn't have to worry about where he bats, he just has to worry about pulling his finger out and doing the hard yards to lose 10 kg. He didn't get an all expenses paid trip to Bangladesh and Malaysia for nothing they want to pick him in the side but the fat bastard is too dumb to realise he is eating and pissing a 10 + year career in the baggy green away ATM....

[mal]

Aerie good team selection.
Good point with 5th bowler
Bailey need to make the SA team first, but leggies can improve sharply
Time for Cosgrove to get settled in one spot, I suggest 4 or 5 where
he faces easier bowling and get his confidence back
He is not an opening batsman in longer games.

[sydney-dog]

i have been wrong on plenty occassions but I do not believe that Hodge will play another test for Australia

[rod_rooster]

Aerie good team selection.
Good point with 5th bowler
Bailey need to make the SA team first, but leggies can improve sharply
Time for Cosgrove to get settled in one spot, I suggest 4 or 5 where
he faces easier bowling and get his confidence back
He is not an opening batsman in longer games.

Agree that Cosgrove needs to settle in one spot. 4 or 5 is ideal. He also needs to lose 10-15kg's first and foremost. Most sportsmen and women criticised for being overweight would put any ordinary person to shame in a skin fold test but Cosgrove is just genuinely obese.

Bailey needing to make the SA team first might not be a problem shortly. Dan Cullen is beginning to believe his own hype and acting like the superstar he is yet to become. Bailey is fast becoming a better bowler and is a little more level headed.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Bailey is fast becoming a better bowler and is a little more level headed.

The key ingredients in Bailey is he is an intelligent young man, he listens and learns very quickly. He knows precisely what is expected of him in order to succeed, and finally he is talented. Bailey ticks all the boxes, and I expect him to play a lot of Test cricket for Australia. I just hope the lunatic press and spectators don't expect him to be another Shane Warne.

[Aerie]

Bailey is fast becoming a better bowler and is a little more level headed.

The key ingredients in Bailey is he is an intelligent young man, he listens and learns very quickly. He knows precisely what is expected of him in order to succeed, and finally he is talented. Bailey ticks all the boxes, and I expect him to play a lot of Test cricket for Australia. I just hope the lunatic press and spectators don't expect him to be another Shane Warne.

No doubt that the Shane Warne thing will be played out when Bailey gets a baggygreen call up. Am I correct in saying Bailey modelled his action on Richie Benaud? Thought I heard it on the radio a couple of months ago. He is also a budding journalist so the Benaud comparison might make the back pages...

[Max]

Good call about Cullen's big head. But, he's had it for ages. There is a story that Steve Davis (the umpire) was sledging HIM during a grade semi-final against Kensington a few years ago. Apparently Cullen was acting like a twat and Steve told him where his place was...

[Rik E Boy]

I reckon that Cameron White will wear the baggy green one day. His batting is getting stronger by the year and once he gets in he looks immovable at the crease. His temprament and style are ideal for test cricket. As for Cosgrove, I fear he might not even reach the level set by Greg Ritchie, the Cosgrove of an earlier generation. Personally, I'd like to see all young players kick on but that is not realistic.

regards,

REB

[Adelaide Hawk]

Bailey is fast becoming a better bowler and is a little more level headed.

The key ingredients in Bailey is he is an intelligent young man, he listens and learns very quickly. He knows precisely what is expected of him in order to succeed, and finally he is talented. Bailey ticks all the boxes, and I expect him to play a lot of Test cricket for Australia. I just hope the lunatic press and spectators don't expect him to be another Shane Warne.

No doubt that the Shane Warne thing will be played out when Bailey gets a baggygreen call up. Am I correct in saying Bailey modelled his action on Richie Benaud? Thought I heard it on the radio a couple of months ago. He is also a budding journalist so the Benaud comparison might make the back pages...

His action is very simiular to Richie, but it's a natural action. I'm pretty sure he didn't model it on Richie, it just turned out that way. That's the thing about Bailey, most young leggies when out trying to bowl like Warne, but Bailey did it his way. Not sure about the journalist part, last I heard he was studying law.

[mal]

Meanwhile LANGER was hit in the body 20 times on the 2005 tour of England.

Just for the record I think White will take over when Macgill gives up.