Australian Tour to Sri Lanka - Jan 2025

[Corona Man]

The squad is out:-

Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathon Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc & Beau Webster.

[RB]

No Hanscomb or Marsh. Relief washes over me.

[Trader]

My thoughts for the squad to tour Sri Lanka:

Usman, Konstas, Marnus, Smith, Head, Webster, Carey, Starc, Lyon, Boland, Kuhnemann

Murphy the spare spinner
JRichardson the spare quick
Connelly and Handscombe the spare bats for mine.

(Assume Green, Hazlewood and Inglis are still injured, and Cummins ua)

That’s 15, and I can’t see them taking a big squad for a two test series, so that’s might be the extent of it. However if they do go wider, then Rocchiccioli obviously gets a mention, but I’d like to think one of the two below might be an option.

I do wonder if Nesser will get a look in, considering they will want extra batting on the Sri Lankan decks. And with Head and Webster both options with the ball, you could go 3 bowlers plus 3 allrounders. Plus getting Nesser back into things before the WTC game in England might not be the worst idea. I doubt he plays in that, but could be reasonable back up if we loose a couple of quicks. (Mind you I think the selectors have Abbott ahead of him).

The other I’d like to see is McSweeney getting another crack, especially if talk of Head going to the top of the order is likely. I don’t mind the thought of McSweeney at 5, but I think Cooper Connelly might be the one if there is a spot there.

Not too unhappy, seems about right.

Inglis being fit and getting the Handscombe spot.
Abbott being selected over Richardson was a bit of a surprise, but perhaps that goes to my thoughts about playing the extra allrounder over the 4th bowler.

[The Bedge]

Abbott being selected over Richardson was a bit of a surprise, but perhaps that goes to my thoughts about playing the extra allrounder over the 4th bowler.

Don't think it was a surprise - still lot of doubts around Richardson's fitness levels / body,.. watching the BBL he can't even throw the ball yet.

Abbott is no slouch with the ball either, bowls nice pace.

[Lightning McQueen]

No Hanscomb or Marsh. Relief washes over me.

Hosie's source failed again!

[woodublieve12]

No Hanscomb or Marsh. Relief washes over me.

Hosie's source failed again!

Has any of their predictions came true???

[wenchbarwer]

No Hanscomb or Marsh. Relief washes over me.

Hosie's source failed again!

Has any of their predictions came true???

Ask @River Murray

[Dutchy]

How much cricket has Inglis played this summer?

[am Bays]

How much cricket has Inglis played this summer?

1 x BBL match since the test series started IIRC.

[mal]

My team in batting order
1
2
3
4
5 Cooper Connolly
6
7
8
9
10
11

[The Dark Knight]

How much cricket has Inglis played this summer?

1 x BBL match since the test series started IIRC.

.

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[Dutchy]

Presuming he doesn't play in SL it seems silly to take him, play more cricket here.

[Brodlach]

Spare batsman and keeper. They would need someone to be a spare keeper

[Trader]

So assuming they do line up as:
Usman, Konstas, Marnus, Smith, Head, Webster, Carey, Starc, Lyon, Boland, Kuhnemann

That means the 16 man squad has 3 spare bats:
Inglis, Connelly and McSweeney.

And two spare bowlers:
Abbott and Murphy.

For years we had squads that would have 1 spare bat and 4 bowlers.

Is this a shift in thinking from the selectors?
Or more so just a realisation they need to start giving these upcoming bats a bit of exposure, and the bowlers not so much given Cummins and Hazlewood aren't on tour so the ones picked are already the 'next in line' so to speak?

[woodublieve12]

Big fan of the lad, but this series could make or break Konstas. Not forever but potentially send him back to shield for a long spell. No doubting his talent, but he needs to show that he can build an innings.

[bertiebeatle1]

So assuming they do line up as:
Usman, Konstas, Marnus, Smith, Head, Webster, Carey, Starc, Lyon, Boland, Kuhnemann

That means the 16 man squad has 3 spare bats:
Inglis, Connelly and McSweeney.

And two spare bowlers:
Abbott and Murphy.

For years we had squads that would have 1 spare bat and 4 bowlers.

Is this a shift in thinking from the selectors?
Or more so just a realisation they need to start giving these upcoming bats a bit of exposure, and the bowlers not so much given Cummins and Hazlewood aren't on tour so the ones picked are already the 'next in line' so to speak?

Being a 2 test series & on spin friendly wickets, probably not a huge need to have extra quicks in the squad for this tour.

[am Bays]

Big fan of the lad, but this series could make or break Konstas. Not forever but potentially send him back to shield for a long spell. No doubting his talent, but he needs to show that he can build an innings.

At some stage he'll get pushed out and will come back better. Not sure it will happen after this tour but it will happen.

S Waugh, M Waugh, Ponting, Hayden, Langer, Clarke, Boon, I Chappell, Martyn, Warner, Tayler et al all got dropped

The only two who never had an extended period out of the team as I recall are Greg Chappell (may have missed some ROW tests in 71-72) and Alan border (I think he missed two tests in 1979)

[whufc]

Big fan of the lad, but this series could make or break Konstas. Not forever but potentially send him back to shield for a long spell. No doubting his talent, but he needs to show that he can build an innings.

At some stage he'll get pushed out and will come back better. Not sure it will happen after this tour but it will happen.

S Waugh, M Waugh, Ponting, Hayden, Langer, Clarke, Boon, I Chappell, Martyn, Warner, Tayler et al all got dropped

The only two who never had an extended period out of the team as I recall are Greg Chappell (may have missed some ROW tests in 71-72) and Alan border (I think he missed two tests in 1979)

An obscure one who i cant recall if he has been dropped or not Labuschagne. Maybe got dropped after a couple of tests???

Feel like his been a regular selection ever since he came in as the sub batter against Jofra.

[Down the Hill]

Marnus debuted same test as Trav v Pakistan and both made 1st innings ducks. He was dropped twice between then and when he came in as concussion sub in England. Hasn’t been dropped since.

[locky801]

I still do not understand the love for Abbott