when do we start preparing for 2009

[sydney-dog]

Batting, their is some exceptional young talent which includes Phil Jaques, Marcus North, Adam Voges, Chris Rogers, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine

Keeper, obviously Haddin is the next man in line

Bowling Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait, Dorey and Bracken all have the potential to cover for the pending retirement of McGraph in the next year or two, but the other concern is the form of Brett Lee

All rounder, Symonds, Watson and Hopes will continue to compete for selection

Replacing Warne, when ever that may be will be CA greatest challenge; I personal believe we need to use the ODI to expose White and Cullen at international level

I know we are all very much in Joyce but I was interested in people's views in regards to 2009 and when do we start planning for that series

my view, given form #3, #4 #5 spots are settle

the openers, keeper and #6 may all be new test players by 2009

depending on McGraph and Warne's fitness and hunger and Lee's form we may need to change 1, 2 or 3 bowlers

I want to smack the POMS in England, when do members believe we need to start planning and preparing for this series, the danger is we do an England and let 12 months pass in celebration and get caught short

my view, the current players should and will play out the series but next series we need to start looking at Jacques for Langer, and slowly transition some players in to the squad, other opportunities to rest Gilly at times and blood Haddin

with good planning there is no reason the domination can not continue

[am Bays]

We Start preparing Nov 2007 IMHO

If Langer and McGrath haven't retired by the time they pick the team they should be tapped on the shoulder and made to.

My team come 2009 is

P Jaques (Not sold on Jaques yet but ATM he is next cab off the rank but watch for Paine and Bailey from Tas)
M Hussey
R Ponting
M Clarke
A Voges (Could easily go to any of the names I've listed below)
C White (spin option with Cullen)
B Haddin
B Lee (will still be around in 2009 but it will probably be his swansong)
S Clark
M Johnson
D Cullen
S Tait 12th MAn

Other Names include Paine, Birt, P Hughes (has scored 320 runs opening for NSW in the U/19s champs in Adelaide @ 80 inlcude 1 100 and 2 v 50s - theres still two games to go) Cosgrove (if he loses weight), Sean Marsh, Hilfenhaus, Bracken, Cullen Bailey

[Dutchy]

IMO England are better settled for 2009 and if posting a market for that series you would have to have them as favourites to regain the little urn.

They have players UNDER 30 who are currently in the side performing but also learning about Ashes cricket.

Scratch McGrath, Langer, Hayden, Martyn, Gilchrist and possibly Warne from this squad and thats a big hole to fill with no obvious choices to replace them

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

England will be a very diffrent side in 2009, i think home ground advantage is only going to be a bigger and bigger think as each series goes on.

[mal]

We Start preparing Nov 2007 IMHO

If Langer and McGrath haven't retired by the time they pick the team they should be tapped on the shoulder and made to.

My team come 2009 is

P Jaques (Not sold on Jaques yet but ATM he is next cab off the rank but watch for Paine and Bailey from Tas)
M Hussey
R Ponting
M Clarke
A Voges (Could easily go to any of the names I've listed below)
C White (spin option with Cullen)
B Haddin
B Lee (will still be around in 2009 but it will probably be his swansong)
S Clark
M Johnson
D Cullen
S Tait 12th MAn

Other Names include Paine, Birt, P Hughes (has scored 320 runs opening for NSW in the U/19s champs in Adelaide @ 80 inlcude 1 100 and 2 v 50s - theres still two games to go) Cosgrove (if he loses weight), Sean Marsh, Hilfenhaus, Bracken, Cullen Bailey

What about your boy North
100 off 74 balls in the o/d game v TASSIEmania.

If we are all worried about the next ashes I have the perfect bowler
in English conditions, Adam HILFENHAUS

[am Bays]

IMO England are better settled for 2009 and if posting a market for that series you would have to have them as favourites to regain the little urn.

They have players UNDER 30 who are currently in the side performing but also learning about Ashes cricket.

Scratch McGrath, Langer, Hayden, Martyn, Gilchrist and possibly Warne from this squad and thats a big hole to fill with no obvious choices to replace them

Yep spot on England are well placed for 2009, with their players that will still be eligible.

A new' keeper, bring back S Jones and the batting line is basically set, yep the POMs have a good nucleous of a side for 2009 where as we have a lot of question marks over ours.....

[rod_rooster]

What a lot of crap. The only question marks over the 2009 Australian side is who to leave out. So much batting talent it's not funny. True McGrath won't be around. Stuart Clark will be though and as his biggest critic i have to concede he has easily been the most impressive bowler this series. Johnson, Tait, Hilfenhaus, Bracken etc. will all be better cricketers by 2009 as well. The spin option is where we might struggle although Warne may still be around. Lets face it if he makes himself available he will be picked. If he isn't there Dan Cullen is the obvious choice at this stage although he is struggling at the moment. Still plenty of time for guys to put their hands up as well. 2005 Hussey wasn't playing Test cricket in England and look at him now.

As for England, well Cook is very promising, Pietersen is a star. Flintoff is a good player but the rest? Panesar will probably take a lot of wickets. Hoggard is honest but won't ever get any better. Jones is the key. If they can get him fit it adds a lot to their attack. Either way the talent Australia has far outweighs what England have IMHO.

[mal]

Agree with RODROOSTER we have plenty of depth, heeps of up and comers.

Heres my 2009 team.

ELLIOTT
MAHER
DI VENUTO
BEVAN
BLEWETT
LEHMANN
HADDIN
GILLESPIE
BICHEL
KASPEROWICZ
MACGILL

[Dutchy]

A few flaws in your arguement Rod....English talent is young and currently playing test cricket, the aussies you mentioned are yet to prove they can perform at test elvel...you throw up Hussey as an example....pretty exceptional I would have thought averaging 86 in a test career? you think we can continue to cherry pick these guys out???

And what do you know about the English talent that we havent seen yet playing county cricket?

[Dutchy]

Agree with RODROOSTER we have plenty of depth, heeps of up and comers.

Heres my 2009 team.

ELLIOTT
MAHER
DI VENUTO
BEVAN
BLEWETT
LEHMANN
HADDIN
GILLESPIE
BICHEL
KASPEROWICZ
MACGILL

LOL Mal...funny thing is 7 of these would make our B grade test team at the moment....dont be fooled we dont have as much young talent as some people are saying...look at this list, many of them have seen their best days yet are still beating the youngsters in Sheild Cricket...

[mal]

What do we do with Tim Paine re 2009

Tasmania will no doubt try him as a keeperbatsman one day in the
pura/cup team BUT right move [he keeps only in o/d games]
gilCHRIST will retire soon
Haddin will be the number one gloveman
Paine has the opportunity to be the reserve keeper and tour.
Opening and Keeping is too hard in my opinion so he would need
to bat about 6 or 7....not sure about that.

On the other hand
Hayden + Langer will retire soon
Australia will need 2 openers...Jaques + Paine great opportunity
especially since Elliott is struggling for runs.

HE PROBABLY HAS MORE CHANCE AS AN OPENER IN MY OPINION.
He has made a 200 at 22years of age as a opening batsman and averages
close to 60 this year, opening/keeping will probably disintigrate that average.

This star performer s a REB proterge, I wonder what REB thinks

[Squawk]

Who will be on the (TV) commentary team in 2009?

Fair Dinkum, if they reckon the Aussie cricket team is too old, what about the commentary team?

I reckon Channel 9 should recruit Simon Hill from SBS - a great soccer commentator (World Cup and A-League) and aquitted himself very well in the last Ashes series in England (during the breaks and doing the pre and post day summaries).

I reckon Nicholas and Slater are OK but that's about it. O'Donnell is bearable. Would love to see Kerry O'Keefe and Tim Lane on the team and bye bye to Chappelli, Grieg, Benaud, Lawry and Taylor.

[rod_rooster]

Agree with RODROOSTER we have plenty of depth, heeps of up and comers.

Heres my 2009 team.

ELLIOTT
MAHER
DI VENUTO
BEVAN
BLEWETT
LEHMANN
HADDIN
GILLESPIE
BICHEL
KASPEROWICZ
MACGILL

sigh.....

[chess]

Bowlers ages in 2009:
Bracken - 32
Dorey - 32
Gillespie - 34
Clark - 33
Johnson - 28
Lee - 33
Tait - 26
Hilfenhaus - 26

Now I would suggest that we would want one reliable, experienced quick to be the mainstay of the attack (a la McGrath) and two younger strike bowler type quicks who are approaching their prime.
The former role could be very readily filled by Clark; with another three years experience under his belt he would be a very formidable cornerstone of our attack. Bing would be around during those three years to provide some experience and guidance to the younger fellas, however in 2009 my money would be that he would either be:
a)unable to bowl at his current speed and thus not as effective a bowler; or
b)trying to slow down and fulfill the above role and being overshadowed by Clark.
In either scenario, he would perhaps be of best use in the lead up to the Ashes, and not the Ashes themselves.
The last two positions would then be filled by Johnson, Tait, Hilfenhaus or similar; having been placed in the team in early 2007 and been given three full years to develop by 2009. Hence, they would just be hitting their stride by the Ashes, and would hopefully be around for a couple of Ashes series to come; whereas if Bracken, Dorey etc undergo the same process they will already be those few years older and hence not reward the development efforts as much.

and bye bye to... ...Benaud

Nooooooooooooo....

[am Bays]

RR Do I think 2009 is a lost cause? Not on your life but as Dutchy said England have a relatively young side so most of thier players will be going around again in 2009 if not in the side on the fringes putting pressure on the blokes in the side.

2005 showed that players like Harmy, Hoggard and Flintoff are much more effective on their home soil compared to here and chuck in S Jones and Panasar and they have a quality attack that can take 20 Australain wickets, compared to out here.

Strauss has copped a few stinkers this series, (like Katich and Martyn did in 2005), Cook can play, Bell is getting better Collingwood is someone they can bat around and Flintoff is capaable of coming in and smashing quick runs like we saw yesterday and at Edgebaston in 2005 which wihilst not consistant test match batting in 2 hours he can set up a test match win like Gilchrist dd on Saturday night.

We have to find replacements for Langer, Hayden, McGrath and Gilchrist and to a lesser extent (as they might still be on the scene) Warne and Lee, up to six replacements required it is un-likely that all six repalcements will come in and hit their straps straight away like Hussey has.

So we have the ability and talent to win but until we see how the likes of Jaques, North, Paine, Rodgers, Birt, Johnson, White, Bailey, Cosgrove et al perform CONSISTANTLY at the top level there has to be a question mark over us.

[Rik E Boy]

JAQUES
PAINE
PONTING
HUSSEY
CLARK
WHITE
HADDIN
LEE
TAIT
HILFENHAUS
CLARK

12th JOHNSON

[Rik E Boy]

Bailey, Cosgrove?? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

regards,

REB

[am Bays]

Bailey, Cosgrove?? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

regards,

REB

The Bailey i metioned is the G Bailey who opens for TAsmania and was at the C of E last year...

Cosgrove will get a game when he loses 5-10 kg, the ball is in his court - hopefully not the food court at the Myer centre....

The selctors have shown they want to pick him he just needs to show he can bat consistantly for four hours and that will ahppen when he gets fit

[blink]

I think come 2009 we will face a very similar English side that came out this year:

Strauss - copped a couple of shocking decisions, but will still be around
Cook - looks the goods, and will have a fine career
Bell - Sherminator is getting better all the time
Pietersen - superstar
Collingwood - like Tassie said, someone Pietersen/Flintoff can bat around
Flintoff - twice the player at home than he is overseas
G. Jones/Read - don't know who will be the keeper come 2009
S. Jones - will play if 100% fit
Hoggard - England's Glenn McGrath (nowhere near the same league, but consistent nevertheless)
Harmison - see Flintoff
Panesar - will be the best spinner England has ever had


As for Australia, I honestly have no idea who will be around in 2009. What I do know is that at least three will definitely be there: Ponting, Hussey & Clarke.

[Dutchy]

Bailey, Cosgrove?? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

regards,

REB

Cullen Bailey 17 wickets from 3 games this year....could easily be our long term leggie, and having a quality leggie is the difference between many teams IMO....not many around