Australian International Summer

[Jim05]

who would have called that at the start of the day, great job Australia

Seems funny that a guy the scored a double hundred possibly cost his side by batting to slow

Anyone who has watched Pakistan over the last twenty years.

Either they have become brilliant at losing the impossible or they have found amazing ways to not be caught when they go speak to their local book maker.

BINGO!

[Jim05]

Maddinson and Sayers cut from the squad. Agar and SOK come in

[whufc]

Sayers unlucky to be cut from the squad but they were always going to bring in another spinner to the squad and there was no chance of Starc, Hazelwood or Bird being dropped.

Reckon there using this as a bit of a warm up to the India series, at the SCG they will play

Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Wade
O'Keefe
Starc
Hazelwood
Bird
Lyon

While the first test in India may see

Warner
Renshaw
Khawaja
Smith
Handscomb
Wade
O'Keefe
Agar
Starc
Hazelwood
Lyon

[The Dark Knight]

Maddinson and Sayers cut from the squad. Agar and SOK come in

Would like to see Agar come straight in for Maddinson. I like Agar and what he brings to the side with his allround abilities. Hasn't done alot runs and wickets wise to be selected but they picked Maddinson on potential so now why not pick another guy on potential who has more upside than Maddison IMO. And he can't do any worse than Maddinson.

Agar being the left armer probably gave the nod ahead of Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head.

If O'Keefe plays it'll probably be at the expense of Bird. Unless they play O'Keefe instead of Agar, bat Wade at 6 and O'Keefe at 7? Depends on how keen they are to get O'Keefe into the side in preparation to go to India.

[daysofourlives]

I reckon for Sydney the 2 left out will be Bird and Agar
Cartwright will debut and O'keefe comes in. Just think Wades form with the bat means they cant not play Cartwright at 6

[heater31]

I reckon for Sydney the 2 left out will be Bird and Agar
Cartwright will debut and O'keefe comes in. Just think Wades form with the bat means they cant not play Cartwright at 6

Cartwright simply must not play 4 wickets at 75 for the shield season gives every grade cricketer in the country hope is getting a call from Greg Chappel and his pals.....

[Jim05]

I reckon for Sydney the 2 left out will be Bird and Agar
Cartwright will debut and O'keefe comes in. Just think Wades form with the bat means they cant not play Cartwright at 6

Cartwright simply must not play 4 wickets at 75 for the shield season gives every grade cricketer in the country hope is getting a call from Greg Chappel and his pals.....

Have to agree.
What is the obsession the selectors have with playing bit part all rounders

[Grahaml]

Reckon Cartwright would be a massive show. They'd be picking him mostly as a batsman, but one who can bowl a few overs. Has a first class average of 44, so it's not all that far fetched, even if it is a fairly short career thus far.

If they don't pick him, then we're talking Wade (who averages 30 overall in tests and 14 in international cricket since he reclaimed his test spot), Agar (first class average 26) or O'Keefe (first class average 29) batting 6. None have shown anything near what you'd expect from a test #6. Have as many blokes who average 25-30 as you want batting 6-11, if the top 5 blokes don't score enough runs then the lower order are likely to far even worse.

My inclination here is to drop Bird. I love what he's done and the variety he brings but if you're picking 2 spinners then you don't need 3 front line seamers. If things are dire then Cartwright is not the worst back up option but shouldn't be needed.

As for who that second spinner is, O'Keefe is a million miles ahead of Agar. 2 tests for Agar he took 2 wickets at 124. O'Keefe played 3 and took 10 wickets at 35. In first class cricket, Agar averages 40. O'Keefe 23. O'Keefe is also more experienced and a better bat. Agar is awfully young and there's always the hope he turns into a seriously good cricketer but test sides should be picked on the here and now.

[Jim05]

Reckon Cartwright would be a massive show. They'd be picking him mostly as a batsman, but one who can bowl a few overs. Has a first class average of 44, so it's not all that far fetched, even if it is a fairly short career thus far.

If they don't pick him, then we're talking Wade (who averages 30 overall in tests and 14 in international cricket since he reclaimed his test spot), Agar (first class average 26) or O'Keefe (first class average 29) batting 6. None have shown anything near what you'd expect from a test #6. Have as many blokes who average 25-30 as you want batting 6-11, if the top 5 blokes don't score enough runs then the lower order are likely to far even worse.

My inclination here is to drop Bird. I love what he's done and the variety he brings but if you're picking 2 spinners then you don't need 3 front line seamers. If things are dire then Cartwright is not the worst back up option but shouldn't be needed.

As for who that second spinner is, O'Keefe is a million miles ahead of Agar. 2 tests for Agar he took 2 wickets at 124. O'Keefe played 3 and took 10 wickets at 35. In first class cricket, Agar averages 40. O'Keefe 23. O'Keefe is also more experienced and a better bat. Agar is awfully young and there's always the hope he turns into a seriously good cricketer but test sides should be picked on the here and now.

SOK is a lock IMO, probably at Bird or Starc's expense. Cartwright to replace Maddinson

[Brodlach]

Team official

Maddison and Bird out

SOK and Cartwright in

[locky801]

SOK and HOSS in, will be interesting to see how the HOSS goes

[heater31]

Team official

Maddison and Bird out

SOK and Cartwright in

******* joke 4 wickets at 75 and you get handed a Baggy green

[RB]

Cartwright has 15 first class wickets - for his career. 15 wickets. 15 more wickets than me and he's playing for Australia as an all-rounder!

[Tony Clifton]

I think there are players that you need to take a punt on. Who have raw ability that selectors think will translate to a higher level. At the same time there are other players who need to build up a body of work over time to prove themselves.

Looking at O'Keefe and Cartwright's differing paths to test cricket is interesting.

I don't really rate O'Keefe as a bowler but you look at his first class record and it's hard to go past. It's a bit like Chadd Sayers - whatever your perceptions are of him as a bowler eventually you just cannot ignore the sheer number of wickets he has taken.

O'Keefe doesn't have anything that leaps out at you. Doesn't spin it much, not that tall so not heaps of bounce. Nothing that screams 'get him in the test team asap'

Cartwright has 15 first class wickets - for his career. 15 wickets. 15 more wickets than me and he's playing for Australia as an all-rounder!

Has anyone seen him bowl?

I haven't. Haven't seen him bat either.

I don't mind selectors taking a punt on players they feel have got it rather than waiting patiently for them to churn out a few seasons of good Shield performances. Certainly wouldn't have had Warne, McGrath or Healy in the test team so early if the selectors had waited.

[Rik E Boy]

I reckon for Sydney the 2 left out will be Bird and Agar
Cartwright will debut and O'keefe comes in. Just think Wades form with the bat means they cant not play Cartwright at 6

Good call daysie. ******* Cartwright? Really? The obsession with the great white hope, the allrounder is mystifying. There aren't any good enough to play Test Cricket so don't pick them.

regards,

REB

[locky801]

Lots of rain forecast in Sydney next 5 days, be interesting to see how much play we get.

[Grahaml]

Reckon there's a lot of hot air blowing around here. Seems to me Cartwright is being picked as a batsman who bowls a little. As a batsman his record, short it might be, is as good as the other options. If they think he's the best option to bat 6 then he should be picked. If he's as good as anyone else they were looking at, but his ability to bowl a few overs if needed made the difference then no issue. Far different to picking a bloke with a rubbish batting record and hoping somehow in the test arena he becomes a far better batsman.

[heater31]

Cartwright averaging 33 or something with the bat this season....

[RustyCage]

Cartwright averaging 33 or something with the bat this season....

36

[heater31]

Cartwright averaging 33 or something with the bat this season....

36

Still hardly worthy of a Test call up as a batsman....