Australian squad for first 3 mobile Test announced

[the joker]

The squad for the first 3 mobile Test is:

Ricky Ponting (captain) TAS 32
Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain) WA 35
Stuart Clark NSW 32
Michael Clarke NSW 26
Matthew Hayden QLD 36
Brad Hogg WA 36
Michael Hussey WA 32
Phil Jaques NSW 28
Mitchell Johnson QLD 25
Brett Lee NSW 30
Stuart MacGill NSW 36
Andrew Symonds QLD 32
Shaun Tait SA 24


Commenting on the squad selected for the first 3 mobile Test, NSP Chairman Andrew Hilditch said:

“We have selected a squad of 13 for the first 3 mobile Test match. We did the same last year as it gives us the opportunity to take the players to Brisbane, watch their preparation, assess the conditions in Brisbane and decide on the best balance for our team,” Hilditch said.

“Phil Jaques has been given the great honour of opening the batting for Australia with the retirement of one of our greatest opening batsmen in Justin Langer. These are very big shoes to fill but we are really quite excited about the new era. This is a richly deserved opportunity for Phil after years of excellent Pura Cup performances, an extremely impressive Australia A tour of Pakistan and another strong start to the 2007-08 season.

“We have named both Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg in the squad of 13. Stuart MacGill is an excellent leg-spinner with a great record for Australia and Brad Hogg, despite having limited 4-day experience due to his outstanding one-day record, is coming off a very strong performance for Western Australia in the Pura Cup. Having both of them in the squad gives us the opportunity again to assess the conditions and decide upon what selection is best for the team.

“It is fairly standard to select four fast bowlers in the Australian squad. The bowlers we have chosen are all different and all bring exciting aspects to the team. Again the conditions in Brisbane will play a large role in determining the final makeup of our fast-bowling line-up.”

The squad will be reduced to 12 on Wednesday. The 12th man, when named, will be released to play interstate cricket.

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[the joker]

find it interesting to have two spinners in the squad for the gabba test.

[locky801]

No real suprises there apart from the selection of two spinners, can't see them going into the test using two but one never knows, wicket and conditions will no doubt play a part. Just hope our quicks have a little bit more success than they have last weekend. so here we go a test without the two best bowlers in the world in our side. Going to be very interesting series I think

[BJ Ernest]

Will it be Hogg and Tait 12th and 13th men?

Hopefully they go with Tait instead of Johnson but sadly i cant see it happening. Arguments for both of them to be in the side but maybe the left arm bowling of Johnson gives the attack a change up from Line and Length Clark and Fast erratic Brett Lee.

Lets flog em!

[Grahaml]

Reckon while Lee is in the team they'd be a bit uneasy opting for Tait unless they have 2 very solid options to go with them. Clark fits the bill there, but the second spinner worries me a bit. It's nice to know that Symonds is there to offer support though.

[tedbullpit]

Interesting to see who they go with - Tait or Johnson. Tait has still got a half a day of cricket left to show something but their form in the most recent Pura Cup round is disappointing

Johnson (v NSW): 36 Overs 3 Maidens 0 Wicket For 155 Runs
Tait (Currently v Tas): 34 Overs 2 Maidens 1 Wicket For 160 Runs

Then If you add Lee's figures into the equation
Lee (v QLD) 50 Overs 12 Maidens 0 Wicket For 188 Runs

Stuart Clark is the only bowler going in with any form into this test series.
Clark (v QLD): 51 Overs 14 Maidens 7 Wickets For 150 Runs

Scary Stats!!

[locky801]

Interesting to see who they go with - Tait or Johnson. Tait has still got a half a day of cricket left to show something but their form in the most recent Pura Cup round is disappointing

Johnson (v NSW): 36 Overs 3 Maidens 0 Wicket For 155 Runs
Tait (Currently v Tas): 34 Overs 2 Maidens 1 Wicket For 160 Runs

Then If you add Lee's figures into the equation
Lee (v QLD) 50 Overs 12 Maidens 0 Wicket For 188 Runs

Stuart Clark is the only bowler going in with any form into this test series.
Clark (v QLD): 51 Overs 14 Maidens 7 Wickets For 150 Runs

Scary Stats!!

Particularly when you look at who opens the batting for Sri Lanka, could be 0/250 at lunch day 1

[Stumps]

Reckon while Lee is in the team they'd be a bit uneasy opting for Tait unless they have 2 very solid options to go with them. Clark fits the bill there, but the second spinner worries me a bit. It's nice to know that Symonds is there to offer support though.

unless the game is rescheduled for galle I really doubt symonds' worth as a second spinner. They need to either play the 4 quicks with clarke as a part timer or play hogg as the 4th bowler IMO- he is a good team player, can bat , superb fielder and is landing them on a 5c piece at the moment, macgill on the otherhand is a tool, cant bat, horrible fielder, and is bowling pretty average at the moment (he has a fine record though to give him credit)

[Grahaml]

Who was taking about Symonds spin bowling? I was talking in terms of covering the seamers. Clarke and Symonds can both be given a bowl if the front line spinner is really doing some damage, but really if the main spinner selected is getting pasted I can't imagine anyone else doing well. With some of the quicks we have around at the moment I worry that we might end up in a position of Lee and Johnson/Tait/Hilfenhaus having bad days at the same time and Clark can't bowl all day. Symonds I feel can help out in that situation.

I'd pick the bowler who was going to get the most wickets. End of story. Fielding and batting are a bonus IMHO unless everyone of the bowlers is really bad and they're not. MacGill can be hidden at mid off or mid on. And if our top 7 don't make enough runs I think there's little hope for the last 4!

[locky801]

See your point there Graham, I actually like Michael Clarke as a bowler, yes fair enough he isnt the type of guy you can bring on for a 10 over spell of spin to block up and end so to speak but he is good in 5 over bursts, that with say Symonds does help out however Symonds tends to be very loose on occasions. As you say if the quickies are having a bad day though, it's a bit thin on who to turn to. You would just hope that all 3 or 4 don't have a bad day together. Thats why I think there may be merit in playing Hogg. As much as a like Magilla as a leggie, he too has some horrible days off. Hogg is a little more consistent, yes I know we haven't seen much of it in the test arena but the guy at the minute is bowling the best and probably batting the best in his career

[Stumps]

My mistake, i thought you were talking about symonds spin bowling, yeah i agree he is steady support for the quicks as a med.

I was also obviously thinking a bit crazily saying a bit of batting coverage would never hurt and having a good fielder instead of a stinker would benefit, silly me .

FWIW If I was picking a spinner purely on your rational- being the best bowler- i would play hogg- i think magill is underdone and not at his best at the moment.

[Rik E Boy]

That was five eighths of **** all. Talk about sitting on the bloody fence. **** the 13 man squad, they're not touring England FFS.

regards,

REB

[blink]

Agreed REB. All they did was confirm that Jaques has sealed the openers spot.

Other than that, we have no idea what the make up of the bowling attack will be until the day. I do know that there is no way they'd be picking 2 spinners.

[locky801]

Agreed REB. All they did was confirm that Jaques has sealed the openers spot.

Other than that, we have no idea what the make up of the bowling attack will be until the day. I do know that there is no way they'd be picking 2 spinners.

May be wrong but didn't they go in with two spinners either last test or the test before that up there, seem to remember some little outcry about it at the time

[Hondo]

I also agree with REB

Surely you can pick 1 of the spinners now rather than waiting another week to decide .... there is no way they'll pick both Hogg & MacGill in the same 11

.... unless there is an injury worry of MacGill then I could start to understand it ....

[locky801]

I also agree with REB

Surely you can pick 1 of the spinners now rather than waiting another week to decide .... there is no way they'll pick both Hogg & MacGill in the same 11

.... unless there is an injury worry of MacGill then I could start to understand it ....

Did have that knee problem Hondo but bowled over 50 overs in the game on the weekend so unless he has pulled up with some swelling or something from that who knows

[NFC]

Tait's bowled himself out of a spot with his performance in Tassie.

[Stumps]

I also agree with REB

Surely you can pick 1 of the spinners now rather than waiting another week to decide .... there is no way they'll pick both Hogg & MacGill in the same 11

.... unless there is an injury worry of MacGill then I could start to understand it ....

Did have that knee problem Hondo but bowled over 50 overs in the game on the weekend so unless he has pulled up with some swelling or something from that who knows

hes had a swollen head for years

[locky801]

Tait's bowled himself out of a spot with his performance in Tassie.

anyone else bowl any better ( on the quicky side) on the weekend, not sure but I think if you look at the figures at least Tait got a wicket

[rod_rooster]

macgill on the otherhand is a tool

Yeah, i'm sure this criteria will be taken into account