The Quest - Ashes 2013/14

[the joker]

Yeah, Huss retires because he wants to spend time with his kids, but he will go as a mentor!!!!!

[The Sleeping Giant]

Will probably take the family with him.

[stan]

Its a good thing there is plenty of shield cricket left for Watson, Haddin, Khawaja and Doolan to make plenty of runs.

If watto wants to be in the team as a batsmen then he will want to hit plenty of runs in the shield. And I mean really dominate the attack as well withoutn his bowling he comes back to the pack quickly and there are other batsmen with more runs behind them.

[stan]

Also stuff the allrounder. Clarke needs to get himself right to bowl a few. I think we have been looking to hard for a 5th bowler. Stuff it. Clarke can roll the arm over. he'll be fairly handy in india as our second spinner.

my team for the ashes assult:

Warner
Cowan
Hughes
Clarke
Khawaja
Doolan
Wade
Pattinson -assuming fitness.
Siddle
Bird
Lyon

I have changed my view slightly on our pacemen.

[Squids]

If Adam Voges is not in the team Australia has no chance.

[Jim05]

So Watson has officially given up bowling to be a specialist batsmen??

If this is the case is he in the Australia's top 6 batsmen? I don't think so.

Yet people think Wade or Haddin should bat in the Top 6
I know who id rather batting for me

ill take Wade over watson any day

Really?
Watto averages in the 40's as an opener, Wade averages in the 40's in the far easier number 6-7 spot.
Swap them around and see what happens. Wade wouldnt make double figures opening, Watto would average 50+ at 6.

[daysofourlives]

So Watson has officially given up bowling to be a specialist batsmen??

If this is the case is he in the Australia's top 6 batsmen? I don't think so.

Yet people think Wade or Haddin should bat in the Top 6
I know who id rather batting for me

The 2 guys that make 100's i take it Jim??

[Dogwatcher]

Really pie in the sky stuff...but could Head head across as a future player?
Probably unlikely, we're not currently in a position to take players across as a project. But would be interesting to know if he's on the selectors' radar at all.

Would rather him go to England to play club cricket if he was to go over. Needs solid results at first class level for the remainder of this season and next one as well. Then maybe ready for the 2014/15 summer.

Incidentally, he is playing club cricket in England. For Barrow in Northern Premier League.

[whufc]

If this is the case is he in the Australia's top 6 batsmen? I don't think so.[/quote]
Yet people think Wade or Haddin should bat in the Top 6
I know who id rather batting for me[/quote]

ill take Wade over watson any day[/quote]
Really?
Watto averages in the 40's as an opener, Wade averages in the 40's in the far easier number 6-7 spot.
Swap them around and see what happens. Wade wouldnt make double figures opening, Watto would average 50+ at 6.[/quote]

While opening is harder it also has some luxuries, value for runs with attacking fields and new ball, no need to worry about batting with the tail, not as much pressure of declarations or moving the game forward.

It's not the worse job in the world.

[rod_rooster]

Worth a read:

http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/sadisthour/archives/2013/01/the_myth_of_shane_watson.php

[Dutchy]

Not a bad read, simple facts should be you want to pay as a bat only go back to Shield and make enough runs that the selectors cant ignore you.

[The Sleeping Giant]

Very good article. Loved the "had more press conferences than faced balls" comment.

Also explains why a true batsman is better than someone can bat. Wade and Haddin fans take note.

[whufc]

Very good article. Loved the "had more press conferences than faced balls" comment.

Also explains why a true batsman is better than someone can bat. Wade and Haddin fans take note.

?????

Would think the batting/bowling all rounder debate is completely different to the keeper batsmen/specialist keeper debate.

The one stat that cant be measured from all this is the effect having a 5th bowler has on the four specialist bowlers, given they can get an extra long rest, bowling fresher, used in more efficient ways etc etc.

Pretty much the way i read the Watson situation is if

-if he can bowl to his recent standard than he has value in the side as an allrounder (remember he did hit 86 last dig, you would take that every day of the week even though its not a 100)

-his overall batting performance of late hasnt earnt him a spot in the middle order, if his not bowling he cant play as a specialist middle order batsmen.

-his batting is below what Cowan has produced, though imho he has the better potential to make it as a 'world class' opening bat but Cowan deserves the chance to remain as the opener, if his form slumps than Watson would be a great replacement.

[The Dark Knight]

Not a bad read, simple facts should be you want to pay as a bat only go back to Shield and make enough runs that the selectors cant ignore you.

Exactly Dutchy!

A good article also. I still think the best option for Watson if he's still going to be picked for Australia is to fit into the eleven as an opening batsman who bowls part-time.

[The Sleeping Giant]

Very good article. Loved the "had more press conferences than faced balls" comment.

Also explains why a true batsman is better than someone can bat. Wade and Haddin fans take note.

?????

Would think the batting/bowling all rounder debate is completely different to the keeper batsmen/specialist keeper debate.

The one stat that cant be measured from all this is the effect having a 5th bowler has on the four specialist bowlers, given they can get an extra long rest, bowling fresher, used in more efficient ways etc etc.

Pretty much the way i read the Watson situation is if

-if he can bowl to his recent standard than he has value in the side as an allrounder (remember he did hit 86 last dig, you would take that every day of the week even though its not a 100)

-his overall batting performance of late hasnt earnt him a spot in the middle order, if his not bowling he cant play as a specialist middle order batsmen.

-his batting is below what Cowan has produced, though imho he has the better potential to make it as a 'world class' opening bat but Cowan deserves the chance to remain as the opener, if his form slumps than Watson would be a great replacement.

Did you read the article? Simply put, he isn't good enough. He can bat, like an all rounder, but not good enough to play as a specialist batsman. Just like Wade and Haddin.

[whufc]

Very good article. Loved the "had more press conferences than faced balls" comment.

Also explains why a true batsman is better than someone can bat. Wade and Haddin fans take note.

?????

Would think the batting/bowling all rounder debate is completely different to the keeper batsmen/specialist keeper debate.

The one stat that cant be measured from all this is the effect having a 5th bowler has on the four specialist bowlers, given they can get an extra long rest, bowling fresher, used in more efficient ways etc etc.

Pretty much the way i read the Watson situation is if

-if he can bowl to his recent standard than he has value in the side as an allrounder (remember he did hit 86 last dig, you would take that every day of the week even though its not a 100)

-his overall batting performance of late hasnt earnt him a spot in the middle order, if his not bowling he cant play as a specialist middle order batsmen.

-his batting is below what Cowan has produced, though imho he has the better potential to make it as a 'world class' opening bat but Cowan deserves the chance to remain as the opener, if his form slumps than Watson would be a great replacement.

Did you read the article? Simply put, he isn't good enough. He can bat, like an all rounder, but not good enough to play as a specialist batsman. Just like Wade and Haddin.

I agree with that regarding Watson,

I think Wades record at this stage says he can be good enough to bat at 6.

I dont think Aussie cricket is in that great of state we can go around dropping batsmen who average 45 and have hit 2 hunders in not at lot of innings. Including the best innings which was the 80 odd against the Saffies when we were in deep poo.

Especially considering there is stuff all batsmen averaging 45 in shield cricket nevermind test cricket.

[Rik E Boy]

Finch hahahahaha

Funniest thing I've read. He has averaged something like 11.3 this shield year. Under 30 in his first class career.

No thanks!

Would rather ferguson at 6 and I'm no ferguson fan that's for sure

Hmm, I didn't realise that Finch's average was so bad in the longer format. Every time I turned on the ODDs there would be Finchy racking up big scores quickly a la Dave Warner who you could have said something quite similar about before he got his gig. Finch probably only needs that one big 'Warner' innings in the longer stuff to make the step up.

regards,

REB

[hawks21]

My 15 man ashes squad

Warner
Cowan
Hughes
Watson
Clarke
Khawaja/D Hussey
Wade/Haddin
Pattinson
Johnson/Starc
Siddle
Lyon

Bird

[Media Park]

So what is the number for Tests? 15 or 17?

Start by looking at who's locked in:
Michael Clarke
Matthew Wade
David Warner
Peter Siddle
Jackson Bird
Mitchell Starc
Nathan Lyon

There's a few guys subject to fitness, and the above seven would be my certainties, to be joined by these guys:
Shane Watson, Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Alex Doolan, Brad Haddin, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus

If it is a fifteen man squad, I would omit Steven Smith and Ben Hilfenhaus.

My starting XI
Watson
Warner
Hughes
Clarke
Khawaja
Wade
Johnson
Siddle
Starc
Bird
Lyon

or if Doolan keeps making runs, take Johnson out and Doolan bats 6.

[westcoastpanther]

Yeah, let's have another look at Steve FFS....