Rhino Richards

Uneven footmark at the crease.

Nice concept. However, we are probably 1 to 1.5 years from collecting the best 15. I can find 8 to 10 that could be given any assurance. There is such a wonderful opportunity for young players to put their hand up with wickets or runs to get a Test cap. Its been that way for 12 months but few have done that.

It did when Langer retired then Hayden. Good idea lets suspend him in his final test match. Worthy penalty and it will help deal with the trauma caused to the kiddies in junior cricket. His career is over past Sydney. I think there will be alot of discussions going on behind the scenes between now and Sydney. It should be his swansong and he should go out with the career accolades that should merit him. Best No 3 since Bradman. And a successful captain through a difficult period.

Agree. How about we find get the openers and then move Watson down the order? Got enough pins there?

Big statement there fella!! In essence you are agreeing with what i said earlier. Ponting hitting a 200+ is highly unlikely (Happily eat my words on that. Crap. It was a fineable issue. I am sure the kiddies did not lose too much sleep from the tewwible Wicky Ponting. FFS, this is coming from the same person that thought Shane Warne was a good knock around bloke and suitable to be Test Captain. I am quite sure you wouldnt understand at all.

No they do know more than you on this. They have chosen him as a batsman at 6 while giving him some development for the future. I am not sure he is justifying his batting position. He's sure as hell does not justify his selection as a bowler. And selecting him as a bowler does not mean he should bat 8. Your last sentence is absolute crap WYL. Unless they both make double hundreds plus that save the Test, Ponting is finished at Sydney if not before. Clarkes innings will say more about his current form as a batsman. He be judged as a captain when he is captain. And given that fact that we have newbies there for Sydney then it makes not sense having White there as a first time captain and who has not justified himself as a Test player. Think about..go on. I want a captain who justifies himself as a Test player first and can lead people second at that level. Cut the trenches crap. Clarke is a class player and you only have to go back to the Ashes 09 where he was superb. He is in a form slump. And Clarke was never once a bowler. He got 6/9 when the planets aligned in his first test. He has taken 15 wickets since. He was finished as a bowler well before the injury. He has never come across as a leader to me. Cameron White was an inspired project thanks to Hooksey. He deserves a shot. Ugh ugh. Cut it out!! By batting him at 6 instead of 8 the selectors could kill his spirit!!!! And you want to play him as a front line bowler. You're more in agreement with the selectors than you think. At least the selectors actually stand for something and understand the circumstances they are in.

So you are playing a specialist batsman at 8!!!! FMD. When are you going to realise that you cant hide batsman in a Test match. If he is not good enough to bat 6 or he is not good enough to bowl spin then he should not be in there. We have 11 spaces in the team and you are let a player with "nerves" get a free ride. He knows what is required at Test level so let him go back to Shield level and prove his worth and his confidence. But it truly bad for team line up to have a batsman at 8. I would not be adverse to Cameron White in the longer term but no one gets a guarantee in the role for any period. They must perform. And with so many first gamers and newbies over the next 2 years they need to ease White in. Its tempting to drop Smith and pick White for Sydney. Clarke will captain. Ponting will be out with an "injury" and is finished unless he can play a 200+ and lead to a draw for Sydney. The potential landslide result and his outburst with the umpires might seal his fate. Its the only way he should go to Sydney.

You have hardly touched the surface of the issues with those alleged "changes". Smith is no certainty to make it with bat and ball at this point (but he is young) and batting him at 8 when he doesnt bowl. Marsh should come in for Hughes who has neither the technique or the temperament for Test cricket. The issues with Watson opening would be worse off at 3. Silly move. Ponting will be "retired" hook or by crook after the Sydney Test. And the player to replace him is the current VC..Clarke. I am not enamored with CLarkes form but he is a proven class batsman and I not sure they will pull out a freshie to Captain in his place. And if you are thinking Hussey D should have replaced Clarke at the start of the series then you really are naive. A bad case of hindsight with no insight. Its not a matter of faith in Cricket Australia. Its a matter of undertaking the right analysis and taking the appropriate corrective action needed. As you have proven time and time again uninformed sweeping criticism work well on talkback but do little to address the problems. Its ironic that you make reference to Hilditch's cave when you have supplied some true neanderthal thinking thus far on the woes of Australian cricket. FWIW, I think they should make the following changes: In/Out: Marsh for Hughes. Cameron for Hilfy. If Ponting does not pull up "fit" for the next Test then I would play Khawaja. Clarke to Captain. Three first gamers demands that they at least have a Captain with some experience. Might do Clarke some good. He could hardly do worse than now.

If there has been plenty of shield players over the past 12-18 months that have been making scores then who should have come in and who should have gone out. You have been asked repeatedly to come up with the changes YOU would have made and you have come up with only dropping Hussey (and labelling him a list clogger)--sage stuff there! And also putting Smith as our No 1 spinner when its patently obvious that he isnt up to that atm and wont be for a few years. Great the selection process needs to be totally revamped from someone who seems to understand it as well as they do debt. Like I said I trust Cricket Australia will undertake the review with intelligence and insight.

Right so if there are players who are not putting pressure on those incumbent players in the Test team then it hardly gives rise to your comment. Rodgers is an ex player with an axe to grind in two states and is also an individual who was apparently a prickly teammate. I am sure he made good SEN fodder.

Yep. Without a doubt. Nor should he. I am stuffed why he was given the ball so often. Impotent. A touch of the Scott Muller about him at Test level...Cant bat, cant bowl. Normally the Ashes in Australia provides an Englishman who bowling in strange conditions is effectively a pie thrower. We have one of our own. I would hope Cricket Australia undertake the necessary review with intelligence and insight rather than hooking up to naive misconceptions and conspiracy theories pedalling by disgruntled ex-players. And if there was ever a period where a player who performed would have had a great chance of selection its over the past 12 months. Unfortunately few if any have put there hands up when it counted.

Not unless we can relocate the game to Rockhampton! I am going today and I am taking a good book and a rain jacket. Its like heading to a footy game where you hav missed the 1st qtr and you're 10 goals down after having the wind.

Ha Ha. They would have been 2/300 at stumps. I wonder if JJC lost interest from Strauss's use of the toss. I cant think of a more adverse day of Australian Test cricket in over 40 years. England's bowling in the conditions was outstanding. For once I agree with WYL, in that only Hussey could complain about getting a jaffa. He was good enough to knick it. But the other all showed technical deficiencies and a lack of patience with the moving ball. Clarke's was the worst for mine. If ever a guy needed to make a statement....and he didnt. Has it yet? Could not be worse than today unless the Poms wrap it up in 2 days. Where's HT with his cricket is a funny game posts. Its needs a real sense of humor at this point. BTW, the highlight of the day for me was when Graeme Swan took a "catch" low down and despite the jubiliation of the English team immediately gestured to the square leg umpire that he was not sure. Great sporting stuff.

From the ABC website at Noon.... Injured Ponting trains strongly Updated 3 hours 12 minutes ago ... Australian captain Ricky Ponting looks a certain starter for the the Boxing Day Test against England at the MCG despite having a fractured finger. Ponting trained well on Thursday morning and appeared to have no difficulty in fielding and throwing drills at the MCG, ruling out any doubts about that side of his game.

If Ponting aint batting 3 then he should not play. If he is deemed fit then he should bat where he normally does. If we bat him at seven it means definitely he is not fit to play and completely upsets the apple cart

Fair enough. A die Pom supporter friend has advised me that the they will play Breshan for Finn because he leaks too many runs. Wait and see.

[ Hopefully. No its a problem caused by England only playing 4 specialist bowlers with Collingwood bowling the odd pie. Australia only played four quicks because we did not have a front line spinner and the pitch allowed us to get away with it. We will be exposed at the MCG with just four quicks. If we had a spinner, I would drop a quick and rely on Watson to provide back up. Could be some smokescreens from the Australian selectors?

Anderson in doubt.... Broad missing. http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/anderson-in-doubt-for-fourth-test-20101222-194lt.html My only regret of the 3rd Test is we could not keep them on the field for a further two sessions bowling the three quicks into the ground (given Swann was not bowling much)

Ita a bigger risk putting in a new player in front of 90k at the G and having the batting order totally rejigged to bat Ponting down the order. You need to consider the other issues at play more. Clarke is a different kettle of fish to Johnson. Johnsons a wafer head above the shoulders while Clarke is the heir apparent to the Captaincy. He needs to get runs in Melbourne. There is no doubt about it. Rest him for the 4th test when we are 1-1 for the Ashes is madness. He needs to play and needs to perform. Also if Ponting does aggravate his finger injury and is unable to take the field then who captains when Ponting is not there? There is no doubt Ponting will be bounced early and often in Melbourne.

Ponting will bat at 3. Clarke will bat at 4. They need to get some form. Given we have the same squad there positions clearly aren't in doubt. They wont move Smith up the order now upset Hussey's rich vein of form.

Greg Chappell reinterated that Clarke as VC is the next scheduled person to be captain Australia if and when Ponting retires. Cant see him being dropped at this stage. He does need to score runs in Melbourne though. If Australia was to lose Melb and Clarke had double failures again then his spot gets interesting. Barring a change for Ponting (unlikely) they will go in with the same squad. Ball tampering article on the bible cricinfo.... http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/493336.html Nasty offence that. While White is not necessarily the person responsible, it a bad accusation to have under your captaincy.

I recall Border played for Australia with broken bones in his fingers so I dont think it excludes Ponting at this point. I would doubt Australia will go into the Melb test 1-1 without their Captain. I dont see as has having a reliable replacement either if by chance it were decided to rest Ponting. Neither Khawaja or Ferguson are playing long innings at the moment. I doubt they will change the squad/side for Melb. While we might need a spinner. We dont have one. Michael Beer played the Shield game vs Tasmania and hardly starred.

The Don and Jeff Thomson

Cook lbw Harris 13 England now 1/23. One down. Nine to go

His opening the batting has had nothing to do with restricting his bowling. And batting him lower would not mean he could or would bowl more. Any deserving a cap that Watson is holding back? Given we have few reliable Test level openers he is not holding anyone back. He is still averaging over 60 in the series. Its unfortunate he missed that century but its a small criticism of top innings in the context of those who collapsed around him.