Rhino Richards

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.

Out for 16 today against Qld. Khawaja made 23.

No its actually facts. You could use a few of them. Onto to more interesting things..... Watson 61 No (and batted well in difficult circumstances). I hope he goes on with it. He has been a masterstroke opening. Ashes sprung to life yesterday. Australia needs at least a 400 run lead. England likely to bat on the 3rd and 4th day (and not the 5th day). It should be a great 3rd day. Regardless of the outcome of the Series, I reckon Ponting will retire (or be retired). Clarke has possibly another Test left to hold his spot and claim captaincy.

And whats your solution? Steve Smith??? Hardly a faliing of the selectors there trying to replace the 2nd best cricketer Australia has produced. They replaced Langer and Hayden with Katich and have remodelled Watson as an opener with success after Phil Hughes proved to be a flash in the pan. No sign of neglect there. And we had the greatest No 3 batsman since Bradman there and Clarke was lifted from 4 to 5. When should Clarke have been dropped. He was the premier Australian batsman during Ashes 09 and has lost form recently. Given Ponting would have been retired as Captain at the end of this series, Clarke was legitimate Captain in waiting. Rash call WYL even for you. Ferguson could not have been given an extended go because he had a knee reconstruction last year. White's claims look better from pyjama cricket when things have not being going so well. White has been given Test exposure and did little at seven (and dont raise the bowling.) Watson has been a successc (vs Hughes) and had he converted 2 more 90s to tons then we would have been lauding him. He was Australian cricketer of the Year last year. It tells a tale. He could indeed bat down the order but he gives us a consistent 50 to 60 at the top. Who can do better than that? With Katich finished we need two capable experienced openers and he is one of them. And if his partner would do likewise then that a 100 partnership. That's a win in my book. Wrong. Hughes has been given a tremendous number of opportuinities over the past 2 years to refind his mojo but has failed each time. Only Hughes has ruined Hughes chances. Rubbish. They should play Hughes in the next Test. Otherwise you are guilty of the very things you complain about. Its crap WYL and its more of the same. Apologies for the facts but it does highlight some gaping holes in your logic. B)

So should the selectors be kept for their selection of the lower order? So who should the selectors have dropped and selected for the top order bearing in mind you have Captain and VC at number 3 and 4? Very Sage. Missed where its needed most.

Bet he will be lucky. He shouldnt be in the team. Its the selectors fault. Especially Greg Chappell. Seriously all power to him. When Australia needed fortitude in this series he has delivered in spades. Its a pity others bar Haddin have not backed him up. And is Michael Clarke our next Test Captain? I dont this so. And given his bad back, I cant see Clarke even bending down to pick up the bowling run up marker let alone bowl a ball.

Is there an India/ South Africa score? Doesnt matter whether Beer is 12th or 13th man!!!

Anderson made Hilfenhaus look impotent and 2nd rate.

Imagine that a cricket pitch that gives something early for the bowlers and has some character about it. The ICC should snuff that out immediately.