dee-luded
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Posts posted by dee-luded
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I actually believe Watson's bowling is more valuable than his batting. Hasn't done it with the willow for a while and he is our most reliable bowler barring probably Siddle. Always manages to take a wicket when we need it and is understandably underused due to his body.
Fair enough if he is focussing on his batting to try and squeeze out a few more years though.
IMO his problem is exactly as he's complained of, lack on continuity with test cricket.
His batting was just brilliant a couple of years ago & from that was started being talked up as a future captain.
His frame, IMO, is too tight/musclebound to bowl long stints without physical stress. and he gets injured.
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Watto could be back as opener?
Ed Cowan's position in the Australian Test team is on shaky ground after the selectors revealed they'll consider moving Shane Watson back to opener.
Injury-prone vice-captain Watson has given up his allrounder status, declaring he wants to be considered as a batsman only.
Watson was only moved down from the top of the order to help manage his workload, but now he won't bowl there's nothing stopping him from slotting back into his best position at opener against India next month and England in July.
Australian coach Mickey Arthur acknowledged that was a genuine possibility while also revealing in the aftermath of the series win over Sri Lanka that Brad Haddin would definitely go on the Ashes tour as a back-up wicketkeeper.
"If he (Watson) is not bowling it's worth the consideration," said Arthur. "It will certainly be worth the chat.
"I still maintain that I felt No.4 was a really good fit but that was (with) Shane Watson bowling some overs as well.
"Watto wants to come back as a batsman. He feels every time he bats and then gets injured bowling, he loses a bit of momentum with his batting.
"Maybe he does (open again), maybe he doesn't, but it's probably too early to even discuss it."
Despite a century to begin the summer against South Africa in Brisbane, Cowan is now on thin ice, averaging just 32.81 from 13 Tests. The Tasmanian looked out of sorts in his two innings against Sri Lanka in Sydney and has missed too many opportunities to cash in on good pitches.
On the other hand, Watson averages 43.67 as an opener, far better than he fares elsewhere in the order.
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Edited by dee-luded
Yes. Add him. I knew there would be one. But perennial injuries are getting him shot. Had he been fit this summer he would have been in the mix.If the ODI in Perth was the first time you have seen him then you have missed an energetic hard working bowler who is better suited to Tests. And you expect fire and brimstone in a batsman friendly containment game like an ODI?
In the Tests he is far more aggressive and is an opening bowler. And Siddle is hard at it but he isnt fire and brimstone....Siddle is far smarter bowler than to just rely on pace and bowler..He has to be when he is regularly around 135-136kph.
No it wasn't one day Inter, I saw the Perth test. It was I thought a NSW bowler.. I thought the performance was lacklustre.
I think it was Hastings.
#edit incorrect phrasing gave the wrong impression.
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I don't recall Hazelwood getting a gig in Perth. His only international appearance was in an ODI in 2010 when he took 1/41 off seven overs. He's injured and has no hope of going this time around.
No, I think it was Harris I saw in Perth. he didn't look much but that was the first time I've seen him. he looked 1 dimensional without much penetration.
I'd expect fire & brimstone from a bowler like that. Siddle has that position.
Cummins Pattinson & Starc have height & bounce. Cummins can't get onto the field. Johnson also gets bounce.
He's got to get his Rhythm going.
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Who is dropping out of the pool of options???
If fit we have
Cummins ....... I won't count on him until he gets back on the field.
Pattinson ......... 2nd picked, definately, Yes.
Hazelwood ....... is he the one who got a game in Perth, if so, no.
Starc ........ needs to pull his head in?
Siddle ......... 1st bowler picked, yes.
Johnson ......... needs to perform, yes..
Bird ....... yes, 4th picked for mine.
Hilfy ........ If he gets his action right, & starts taking wickets, yes, experience.
It's a recognition of the reality that he will need others to be out of form or injured to get a gig.
Spare us the culture lecture. ? lecture? hmmn, my thoughts only, not shoving them down your throat rhino. you do get defensive don't you.
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Nope, forget Hilfy, he is done and the only thing he was good for recently was cheap tail end wickets.
Yes, but the worst thing to do is to reduce our bowling pool.
If we keep all bowlers in to the pool of potentials, we keep a healthier & more respectful pool.
this is the culture to keep healthy, that if someone gets ahead of themselves, they will be replaced.
experience is a must keep, as long as its the healthy variety. Not like the MFC senior experience on the past 10 yrs, excepting Jnr.
once the culture has gone rotten, & the carts driving from the front, there's a lot of work to undo it.
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Shame on Starc for saying that he wants to be a Test cricketer. What was he thinking???
Seriously any "mouth" from Starc happened while he was rotated out of the team not prior to.
Hilfy has struggled to move the ball for at least 4 years. And the ability to move/seam the ball is important in the long and short forms of the game. Even Hilfy's mum would not blame T20!!
Hmmn,,,, if you had heard the commentators last week when they were talking about starc dropping, especially 'Benauld',,, they were alluding to the fact there was more to it than rotations.
they were trying to be as obvious as they could without blatantly saying it.
hilfy go figer, sorry,,, again the commentators suggested his defensive bowling in the short form of the game has caused him to lower his arm action. he has fixed it before,,, to only lose the high action again in the short form.
don't right him off....
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I would have thought with the 3 young fast bowling tyros that CA are putting considerable time into their development.
And if Starc was dropped because of his "mouth" then Pattinson, Siddle and Wade should be out until after the Ashes. Seriously, what evidence do you have to support that theory?
The problem for Hilfy is that in both England and Australia he has had significant periods where he has neither swung nor seamed the ball. He is not on my Ashes radar.
evidence, what are you talking about?
my quote was (IMO)...
I have heard him speak to the media many times & contradict the selectors etc. He is just trying to become a test player. he needs to stay back away from the cameras & learn the trade.
I wasn't talking about your ashes radar rhino. I was stating my impressions. & to not rightoff the Hilf.
Hilfenhaus's action has got too low & roundarm according to the commentators. due to the 20/20 games.
I wonder if he was sent back specifically to remedy that with a possible view to the ashes.
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Barring injury and form, Starc is a must for the future of Australian cricket. At only 22, tall, left handed and fast. We have a real star prospect. I would rather him in the Ashes squad than Johnson and Hilfy. With Cummins and Pattinson, Starc is another reason to get excited over our fast bowling stocks.
Glad to see Bird do well. Definite for India and in the mix for the Ashes too. Good comment in the Hun today that Birds rise makes Hilfy redundant. It's true if Bird keeps his form up.
I agree rhino, that he's a must for the future, but looking after his attitude is part of the development of his cricket representing Australia.
His dropping for Melbourne IMO was as much about his 'mouth' than anything else.
Hilfy is on the edge imo, but his swing & seam could be handy in England. time will tell. experience & maturity is also important.
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Starc was all over the place, and bowling short balls to the tail was just stupid. He should have kept it full and straight and probably would have cleaned them up much quicker.
Starc, that throw at the keepers wicket that went for 4. He looks very immature & ahead of himself in attitude. not sure I would take him to England.
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Starc was all over the place, and bowling short balls to the tail was just stupid. He should have kept it full and straight and probably would have cleaned them up much quicker.
I didn't see much of it.
But I was listening over my shoulder. when I did stop to have a look, I thought the bowling was pedestrian, impotent, & it looked like they were trying to hard, & because of that, I think they were all over the place without rhythm or good form. totally unmenacing.
got better in the afternoon but well short of our best, IMO. Not enough bouncers mixed in with good line & length.
we need more Venom. even Siddle seemed on best behaviour.
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Edited by dee-luded
Dont tell me, you do? FMD.He has failed at any position on the bowling order. He has been bowled both at opening and 3rd bowler with similar results. His problem is he cant place the ball in the right spots often enough.
And he will struggle to be a No 3 bowler given we have Siddle. CA have kept Siddle just for Tests and he has delivered.
He is either a strike bowler who bowls with better economy and similar strike rate or does not bowl at all. His batting is added benefit. But without the bowling the batting is useless on its own and he is not a Test player.
totally understand, & I've always pushed for Siddle to be an automatic selection as bowlers with heart & grit are required & necessary.
Johnson is a real handful, but he's not got the EGO/self belief to be put on the frontline pedestal. Not initially at least.
It's become too late to move him back to the 3rd bowler in a test series when he's already lost his mojo. You have to start him in that position from the start of the series with his mojo recovered from the previous season.
He now looks to be growing emotionally with age & domestic circumstances. This may also help. He may grow into a frontliner but I doubt it.
* 3rd seamer, yes Siddle, but today Siddle is more like the 2nd...
with Bird more the 3rd because he's green.... enter Johnson as I suggested as an allrounder, & this helps with the teams stability & cohesion. Maybe not a permanent thing, & maybe it'll work.
I'd like to see Watson come back & just bat.
# some people understand some things but fail to understand other things that differ to their ways & cultures.
Others may understand whats considered more difficult, yet may struggle understanding the simple.
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You and I clearly differ on the definition of talent.
No one is arguing his chronic inconsistency and his up down form.
But few players in the past generation for Australia other than the Warnes, McGraths and Gilchrists could have delivered in the way he did against the top ranked SA team in 2009.
"Johnson, 31, showed his potential as an all-rounder during Australia's three-Test tour of South Africa in 2009 when he topped the batting averages for the tourists with 255 runs at 85 including his only Test century, 123 not out in Cape Town, and an unbeaten 96 in Johannesburg. The left-arm quick also took 16 wickets at 25 as was named man of the series in Australia's 2-1 series win." - The Age today
He had just come off a series at home against South Africa where in an undermanned attack he managed a further 17 wickets at 25 and who could forget his hostile spell against a dominant SA batting line up where he finished with 8/61.
Few bowlers bowling consistently at 140+ have done that. He has a special talent which he has not delivered on. And for that reason, I am not comfortable with him over the course of a 5 test series in England. I would prefer Pattinson and Cummins to be fit and firing. The media have played up his Sri Lankan efforts and he has done everything he has been asked to do (albeit a bit expensive). However the Sri Lankans have been tripe!
Johnson is an enigma. A bowler that is mistakenly just lumped in with other also ran bowlers
Agree. Just dont know how you came up with the mistaken belief that Morkel had the wood on him.I don't agree. not an enigma,
thats just a term conventional people use when they throw they're hands up over someone who they've given up on. they don't understand them & so they don't understand how to get the best from them.
I don't think Johnson has the Black & white self belief to be a huge Ego like Warne or a Botham.
but very talented. inconsistent of course.
To me that Is why he has failed as THE Australian strike bowler. because,,,,, well at least he wasn't in the past; a type to be the immediate frontline bowler, shyness give it whatever type description you wish, lack of total self belief undermines the talent one has.
He is a 3rd bowler, or alrounder. help take the pressure off these types & watch them go.
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That said, if he was playing as a bowling all-rounder that might help because I think he's a confidence player and he may feel less pressure when bowling. I'm not convinced his batting is going to be consistently good enough, but I wouldn't be shocked.
Guys who can bowl some very good bowls, but also bowl plenty of rubbish, often get talked up as very talented - albeit wayward or whatever - but I think that bowling talent involves having the ball go where you want to. If you're too often not able to land the thing where you want I reckon that's a big black mark on your talent assessment.
Ponting was done.
I really liked Hussey so I'll be disappointed to see him missing. However, the wheel turns. I'd love if he retired now in the hope that his brother would get a gig.
Did Johnson miss his targeted spots in Tasmania & in Perth tests? He seemed to be very effective, but I admit to not watching it as closely as did years ago.
In fact I listen with my back to the TV whilst on the computer.
Ponting, maybe we should have retired him 12 months ago to reshape the team, in hindsight.
Timing, when rebuilding for a targeted test series has its problems.
12 - 18 months ago I wanted Ponting to retire with Hussey this year.
Maybe that would have been a better transition? Or one or the other first.
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Yes, the timing is a bit of a bugger, but then again, when's a good time to lose one of your most experienced campaigners?
I'll be sorry to see Mr Cricket go. He's been an amazing and ultra-reliable player over the years, especially when you consider he didn't make his test debut until he was 30. Like Matty Hayden he had to just keep amassing a mountain of runs at Shield level before the selectors had no choice but to pick him. He turned out to be a gem in all forms of the game as well, in that regard he was probably more versatile than any other player in era of Tests, ODIs and T20s. My hat goes off to him.
Never a good time, but they may have juggled the lineup to bolster the middle order, or maybe Ponting would have held off for 8 months.
Sorry to see Hussey go so suddenly.
So what bats have we got, Clarke, Warner, Watson, & plenty out of form. other than Johnson?
Who's out there ready to come into the test cricket middle order?
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Michael Hussey announces retirement
That is another shock . Suppose he goes out on top .
Congratulations on a tremendous career, Mr Cricket . He will be missed, especially the vitality that he added to the team .
Geez, I wish he told the selectors at the start of our summer campaign.
This is bad for our ashes tilt.
It may have made different decisions.
all of a sudden we are bare in the batting experience dept.
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Johnson was bowling very quickly the last time we took him to England.
The trouble was that he could barely hit the pitch.
He is never going to be a reliable bowler but he still has the ability to get 2 or 3 in an over or two.
Solid enough bat ,nice guy and gets the chicks .
I suspect he is picked for the latter reasons as was Brendan Julian.
Pattinson and Cummins have the potential to destroy any batting line up in the future .
When they scrap all this one day crap we have the bones of a very dominant side.
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Johnson was bowling very quickly the last time we took him to England.
The trouble was that he could barely hit the pitch.
He is never going to be a reliable bowler but he still has the ability to get 2 or 3 in an over or two.
Solid enough bat ,nice guy and gets the chicks .
I suspect he is picked for the latter reasons as was Brendan Julian.
Pattinson and Cummins have the potential to destroy any batting line up in the future .
When they scrap all this one day crap we have the bones of a very dominant side.
Like kicking, I think hitting the spot is the same as poor kicking or good kicking. apart from technique, it mostly confidence.
We know Johnson has Had issues with this, compounded by the fact they wanted him to be a The Strike bowler, & IMO he choked in that role. But that doesn't mean he can't flourish as a 3rd seamer.
those without the world beater attitudes of Lillee or Warne, can suffer in the heat of the expectation spotlight. see Stuart McGill
Top 20 Bowling Performances > http://www.cricket.com.au/stats -
For now, Johnno just needs to establish himself in the side . He'll probably play in Sydney so it could be a case of being in the right place at the right time .
The squad for India will be fascinating . The selectors will probably pick 4/5 quicks and 2/3 spinners . Most tests will require 2 spinners so only 2 of the quicks will generally play (Swann and Panesar both played in 3 of the 4 tests in England's recent tour) Tough conditions but I can see Siddle and maybe the new bloke (Bird) doing ok . Hilfenhaus will always keep running in and Pattinson is going to play in the one-dayers so he's another who will be in the running . And then there's Starc and perhaps Hazlewood . Not sure on the injury status of Harris and Cummins .
Slow turning tracks with very little bounce is what you're generally faced with in India and it's often the bowlers with great heart who prosper . Maybe they'll pick the seasoned bowlers for India and save the young blokes for England (Cummins included) . Whichever way they go there's sure to be disappointments , elation and strong debate .
Hopefully we'll have sorted out our batting by the time the team goes to England for the Ashes .
I see Siddle as our fist seamer picked, as a 2nd or 3rd seam menacing bowler, with great ticker.
Pattinson & Cummins in an Ideal world would be our 2, first strike bowlers.
Then theres Johnson, Bird, Starc, Hilfenhaus. And IMO, Johnson can also be included as a quick Lefty swing/seamer alrounder.
We'll need 'Seamers' over in the 'Old Dart'. Pattinson, Siddle, Bird, Johnson,,, Hilfenhaus?? are they getting Hilf' to fix his action for the Ashes?
I don't keep tabs on the stats in cricket. How does Johnson go bowling on soft English tracks of the past??? They're weather is warming, & seemingly getting wetter, so are the wickets firming up?
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Watch warne closely next game... I think you may notice the signs of someone losing their eyesight.
he appears to me like his sight has deteriorated. this won't effect his bowling as much IMO, but his batting definately,,, & fielding very definately.