MadAsHell

Ssshhhh....

In all my years 45HG I don't know if I've ever been insulted as bad as that! hehe. Let's not forget I have Ashwin who apart from being a good spin bowler has a test batting average of 45 and his first class batting average is 38 so it's not as though he's just been lucky for 12 tests. I'd be more concerned 45 about finding a bowler who can deliver it at more then 130kmh if I were you. Edit: Spelling

Round 7, Pick 54 Matthew Wade (Australia) http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/230193.html Not many good keeper batsmen left after Rouge swept on Chandimal who I was hoping might be available a bit later so I felt the need to secure my gloveman now. Gives me the option of batting him at 6 or 7.

Based on his ODI form probably George Bailey may feel a little unlucky, despite not tearing it up in the Shield. Doherty's taken 2 shield wickets @ 88 this year, yet he got selected based on his one day form, so Bailey could have been worth a shot. If Hodge doesn't make a comeback then I'd like to see Watson openning and Bailey batting at 4 by the time the Ashes comes around.

If only she can get that first test match cap, she'd be all yours 45HG!

They're making a habbit out of this South Africa. In the last 15-16 months or so they've knocked over Pakistan, New Zealand and us for under 50. Even when we were at our best with Warne, McGrath and co I don't remember us doing that to anyone.

Round 6, Pick 43 Abdur Rehman (Pakistan) http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/39091.html Yes I know he's not playing in their current test match but he's often in the XI and only doesn't play if conditions don't suit two spinners. I figured if I have two Indians then I need two Pakistanis to balance team harmony out....

It's an interesting read...

Going with the two spinners Macca. Always like to see these types of attacking moves.

Just turned 35 late last year. As Rogue said, he's probably past his best and hasn't had the best 12 months but still a very solid player. Will be interesting to see how he goes in their series against South Africa which is about to start shortly.

Round 5, Pick 38 Younis Khan (Pakistan) http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/43652.html Was optimistic but didn't think he'd last this long. Test average over 50 so I'm going to consider him a steal at this late a pick.

Squad for India named. http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/heat-on-lyon-after-test-squad-named-20130131-2dmc2.html Personally I think a 17 man sqaud is a bit overkill. Don;t really see much upside with Smith and Henriques and I think Haddin's very stiff, personaly I would of taken Haddin as the reserve keeper but play him as a specialist batsman with the amount of experience we've lost. I would of just gone with a 15 man squad being: Warner, Watson, Hughes, Haddin, Clarke, Wade, O'Keefe, Siddle, Pattinson, Lyon, Bird Khawaja, Maxwell, Doherty, Starc

Pretty sure from H_T's opening post that it has to be from the 8 main nations, so Bangladesh & Zimbabwe are out. Unless of course you can use them in substitute of a 2nd player from one of the 8 nations??? Again a question for H_T I guess.

I was considering Vettori at Pick 22, came down to a choice between he and Ashwin for mine. Only went for Ashwin because with Vettori injured so much you probably start to forget of just how good he is.

Might call for a decision from H_T or a vote? He's certainly best XI and his exit was self imposed. I think he's suppose to return for the upcoming series against England. http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-england-2013/content/story/601784.html

The suspense is killing me Biffen.......

Equally well put Macca. End of the day, you're right, it's here and it's not going anywhere, so people may as well get used to it. I just hope they get the balance right with it so that the game can continue to grow without selling it's soul so to speak. Only time will tell I guess.

Macca did it to me with his pick before mine at 22 and you've done it to me again with this one H_T. Haha. Round 4, Pick 27 Virender Sehwag (India) http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/35263.html To good a player to ignore and with Alastair Cook it gives me a pretty good openning combination. Also this is my 2nd pick from India, so I'm now done with them.

You make some very good points Macca, and to a degree I agree with a lot of what you say. While Twenty/20 is easily my least liked form of the game, I do agree that there is a place for it, I just don't like the overkill that is Twenty/20. I'll attempt to go into more detail. 1. As I've mentioned, playing a T20 game on Australia Day in Sydney instead of a Test or ODI in Adelaide which has always been the case for as long as I've been following cricket which is over 20 years now. Cricket is our national day, and what better option on Australia Day is there, then to spend (a very large portion of the day) with the cricket on while having a few beers, bbq, hottest 100 on while watching the cricket, it's at the stage when it's part of the day and T20 really just takes what's been apart of Australia Day away as far as I'm concerned. 2. Twenty/20 World Cups every 2 years! Has anyone ever heard of another sport having a World Cup every 2 years???? You'd barely have been finished celebrating your victory before you're defending your World title again. If they really want a T20 competition like this every 2 years, thenhave the World Cup every 4 and have them bring it into the Commonwealth Games and make it an Under 23's competition, similar to Soccer in the Olympics. This way we at least get to see some new faces come onto the scene and our top players get a rest, which not many of them do anymore. Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh are all part of the Commonwealth anyway. Zimbabwe have been kicked out, but no loss there and the West Indies could compete as Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobego, Barbados etc and we could still even allow Scotland, Canada, Kenya to compete etc... 3. The Big Bash becoming franchised based was a big mistake for mine, the crowds were better when it was state based. Personally I don't think franchises work for Cricket, especially in this country because there's to much history. Again a better idea I reckon could have been making a team based out of Canberra or something and filling it with imports and players the States didn't want on their main list. That way you still could have had the big names while not destroying the State based competition. 4. While I have no evidence to back this up, I wonder if the ICC's love affair with Twnenty/20 Cricket, the IPL and Champions league keeping all nations busy for the full 12 months of the year, is part of the reason holding a nation like Ireland back from gaining full test and ODI status. If there was ever a country that deserved this recognition based on results (especially when you compare them to Zimbabwe and Bangladesh) then it's Ireland. I've watched them closely at two World Cup's now and I can honestly say it'd be tough to find another country that plays with as much passion and commitment then the Irish. This is a country that really wants it. In those World Cups I've seen them beat Pakistan, Bangladesh, chase down over 300 to beat England and also draw with Zimbabwe. They've also given South Africa and the West Indies some trouble. Yet still no invitation into First Class cricket, and I can't help that feel that if all the time the top nations are now being forced to put towards Twenty/20 cricket that Ireland very well may have had the opportunity to play more cricket against top nations and be the 11th International Test nation by now. So I think they just need to re-look at how they present Twenty/20 cricket. It's fantastic that it gets more people through ght gates and interested in cricket, and if it helps them break into the USA market then that can only be a good thing. I just hope they it doesn't get to a stage where instead of the Boxing Day Test we have the Boxing Day Twenty/20 match.

Here here WJ. As long as I've ever known, the cricket's belonged at Adelaide on Australia Day, whether that be a day of a test match or a One Day game. On of my favourite things to do the last few years on Australia Day is listen to the hottest 100 with the cricket on mute with a lot of beers and a bunch of mates. T20 just doesn't work on Australia Day, especially at a stadium that has no right to host international cricket.

Well palyed Macca, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking of the exact same player with this very pick..... Round 3, Pick 22 Ravichandran Ashwin (India) http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/26421.html As mentioned earlier, the pool of quality spinners is pretty low so thought I should still strike while there's something there. Also of note, 22 players down and still no love for New Zealand yet.....

Sorry H_T, bad joke lost in the text translation, one of those one's that works better verbally. Not meaning the guys ability, rather the nation that 45 said and being suck with an Alviro or Robin Petersen rather then Kevin as obviously intended. I didn't word what I meant very well.

Close to the biggest draft blunder since Luke Molan!

Not that I think they'd do it, but instead of the selectors having a rotation policy throughout all three forms of the game, I'd much rather see them have a policy of rotating their fast bowling attack from one form of the game to another, so your 3 quicks who play test cricket get their rest during the ODI's and 20/20's, ODI bolwers rest during the tests and 20/20's and you can use the 20/20's for your really young developing bowlers. While introduce a rule for the batsmen and keeper that they can only play two forms of the game so their forced to rest at some point during the summer. For example an ideal (fully fit) XI that I'd love to see in each form of the game starting in India would look something like. TEST XI ODI XI Twenty/20 XI D. Warner D. Warner A. Finch S. Watson S. Watson S. Marsh P. Hughes M. Clarke T. Paine D. Hussey D. Hussey B. Rohrer M. Clarke G. Bailey G. Maxwell G. Maxwell M. Wade G. Bailey M. Wade M. Marsh M. Marsh P. Siddle R. Harris M. Johnson J. Pattinson C. McKay P. Cummins N. Lyon M. Starc X. Doherty J. Bird X. Doherty J. Hazelwood Obviously injuries and form would mean that changes to teams would need to be made at certain times, however this way everyone would be getting rests at certain times, the fast bowlers especially. And injury prone players would be getting looked after such as Harris and Cummins who's bodies we know are no longer and not yet up to getting through a test match.

Looks like everyone may be taking a similar approach with 1 batsman and 1 bowler in their first 2 picks. Apart from Biffen who may be building a really strong batting line up first???