Rogue

The great Demonland crash of '11 wiped my post, but I suggested that Clarke needs to bat lower down the order, taking on a finishing role a la Bevan and M. Hussey - working the field, hard running, etc. That is of course if he finds some form - if not it's a moot point. I also suggested Ferguson was unlucky, so if Ponting and M Hussey don't go to the WC perhaps he'll get a look-in. (I don't even figure Hodge in the equation). I'm pretty sure Chappell wanted to move along some of the other guys too - just that Ganguly was the only one he was successful with. I agree with your comments on Tait, btw - I can see why we've gone down this route.

I'm not WYL, but Siddle is the obvious choice if Tait wasn't to be picked. There are also guys like Pattison (sic?). Regarding Chappell, I'm not convinced he is a great choice as full-time selector. If he had his way when Indian coach many of the senior players would have been jettisoned before their time. There's also the issue of him juggling selection and that development role - there's some potential conflict of interest there IMO (even if unintended). Someone wrote about this stuff in a recent The Age article, I think.

Website =! official list.

That is indeed unfortunate.

It doesn't mean he's any good.

An injury of this duration is never good, obviously. However, it could be worse. In Warnock we have a pretty capable defender who had, by the end of 2010, found himself on the sidelines. A few people mentioned lack of run, but Warnock was praised for developing that side of his game in the VFL so he may give us more drive than he has previously (that's clearly the hope). As t_u pointed out, it's also handy that early on we have a bye and are opposed to some sides that are unlikely to be the strongest teams in 2011. @ Range Rover: Regarding time to get 'match fit' after being able to resume training, six weeks seems excessive for a 10-12 week injury.

For sure. I'm not going to take credit for White taking over from Clarke, who moves out of the team, because it's an obvious decision Thanks - I hadn't heard of this. So Bevan needs to push out Lara, Richards, or Ponting if he's to nab a spot. I reckon RR makes a fair point - Knott was an excellent keeper. I doubt even Prior rates his glovework at that standard. He's definitely improved, though.

I have no idea what 'all time' team you're talking about ;o It wasn't so long ago that people were rubbishing Prior for his keeping. Knott, really?

There's not much in the Haddin and Prior debate IMO. Strauss gets the edge because he deosn't keep running out his batting partners, but Watson's thereabouts. The only clear winner for Aus is Hussey and with just the one it's no surprise we're getting trounced. I think Roebuck (or Baum) made a similar point in a recent article.

I agree. I know your comment was about Test cricket - and that's what was being discussed - but I thought I'd just throw that in. I'd play Cam White as captain of the T20 team. I'm not sure Clarke's in our best XI in T20 - a shame he doesn't bowl much.

On that note, it certainly doesn't do the talking in T20 IMO. For a guy who had a fair bit of flair in his batting early on, his strike rate can be awfully low. The contrast between the batting style of him and the other rookies, Hughes and Smith, is stark.

I wouldn't have guessed Bartram was that strong. I don't think so. Hardly 'smoking guns', and if opposition scouts couldn't work that out they're hopeless.

Jamar will play forward, but he's certainly not a forward. While he can be handy up forward, he wouldn't etch out a career as a power forward in the AFL IMO. The comparison with Neitz is off too - pace, kicking, etc.

I'm sure some said the same when Simpson adopted the policy I'm advocating those many years ago. Some may not make it, but we'll know if they are given an extended run. We don't play a series until Aug anyway.

My hope now is that the selectors choose a core bunch of guys who they feel are in our best 15 or so players, and stick with them for the next 1-1.5 years.

I'm sick of seeing guys run out...this is Test cricket, and we're not even chasing a big score.

As Dean Jones said when referring to Hughes' technical flaws, getting dropped and spending time (3 years in Jones' case) out of the side really working to address faults is not a bad thing for a young player. It's far easier to work on these things outside of the international cricket arena. Plenty of good players were dropped early in their careers, only to return - Martyn and S Waugh instantly come to mind. I don't think the answer is necessarily to 'persevere'. On Smith, I'm not even sure he's a long-term solution, let alone a short-term solution.

Jaques could do with some big scores right about now.

Australia's World Cup probables (30 players): http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/492953.html

The winner. Has D Hussey ever opened in his life? I'm not sold on Ferguson, let alone at # 3. Cameron White is another one I'm unsure about, and we're still a bat short IMO. Plus, if they're the best four quicks in the country we're even worse than I though. NB: I don't know Lynn.

I think it was a fair enough question. Grimes was a leader in decent under-age footy, so there's one difference. The coaches etc also reference his leadership in a way that I don't hear about Petterd, so there's another. As an aside, the above doesn't mean there's necessarily anything wrong with H_T's call.

Green for me. He can hold on to the captaincy for a few years until the best of the young crop is ready for the mantle.

Always good to see ex-players letting us know the gate's open after the horse has bolted Talking of Jones, what's with the 'bring back Warne' talk getting a run again this series?

You wrote more than me I noticed this in a recent Age article about a likely review of Aus cricket post-Ashes: The above is what I've been saying for a fair while now.

If England were making selections like us we - Australian supporters - would be in hysterics.