Print

[Nickauger]

you're spot on.

its the best Australian team that can be put on the park.  not necessarily a team being rebuilt.....everyones 30+ except smith

its a team for 2 years, not generational supremacy.......

Good to see that people are starting to calm down a bit after emotions (quite rightly) ran high in the aftermath of the cricket. Its a very good team that I think will do pretty well in SA, and for a few years yet. I hope Aus learn from England's mistakes however, and blood new players in time before something like Englands predicament occurs. I'm very much of the believe that cricket is stronger, the more competitive teams are, and needs strong Australian, Indian, South African, Pakistani team to improve viewing figures. The more decent teams the better, and if everyone learns from our monumental cluster f*ck that has been this tour, then jobs a good'un!

[Over Gully]

you're spot on.

its the best Australian team that can be put on the park.  not necessarily a team being rebuilt.....everyones 30+ except smith

its a team for 2 years, not generational supremacy.......but i'll take it

please no wade.....he's in bairstows class as a gloveman, gime pain any day (so to speak)

Paine has had precious little cricket the last few years, he's only just started to play a full season after a near career-ending finger injury, several operations before he got it right. I thought he played well the Tests he was in, but due to that injury he hasn't had a decent go at it since. Solid gloveman, not as dynamic with the bat as Wade, and we all know that pure glove work isn't enough these days. Chris Hartley of Queensland may be another, the Lehmann link with the Bulls could work in his favour.

Chris Lynn is a good prospect, a decent enough start to his FC career, averaging mid-40s, a really brutal striker of the ball and wouldn't be surprised if he got a look in the ODI side soon. Jordan Silk (Tas) has three first-class centuries in just 11 matches, technically correct right handed opener who can play long innings. Another name not many would've heard of is Cameron Bancroft of WA, only 21 but seen him bat a few times and is a neat player. For the 2015 Ashes it is highly likely there could be 4-5 changes from the Aussie XI for this series, so guys will be looked at, and hopefully some can stack up big numbers in the Shield and stake a claim.

[awp]

Good to see that people are starting to calm down a bit after emotions (quite rightly) ran high in the aftermath of the cricket. Its a very good team that I think will do pretty well in SA, and for a few years yet. I hope Aus learn from England's mistakes however, and blood new players in time before something like Englands predicament occurs. I'm very much of the believe that cricket is stronger, the more competitive teams are, and needs strong Australian, Indian, South African, Pakistani team to improve viewing figures. The more decent teams the better, and if everyone learns from our monumental cluster f*ck that has been this tour, then jobs a good'un!

I don't think anyone was getting carried away, I think the aussies on the site have made very realistic assessments.....but DID pretty PO'ed at some of the really dumb comments........

I don't think we need look further than our own backyard re bringing in transitional young players...... when the last group of champions called it a day after the '07 Ashes we were left with half a team.... it happens.....

[procricket]

Paine has had precious little cricket the last few years, he's only just started to play a full season after a near career-ending finger injury, several operations before he got it right. I thought he played well the Tests he was in, but due to that injury he hasn't had a decent go at it since. Solid gloveman, not as dynamic with the bat as Wade, and we all know that pure glove work isn't enough these days. Chris Hartley of Queensland may be another, the Lehmann link with the Bulls could work in his favour.

Chris Lynn is a good prospect, a decent enough start to his FC career, averaging mid-40s, a really brutal striker of the ball and wouldn't be surprised if he got a look in the ODI side soon. Jordan Silk (Tas) has three first-class centuries in just 11 matches, technically correct right handed opener who can play long innings. Another name not many would've heard of is Cameron Bancroft of WA, only 21 but seen him bat a few times and is a neat player. For the 2015 Ashes it is highly likely there could be 4-5 changes from the Aussie XI for this series, so guys will be looked at, and hopefully some can stack up big numbers in the Shield and stake a claim.

When I was down under a few years back people told me Hartley was the best glove man in Australia but couldn't bat is that a fair assessment My mates went as far to say he was world class I have never seen him.

[awp]

Paine has had precious little cricket the last few years, he's only just started to play a full season after a near career-ending finger injury, several operations before he got it right. I thought he played well the Tests he was in, but due to that injury he hasn't had a decent go at it since. Solid gloveman, not as dynamic with the bat as Wade, and we all know that pure glove work isn't enough these days. Chris Hartley of Queensland may be another, the Lehmann link with the Bulls could work in his favour.

Chris Lynn is a good prospect, a decent enough start to his FC career, averaging mid-40s, a really brutal striker of the ball and wouldn't be surprised if he got a look in the ODI side soon. Jordan Silk (Tas) has three first-class centuries in just 11 matches, technically correct right handed opener who can play long innings. Another name not many would've heard of is Cameron Bancroft of WA, only 21 but seen him bat a few times and is a neat player. For the 2015 Ashes it is highly likely there could be 4-5 changes from the Aussie XI for this series, so guys will be looked at, and hopefully some can stack up big numbers in the Shield and stake a claim.

yeah....paines broken digits just wouldn't heal would they, took forever.  hes a guy that could legitimately open the batting in test matches, IMO anyway, he was that good.  I haven't seen him bat recently but his keeping was always subime.

Hartley is very very good with the gloves.

we (over here in the west!) have got a few very very good kids that haven't had a game yet.........stay tuned

[cricketbadger]

Hoping there will be coverage of this on Sky Sports, sure to be a belting series and would love to watch it from a neutral perspective.

Don't rate Maxwell as a spinner either so couldn't see them picking him to fill that role, despite selecting him in India for it. Chuck the ball to Smith if needed an extra spin option.

Bring Doolan or Hhughes in at 3 or 6 and bat Watson at either 3 or 6

Isn't Nevill rated pretty highly with the gloves as well?

[smilley792]

Can I ask a question of our Aussie friends. What's happened to Ashton agar?

He had his test birth, not bad with bats but howling needed improvement(although I'd say much better than England's recent additions)

I then saw him opening for the scorchers with the bat in the t20 champions league.

He played 1 game for the scorchers before Xmas.(batted 6 and didn't bowl) and hasn't played since,

Is he injured? Or has he really gone off the boil?

[procricket]

Bancroft wasn't he the captain of the Australia u19 side I remember him playing a bit on the style of Clarke

Sure it was him if it was he looked good with a massive lad
Opening the bowling Sindu!??  He looked good too

[Manormanic]

its the best Australian team that can be put on the park.  not necessarily a team being rebuilt.....everyones 30+ except smith

and the clubbie... 

Anyway, lets not go back through that debate.  The series with South Africa is a tough one for Australia; on paper, their bowling attacks are about the same strength now, in that the Yarpies big three pacemen are marginally better than the Australian ones, but they no longer have Kallis to perform the Watto role.  The big difference is going to be that South Africa have Biff, Amla, De Villiers, Du Plessis et al to deal with the Aussie bowlers, whereas Australia's top order are still painfully fragile; that disconnect is something that Lehmann will need to address, whether by judicious changes or by confronting the YArpies head on and trying to crack their psyches.

[awp]

and the clubbie... 

Anyway, lets not go back through that debate.  The series with South Africa is a tough one for Australia; on paper, their bowling attacks are about the same strength now, in that the Yarpies big three pacemen are marginally better than the Australian ones, but they no longer have Kallis to perform the Watto role.  The big difference is going to be that South Africa have Biff, Amla, De Villiers, Du Plessis et al to deal with the Aussie bowlers, whereas Australia's top order are still painfully fragile; that disconnect is something that Lehmann will need to address, whether by judicious changes or by confronting the YArpies head on and trying to crack their psyches.

agreed.. your last point is what aust have been ridiculously good at since sa readmittance......I dunno why, we just make em crack......

[Manormanic]

agreed.. your last point is what aust have been ridiculously good at since sa readmittance......I dunno why, we just make em crack......

I think it is an issue with South African cricket as a whole, which even Biff's "forthright" leadership has not quite managed to fix, that they tend to choke up under pressure.  For a long time Warne held them in thrall because three of their four man middle order might as well have been playing him with blindfolds on, but it has continued since, so the big challenge for them this time will be to get in the Yarpies face and put them under pressure/stress. 

How successful this tactic will be I don't know - unlike ENgland, the Yarpies haven't played endless months of cricket to wear out bodies and only really have two guys at the tail end of careers.  But its their biggest weapon.

[Rowan]

Im suprised Chris Lynn's name hasnt been mentioned yet, serious young talent with a lot of potential, higher than Doolan on Sheffield statistics also.

[awp]

Im suprised Chris Lynn's name hasnt been mentioned yet, serious young talent with a lot of potential, higher than Doolan on Sheffield statistics also.

Im a scorchers fan, so I still cant say his name out loud...... some ball striker isnt he!

[smilley792]

Im a scorchers fan, so I still cant say his name out loud...... some ball striker isnt he!

As a scorchers fan could you answer my question about agar?

[awp]

As a scorchers fan could you answer my question about agar?

Missed that one mate.....injured atm I think? Hasnt played the last couple bbl.
Pat Cummings played grade cricket last weekend and hopefully in the scorchers team vs hurricanes on 16th....