OK, Now We Rock at cricket- What was I thinking :-)

[lino6]

But can they bowl?

Watson has an uncanny ability to take wickets that he probably has no right to & usually at crucial moments in a game.
I do agree though, he really has to start performing with the bat.

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But when he bowls he gets injured then misses games. Plus it seems they want him to bat only and Mitch Marsh be the allrounder. So does he need to bowl? If he does then how about Faulkner? Reasonably consistent with bat and ball. In his only test made a 50 and took wickets. Watson seems to be Ponting like late in his career, dead rubber specialist!

[Pog]

I hope Clarke can go onto a Ton... Good to see him back at the crease, he really had to get back out there.

[Paul (SA)]

I hope Clarke can go onto a Ton... Good to see him back at the crease, he really had to get back out there.

He's back out there. In the spirit of the 12th man he has called for the sticky tape a la Bruce Reid and is having another go.

[Moggy]

australia already has an all-rounder in the team.  his name is mitchell johnson.  making him the all-rounder opens up all sorts of options.

if they must have a true all-rounder, faulkner would be an ideal replacement to allow khawaja, doolan or cowan to slot in at number 3...

I really dont think that CA want to look to MJ as an all-rounder, whilst he can be brilliant with a bat, he more often than not throws his wicket away.
Plus i dont think he would handle the extra pressure to perform as an all rounder, he's only just got his action under control to be the main strike bowler.
As far as the others they may get a chance & derservedly so, but thay have been tried & tested.

But when he bowls he gets injured then misses games. Plus it seems they want him to bat only and Mitch Marsh be the allrounder. So does he need to bowl? If he does then how about Faulkner? Reasonably consistent with bat and ball. In his only test made a 50 and took wickets. Watson seems to be Ponting like late in his career, dead rubber specialist!

But he also takes wickets.
I agree that MM looks a likely candidate for the allrounder spot, but he's not long in the test side so they wont throw him to the wolves at #3, that plus there is & has always been a natural progression up the batting order for the middle order.
I also think that CA would prefer a batsman who can bowl rather than a bowler who can bat to fill the all rounder slot.
I agree that watson must produce with the bat but also believe he does have some value to the current team.
I do think though that Rogers will most likely be dropped before watson.

[paceman]

I really dont think that CA want to look to MJ as an all-rounder, whilst he can be brilliant with a bat, he more often than not throws his wicket away.
Plus i dont think he would handle the extra pressure to perform as an all rounder, he's only just got his action under control to be the main strike bowler.
As far as the others they may get a chance & derservedly so, but thay have been tried & tested.

if he was given the task as the team all-rounder, with the understanding that he is a bowling all-rounder, i think he could handle it.  especially now that he has his bowling under control.

he only throws his wicket away at the moment because he is 'just' a bowler and is not expected to make runs as his primary task in the team.

and i would hardly call a handful of tests for khawaja and doolan (in particular, with stops and starts thrown in) 'tried and tested'.  watson can continually fail and is still there.

if you are going to blood someone, give them an assurance that they have 10 tests to prove themselves.  that might ease the pressure that debutantes are probably feeling, especially with how our selection panel go about their business at the moment.  with the amount of cricket these guys play now (plenty of whinging about it), 10 tests is nothing.

[Bird]

https://twitter.com/SMHsport/status/542513448744017920/photo/1

[lino6]

But he also takes wickets.
I agree that MM looks a likely candidate for the allrounder spot, but he's not long in the test side so they wont throw him to the wolves at #3, that plus there is & has always been a natural progression up the batting order for the middle order.
I also think that CA would prefer a batsman who can bowl rather than a bowler who can bat to fill the all rounder slot.
I agree that watson must produce with the bat but also believe he does have some value to the current team.
I do think though that Rogers will most likely be dropped before watson.

The real question is when Watson takes his wickets, is it worth the failures with the bat? Or would it be better to find a consistent #3 that makes runs and takes a bit of pressure off the bowlers? As does those wickets Watson takes worth the 3 or 4 tests between overs? In my opinion, no. Not even close.

I agree that Rogers will go before Watson, but I wouldn't agree with that. I reckon Rogers is at the end of his short career, but I think Watson was at the end several seasons ago. Lets give the number of chances Watson has had to Doolan or even Shaun Marsh, or George Baily and see how they go, even Ed Cowan. Or if we have to have a batting allrounder, Cam White? IMO.

https://twitter.com/SMHsport/status/542513448744017920/photo/1

[lino6]

Geez Steve Smith is in some form at the moment. Good on him too. We saw him make a ODI hundred at the G last month and he looked like he was facing beach balls!

[D4D]

Where are all the Clarke haters today?

[Moggy]

I think some of you guys should go here to check the statistics of some of players you suggest

http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Players/PlayerCountryList.asp?Country=AUS

That might shed some light on why they dont get selected

[Moggy]

Where are all the Clarke haters today?

He should play injured every game 

[D4D]

He should play injured every game 

He's batting very upright just like Mark Waugh did, doing ok too.

[paceman]

Where are all the Clarke haters today?

happy to be called a hater if i disagree with him being in the team, whilst obviously injured.

never once doubted his skill.

[Moggy]

Geez Steve Smith is in some form at the moment. Good on him too. We saw him make a ODI hundred at the G last month and he looked like he was facing beach balls!

Playing like Dean Jones,  sure he's not from Victoria

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[D4D]

Playing like Dean Jones,  sure he's not from Victoria

Smith played some very David Hookes style front foot shots today...

[paceman]

Playing like Dean Jones,  sure he's not from Victoria

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+1 to that...  

[paceman]

I think some of you guys should go here to check the statistics of some of players you suggest

http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Players/PlayerCountryList.asp?Country=AUS

That might shed some light on why they dont get selected

i'd say khawaja, faulkner, burns and cowan are doing OK...

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/sheffield-shield-2014-15/engine/records/averages/batting.html?id=9339;type=tournament

doolan, not so much...

[paceman]

Geez Steve Smith is in some form at the moment. Good on him too. We saw him make a ODI hundred at the G last month and he looked like he was facing beach balls!

no doubt.  i'd like to see him bowl a bit more...  he was handy a while back...

[Moggy]

Smith played some very David Hookes style front foot shots today...

Is he a Victorian???

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[lino6]

Hooks hated Victoria, till he coached them!

I'm happy for Smith. In his earlier career his technique looked a little ordinary but is sure working for him now. The way he is playing he must have been born in Wodonga I reckon!!!

[Nay-DMAX]

happy to be called a hater if i disagree with him being in the team, whilst obviously injured.

never once doubted his skill.

X2 and I was at work hence no comments on his batting today. I still stand by my comment about it being risky to play with injury cloud over him and back and hamstring injuries do often go together. I am not a hater I just wish the selectors could open their eyes a bit more at selection time. I would love for Clarke to stay fit and make some consistent runs and not miss games.  Watson however I would like to not see him in the team.

[westvic]

re the Watson comments....why the f#$% should the number 3 spot in the Australian Test Team have to be justified by taking the odd wicket while bowling???!!!

This is supposed to the the slot for the best batsman in the team (I know, not always). Excuses for under performing as a batsman at that spot is just not acceptable.

If an allrounder is needed or required for "team balance" then great but not for number3 unless they also deserve that spot for their batting stats.

rant over, but get rid of under performing number 3 batsmen!!

[paceman]

re the Watson comments....why the f#$% should the number 3 spot in the Australian Test Team have to be justified by taking the odd wicket while bowling???!!!

This is supposed to the the slot for the best batsman in the team (I know, not always). Excuses for under performing as a batsman at that spot is just not acceptable.

If an allrounder is needed or required for "team balance" then great but not for number3 unless they also deserve that spot for their batting stats.

rant over, but get rid of under performing number 3 batsmen!!

preaching to the choir around here, mate...

get us on the selection panel!  our team wouldn't lose...

[lino6]

preaching to the choir around here, mate...

get us on the selection panel!  our team wouldn't lose...

How easy is this selection job!! 

[westvic]

now...having vented...cutting a crap performer is easy....replacing with long term stability isnt so easy

probably should shift to the drunk thread now