Good old Adam Gilchurch

Hartley's first class record is much, much better than his record in the shorter forms of the game, not to mention his strike rate is far too low for limited overs cricket. I'd be picking Hartley ahead of Paine in a test match but Paine ahead of Hartley in ODI/T20s.

Hartley has been a late bloomer in the short forms of the game, particularly since he started opening this year.

Even in shield cricket, his average of 31 seriously sells his batting ability short, but I still don't think he is quite up to Wade's standard, although he has been having a good year.

Hartley in my opinion IS the best gloveman in the country though, by a margin.

Edited by RJL25: 5/1/2013 03:22:13 PM

Incidently, Khawaja opening for Queensland this year in the one day matches has been a bit of a revelation, he must be pushing for an ODI cap later this month...

He's a lazy runner, he doesn't Break Down when he pauses, he often turns the wrong way. There's so many things wrong with his technique.

So Hughes to open with Warner, with Khawaja at 3?

Dave Hussey won't play. He's well down the pecking order now. And he might do well in India, but England will tear his short ball weakness apart.

I don't get the Khwaja love either, He showed he wasn't really capable at Test level last time, and his recent First Class figures hardly shout "Pick Me". If I had to pick an XI, yeah I'd pick him, but purely because India/England is a horrible place to debut for Doolan, and no one else is batting well in the Sheffield Shield. This is why the BBL is fucking useless, because it comes time to pick for a huge tour to india, and no ones played First Class cricket for the past month.

Watson has to make a decision right now as well. If he wants to keep bowling, he bats no higher than five. Otherwise, if he wants to open, fuck his bowling right off, he clearly can't do both.

If I had to pick an XI:
Warner
Cowan
Hughes
Clarke
Watson
Wade
Haddin
Siddle
Starc
Pattinson
Lyon

Reserves:
Doolan/Khawaja
Maxwell
Johnson
Bird

I'm loath to start Johnson coz god knows which one of him will show up. Haddin's been batting well enough to earn a recall, but Wade is batting well enough to be considered one of the top 6 bats in the country. Haddin to keep coz Wade's useless at it. Maxwell isn't a test level spinner, batsman, all rounder, whatever, yet...but fuck it there's no one else :lol:


Edited by Funky Munky: 5/1/2013 05:35:09 PM

The love for Khawaja stems from the fact he has addressed his deficiencies, particularly his rotating of the strike rather then relying pretty much solely on the odd boundary.

Also his big scores this year have been made on difficult wickets, such as his century in Tasmania when no one else on either team could get past about 30

Khawaja is just a supreme technician. He is tight and solid. If he comes in, he will provide a good balance to the team, with the like of Warner, Hughes and wade/haddin around him.

We will really miss hussey during the ashes.

Bowlers pick themselves: siddle, pattinson, starc and Lyon

Siddle and starc to be the workhorses, pattinson to be the strike bowler. Easy.

Fixed that for you.

His scores this season reek of inconsistency. He's doing what Marcus North did for Australia, but at an even lower level. I just don't see it. He's up there, don't get me wrong, his figures are still decent. But he shouldn't be as far ahead of Doolan/Ferguson and maybe Cosgrove as he is.

Where's Tim Payne these days?

If Cosgrove ever lost the beef he would be dangerous

Edited by RJL25: 5/1/2013 05:56:20 PM

Yep. I'm certain he'd be a test level batsman if he actually knuckled down and got fit.

Tasmania still

Finger seems to be working again

Warney stood at first slip, and then the extent of his movement when bowling was walking in 3 yards :lol:.

Pretty sure Cosgrove is actually bigger than Warney ever was anyway. He's pretty huge.

Cosgrove is massive, I was shocked to see just how big he has become while watching the scorchers/thunder game last night!

I'd put him at about 130kg.

Warney was overweight, but Cosgrove really is obese and would probably be classified medically as morbidly obese. That's not just me exaggerating to make a point either, he really is very big.

Being someone who has struggled with weight I know that being heavy really does sap your energy levels quite badly, it effects everything, it would just be his running between wickets that would be suffering, but his whole game. He'd be an absolute liability in the field too.

Edited by RJL25: 5/1/2013 08:10:15 PM

This is him in 2011 and watching him last night for the thunder its obvious he has put on quite a it of weight since then.

The problem is he is a really talented mutherfucker too, he'd be a dead set star for Australia in the middle order if he ever gets his shit together, its sad that he seems to just not get that!



Edited by RJL25: 5/1/2013 08:10:48 PM

I'm not saying he needs to be Nathan Lyon-like skinny, if he could get down to a Mark Taylor / Shane Warne type weight range then I think that would be enough.

Get him into the 90's and I'd give him a cap!

ODI squad: George Bailey (capt), Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Phil Hughes, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.



Warner, Clarke and Wade all rested.

Edited by sydneycroatia58: 6/1/2013 12:23:35 PM

Johnson letting Huss hit the winning runs. :d

Dam Hussey forces Johnson to run.

That just highlights Hussey's team attitude. He was off running for that single before Johnson.

Shall miss Hussey, one of my favourite players.

Shit, Lyon handed the team song. He'll be the fist name on the team sheet for another few years at least :p:lol:

He's always been a big boy, but damn...he's got to be up around 140 now.

How do his coaches let him get that big? I mean, it doesn't exactly send the best message...

At domestic level, i'd imagine it's the fact that his talent with the bat outweighs (HA HA!) his fitness issues.

There's been plenty of 'big' cricketers, ul-haq, Lehman, booney, etc. cosgroves weight is a non issue

Edited by vaughn2111: 6/1/2013 05:07:38 PM

Can't believe you left out this legend.

Australian cricket in modern times has always maintained this whole 'elite athlete' mentality though. And he's not just big, he's huge.

Don't forget Arjuna Ranatunga. The victim of probably the greatest sledge of all time.

It sets a bad example to kids for one. You can't tell kids "You've got to be athletic and healthy" etc. and then they see this guy playing cricket...

It also looks bad for the professionalism of the sport in Australia, especially when we're looking to import more of the 'elite' players from around the world to play in our domestic summers, they come here and see this guy and go "are you fucking kidding?"