I have tried to pick a team that Australia can win the Ashes with using the most obvious members of the squad (even if it hasn’t been picked yet).
They wont use my team, but I think that if Australia used this team then England would have to play out of their skin to win.
This isn’t the team I would pick as such, but this is a team that in some sort of reality the selectors might pick.
They wont. But you know…
Have tried to explain my changes.
Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Clarke – Has to move to 4 most consistent batsmen in the team at the moment, as M Hussey is no longer welcome there.
North – If he made it at six, should be able to bat at five.
Symonds – Spin, medium pace, and the best batsman for about 12 months before his alcobreak, and looks fired up again.
Haddin
Johnson – If he can make a hundred at 9 against the South Africans, number 8 shouldn’t bother him.
Lee/Hilfy – Lee probably has the front running, but either of these two should be better than McDonald’s little wobblers, but this is the 4th seamer spot.
Siddle
Clark – Into the wind specialist.
Manou (12th man) – Just because I like his spirit.
You can find Jarrod at cricket with balls where he has a charity game for this years ashes.
7 Comments
Lee? Symonds? Have you gone mad? Symonds best days are long behind him, and I actually think he might be a genuine liability in the side. Last summer showed us the stark contrast between picking old heads and young bulls, with the bulls in front by a mile. Siddle was the find of the summer, and we need more young lunatics like him. Hilf will extract some good swing and seam over there and should be a real handful. I’d include Bollinger for the same reason.
Give me Hilf for Lee, Hauritz for Symonds, or Hodge for Symonds, with North bowling tweakers. Don’t forget the success Clarke and Katich have both had with the ball either.
Lee looked awful to me last time he bowled, and his record in England is appalling. He’s too short to be a damaging quick once his rhythm and athleticism are gone, so let him make millions in the IPL and make some room for the tearaways.
Sorry, you’ve swapped Hussey for Symonds? Andrew Symonds, while he WAS a quality player has done nothing with the bat or ball in over a year at any level of the game.
I think Andrew McDonald has done enough to keep his spot. No way can you put Symonds in.
Alas, Mr Cricket seems to have played himself out. About 300 runs in total over the last three series. He’ll be named in the squad, but I don’t think he deserves it based on his latest form.
I think your batting line up is fine, but put in McDonald for Symonds.
Brett Lee doesn’t deserve to walk straight back into the side. The bowlers all performed rather well in South Africa, and I reckon they deserve to be left as they are for the next couple of test. Brett Lee performed very poorly in ‘05 in England, and I don’t think this time will be any better.
Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Clarke – I agree that he should be in at 4 for M Hussey
North
Haddin
McDonald
Johnson
Hilfenhous
Siddle
Clark
1) Hughes (Kim)
Mitch
2) Marsh (Geoff or Shaun)
3) Ponting (I guess)
4) M.Hussey
5) North
6) Voges
7) Gilchrist (there’s still fire in his belly)
9) Hogg (retired too early, we need a spinner)
10) Alderman (you know he’ll terrorise the poms, again)
11) Lillee (if not available we’ll just play with 10)
A list that’s tough to argue with as a wish/reality blend – I’d pencil in Watson for five and North at six and leave Symonds at home, but that’s just me. A fit Watson is a better limited-spell medium-fast option (which is all you need with four specialists), and his batting was coming quite nicely along before the injury break.
In reality, someone’s going to miss out so Hussey can kep his place, and I’d say that person’s going to be Symonds/Watson.
Evan, I like the fact you say we need young blood and suggest Brad Hodge. I don’t think Bollinger will get picked in the squad. Hilfy or Lee, I would pick Hilfy, even if he struggled for wickets in SA, but the selectors will pick Lee. I don’t think we need a club spinner like Hauritz when we have Katich, Clarke, Symonds and North.
Neil, Symonds comes in for McDonald as a direct swap, which means a batsman can be dropped and a real bowler, not a part timer like McDonald, like Hilfy/Lee come in. Symonds is twice the batsman McDonald is (with runs in the last year or not), and his bowling is not that much worse, plus he is still a force in the field. I picked Symonds because I believe the selectors would want an all rounder and because Ponting will want him in the side, if it was just me, I might consider Ferguson, but I don’t think he’ll even get a ticket.
Leigh, Rodney Hogg didn’t bowl spin.
Thanks Jarrod.
Rodney wasn’t West Australian so he wasn’t part of my “dream team”.
If the selectors have their blinkers on and refuse to see the wisdom in my selections, an alternative team for me would be:
1. Phillip Hughes
2. Simon Katich
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Clarke (I love Huss but gee he’s in trouble, I’d drop him a spot)
5. M.Hussey (go well son — if he fails First Test, Ferguson).
6.Symonds (so lucky to be here. A class fielder & a bowling option — Ferguson maybe? No real spinner stuffs up our balance).
7. Haddin
8. McDonald
9. Mitch
10.Siddle
11. Hilfenhaus
The biggest problem with this team is our balance. IMHO Hauritz, at best, is a competent first class cricketer. I think KP and a few others would destroy him and he would certainly be targeted by the English.
And without a specialist spinner out batting looks too thin, or conversely our bowling looks too thin.
God I miss Warnie.
Yeah Jarrod, I’ll concede the Hodge point. I’d totally forgotten about Callum Ferguson, and I’ll have him instead of Hodge thanks.
I think you’re right about the ‘likely’ make up of the team. The selectors have a blind spot about Symonds and Lee, that should be ignored.