Ashes 2021/22

[Seedsfan]

I’d easily back Khawaja over Head it’s not close. Honestly give me 1 selection I like come on you can have the opener I don’t want

Yet Khawaja has always been a flat track bully and is 35. It’s a poor decision.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Yet Khawaja has always been a flat track bully and is 35. It’s a poor decision.

Hey I’m all for picking neither one but you don’t like that idea either. If it’s a choice Khawaja easily

 

[Seedsfan]

Khawaja is a smart decision. We all know we are winning this Ashes, but we want to build a team here that can take us through next year as well, Khawaja played one of the best innings I've seen in the SC and he seems to be out of the slump he had a few years ago.

It's obviously his last chance, Head will get plenty more chances.

The UAE isn’t the subcontinent for a start, secondly his Asian record isn’t strong he has always struggled there

 

[Iceman!]

Yet Khawaja has always been a flat track bully and is 35. It’s a poor decision.

Yes and this will be a flat track

We need runs at home against an average team, despite his flaw i think Usman can give us that. Head? Eh

 

[Seedsfan]

Yes and this will be a flat track

We need runs at home against an average team, despite his flaw i think Usman can give us that. Head? Eh

Last ashes here the track was flat and both Marsh’s did better than him

 

[to1994]

The UAE isn’t the subcontinent for a start, secondly his Asian record isn’t strong he has always struggled there

He's barely gotten opportunities in those conditions. In Sri Lanka he was dropped while the likes of Voges and Burns got more chances, he finally got a proper go and produced something brilliant against the Pakistan spinners.

Your argument that he's a flat track bully is also false, he out performed Smith in a series against South Africa a few years ago when literally everyone but him was failing in touch conditions against Rabada and co.

I think he was rightly dropped last time due to poor form, but he deserves a last chance.

 

[Iceman!]

Last ashes here the track was flat and both Marsh’s did better than him

Yeah and that was a few years ago, i am not saying he is a great option. I would love to look elsewhere but at his best he can get the job done. Head i am not sure about

 

[Aussie_boy]

I wanted Khawaja in the team but in place of Harris.

My preferred XI (which I know won't happen)
Khawaja, Warner, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Inglis, Richardson, Cummins, Lyon, Hazlewood

 

[Seedsfan]

If I was picking the team
Maddinson
Warner
Labuschange
Smith
Head
Green
Carey
Cummins
Richardson
Hazelwood
Lyon

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I wanted Khawaja in the team but in place of Harris.

My preferred XI (which I know won't happen)
Khawaja, Warner, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Inglis, Richardson, Cummins, Lyon, Hazlewood

This. Same side for me.

 

[Seedsfan]

He's barely gotten opportunities in those conditions. In Sri Lanka he was dropped while the likes of Voges and Burns got more chances, he finally got a proper go and produced something brilliant against the Pakistan spinners.

Your argument that he's a flat track bully is also false, he out performed Smith in a series against South Africa a few years ago when literally everyone but him was failing in touch conditions against Rabada and co.

I think he was rightly dropped last time due to poor form, but he deserves a last chance.

He is the biggest flat track bully going, out scoring Smith in one series doesn’t change that

Also why doesn’t he get picked in Asia? Because he struggles there. He struggles having to come out and start against spin.

While the UAE is dryer than here and spin plays a bigger role in deciding a test match he opened there and could start against the quicks

In India batting him 5 oh boy that will not be pretty to watch

 

[hawkman]

Swepson had a case to replace Lyon but injured his neck. No other spinner warranted being looked at. Starc should have been dropped we agree on that at least

At some point though you have to give the batsmen some time to find their feet all the top performers in the shield had played test cricket. So you would be dropping someone to go back to someone else who you have already judged to have failed at the level. Green was the dominant batsmen in the shield and did force his was into the team

Swepson got smashed in the tour game which didn't help him get selected

 

[Seedsfan]

Swepson got smashed in the tour game which didn't help him get selected

I agree with picking Lyon over him. By the time it was apparent that Lyon was struggling with his form at test level Swepson was injured. They would definitely be my spin combo for Asia but

 

[Red Till The End]

Khawaja over Head is the right call but not one I expected them to make. I really like Trav but I thought Ed Cowan absolutely nailed it the other day on ABC.

"my only question mark on Travis Head is that he is a hundred scorer, but he doesn't score match winning hundreds. If he did, South Australia wouldn't be coming last every year in the Sheffield Shield. Usman is a match winner. When he gets runs, he gets the hard runs."

I think Trav has a long term future in the Test side, admittedly part of the allure for me is his leadership possibilities, of which we are bereft of. But at this point in time, Trav is still making ordinary mistakes leading to dismissals. This Summer, I think Usman is the better option.

Richardson over Starc is a dream that unfortunately won't become reality, at least not early on anyway.

 

[Belnakor]

This too. Although Green should be at 5.

i'm genuinely baffled why Green is batting at 6. He is a top order batsman. He bats at 4 at state level. He bats too slowly when he starts and tends to make alot of runs from boundaries. None of that works for a number 6. He should bat at 5 and someone like Head (who plays his shots) should be batting at 6. Position 6 has always been the more aggressive batsman.

 

[Belnakor]

I agree with picking Lyon over him. By the time it was apparent that Lyon was struggling with his form at test level Swepson was injured. They would definitely be my spin combo for Asia but

I like Swepson but i suspect he will get smashed in asia. I'd liek to see him playing the next ashes series.

 

[hawkman]

Khawaja over Head is the right call but not one I expected them to make. I really like Trav but I thought Ed Cowan absolutely nailed it the other day on ABC.

"my only question mark on Travis Head is that he is a hundred scorer, but he doesn't score match winning hundreds. If he did, South Australia wouldn't be coming last every year in the Sheffield Shield. Usman is a match winner. When he gets runs, he gets the hard runs."

To be fair to Head with the bowling attack SA have had the last couple of years, he could be Bradman and they still wouldn't be winning games

 

[Belnakor]

To be fair to Head with the bowling attack SA have had the last couple of years, he could be Bradman and they still wouldn't be winning games

should be more draws though. Ed Cowan is on the money as usual.

The runs Usman got against WA in the first innings got him the gig i'm guessing. 70 when the team got 129 is a good effort.

 

[Seedsfan]

Khawaja over Head is the right call but not one I expected them to make. I really like Trav but I thought Ed Cowan absolutely nailed it the other day on ABC.

"my only question mark on Travis Head is that he is a hundred scorer, but he doesn't score match winning hundreds. If he did, South Australia wouldn't be coming last every year in the Sheffield Shield. Usman is a match winner. When he gets runs, he gets the hard runs."

I think Trav has a long term future in the Test side, admittedly part of the allure for me is his leadership possibilities, of which we are bereft of. But at this point in time, Trav is still making ordinary mistakes leading to dismissals. This Summer, I think Usman is the better option.

Richardson over Starc is a dream that unfortunately won't become reality, at least not early on anyway.

Khawaja bats in the best FC batting line up in Australia. When was the last time he won Qld a game with the bat?

Only game I can think of is the game against Tasmania after the shield restarted there when he made a second innings 100 to help them chase the runs. But still Joe Burns contributed 191 runs (171 & 20) Labuschange 127 (49 & 78) Khawaja 118 (3 & 115)

Head loves a 4th innings ton to draw a game. Something as a test side we can struggle to do but it is harsh on Head saying his runs don’t contribute to wins. Do you really think if they swapped sides Qld would lose and SA win?

An example of him making a 100 in a win that didn’t win the game is the game against Tasmania this year when Burns 79 & 46*, Labuschange 136 & 60*, Khawaja 119 and Renshaw 120*

 

[Red Till The End]

i'm genuinely baffled why Green is batting at 6. He is a top order batsman. He bats at 4 at state level. He bats too slowly when he starts and tends to make alot of runs from boundaries. None of that works for a number 6. He should bat at 5 and someone like Head (who plays his shots) should be batting at 6. Position 6 has always been the more aggressive batsman.

Green is undoubtedly the great white hope for Australian cricket, but his current Test record suggests he isn't a number four yet. Having him come in at 6 under (hopefully) less scoreboard pressure is ideal. The other thing that goes against him at 4 is he could be facing the third ball of an innings. As his bowling workload increases, that's putting too much on his shoulders.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

i'm genuinely baffled why Green is batting at 6. He is a top order batsman. He bats at 4 at state level. He bats too slowly when he starts and tends to make alot of runs from boundaries. None of that works for a number 6. He should bat at 5 and someone like Head (who plays his shots) should be batting at 6. Position 6 has always been the more aggressive batsman.

Yep. It’s weird they want Green at 6, he’s a genuine top order bat

 

[Seedsfan]

should be more draws though. Ed Cowan is on the money as usual.

The runs Usman got against WA in the first innings got him the gig i'm guessing. 70 when the team got 129 is a good effort.

But that contradicts the point of being a match winner as that was Qlds first lose this year and worst performance in years

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Green is undoubtedly the great white hope for Australian cricket, but his current Test record suggests he isn't a number four yet. Having him come in at 6 under (hopefully) less scoreboard pressure is ideal. The other thing that goes against him at 4 is he could be facing the third ball of an innings. As his bowling workload increases, that's putting too much on his shoulders.

He won’t ever be in the top 4- Lab and Smith are there. He’s a perfect 5.

 

[Seedsfan]

I like Swepson but i suspect he will get smashed in asia. I'd liek to see him playing the next ashes series.

He may do but we will need a second spinner. Seeings Labuschange out bowled Holland last time we were in Asia I can’t see Holland getting picked again

 

[LukeParkerno1]

He may do but we will need a second spinner. Seeings Labuschange out bowled Holland last time we were in Asia I can’t see Holland getting picked again

Just wonder whether they’d go Agar. Those quicker type spinners do better such as your Axar Patel for instance, Jadeja etc