Test (Early) Sri Lanka tour squad predictions

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I know it's in England.

Richardson is lucky to be the 5th choice quick.

Yeah nah.

At some point we need to look beyond the 4 that are there in a WTC match which is nice and everything but it doesn’t mean heaps. Whether it be Buckingham, Jyhe, Bartlett, whatever
 
I'm also heading over there for the 2nd Test...Just finished up the travel arrangements today...Really looking forward to finally attending a match at this ground.

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Give me a yell on here when you're in country, I'm sure we could find time for a cold beverage at the ground. :)

Especially given you support the correct footy side.
 

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At some point we need to look beyond the 4 that are there in a WTC match which is nice and everything but it doesn’t mean heaps. Whether it be Buckingham, Jyhe, Bartlett, whatever
Yes, at some point we do.

I don't think a fragile 28YO offers much more than fragile 34YO's with 550 more Test wickets than him.

I'm sure the selectors know what Jhye has. It's whether they want it or not.

I wouldn't. He's gunna be another one of these "skips a generation" players IMO.
 
Yes, at some point we do.

I don't think a fragile 28YO offers much more than fragile 34YO's with 550 more Test wickets than him.

I'm sure the selectors know what Jhye has. It's whether they want it or not.

I wouldn't. He's gunna be another one of these "skips a generation" players IMO.

Then play Bartlett, not fussed who just play one that is younger. We won’t get a better chance to do it
 
Yeah.

I'd prefer something other than "Younger" as a selection criteria.

The object of professional sport is to win.

That's why ya keep score. :)

Each to their own. I’d still be playing 2 of the 4 in the side now. Haze I’m not considering due to fitness so that’s one I’d be ruling out now
 
What I'd do and what I think the selectors will do are two different things. I think the squad will be the 11 that played Sydney minus Cummins and Starc. Plus Abbott, Marsh, Swepson, Murphy, Kuhnemann and Handscombe (backup batsman / keeper only).
 
When your Quicks bowl probably 15-20 overs for the match in SL you pick the bloke most likely to take wickets.

I think the single biggest problem recent sides face (particularly in India) in the SC, is they go far too hard on spin options.

They see finger spinners in Ashwin and Jadeja dominate and think it's the blueprint. They dominate because they are Ashwin and Jadeja. And will go down as all-time great finger spinners, it would have been like bringing a wrist spinner to Australia in the 90's, simply because what Warne could do on our pitches.

Every one of the rare away series wins or best performances in India over the last 25 years have been built off the back of good fast bowling in the subcontinent.

You can't do it without it. You are making a mistake playing 3 or 4 spinners and 1 quick. These guys live and breath batting on these pitches against spin, it's like bringing a medium pacer to Australia just because there's more pace and bounce in the pitch.

Yes, you might jag a win like the SOK performance, but it won't be sustainable across the series.

Santner got 13 wickets @ 12 in New Zealands recent 3-0 win there. But Henry also got 10 @ 15 and O'Rourke 7 @ 18. (With a big * that this tour was in October, not in the hot Feb-March that India will always make Australia tour in, the pitches play completely different).

Steyn 11 wickets @ 18 in 2009.

The only real outlier is England in 2012, when Swann and Panesar dominated and Anderson was used as a support bowler like most want in here for our quicks.

Gillespie was our best bowler in 2004. 20 wickets @ 16. Maybe the best series from a bowler ever there. McGrath with 14 @ 25. Both easily outbowled Warne.


Now Sri Lanka these days is hardly India away, however, these series should always be toured with that frontier in mind, which given history, in my eyes is equal with an away Ashes as the most desirable series win we can get our hands on, maybe even higher, given it's rarity for us and it's over a 4 test series vs other touring sides.

I don't mind the specialist selections, but they need to think even more laterally. They should do really extensive testing on the best 10 quicks in Australian Canberra/QLD in humdity with aged SG balls and see who generates the most reverse swing with their actions. I wouldn't mind if you took a completely obscure specialist quick there like we do with spinners. I.e Jackson Bird or Riley Meredith or someone if that's what the testing supported.

Like Head was dropped because "he couldn't play spin", some bowlers fast bowlers simply can't and shouldn't bowl in the subcontinent either. If you are a seam bowler with no ability to swing the ball, you shouldn't be on the plane. Why do you think all India bowlers have so much ability with their wrist positions? You aren't seaming the ball there. The only seam bowler with success there was McGrath and that's because he's probably the highest IQ quick ever and just relied on hitting variable bounce spots over and over again.

Starc should be an auto selection, whilst he's never quite put it together with the ball vs his record in Sri Lanka and WI, he averages 27 with the bat in India, which is as good as some of our front line batsman over the journey. He's essentially a bowling all-rounder when he goes there and he's generally good for 1 or 2 innings a series where he smashes 30-40 off not many. It could win a test and potentially a series like our last tour if there's multiple draws. He's probably in the best form of his career in terms of line and length also imo. I also wan't to see if he can carry this form into SC conditions, at his age. If he gets belted around Sri Lanka, we should be using that info to put a line through him for the next India tour.
 
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I saw Glenn Maxwell was asked what he thought if his own prospects.

Am I missing something? Is this a serious proposal?
I think its because he is known for being able to play spin quite well, along with being able to bowl. From memory he was on the last Sri Lanka tour and was a bees dick away from actually playing but Head recovered from his injury faster than expected.

But yeah, no shield games. Not sure I would be picking him. Maybe if you want to bat him at 8 and play with two frontline spinners + Head and Maxwell along with one seamer + Webster. That's only if we need to have extra batting though.
 
I think its because he is known for being able to play spin quite well, along with being able to bowl. From memory he was on the last Sri Lanka tour and was a bees dick away from actually playing but Head recovered from his injury faster than expected.

But yeah, no shield games. Not sure I would be picking him. Maybe if you want to bat him at 8 and play with two frontline spinners + Head and Maxwell along with one seamer + Webster. That's only if we need to have extra batting though.
Beau Webster being able to bowl offies kyboshes Maxwell's chances I reckon.
 
Why are people obsessed with playing two front line Quicks? Look at the recent tests at Galle. The second seamer bowls 3/4 overs in the first innings with the new ball and none in the second and your best spinner opening with the #1. Webster can play that role and then we can go with whatever combination of Lyon/Kuhnemann/Murphy/Swepson we go with.
YOLO time. Webster as sole paceman.
4 spinners. **** it why not, already WTC Final qualified.
 
Yep.

I agree 100%, why would they do anything else?

I'm really looking forward to it, I arrive there on evening of the 24th and am there for 6 weeks. Never been there before.

One of the first trips will be to the ground before the match to suss out the "Temporary Membership" to the GCC that quite a few have told me about.

A mate and his wife arrive there today and are doing the SE Asia retirement run for the next few years, he's been over there quite a few times so he's organising the accom and vehicles etc. Has a couple of local mates so I'll be in good hands.

Only real problem is my missus is staying home so I'll be unsupervised for 6 weeks. She's had enough cricket runs to last her a lifetime.
Head up the coast a bit to Ahungalla, very nice spot. The train from there to Galle is good fun
 
I think its because he is known for being able to play spin quite well, along with being able to bowl. From memory he was on the last Sri Lanka tour and was a bees dick away from actually playing but Head recovered from his injury faster than expected.

But yeah, no shield games. Not sure I would be picking him. Maybe if you want to bat him at 8 and play with two frontline spinners + Head and Maxwell along with one seamer + Webster. That's only if we need to have extra batting though.

If we are going the extra batting route why not take a calculated look to the future with Cooper Connolly at 8? We all know he's not an 8, but he'd give us batting depth like Maxwell would, and he's a spin option over there
 
That's why Swepson goes in my squad.

I just have grave concerns he's remotely near test standard, he was dreadful last time, and struggles with control. I know he's a finger spinner but Green is a different type as he's one with a doosra/carrom ball so he'd be one I'd consider. The other thing I have against Swepson is he's a nother spinner that can't bat. Lets assume Kuhermann/Lyon are our first 2, tehy are in the side, they can raffle no10 and 11. I'd sort of want the no9 to not be a bunny too over there. So do we consider a Connolly at 8, or so we go Green who is scoring a. lot of runs for NSW, Riccoccelli is a good lower order bat too. The last two aren't adding much to variety but they add batting.
 
At Lords right? I’d be tempted to play Cummins, Boland, Haze. Although I would really like to see Jhye get a run.

See this is where I differ, I'd play 2 of those 3, and those two are Starc (you need a lefty there) and Cummins is the captain he's playing. Under no planet am I playing Haze unless he has played 3-4 FC games and not left a side short, you can say these injuries are unlucky, but thats twice we've taken Haze at his word being 'fit' when he wasn't.

The third one I'd look for a younger option that may be Jyhe, Bartlett or someone like that. Not as if we lose a lot playing one of those two.
 

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Test (Early) Sri Lanka tour squad predictions

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