serial_thrilla
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Khawaja is safe because they can't find one opener replacement, let alone two.
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King Huskii
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Good point.
I can see Marsh staying in until Green is back for the same reason.
If Green is fit for for Sri Lanka (???) that's two tests after this one.
Marsh should be the one under the most pressure not because his form doesn't warrant a spot in the team the most but because there's actually an option to replace him with.
Konstas can play but I think the selectors are quite right to be hesitant to play a 19 year old against Bumrah. A strong second half of the season might leave them no choice though.
Considering Khawaja got shafted a lot during the first part of his career.
He is probably owed 10-15 tests from the selectors when struggling to finish close to even.
Green will miss the entire summer. (At least 6 months from memory)
Hopefully they play Konstas versus Sri Lanka. We just need to get some more young people into the squad.
- Apr 26, 2011
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I watch & listen to Kayo.
Hayden & Langer make my ears burn.
Ill cop Michael Vaughan over Langer.
- Jun 30, 2011
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With Waugh and Howie sent off to big bash duties the fox commentary is now pretty good.
Anyway India now in deep shit two for SFA
Anyway India now in deep shit two for SFA
- Jun 30, 2011
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Now 3 fa AFA
Now while I'm here can we find something for Glenn McGrath to do with his time? Back when he was busy we only had to put up with him on the ABC coverage on or pumping up Jane McGrath day. This FT Glenn slowly spitting out cliches through a mouth full of marbles is draining me. Shouldn't have gone into the office; I could be bludging off watching it instead.
Now while I'm here can we find something for Glenn McGrath to do with his time? Back when he was busy we only had to put up with him on the ABC coverage on or pumping up Jane McGrath day. This FT Glenn slowly spitting out cliches through a mouth full of marbles is draining me. Shouldn't have gone into the office; I could be bludging off watching it instead.
The pitchforks are out so lets cancel Isa i saw on the internet this morning.
She apologised today so lets move on.
I don't think an experienced broadcaster like Isa would have made a racially motivated comment.
I know Green is missing this summer but I thought the goal was to return for the Sri Lanka series.
The selectors have never just added young players to the test squad just for experience and I don't really think that's about to change. I think Bailey needs to manage Konstas well because quite frankly there isn't much else at this stage.
FWIW I think the selectors are doing a pretty decent job ATM. It's not their fault there's limited younger talent in Australia in the positions we need it most in the next 12-18 months. Their current strategy gives us the best chance of winning this series and if they've made errors they are marginal calls. The lack of batting talent reflects more on Cricket Australia's overall incompetence than George Bailey who can only select from the players that are available.
- Oct 17, 2010
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Broadly agree, but there is still a worrying sense of entitlement in the playing group creeping in. It's not surprising under Cummins, who is the most player-oriented captain we've had since Ian Chappell. I just don't like hearing players who aren't champions talk about when they're planning to retire, i.e. leave the Test team. The Warner 'retirement tour' wasn't a good look and he, and the selectors, were lucky Konstas wasn't stalking the squad then, otherwise it would have been really ugly.
I thought Green was out for longer. Happy he is back sooner than I expected
You can't fault the selectors too much, but we have Khawaja who is 38, Steve Smith is 35.
They made a big mistake not replacing Warner with an opener instead of playing Smith as an opener, now we will need to replace 2 openers in a very short period.
Now we have Marsh, Smith and Labuschagne all having a form slump at the same time, and we need to get one replacement ready.
It just appears to me the perfect time to try someone else for a series, so we have at least one ready replacement when he is needed.
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Sri lankan tour will be the time to blood.
Unless we are getting whipped by india.
The border ghavastar series is too important to be mucking about.
Unless we are getting whipped by india.
The border ghavastar series is too important to be mucking about.
Nah man, I'm going completely off memory with Green. I might be wrong.
What I think is missed with the whole Smith experiment is that Green was doing very well as a no.4.
There's a few guys such as Inglis who I think would struggle as a top four batter but might just be good enough to bat six. Head would've struggled to do what he's done this series without others blunting the new ball.
Think two summers time might be the perfect time to blood Konstas. If it's earlier that's fine though. He wasn't even in the conversation in January 2024. England will pose a challenge but it's not India.
Smudge drops a sitter 1st ball fmd.
He has dropped plenty during his career so i never understand why the commentators say he never drops them.
Great in the field yes but seriously isnt in Ponting's class when it comes to slips catching who snaffled everything.
He has dropped plenty during his career so i never understand why the commentators say he never drops them.
Great in the field yes but seriously isnt in Ponting's class when it comes to slips catching who snaffled everything.
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Rambling's often pleasant listening; he's more of a high-pitched whine.Ramble is the word..
Not an easy listen is JL.
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Or M Waugh. No-one can be certain he actually dropped one in a Test match. The man himself thinks he might have dropped one but can't remember when and where.
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The coverage today said he dropped 12.
Smith is doing something right as he is only 8 short of Pontings' Australian record 196 catches but in 56 less matches.
Only Simpson has a higher catch per innings ratio for Australia, and he is widely considered the best slip fielder in the history of the sport.
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Catches per matches is almost irrelevant.
Pointing had Mark Waugh fielding first slip for most of this career to spinners, which I think are the tougher catches.
Anyway, he dropped 3 catches in this 1 test.
As a big Mark Waugh fan as a kid, this is my favourite catch of his.
0-21 in a world cup final, who knows what happens if he doesn't catch it.
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Yeah dropping sitters doesn't count.
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Its really not. The stats don't lie the more effective a slipper you are the more catches you take equals more catches per innings.
For what its worth both Ponting and Waugh were better ground fielders with better arms. Ponting is the best cover point I've ever seen and pound for pound the best all round fielder I've ever seen (Jonty drops to second only on account of the arm). Both had slightly safer hands than Smith, but what separates Smith is his coverage. We all remember that famous catch Mark took flying from second to where third would have been in the 99 world cup final; Smith has take like 15 of those.
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How many tests did Ponting play before Mark Waugh was out of the side? Mark Taylor?
Until Waugh was gone he would've been third slip at best. Before Taylor retired Shane Warne occupied third slip before moving to first.
Matthew Hayden was first slip off spinners post Mark Waugh which covers almost all Ponting's career. Can't remember who did it post Hayden's retirement.
Smith has pretty much been second slip off pacers and first slip off spinners most of his career.
The arm of someone like Ponting or even Pup (pre back issues) meant they were very useful elsewhere until they were pretty much needed desperately in the slips.
Until Waugh was gone he would've been third slip at best. Before Taylor retired Shane Warne occupied third slip before moving to first.
Matthew Hayden was first slip off spinners post Mark Waugh which covers almost all Ponting's career. Can't remember who did it post Hayden's retirement.
Smith has pretty much been second slip off pacers and first slip off spinners most of his career.
The arm of someone like Ponting or even Pup (pre back issues) meant they were very useful elsewhere until they were pretty much needed desperately in the slips.
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Respectively 4 home seasons and 7.
Ponting didn't go into the slips full time I reckon till after Steve retired which was 2 years after Mark was dropped.
The point wasn't that Smith was better than Ponting or Mark Waugh, it's that he's still an excellent slipper. Not some crab who only has a lot of catches because he has been plonked at 2nd a long time. Clarke spent nearly his whole career in the slips and 1st slip to the to the spinners but still only pouched then at 2/3rds the rate Smith does.
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