Who's next?

[Seamer]

[

Originally Posted by Leafy Seadragon

Once again, he had to come in and prove himself, never actually having the opportunity and easing of pressure of knowing that a good run would secure him a place. Heck, even Clarke had to rely on injuries to maintain his place, despite a season that saw him as the Australian cricketer of the year...

This is indicative of the depth af batting talent and competition for spots in this current Aussie team. Clarke took his chance with both hands, Katitch did,nt. With guys such as Hodge, Hussey, Thornley, Bevan among others fighting for a spot, Katitch does not neccasarily deserve an extended run. If he cannot score at least 1 ton against a Kiwi team sorely depleted by injury in this tour, cut him loose and find someone who won't waste his chances. Hodge is a superior player to Katitch and roughly the same age, so i would probably go to him first.

[Milo]

Originally Posted by Seamer

Milo, I must remind you that Symonds was selected for that game to bat 7 as an allrounder. No one else in Australian cricket can bat, bowl offspin and medium pace. He is also the best fielder in the world. They also gave Watson a run as an allrounder as well . Australia want another allrounder option for team balance in certain tests so don't be surprised if Symonds gets another run in the future.

That's just not true Seamer. He batted six in both games - apart from the second innings of the second test where Gilchrist was put up to 3 (Lehmann came in for the retired Steve Waugh, and Katich lost his place). After two mediocre tests, Katich reclaimed his place for the third test of the series and along with Langer rescued the team from likely defeat.

[Paoli]

Symonds showed that he isnt test material...In Melbourne, Headlines were something like...

"Right Idea, Wrong Guy"
"Andrew, get used to the coloured clothing again"
"It is much easier to smack a white ball than a red one".

He isnt test material-period. He is like Bevan in that respect.

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by Milo

That's just not true Seamer. He batted six in both games - apart from the second innings of the second test where Gilchrist was put up to 3 (Lehmann came in for the retired Steve Waugh, and Katich lost his place). After two mediocre tests, Katich reclaimed his place for the third test of the series and along with Langer rescued the team from likely defeat.

In any case, he was selected as an allrounder. With the strength of Aussie cricket, you can afford to experiment. The Aussie selectors like to emply an allrounder from tim to time and in that intance, Symonds was the choice. You hear talk of an extended run for Katitch in this thread. What about Symonds - only two tests?

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by Paoli69

Go Brad Hodge Never thought youd say that.


Exactly. 1 every 23 should really be 1 every 11.5. Couldn't agree with you more Beny.

Firstly P69, if you can find anywhere in this forum where i have said Hodge did not have the talent for tests, i will PM you to get your bank account number and deposit $100 into it. I have never said he did'nt have the goods, to the contrary, i just believed that he was'nt likely to get into the team. I still believe that in any case. This is not the first time the selectors have thrown him a bone and added him to the squad. Even if Katitch gets a pair of ducks in the first test, I don't think they will drop him for the second, in which case he will have to wait until England and even then it is hard to envisage a scenario where he will get into the team. His only chance in the immediate future is if Hayden cannot play the first test. They may then put Katitch at 1 and bat Hodge 5. Only an outside chance though.
To the second point. Every one of the batsmen in the Aussie team has got out in the nineties. I am not going to adjust the conversion stats to include nineties as well! It is tons - and big ones that win matches in test cricket, and unless Katitch can start producing them, get someone who can. His average of 41 concerns me as much as his conversion rate as well.

[Beny]

This Aussie team is in the buisiness of winning matches. If not Hussey, then Hodge, Bevan or even Lehman again. We will just have to agree to disagree on this one. Would you take Kattitch over Hodge? I know i would'nt

To be honest I hav'nt seen enough of Hodge... Everytime i've sat down to watch him he's gone cheaply. Regardless, Katich is a proven domestic proformer who has had to deal with sporadic chances, many of which were in difficult circumstances.

On you're comment "This Aussie team is in the buisiness of winning matches", indeed. However the aussie team is not invincible (hope none of the poms read this ). You can't always use brute force to overpower an opposition. Sometimes you need somebody who can stay in and fight tooth and nail. Gilly has saved our butts more times than I can imagine but we shouldent be having to rely on a number 7 or number 11! , to make runs. Take a look at what happened in the B-C, throphy... Batting collapses happen even in the Aussie team. Personaly I'm not looking for somebody who can come into this team and make 100 runs in 50 balls. I want somebody in the model of Justin Langer.

[Leafy Seadragon]

Or Steve Waugh - Ian Chappell quote (paraphrased) "I would cross the country to see Mark Waugh bat. If Steve waugh was batting in my back yard, I'd close the blinds". Still, some time later when asked who he'd rather have batting to save his life, Chappelli answered Steve Waugh (memory suggests he might have answered himself first). Discussion would probably run similar for several of the batsmen mentioned in this thread, although I must admit not being knowledgable enough about all of them. Agree with the earlier comment on balance - Katich seems a neat marriage in style to Clarke & Gilchrist, potentially providing the opportunity for the other two to open up & take a few risks

[bevo]

i might sound bias but im not , bevo is the inform guy in state cricket , centuries are flowing pretty easy for bevo i havnt got the stats , i am right , why not put bevo in , i dont count lehmann out anyway he will get picked in ashes team if his replacement fails lehmann will play , all depends on his odi form if he plays

langer
hayden
ponting
martyn
clarke
gilchrist
only one spot left i believe either batsmen,allrounder but why not have 5 specialist bowlers in.
warne
gillespie
kaspa
mcgrath

symonds , katich , hodge ,lee , watson ,lehmann ,even bevo , one of these players has to be in the team , 5 specialist bowlers sounds good ,warne can bat a bit and gillespie can block and has more shots in his game now and who can forget mcgrath with his 50 why not 5 specialists bowlers ,

[Seamer]

Bevo,
I agree that Bevan is damn unlucky not to get into the Aussie squad. These are his stats to date
Name Mat I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50
MG Bevan 7 14 2 1109 190 92.41 6 2
You can also add the 104 no he scored yesterday which takes his season to 1213 runs at an average of over 100 with seven tons. He wipes the floor with every other batsman in the comp and with this form, don't be surprised if he does'nt get on the ashes tour.

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by Paoli69

Good on the selectors, Good on Hodgey, and look forward to you being No.391. Onya mate, You finally get "THE" call.

Sorry to dash your hopes but Hussey has been called in to the squad as replacement for the injured Hayden Hodge might have to settle for 392 but i would'nt hold your breath.
Full story here
http://aus.cricinfo.com/link_to_data...04MAR2005.html