Kasprowicz or Tait?

[Seamer]

Who would you like to see take the 3rd bowling spot? Crickinfo has made their opinions clear.
http://content.cricinfo.com/australi...ry/216753.html

My opinion.
Firstly, as usual, crickinfo is more concerned about hype than commomsense decisions in regards to selecting a BALANCED test team. In a Sky active poll running at the moment 49% want Tait, 40% want Gillespie and 11% want Kasprowicz. Will the selectors use their brains this test though or go with what the ill-informed masses want?
I fought a long (and lone) debate on this forum in regards to the sense in selecting three specialist openers ito a test and no specialist change bowlers. I was right with Gillespie and if Tait gets the nod, i will be right again.
What has been the most effective form of bowling this tour? Legspin and reverse swing and seam. While the pace of Harmison and Lee have seen some success at times, they have not been the deciding factor in the fate of the tests.
Pace does not worry England batsmen except Vaughan. The only bowler we have in the squad that has the ability to use the skill of reverse swing and seam off the wicket with the ball from overs 35-70 is Kasprowicz. We would have dearly loved to have those skills at our disposal last test. If we go with Tait, we are just repeating the same old mistake with a different player, handing England a massive advantage, and once again relying on Warne to dig us out of a hole of our own making due to selecting an inbalanced team. If Tait gets the nod, he will get hammered and i will be saying once again - i told you so.

[greg]

Tait doubtful according to radio this morning.Hit on knee when playing Northants.Would have thought Alcott will get him fit though if he was going to play.I think Kasprowicz might get the nod anyway as Trent Bridge may swing a bit normally.
One thing i would worry about with Tait is lack of practice as England have been let down by James Anderson on their last 2 tours when he has come in purely because he hasn't played any cricket and has looked well below par.Net bowling is one thing,doing it in the middle in an Ashes test on your debut is another.

[Beny]

Seamer, What's the obsession? Kaspa bowled 8 NBs in the tour match and his bowling against England to date has left much to be desired. Tait is the wildcard... the card we hav'nt seen yet and since he is the best young fast bowler in the country, it's about time we gave him a chance to prove himself. And regardless, Tait is considerd to be the best reverse swinger of the ball in the Australian team with Lee just behind... Kaspa is'nt even up there.

[Rachael]

Trent Bridge will be a very different prospect to Old Trafford: the outfield is invariably beautifully lush.. so the ball shouldn't abrade enough for reverse swing to matter much. I am hoping the new ball will swing around a bit (no guarantees) but fear there will be only very limited seam movement and that it's going to be a tough bowling once the ball has started to soften.

Kasprowicz should have played in the last Test... Gillespie should be playing in this one!

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by Beny

Seamer, What's the obsession? .

I want the Aussie to field a balanced team for a change. Sick of them choosing teams on hype and reputation alone.

Originally Posted by Beny

Kaspa bowled 8 NBs in the tour match and his bowling against England to date has left much to be desired. .

He was more economical than Tait though. He bowled well in the second test. Took the crucial wickets of Trescothic(90), Bell and Jones at a time when nothing was happening. Got Australia back into the game.

Originally Posted by Beny

Tait is the wildcard... the card we hav'nt seen yet and since he is the best young fast bowler in the country, it's about time we gave him a chance to prove himself. .

Such a crucial test is no time to blood a rookie. If they do and he is the best fast bowler in the country as you say, then drop Lee. One opening bowler for the other. In any case, pace bowling does not bother the English batsmen - in fact they like it.

Originally Posted by Beny

And regardless, Tait is considerd to be the best reverse swinger of the ball in the Australian team with Lee just behind... Kaspa is'nt even up there.

Kasprowicz can reverse swing from the 40 over mark or so. Tait has to wait until it is realy old, say 70 overs or so. Kasprowicz can move the ball around off the wicket with the old ball too. Australia need a three dimensional attack - not the two dimensional attack we have been going in with the last three tests. Pick the team to suit the conditions i say.

[Victor Frankenstein]

i'd agree with seamer's comments that our batsmen like fast bowling. If you look over all our last few series, the faster bowlers have always been carted for a lot of runs and only got wickets from having a very good slower ball or just from us going for one big shot too many. It's the accurate bowlers or the spinners that bowl us out consistently.

[Trescothick]

Kaspa has looked very dangerous in the Ashes match he played IMO and was one of the main bowlers to cause concern for England with Mcgrath out, Lee not firing in the first innings. He didn't go for many runs and looked dangerous and picked up important wickets!!

I think he looks a class act and having never seen Tait and seeing how poor Gillespie is at the mo, then I would go with him!

[Leafy Seadragon]

I must admit to being unable to call this one. I don't think that Kaspa is doing enough, but is experienced and will control the ball far more than Tait can dream about. Given that the ball will keep its shine a while longer at this ground, Tait may offer an extra bit of bite. To be honest, I think that both options are far less than optimal. I'd probably lean towards Kaspa, but without any confidence.

I only partly agree with the discussion on balance. I'd rather have three opening bowlers bowling damn fine, than two openers and a change bowler who's rubbish. Gillespie on this tour has been rubbish. Kaspa isn't great at the moment either, but is more experienced than Tait. I would understand either decision by the selectors, but wouldn't have a great deal of confidence in either. Of particular concern is a recent comment by Tait that he wasn't overly concerned with control, he just wanted to bowl batsmen out. Given that control has been Tait's biggest worry, this statement doesn't fill me with confidence. Still, this was his approach in his recent Pura Cup season, and his record there wasn't shabby. It wasn't test cricket, but several of his spells were pretty good. Shame about the others.

A little bit of me says chuck in Tait and cross the fingers. Its been a cracking series and deep down, I don't feel that Kaspa is going to make the difference. My head says no, no, no, that's madness. My heart says let's roll the dice, because this series has at least one more surprise due...

[Ernest]

Originally Posted by Rachael

Kasprowicz should have played in the last Test... Gillespie should be playing in this one!

I agree, but Trent Bridge can be unpredictable, and also the outfield may not be as lush as usual, there has been lower than normal rainfall.

I would rather Australia play Kasprowicz, because to a large degree to England Tait is from the unknown at this level, but Gillespie may well play yet, they may play safe, if picking Gillespie is safe.

[Zainub]

Tait, from all that I have heard seems to be pretty much on the same lines as a Brett Lee or Shoaib Akhtar, and given the intensity and pace at which this Ashes series has been played you’d only want one of that variety of bowlers to be in your side. Casper is more reliable. However I wish for England’s sake that Tait gets picked, Trent Bridge will provide conditions conducive to swing bowling, something Casper is more likely to extract than Tait, and hence it will be in England’s favor, in my opinion, if he gets picked.