Damien Martyn - Should he be dropped?

[acker]

I agree with Irish left armer, the Australian cricket team seems to be some exclusive club where once in your a protected species. They need to get the hard edge of an Alex Ferguson type around the team who has no hesitation tapping you on the shoulder when your time's up and replacing you with a new team member.

Unfortunately part of the process for staying on top is renewal, unfortunately the Australian selectors forgot about that over the past 2 years.

Classic example why did'nt Nathan Bracken go on this tour ?

[greg]

I would be happy for Martyn to be dropped as he has always been a quality player and i feel he is always more likely to get a hundred than someone like Katich.You only have to see the England players reaction when they get him out to know how they know he is a dangerous player.

[Beny]

Unfortunately part of the process for staying on top is renewal, unfortunately the Australian selectors forgot about that over the past 2 years.

It seems you have too acker... Remember Martyn saving our skins in India, Sri Lanka and at home?

[Cliff-UK]

surely, all that was part of the game. Lee seemed to aim at a few batsmen - I remember one beamer at Treesco. It was psyching the opposition out. It;s kinda stopped now. Let em bend the rules. It makes it more exciting. And it has been exciting. Having said it was mainly at the start of the summer, itseemed, Pietersen hit an aussie batsman on purpose yday. can't remembr hwo it was though.

[Zainub]

There's a good bloke syndrome in every team that's played together with each other for a long time, like both the England and too much greater extent Australian team have.

[acker]

Originally Posted by Beny

It seems you have too acker... Remember Martyn saving our skins in India, Sri Lanka and at home?

Not just Martyn with renewal Beny but others who have gone flat, but Martyn like the rest of the team should have his form scrutinised more intensely than it has over the past few years. And the whole mechanism of how Australia drops and picks players for national selection should be totally reveiwed at the conclusion of this season. As should the rotation policy which I now believe may have more benifits for our test side than it does for our one day side.

[Beny]

The only players that hav'nt proformed over a long period of time are Hayden and Gillespie... The rest have all got 50+ reasons why they deserve a few chances. Remember when they called for Martyn to be give the boot a few years ago... Since then he went on to be Australia's test player of last year.

[acker]

Yes and its a credit to the guy's relentless fitness regime, he would have a skinfold rating footballers would be envious of. But Beny this is the first time in a long time we have been under pressure, and its interesting to note that survivors of the early nineties West Indies Warne and Langer are leading the way batting.

If memory recall's Damien Martyn and Mathew Hayden failed against Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in the early nineties when they were running hot. Surprise surprise they are stuggling against Harmison, Jones and Flintoff.

[Beny]

Originally Posted by acker 66579

Yes and its a credit to the guy's relentless fitness regime, he would have a skinfold rating footballers would be envious of. But Beny this is the first time in a long time we have been under pressure, and its interesting to note that survivors of the early nineties West Indies Warne and Langer are leading the way batting.

If memory recall's Damien Martyn and Mathew Hayden failed against Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in the early nineties when they were running hot. Surprise surprise they are stuggling against Harmison, Jones and Flintoff.

The first time we've been underpreassure? Acker I think you've been listning to the English Press to much... Damian Martyn is renowned for being the rock at number 4 who digs us out along with Gilly. We've been under preassure at least one or two games of every series for the past two years.

So who would you replace Damian Martyn with? Mike Hussy- he's the same age. David Hussy- 29 YO and not proforming in domestic cricket. Brad Hodge- 30 years old and unproven even at Aus A level.

[acker]

Phil Jaques for Hayden and Shane Watson for Katich next test. We have to win it 50 runs off 150 balls from Katich wont do that. Martyn survives but at some point and it should be this one he has to know he is batting for his carreer.