Damien Martyn - Should he be dropped?

[Paoli]

...and a bloody good decision at that. It shows that the Australian selectors are fair dinkum about complacency, and that it will NOT go unpunished.

And a good move to have them out of the squad as well.

[Beny]

Horrible decision... Dropping a player based on one poor seires, especialy when he had poor decisions. Martyn has been an integral part of the Aussie squad for the past two years.

How does Matt Hayden go 17 tests without scoring a ton and Martyn gets the axe after 5 poor tests? Are they going to cut Gilly too?

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Beny

Horrible decision... Dropping a player based on one poor seires, especialy when he had poor decisions.

Agreed. Hayden seems to be as nicely in with the Aussie selectors as Stewart used to be with the England selectors.

The idea that Martyn should go before Hayden beggars belief!

[Paoli]

Yeah, but you know the Aussie selectors hate changing a team mid series. This Ashes was one of the first times where we have made tactical and not injury forced changes.

Personally, I don't really care because "WE LOVE BRAD HODGE COS HE'S A VICTORIAN"

Ahh, been waiting to say that for ages. Pity his debut will be in a worthless money-spinner of a match.

[greg]

I'm a little surprised.I thoought the batting would be left alone for the next 3 or 4 tests and it would almost be a straight shootout between Hayden,Martyn and Katich before changes were made.Not surprised at Gillespie and Kaspa being bombed,Dizzy has time to come back but i think that is the last we will see of Kaspa at international level.

[Colourful Chaddi]

What a suprising selection by the Australians. I think dropping Damien Martyn was a wrong thing by the selectors the batsmen who deserved to get the axe was Simon Katich. Damien Martyn was playing Okay but not great in the series,i beilve he would have gone on to make many big scores if he wasn't given the bad descions in the series. An average of 50+ suggests he is a brilliant batsmen and without hin in the middle order the batting is going to be weak. Im not suprised with the other axes though, i think it is over for Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasperwich, it will be suprising to see them agin on the International stage.

[TPL288]

The best decision the selectors have made is to finally drop Martyn. As I have said previously, he does not have the temperament when the going gets tough for a senior batsman. He gets out via soft dismissals and never is in the right frame of mind when he is out of form including his running between wickets. He does not deserve his place in the Aussie test team any more. Hopefully Hodge will cement his place. Martyn is ....GONE!

For those who knocking Hayden, at least he has put his head down in the Oval test to dig a century out. What did Martyn do when he was out of form, spoon a half hearted pull to square leg!

[Colourful Chaddi]

Originally Posted by TPL288

The best decision the selectors have made is to finally drop Martyn. As I have said previously, he does not have the temperament when the going gets tough for a senior batsman. He gets out via soft dismissals and never is in the right frame of mind when he is out of form including his running between wickets. He does not deserve his place in the Aussie test team any more. Hopefully Hodge will cement his place. Martyn is ....GONE!

I have to disagree with you there. Damein Martyn has been a great player for Australia in the middle overs for some time now. He has a great temperment and saying he doesn't it wrong, he has a great temperment showed by his average of over 50. He truely deserves a place in the team more than Simon Katich who hasn't done much at no.7. He is also a very good player of spin when he showed us his ability on the Indian picthes aginst world class spinners in Anil Kumble and Harbhjan Singh-no easy task! I think not picking hin for the super series will back fire on the Asutralians incredibly.

Originally Posted by TPL288

For those who knocking Hayden, at least he has put his head down in the Oval test to dig a century out. What did Martyn do when he was out of form, spoon a half hearted pull to square leg!

Okay then, Matthew Hayden did hit a century at the oval but how many innings did it take him to get there since his last ton? The reason i think Damien Martyn is being treated unfarirly is because he has only failed in 5 test matches like all the Australian batsmen did this series so making Damein Martyn the scarpe-goat is stupid. If this is they way people treat cricketers tehen we will not be seeing Adam Gilchrist,Matthew Hayden and Simon Katich for long because they to had a bad series.

[Cricket Girl]

I can't believe they dropped Martyn and kept Hayden! If they'd dropped both, fair enough. But to drop a guy who carried the side for 17 Tests and keep one who was rubbish for the same amount of time is very odd! Martyn played a hugely important innings in the only Test Australia won against England, and on top of that he got two rubbish decisions while Hayden benefitted from about 4 good decisions in his only substantial knock. Very odd decision. I can sort of see their reasoning though - Langer was the best bat, cant drop him. Hayden got a century in the last match plus we don't have an obvious reserve opener. Ponting's the skipper, Clarke's the young gun, Katich is also a newbie and did OK - just. So bye bye Martyn. Still think it's harsh though.

[Paoli]

Martyn's always been the "if you stuff up you're gone" member of the Australian team, or at least that is the media perception. A bit harsh but still, he was really bad during the Ashes.