The intruiging case of the Aussie all-rounder

[Clive Dunn]

I tend to think that it's actually incredibly hard to find test class all-rounders - after all, how many have their been in the last 50 years or so ? Sobers, Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Botham and now Flintoff - I'm sure there are a few I've missed but the point is that they are incredibly rare. I've always thought that there is nothing worse than a manufactured all-rounder, England searched in vain for years in between Botham and Flintoff, picking a succession of "all-rounders" whose batting and bowling were inferior ( David Capel, nooooooo ) because they felt they had to have one, not because the guy really merited inclusion in the team for either facets of his game. I fear Australia risk the same if they pick an all-rounder as part of a doctrine and not on merit.

I really think Ponting wants to have his cake and eat it on this one - he's already got one stellar allrounder in Gilchrist. As a captain having an allrounder gives you the option of having 5 bowlers, which Australia would have if they had Gilchrist at 6 rather than 7. Really Ponting would have been better off saying "we have few options for our 3rd / 4th seamers, the selectors need to go away and find them".

[Quagmire]

Cameron White in my mind will be the next great all-rounder he is a very good batsman and a very good bowler, he is only very young but he already shows promise.

[Beny]

What promise? I haven't seen any proformances from White to suggest he is anything other than a bit player.

[Quagmire]

most people havent seen him as much as i have

[sittingduck]

All rounders aren't as vital in tests as they are in one dayers.

Four frontline bowlers and six front line batsmen as well as a WK who can pitch in with 30ish are what's needed.

Rarely do sides rely on a 5th bowler anyway, excpet for a couple of overs here and there. Back when SA were number two in test rankings their top six would regulary score 400+ between them meaning the 4 bowling spots were picked on bowling ability not whether they could bat a bit too.

[acker]

Brett Lee is batting better than ever even if some may call it bludgeoning. I considered Ian Botham to be a bludgener.
Australia has always wanted a bowling allrounder, even though Symonds is starting to find his feet in test cricket he is still considered more of a batting allrounder. Lee I consider as an allrounder allthough his batting average is still a longway short of Millers
Brett Lee typifies what Millers game was about more than most of the other allrounders we currently have.
Keith Miller first and foremost was a bowler, Ian Botham first and foremost was a bowler, Imran Kahn first and foremost a bowler and Freddie Flintoff first and foremost a bowler.
I think Bretts batting average will improve to near thirty in the coming years barring injury, and considering he has allready taken over from McGrath as Australia's primary strike bowler, he will have a lot more test matches to improve it in.

[trojan!]

Cameron White is very very good. He leads Victoria very well, and at a very young age he has a good head.

I had to vote for Symonds though, he just takes the attacks apar

[Big Merv]

I voted for Symonds as well. I just wish he'd bowl his seamers in ODI's.

[Vrock]

I think Australia don't need a really good all-rounder quite yet. Warne and Lee are both decent with the bat and can play when they want to. Watson looked a good prospect in the bowling department however his batting has not shown anything great at test level. Symonds looks good but his aggresive batting will get him out more than it brings him runs. The others are either not quite good enough yet or I haven't seen enough of them to make judgement.