Old injured Batsmen maybe Old injured Quicks NO

[acker]

Right now I also would take Johnson over Tait.. not because of of my preconcieved attitudes about Taits personality but because Johnson stands out as being lot fitter than Tait.
Both are stand out bowlers, but Mitchells fitness give him a big advantage because he can deliver a lot more quality balls/overs during a match, because his fitness is at a higher level than Shauns.
The selectors got it wrong this match, once an injury cloud hovered over Glenn McGraths head; Mitchell Johnson should have been picked.
I hope the selectors dont make such a basic mistake again.

[Beny]

So if I have preconcived perceptions of Tait's attitude then what would we call your statment that Johnson is fitter?

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Beny

Right now I'd take Johnson before Tait... The guy's attitude worries me. He's arrogant, cocky and far too obsessed with speed.

To be fair to the guy... when you've got an action from hell that offers you no chance of hitting the deck, requires you to land your ball half-way down the pitch in order to clear the top of the stumps and offers just about zero chance of building pressure through guile, craft and accuracy... speed is about all you have left

Tait's surely going to come into the reckoning whenever reverse swing looks like it's Australia's best hope.... but that needs abrasive outfields.... and if Adelaide isn't abrasive enough I can't see any of the Aussie pitches suiting him.

Johnson, by contrast, appears to have what it takes to be the next Wasim Akram: a left-arm-over craftsman capable of exploiting deviation off the seam, conventional swing, bounce and guile to build genuine pressure. It might take time for him to mature into the finished article... but in the mean-time I suspect he's already capable of "doing a job" (as his bounce and control will make him harder to score off than Tait) and if nothing else... a bit of containment bowling left-arm-over should mean better rough for Warne

[Quagmire]

Old bowlers are smarter and more experienced. Look at the form Pollock is in. Im not sure why people are bagging the old bowlers like McGrath for being injured all the time when he has had less time off with injury than Harmison, Flintoff, Jones and Giles.

[greg]

The positive of Clarke's ton is that you can drop Martyn and strengthen your side as i think Watson can score the same amount of runs Martyn has in the last 7 ashes tests and he will be able to bowl as well.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by Quagmire

Old bowlers are smarter and more experienced.

Quagmire,

Of that there is no doubt, but, and it is a big but, would you prefer a half-fit McGrath, or a fully fit Johnson?


The next debate an out of form Martyn or an in-form Clarke

The fact is Quaggy, at some point Cosgrove, Jacques, Johnson, Tait, Cullen and Clarke, will need to be in the team not on the fringe. By continuing to play 35+ players over the younger guys, you are preventing them from gaining the very experince you talked about??

I am not saying that Hayden, Langer, Matryn, Gilchrist, McGrath and Warne are not good enough, I am just saying that they are coming to the end of the careers, and may even all retire at the same time. That will leave a big hole.

The possibility is that in 2009 you will have a new pair of opening batters, a new wicket keeper and a new opening bowling partnership, how will they fair when they are faced with an England team, most of whom will have two Ashes series under the belt?

Keeping the older guys, at the expense of young talent, is a short term tactic that will lead to Australia losing it's grip on the world No 1 spot.

[Aussie-Yank]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Quagmire,

........ would you prefer a half-fit McGrath, or a fully fit Johnson?

I guess you could say the same question to an English supporter;


........ Would you prefer a hal-fit Flintof, of a fully fit Mahmood?

I know the answer to both - but niether one of the questions do I take age into consideration. Its what the player can do for the team now and not on what they can do in 5 years time.

[Quagmire]

I would be more worried about the English bowlers than the Australian Flintoff is injured, Harmison is hopeless.

Australia has so much talent, after this series once Australian smash England Langer will retire, Jaques will come in. I think then Martyn will be dropped for Clarke. Hussey and Ponting will stay. Johnson will come in for McGrath.

So the 2008 team will probally look like this
Jaques
Hayden
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Watson
Gilchrist
Warne
Lee
Clark
Johnson

2009 team

Jaques
Paine (wk)
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
Cosgrove
Watson
Warne (last year)
Lee
Johnson
Tait

[Seamer]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Read my posts on this forum, and I have been saying for months that the age factor will catch up soon, (and have been derided by Australian fans for saying it) and that if Australia are not careful, they will lose this Ashes and the next......

I was one of the Aussies that agreed with you. But i also predicted an easy England win at Adelaide after England racked up 550.
I am not so sure now. After seeing dad's army wallop the flower of English youth in the last two tests, i am not so sure.
BTW. Where are you FF? Been almost a week since we last saw you.

[Ernest]

He is in Ausrtalia Seamer - chering England on to victory at Perth no doubt .