Non performers

[acker]

1. Matthew Hayden.. last 13 innings against England 12 times out under 40 (today 12), 1 painstakingly slow century that killed any remote hope of victory or series tieing at the Oval and one not out "0" during same game.

Situation as I read it.. Selectors waiting for a confirmed death certificate prior to giving Phil Jaques a start.

2. Damien Martyn.. last 11 innings against England 10 times out under 30, 1 half century at Lords in our winning test over thier.

Situation as I read it.. Selectors optimistic of improvement sometime, possibly after Boony dolls batteries run out.
In the mean time Michael Clarke can enjoy part time roles and just hang around and age gracefully.

[acker]

Michael Clarke not out 30 has allready exceeded something Damien Martyn has failed to do in his last 9 attempts batting against England.

That is reaching 30..

[acker]

And thats 30 runs not 30 years of age

[Speedboy Salesman]

Although I am not usually one to give the Australians praise, Michael Clarke is a highlight of the Australian side, he bats and he bowls and he hasn't got one foot in the grave (Langer, Hayden, Warne, McGrath et al).

[Beny]

1. Matthew Hayden.. last 13 innings against England 12 times out under 40 (today 12), 1 painstakingly slow century that killed any remote hope of victory or series tieing at the Oval and one not out "0" during same game.

He's one of the greatest openers Australia has ever produced and you want to drop him based solely on his proformace against England?... Secondly, that ton at the oval was better slow than not at all- he did exactly what he needed to do and nobody else would have been able to get the runs faster.

What's Gilly's average against England? Should we drop him too?

Situation as I read it.. Selectors waiting for a confirmed death certificate prior to giving Phil Jaques a start.

People were saying the same thing about Langer who has underproformed all year- then he went and made plenty of runs in the first test.

2. Damien Martyn.. last 11 innings against England 10 times out under 30, 1 half century at Lords in our winning test over thier.

Situation as I read it.. Selectors optimistic of improvement sometime, possibly after Boony dolls batteries run out.
In the mean time Michael Clarke can enjoy part time roles and just hang around and age gracefully.

I think if we bothered to look at stats objectivly rather than producing evidence which is inconclusive and representative of nothing other than how players fare against a single test team, then we would see that Clarke has'nt proformed all that well either.

There is a very simple formula here people! We pick the best team... Not the best potenial. Players can mature in Domestic cricket but we want the all-stars on game day and in today's cricketing world that means producing experiance.

[cantplaycantalk]

And if you wait for half the team to retire before making any changes then you will have no experience.

Jaques should be playing, he is another like Hussey who has real ability. For gods sake get him in the team while he still has his own hair and teeth, and don't be fooled by the insipid England performance here, Harmison is out of form, Simon Jones is out injured, Flintoff has just returned from injury and Ashley Giles should be drawing his pension and using a zimmer frame. The England bowling attack other than Hoggard is a pale shadow of that which gave the Aussies a scare in England, come the next ashes England have some exceptional young talents in the wings, and Adil Rashid and Stuart Broad are young bowlers who can both bat as well. By the time the Aussies come back to England you need to have players like Jaques, Tait etc ready and experienced in International cricket.
Take the opportunity of an England management team who actually think that Jones and Giles are worth a place in the team to play Jacques before Hayden,Langer, Martin, Gilly, McGrath and Warne all retire.

[KennyG]

The selectors will not be taking many/any risks this year because regaining the urn is too important.
The next Ashes series will see us with a very different line-up.
Warne through in "I will miss this when I retire" twice when he was being interviewed on the ground after our great win, so maybe he might be pulling up stumps in Melbourne or Sydney this season.

[acker]

Originally Posted by Beny

He's one of the greatest openers Australia has ever produced and you want to drop him based solely on his proformace against England?

Haydens getting old Beny, I reckon his best is behind him and on current form over the last year has been passed by other players such as Jaques. You turned eighteen not so long ago and will turn twenty one in the not so distant future. Enjoy the occasions cause they are once in a lifetime events like the best of Haydens batting.

Originally Posted by Beny

I think if we bothered to look at stats objectivly rather than producing evidence which is inconclusive

Beny stats by nature are objective and their evidence is conclusive. Take up that argument with a mathematics proffessor.

Originally Posted by Beny

There is a very simple formula here people! We pick the best team... Not the best potenial. Players can mature in Domestic cricket but we want the all-stars on game day and in today's cricketing world that means producing experiance.

Beny we are picking the side for the 2006 Ashes, not the 2001 summer. On the prior side of "peak form" you have potential. You seem to have skipped the fact that on the after side of "peak form" you have decline.

Marto done the right thing today and retired. He knew where things were at with his batting.

[Wanderer]

Originally Posted by acker

2. Damien Martyn.. last 11 innings against England 10 times out under 30, 1 half century at Lords in our winning test over there.

Situation as I read it.. Selectors optimistic of improvement sometime, possibly after Boony dolls batteries run out.
In the mean time Michael Clarke can enjoy part time roles and just hang around and age gracefully.

Can now be scratched off your list...

Seems like Clarke won't age so "gracefully" now huh? He'll have those fine lines and wrinkles after all...

[cantplaycantalk]

You know I didn't realise I was so influential?


Now perhaps if I can persuade Warne and McGrath to follow the same route we may have a balanced if somewhat high scoring series

On the serious side McGrath to go at the end of the world cup, he has a family who recent events must have shown him are far more important than cricket. Langer/Hayden could be similar. I think Warne may last a little longer he has a wife and hair piece to support...