The Australian 2008 West Indies touring squad

[Quagmire]

The Australian selector have selected the squads for the West Indian tour, so what does everyone think?

Test squad

Matthew Hayden
Phil Jaques
Ricky Ponting (capt)
Michael Hussey
Michael Clarke -
Andrew Symonds
Simon Katich,
Brad Haddin (wk)
Ashley Noffke,
Beau Casson,
Brett Lee,
Mitchell Johnson,
Stuart Clark,
Stuart MacGill,
Ben Hilfenhaus.


ODI squad

Matthew Hayden,
Michael Clarke,
Ricky Ponting (capt),
Michael Hussey,
Andrew Symonds,
David Hussey,
Shaun Marsh,
Cameron White,
Brad Haddin (wk),
James Hopes,
Brett Lee,
Mitchell Johnson,
Nathan Bracken,
Stuart Clark.

[acker]

Looks like Beau Casson is the front runner for the Ashes tour to partner MacGill, unless Dan Cullen can turn things around in a hurry.

Shaun Marsh looks an interesting selection on the ODI squad, I wonder if they are thinking about him opening with Hayden ?

[Aurelius]

Originally Posted by acker

Looks like Beau Casson is the front runner for the Ashes tour to partner MacGill, unless Dan Cullen can turn things around in a hurry.

Hell yes. Cullen's done very little ever since his debut season, and Casson's more deserving of a spot, not only as a superior bowler, but as a genuine no. 8 as well.

Shaun Marsh looks an interesting selection on the ODI squad, I wonder if they are thinking about him opening with Hayden ?

He had quite a bit of success as an opener in the ODIs. But I suspect that Haddin's going to go in with Hayden, with Marsh and probably Hussey getting matches once the series has been won.

[Quagmire]

Im not really sure about Casson

Here are my two teams that I think should be chosen out of the squad

TEST

Hayden
Jaques
Ponting (c)
Clarke
M.Hussey
Symonds
Haddin (wk)
Lee
Clark
Johnson
MacGill

ODI

Hayden
Hopes (right arm medium fast)
Ponting (c)
Symonds (right arm orthodox, medium pace)
M.Hussey
Clarke (left arm orthodox)
D.Hussey (right arm orthodox)
Haddin (wicket keeper)
Lee (right arm fast)
Bracken (left arm fast medium)
Johnson (left arm fast)

12th Man - Cameron White (batsman, right arm legspin)

[Aurelius]

Originally Posted by Quagmire

Im not really sure about Casson.

If not Casson, then who? I agree that he shouldn't displace MacGill from the starting XI, but the only other who could be selected is McGain, who's 10 years Casson's senior. None of the younger spinners can hold a candle to him based on recent form. Plus, Casson's a decent bat who could become a genuine bowling allrounder.

[acker]

I am fairly non-plussed about Katich and Nofke's inclusions as support players as well.

These are roles on a tour that should be given to young up and coming players, not older ones that never quite made it.

Honestly Katich's re-invention revolves around him stepping across the front of stumps to nearly outside off at the point of delivery. All of the time not just some of the time. Which is a great technique to get lots of runs on the low and slow Sydney Cricket Ground.
But I doubt it holds up on many of the other world venue's.

And Nofke has been trundling in for most of the time in humid swing condusive conditions in Queenland.

If these guys do get into the national side due to their age they will be very short term prospects at best.

And the Australian national side feilding wise already looks like a hotchpotch motley collection of Dads Army meets the Golden Girls.

OK I know Siddle is unavailable having shoulder surgery, but why not walk on the wildside and give someone a bit younger like Magoffin or Cameron a go as a back up seamer. Likewise Hughes, Pomersbach or Bailey a go with the bat.

Same old stale selection process with an aversion to picking players in their 20's seems to be lingering around this current bunch of selectors. Obviously the Trevor Hohn's method is the only method they know.

[Aurelius]

Well the latest is that Bollinger's been added as Hilfenhaus has been ruled out through injury. I thought Bollinger should have been there in the first place.

And I totally agree about Katich- all the bowlers really need to do is bowl staright at the stumps, and he automatically leaves himeslef exposed to bowling and LBW. It's surprising to me that no one's really tried to exploit this obvious weakness outside the SCG- instead they just bowl further outside the off stump and play to his strengths.

[acker]

Originally Posted by Aurelius

Well the latest is that Bollinger's been added as Hilfenhaus has been ruled out through injury. I thought Bollinger should have been there in the first place.

And I totally agree about Katich- all the bowlers really need to do is bowl staright at the stumps, and he automatically leaves himeslef exposed to bowling and LBW. It's surprising to me that no one's really tried to exploit this obvious weakness outside the SCG- instead they just bowl further outside the off stump and play to his strengths.

Bollinger injured his foot late in the Pura Cup season, I thought that was why he didn't get selected.

Obviously I was wrong.

And I will be interested if old "shuffles" (Katich) technique holds up on a seaming English wicket. For cripes sake we gave Katich a very prolonged shot in the Australian side a few years ago prior to his now exagerated step beyond the off stump.

Did anyone look at the form line of the type of players who score heavilly in the domestic competition. Michael Bevan, Darren Lehman, Greg Blewett, Justin Langer etc.........post their international careers.

Katich is not exactly breaking any new ground here.

He has just developed a technique more adapt at scoring more heavilly off lesser bowlers on mostly a slow and low pitch.

And he has done that by negatively adapting his technique to face quality bowling on better pitches.

If he had tried his shuffle against Brett Lee in a Sydney club match, he would have been lucky to see out an over.

[Aurelius]

Originally Posted by acker

Shaun Marsh looks an interesting selection on the ODI squad, I wonder if they are thinking about him opening with Hayden ?

After the IPL tournament he's had so far, plus his success in the KFC Big Bash, I think he's virtually assured of an international debut during the T20 international.