Who's going to be the fall guy to let Symonds in?

[Younis Khan #1]

I can't believe you suggested Mike Hussey!?!? i don't think australia can win the WC without him. Yes i am aware his recent form has been indifferent but in the south africa game will be better for him i feel...



Hodge or watson for the drop, BTW. Personally i think watson should be....

[Nostromo]

Originally Posted by Younis Khan #1

I can't believe you suggested Mike Hussey!?!? i don't think australia can win the WC without him. Yes i am aware his recent form has been indifferent but in the south africa game will be better for him i feel...
Hodge or watson for the drop, BTW. Personally i think watson should be....

If you think about it, every player is a human being like the other and only as good as he plays. I agree that Hussey is one of the most talented and useful batsmen in the world in both forms of the game, but the fact remains that he is going through a lean patch, presumably after a long and hard summer back home. It follows that he will be under pressure to score well, particulalry if the in-form Hodge is dropped. Pressure before a big match is never a good thing and the match with South Africa is important even though Oz are through already because of the points countback system. Hodge is a batsman in form while Hussey is not at present; so in a big match on the same ground as the previous one, it seems logical that Hodge should be in and Hussey prepared to make way if necessary.

I was using the same logic in suggesting that Watson should also be around for the SA match; he may not be giving the Proteas sleepless nights, but at least he can bowl reasonably well. Symonds has to included for his batting, but he has just come back from a serious injury. What happens if, after bowling 2 overs against South Africa, he is unable to continue? I don't think Clarke's gentle left armers are going to stop the likes of Gibbs, Kallis and Boucher....particularly the latter, who is a very good player of spin bowling.

Symonds and Hussey are just as falliable as Hodge or Watson. One cannot make a choice merely on reputation.

[Aussie-Yank]

The way I view it, is that if Watson does not open - then he is being selected as an all rounder coming to bat in the lower order - it does not make sense to have Watson and Symonds in that role - you have one or the other.

So if Watson opens then Symonds is the lower order all rounder - which would mean Hayden is dropped.

Hayden's form coming into this match is good enough to keep Watson out of the top order, so that means Watson should be the one making way for Symonds.

Now if Symonds is being picked just on his batting and they do not wish to use his bowling due to his injury - then the most likely player will be Hodge. Hussey will not be dropped and I think Hodge will struggle against the SA's.

[Quagmire]

Well last time he did make a unbeaten doubel ton against SA so i think he will be alright I would have to agree with you on everything else, Hayden has come off 181 in New Zealand and Watson should only be in the side if he his opening the batting and Gilchrist and Hayden can not be dropped.

[Nostromo]

The overall impressions here seem to be as follows:

• Hussey should play irrespective of his form or confidence. He is indispensible.
• Brad Hodge should be dropped as soon as Symonds becomes available, even of the former is batting very well and there is a certain amount of uncertainity about the latter's fitness and returning form.
• Shane Watson is neither a proper batsman nor a proper bowler. So oust him at the first opportunity.
• If that means the all important middle order consists of a batsman struggling a bit with his form and another just back from a significant injury, so be it.

For God's sake, where is the logic in this ? Why is Hussey so indispensible and Hodge dispensible? As for Watson, I don't think he was ever meant to take Symonds place; a closer comparison would have been the retired Ian Harvey and while Watson is not yet as good as Harvey, the team are not going to find out his potential by perpetually dropping him.

The interesting thing here is that Symonds would have easily been required for his batting prowess alone in ODIs. His bowling is a mere bonus, though he is used as a 5th bowler because of it. If Symonds had been a mere batsman, not many people would have objected to Watson, but the fact that the former can bowl as well is used as a reason to oust the latter! Very logical, I'm sure.

Once again, IMO Hussey should be rested for the SA game with Symonds coming in at No:5 after Ponting & Hodge, and followed by Clarke, Watson, Hogg and the 3 specialist bowlers.

[Dogatlongon]

It SHOULD be watson, but I suspect it WILL be hodge.
Watson never should have went to the carribean.
There's something very wierd going on behind the scenes with the australian camp that makes watson a sure thing despite sucking the big one.
It's like he's just "popular with the boys" or something, like ponting and other big names demand he plays.
I can think of heaps of players which should have been in there ahead of him. If they want to nurture a replacement for symonds it should be cameron white. I think watson already peaked, just because it was an unimpressive peak, and he's still young, doesn't mean he's going to get better.
The red flag is he's visibly not naturally gifted. He's just well schooled, and I think the limits of his mediocre potential have been reached.

[Quagmire]

I do not doubt Watsons talent his improvements over the least year or two have been impressive, his batting has been very good but only when opening. I just dislike him,

Watsons ODI career
Overall - 43 innings, 886 runs at 31.64, 6x50
Opening - 8 innings, 293 runs at 41.89, 4x50
No 7 - 20 innings, 370 runs at 30.83, 1x50
No 8 - 8 innings, 53 runs at 10.60
Bowling
59 matches, 58 wickets at 33.03, bb 4/39, econ 4.85, sr 40.83

[Younis Khan #1]

Originally Posted by Nostromo

For God's sake, where is the logic in this ? Why is Hussey so indispensible and Hodge dispensible? As for Watson, I don't think he was ever meant to take Symonds place; a closer comparison would have been the retired Ian Harvey and while Watson is not yet as good as Harvey, the team are not going to find out his potential by perpetually dropping him.

The interesting thing here is that Symonds would have easily been required for his batting prowess alone in ODIs. His bowling is a mere bonus, though he is used as a 5th bowler because of it. If Symonds had been a mere batsman, not many people would have objected to Watson, but the fact that the former can bowl as well is used as a reason to oust the latter! Very logical, I'm sure.

Once again, IMO Hussey should be rested for the SA game with Symonds coming in at No:5 after Ponting & Hodge, and followed by Clarke, Watson, Hogg and the 3 specialist bowlers.

Hussey is the finisher, and the best in the world, at that. He is just too good a player to drop. Besides, i don't think Hodge's form is anything to write home about. Even if it was, you cannot just simply drop one of the best batsmen in world cricket just because of a decline in form; the selectors have to convey their faith in him, not the opposite.

It was always going to be hodge, seeing as he was just a reserve for ponitng initially. Furthermore, we all know the faith that has been shown in watson recently, and i see know reason for to differ now.

Hayden
Gilchrist
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Hussey
Watson
Hogg
Bracken
Tait
Mcgrath

[darksideofthemoon]

Hussey for me.

[EllN]

Why can you not leave out hogg he isnt anything special with the ball and his overs could easliy be shared between symonds, hodge and clarke, also you cannot leave out hussey a man who has finished not out almost 50 % of his carrer, leaving out watson would not do australian cricket any good for the futre because thse are the type of games he needs to gain valuble experiance, clarke has become a very important cog in the australian team and is a good person to partner a symponds hayden or gilchrist, also his fielding attributes are that comparable to the likes of AB devilers, symonds needs to come back to the team as he is a strong fieder in and out of the circle ( throwing arm may not be strong straight away) hodge is the man in form at the moment and is strong noth at buliding a partnership and scoring quick runs and hayden well he averages 40 in the one day game, is a srong slip felider, and is a man who can take the game away from you very early on in the match