Australian Development Policy

[flanflinger]

Good to see that the Australian selectors are looking to replace the recently retired Shane Warne (38) with two new young bucks Stuart MacGill (36) and Brad Hogg (36)..

Cricinfo - Hogg is at his best - Gilchrist

Where are Cullen and White in terms of selection? For me you really should be looking to get these guys into Tests ASAP, rather than looking at two guys just two years younger than the guy they are set to replace??

[adamberry]

Did you not see Cullen's first innings bowling figures in the match against the Sri Lankans; as I recall he was carted. There is no point in bringing in young blood if they're just going to get carted IMO.

[Aurelius]

Where are Cullen and White in terms of selection?

After his terrific first season, Dan Cullen's really dropped off in a huge way, to the point where he's not really South Australia's first-choice spinner- that now seems to be Cullen Bailey (by the way, Adamberry, Bailey was the one who was hammered). White isn't really regarded as a bowler anymore- if he makes the Australian team, it won't be for his leg-spin abilities. That pretty much leaves the aforementioned Bailey, and the Western Australian Aaron Heal, an orthodox left-armer who's had a pretty good start to this season, on top of a decent season last year. And as a Western Australian myself, I couldn't be happier.

[adamberry]

Aha. Fair enough, easy mistake to make.

[*Jonty*]

Originally Posted by flanflinger

Good to see that the Australian selectors are looking to replace the recently retired Shane Warne (38) with two new young bucks Stuart MacGill (36) and Brad Hogg (36)..

Cricinfo - Hogg is at his best - Gilchrist

Where are Cullen and White in terms of selection? For me you really should be looking to get these guys into Tests ASAP, rather than looking at two guys just two years younger than the guy they are set to replace??

Methinks you English gentlemen would do well to help select your own test teams,and leave the Australian side to be chosen by men that obviously know what they are doing.

Rememberwhat the "old boys" did to you lot earlier this year? 5-0

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by *Jonty*

Methinks you English gentlemen would do well to help select your own test teams,

sorry, I was just asking a question about whether the only candidates you had were in their mid-late thirties, and what has happened to some of the younger guys.

As it is I am happy for you to pick a bunch of geriatrics, because one day the young guys we are picking will come of age and hopefully dominate you for ten years.

Seriously, I do find it odd that there is no desire to get some younger guys into the team when you have a gap. For me this is a perfect opportunity to find the next Shane Warne, who will be making an impact for the next ten years, as good as Hogg and MacGill are, I really can't see either of them playing for more than two or three years.

[greg]

If the 36 year old is better than the 23 year old and is already proven at test level then surely it makes sense to pick the 36 year old for now,the Aussies are having to replace 3 players now and may well have to replace more at the end of the current season but if the best players are over 30 maybe they are worth going with for a few years.

It isn't as if there is a side threatening to take over and dominate at the top is it.

[flanflinger]

Originally Posted by greg

If the 36 year old is better than the 23 year old and is already proven at test level then surely it makes sense to pick the 36 year old for now,

If you are re-building a team, why include a player that will mean in three years time you are going through the process all over again.

The fact is that Warne and McGrath both burst into the team in their early twenties, and became great players, but if you are going to remain Number 1, you need to find the next generation of greats. For me picking Hogg and MacGill would be brilliant in the short term, but could be disastrous for Australia long term. As it is if they want to go down that route, than I am happy!!

[Quagmire]

Australia have been so successful over the years because of two reasons, the standard of state cricket is brilliant and secondly because they play the best players at the time, they dont worry about age or blooding players because players get blooded in state cricket. Also they use the one day game to blood players.

The Australian side should look something like this

Hayden
Jaques
Ponting (c)
Clarke
Hussey
Symonds
Gilchrist (wk)
Lee
Bracken / Johnson (I would rather go with Bracken)
Clark
MacGill

12th man Watson

I admit that Hogg or MacGill are short term but when they are the best spinners in the country they get the spot. But you have to earn a spot in the Australian side and you have to knock out a quality player because you are better than them, not because your younger. Thats the biggest problem that England have had over the last 10 years. Looking to the future and forgetting about the present.

Just look at these matches, with the Australian cricket side coming back into the state sides this week

Victoria vs Western Australia

WA

L. Ronchi
J. Langer
A. Gilchrist
L. Pomersbach (look out for him in the future)
A. Voges
M. Hussey
S. Ervine
B. Hogg
D. Wates
S. Magoffin
D. McLauchlan

VIC

M. Klinger
A. Blizzard
B. Hodge
C. White
D. Hussey
A. Finch
A. Crosthwaite
C. McKay
S. Harwood
B. McGain

Tasmania Vs South Australia

SA

Elliot
Deitz
Adcock
Cosgrove
Lehmann
Delmont
Manou
Harris
Gillespie
Cullen
Tait

TAS

Di Venuto
Dighton
Ponting
Birt
Bailey
Marsh
Clingeleffer
Butterworth
Geeves
Hilfenhaus
Griffith

Queensland Vs New South Wales

QLD

Broad
Hayden
Perren
Maher
Symonds
Simpson
Noffke
Hartley
Johnson
Doran
Sullivan

NSW

Cowen
Jaques
Katich
Clarke
Thornely
Haddin
Lee
Bracken
Clark
Lambert
MacGill

The reason why State cricket is so good is because there is only 6 sides, Just look how strong New South Wales side is now and it was stronger in the days of the Waugh brothers and McGrath.

[greg]

So both the old spinners are in the squad then,i presume only one will play and i hope it is MacGill as he is a far better bowler than Hogg.Also looks a straight fight between Johnson and Tait for the 3rd seamer role again i presume Johnson will get it and Jaques opens the batting.No real surprises in what was announced.