I've managed to avoid this A Team thread so far, mainly because I haven't seen enough of the players to really make much of a judgement.

What I would agree with is that Hilfenhaus is a must-have. He looked excellent in the ODI at Hobart... and I use the word 'excellent' advisedly. I can see him being a real handful outside of Australia. I mean, in New Zealand, for example, he'd clear up and would probably have already played 50 ODIs by now (and probably all the tests NZ have played in the last 5 years... about 6 or 7 tests then

As for the rest, Cameron White looks to be seriously overrated. His batting looks one dimensional and his bowling is right up there with Ian Salisbury or Chris Schofield.

Also, personally I would prefer not to see Shane Watson or Nathan Bracken in this team. Watson's played 64 ODIs and three tests whilst Bracks has actually played 5 tests and 66 ODIs. If the A team is for promotion of the less heard of, up and coming players - these guys have no right to be there! Actually, why is Bracken eligible at all??

Plus, unless you get this sorted soon, both Bracken and Dave Hussey will be over 30!!!

Oh, and what happened to Henriques? He looked pretty decent in the warm-up match that England played against him in.

Moises Henriques just needs a few more games, I have no doubt with an entire Pura Cup season he will definitely figure in a 2008 A team selection process at this stage I think he has only played 2 or 3 so far.

As for potential I dropped Luke Butterworth from list as others were lukewarm about more experienced players like Bracken or Johnson missing. But having said that Brackens form has been exemplorary even if he is near the cut off points you still cannot ignore him while he is playing well, likewise Haddin and Watson.

As for Cameron White you cannot ignore he was the unlucky party who missed the final world cup squad. And I think a lot of people are criticising him because he has had a fair bit of media exposure playing in the national team abiet often not too well in the national team. Yet tend to forget quickly that the reason they are seeing more of him because the national selectors are picking him unlike Cullen, Bailey, Heal and Haurwitz who they are not.

Someone please help and advance the arguments/ideas from here

Ok Cameron White is a young as Bailey and Cullen, he is doing just as well with the ball as they are even though they are more attractive spinners. What White needs to do is turn his bowling into a Kumble style because they both share the same bowling style, White's improvements with the bat have been nothing short of amazing over the last year and his was captain of the Prime Ministers XI that annihilated England.

This is what the Prime Ministers IX looked like.

1. Phil Jaques - c Cook b Collingwood - 112 off 110 balls - 9x4s, 2x6's - Sr 101.81
2. Tim Paine (wk) - c Jones b Flintoff - 6 off 16 balls - 1x4's, 0x6's - Sr 37.50
3. Mark Cosgrove - c Strauss b Giles - 24 off 34 balls - 4x4's 0x6's - Sr 70.58
4. Travis Birt - b Mahmood - 40 off 45 balls - 2x4's, 2x6's - Sr 88.88
5. Shaun Marsh - Not Out - 78 off 56 balls - 5x4's, 1x6's - Sr 139.28
6. Adam Voges - c Pietersen b Anderson - 39 off 32 balls - 4x4's, 0x6's - Sr 121.87
7. Cameron White (c) - Not Out - 30 off 14 balls - 1x4's, 3x6's - Sr 214.28

DNB Dorey, Ritchard, Tait, Hilfenhaus

Bowling
Tait: 8 overs 3/21: Trescothick caught White / Strauss caught Hilfenhaus & Flintoff bowled.
Hilfenhaus: 8 overs 2/49: Cook caught behind Paine / Pietersen caugh behind Paine
Dorey: 5 overs 0/27:
Ritchard: 4.4 overs 2/24: Anderson lbw / Panesar caught White
White: 7 overs 2/24: Collingwood caught Jaques / Mahmood st Paine
Voges: 2 over 0/13
Cosgrove 4 overs 0/12

Its interesting to see out of these guys who have not been even mentioned.

Cosgrove
Birt
Marsh
Paine

Ritchard (ACT player)

__________________
Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

See Tim Paine.

Compare Sean Clingeleffer, described as a "natural, energetic and skilled gloveman", but skip David Dawson - even the usually glowing profile can't get get beyond describing him as a part time wicket-keeper.

the difference is that last seaon was his first full season, he will develop into very good player. He is also a lot younger as well.

__________________
Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

There is a miriad of glovesmen coming up but Adam Crosthwaite 22 yrs (Vic) for his explosive batting in the 20/20 Final and Luke Ronchi 26 yrs (WA) for his 56 ball Century in limited overs are the 2 stand outs to take over from Haddin and maybe even Gilly.

I remember Jaques hitting 321 runs in 257 balls including 196 in boundaries 31 x 4 and 12 x 6 in a 2 day Sydney club match in January.
I suppose he is "cherry ripe"

I would have to agree with Bracken and Hussey so let's ignor them, Shane Watson is only 25 and has only played 3 tests.

Players that are 29 years old but will turn 30 once the team has been selected

Bracken
Haddin
D. Hussey

Australian potential young keepers

Chris Hartley (QLD) - 24 years - 28 FC mat, 1033 runs at 27.18, hs 103, Ct 131, St 5
2006/07 Pura Cup - 10 mat, 355 runs at 22.18, Ct 47, St 1, Dis 48
Ford Ranger Cup - 11 mat, 105 runs at 17.50, Ct 14, St 2, Dis 16

Luke Ronchi (WA) - 26 years - 18 FC mat, 907 runs at 34.88, hs 100, Ct 59, St 6
2006/07 Pura Cup - 9 mat, 378 runs at 31.50, Ct 35, St 5, Dis 40
Ford Ranger Cup - 9 mat, 339 runs at 37.66, Ct 15, St 2, Dis 17

Adam Crothwaite (VIC) - 22 years - 22 FC mat, 625 runs at 21.55, hs 72*, Ct 75, St 8
2006/07 Pura Cup - 10 mat, 302 mat at 23.23, Ct 31, St 2, Dis 33
Ford Ranger Cup - 11 mat, 94 runs at 15.66, Ct 11, St 1, Dis 12

Sean Clingeleffer (TAS) - 26 years - 69 FC mat, 2605 runs at 27.42, hs 141*, Ct 211, St 12
2006/07 Pura Cup - 8 mat, 319 runs at 39.87, Ct 23, St 0, Dis 23
Ford Ranger Cup - DNP

Tim Paine (TAS) - 22 years - 14 FC mat, 681 runs at 28.37, hs 215, Ct 20, St 0
2006/07 - 11 mat, 621 runs at 31.05, Ct 17, St 0, Dis 17
Ford Ranger - 10 mat, 314 runs at 31.40, Ct 8, St 1, Dis 9

__________________
Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

Of those keepers, Hartley seems to be the best keeper (most dismissals per match this season) whilst Klingeleffer was the outstanding bat of those. Ronchi seems to offer the best combination of decent batting and good glove work. Saying that, my analysis is only on the statistics - I don't think I've ever seen any of them play - though I have heard of Ronchi which suggests I may have seen him on a clips show sort of thing.

Paine's dismissals per match is abysmal - achieving six less than team mate Klingeleffer in 3 more games and with the same bowlers to face. Looking at that, Paine should be out of the picture until his keeping improves; its not as if his batting was any great shakes either.

With regards to Watson, I guess I just find it hard to describe him as an up and comer when he's played umpteen ODIs. Kyle Mills for NZ is in a similar position.