WAT Australia 'A' 2006/07 - Page 7 - World A-Team Cricket Forum

Rachael · 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Mellon

I like to go with what I've seen of players rather than stats, and on this basis, I will side with Quagmire. If on current standard, Quagmire doesn't think McDonald is international class, maybe we should let him have another season. One thing's for sure though, another season like 2006/7 and he'll get the call next year.

This is the approach that caused Boycott to explode in relation to Read last year: the selectors can have their own (private, never expressed) doubts about a player's long-term prospects... but they MUST give a player who has demanded a place through on-field performances a run in the side so that he can prove them wrong.

MacDonald, last season, scored 750 runs at 57.74 with 1 century and 6 half-centuries from 6 innings (making him the 7th highest run scorer of the season): he did as much as Thornley to demand a place with the bat alone... and as a specialist batsman he outperformed North and Voges let alone Cameron White or Watson. Interesting... but perhaps not compelling.

Elite bowlers of 2007: 30 wickets and < 3.00 / over -

Code:

Name                Mat    O      M     R   W    Ave  Best   5 10    SR  Econ Team

SR Clark              8  308.1   80   747   47  15.89  8-58   2  1  39.3  2.42 NSW/AUS
JN Gillespie         11  345.1   76   891   32  27.84  5-41   2  1  64.7  2.58 SOA
AA Noffke             7  262.4   71   729   30  24.30  6-87   2  -  52.5  2.77 QLD
SJ Magoffin          10  323.2   86   910   33  27.57  4-13   -  -  58.7  2.81 WA
AB McDonald          10  307.5   79   874   29  30.13  6-34   1  -  63.6  2.83 VIC
MJ Nicholson          9  321.2   74   920   31  29.67  3-31   -  -  62.1  2.86 NSW
SK Warne              8  377.5   74  1115   33  33.78  5-39   2  -  68.6  2.95 VIC/AUS
BW Hilfenhaus        11  509.1  127  1523   60  25.38  7-79   3  -  50.9  2.99 TAS

Now the case becomes compelling. We might not LIKE selecting McDonald... and fear he'll fail to make the step up... but we've got to rise above such things and be fair to the players.

Put it this way: if McDonald had approached you (as a selector) 12 months ago... and had said "what do I need to do in order to command a place in the 'A' team"... you'd not argue with a target of 750 runs at 57.69 and a bowling performance like that!

We can't just pick who we like based on what we think of their "prospects": we have a duty to be fair and just in recognising on-field achievement.

ps. My preferred XI remains Rogers, Jaques, Hussey, Voges, North / Thornley, Haddin, McDonald, Heal, Johnson, Hilfenhaus and Bracken. If we are definitely ruling out Hussey, Haddin and Bracken then I guess North and Thornley both get the nod and Tait / Ronchi probably have to be accepted (though I'm not convinced by either).

Quagmire · 12:46 AM

One good season in my opinion does not mean that he should be concidered in contention to be in the A side. He does not look to be an international standard and niether do the selectors because he was not even mentioned or even concidered to get an Australian Contract.

Young players that qualify that have been given Australian Contracts

Cullen Bailey
Dan Cullen
Cameron White
Adam Voges
Ben Hilfenhaus
Phil Jaques
Chris Rogers
Mitchell Johnson
Shaun Tait
Shane Watson

If McDonald was seen as a potential international player with the sort of season and the statistics like he had in 2006/07 he would have been given a contract.

This is a little more accurate list showing where McDonald was on the bowling front

Most Wickets

Code:

Name				Mat	O	 M	 R W	Ave Best 5 10	SR Econ Team
 
BW Hilfenhaus		11 509.1 127 1523 60 25.38 7-79 3 - 50.9 2.99 TAS
AJ Bichel				9 320.3 60 1110 45 24.66 7-54 1 - 42.7 3.46 QLD
BM Edmondson	   10 321.5 60 1228 41 29.95 6-28 1 1 47.0 3.81 WA
SCG MacGill		   10 417.2 63 1382 39 35.43 6-118 2 - 64.2 3.31 NSW
DE Bollinger			9 302.4 45 1050 37 28.37 5-73 1 - 49.0 3.46 NSW
SJ Magoffin		   10 323.2 86 910 33 27.57 4-13 - - 58.7 2.81 WA
MJ Nicholson		  9 321.2 74 920 31 29.67 3-31 - - 62.1 2.86 NSW
AA Noffke			  7 262.4 71 729 30 24.30 6-87 2 - 52.5 2.77 QLD
JN Gillespie			10 321.1 69 853 30 28.43 5-41 2 1 64.2 2.65 SOA
SW Tait				7 234.1 35 786 29 27.10 5-43 1 - 48.4 3.35 SOA
AB McDonald		 10 307.5 79 874 29 30.13 6-34 1 - 63.6 2.83 VIC SM Harwood		   7 260	 54 787 26 30.26 6-38 2 - 60.0 3.02 VIC
CB Bailey			   8 297.1 38 1070 26 41.15 4-103 - - 68.5 3.60 SOA
BG Drew			   10 298.2 65 1072 26 41.23 6-94 2 - 68.8 3.59 TAS
LR Butterworth	   5 150.1 42 450 23 19.56 4-18 - - 39.1 2.99 TAS
AK Heal				 8 220.3 41 603 22 27.40 5-57 2 1 60.1 2.73 WA
SR Clark				3 113.5 27 304 21 14.47 8-58 2 1 32.5 2.67 NSW

Best Bowling averages over 20 wickets

Code:

 
Name				Mat	O	 M	 R W	Ave Best 5 10	SR Econ Team
SR Clark			 3 113.5 27 304 21 14.47 8-58 2 1 32.5 2.67 NSW
LR Butterworth	5 150.1 42 450 23 19.56 4-18 - - 39.1 2.99 TAS
AA Noffke		   7 262.4 71 729 30 24.30 6-87 2 - 52.5 2.77 QLD
AJ Bichel			9 320.3 60 1110 45 24.66 7-54 1 - 42.7 3.46 QLD
BW Hilfenhaus	11 509.1 127 1523 60 25.38 7-79 3 - 50.9 2.99 TAS
BR Dorey			6 193.5 56 552 21 26.28 5-47 1 - 55.3 2.84 WA
JR Hopes			9 201.4 54 564 21 26.85 4-25 - - 57.6 2.79 QLD
SW Tait			 7 234.1 35 786 29 27.10 5-43 1 - 48.4 3.35 SOA
AK Heal			  8 220.3 41 603 22 27.40 5-57 2 1 60.1 2.73 WA
SJ Magoffin		10 323.2 86 910 33 27.57 4-13 - - 58.7 2.81 WA
DE Bollinger		 9 302.4 45 1050 37 28.37 5-73 1 - 49.0 3.46 NSW
JN Gillespie		 10 321.1 69 853 30 28.43 5-41 2 1 64.2 2.65 SOA
MJ Nicholson		9 321.2 74 920 31 29.67 3-31 - - 62.1 2.86 NSW
BM Edmondson	10 321.5 60 1228 41 29.95 6-28 1 1 47.0 3.81 WA
AB McDonald	   10 307.5 79 874 29 30.13 6-34 1 - 63.6 2.83 VIC
SM Harwood		7 260	 54 787 26 30.26 6-38 2 - 60.0 3.02 VIC

acker

Seems like about 70% of the team we have complete agreement.
Can we have a vote as to wether we are ruling out Haddin, Bracken and Hussey + other 29 yo's
Yes we are or No we are not

My vote Yes

And another vote as to wether we are ruling out Watson (Yes or No)

My vote No

Quagmire

Rule out Bracken, Hussey and Haddin

YES

Rule Out Watson

NO

Rule Out McDonald

YES

acker

Quote:

Originally Posted by acker

Seems like about 70% of the team we have complete agreement.
Can we have a vote as to wether we are ruling out Haddin, Bracken and Hussey + other 29 yo's
Yes we are or No we are not

My vote Yes Quagmire's vote Yes

And another vote as to wether we are ruling out Watson (Yes or No)

My vote No Quagmires vote No

I would prefer to get this vote out of the way Quagmire then hopefully we can line up Rachael's, Andy's, Yours and my teams list the players we all have consensus on then isolate and tackle the issues like McDonald, Heal, White etc
I am very keen to clarify above vote and see what our consenus side looks like.
Rachael, Andy and others plaese vote on the above when you get a chance.

Andy Mellon

I would prefer to rule out Bracken, Hussey, Haddin and Watson personally.

I am happy to go with the team:

Jaques
Rogers
Watson
Voges
North
Thornley
White
Ronchi
Tait
Johnson
Hilfenhaus

based on Quagmire's assessment of McDonald. I understand what Rachael is saying about his stats, but one Swallow does not a summer make, and there is a worry that McDonald's good season in 2006/7 may be just a flash-in-the-pan. On that basis, I will go with the above team UNLESS Admin tells us that there is an ODI limit on a player (which Watson may breach) in which case McDonald comes in.

Quagmire

Well I think we might need to drop White for another bowler

acker

Quote:
Originally Posted by acker
Seems like about 70% of the team we have complete agreement.
Can we have a vote as to wether we are ruling out Haddin, Bracken and Hussey + other 29 yo's
Yes we are or No we are not

My vote Yes Quagmire's vote Yes Andy Mellon's vote Yes

And another vote as to wether we are ruling out Watson (Yes or No)

My vote No Quagmires vote No Andy Mellon's vote Yes

So far
3 x yes-0 x no Question 1 (do not include Haddin, Bracken & Hussey and other 29 yo's)
1 x yes-2 xno Question 2 ( do not include Shane Watson )

Rachaels vote to come and maybe we might need a tie breaking vote on Question 2 ?

Rachael

What I think on the Hussey, Haddin, Bracken front looks irrelevent: I see the sense in what you've agreed... my objection (as ever) is that this is a decision to drop players where I always prefer to wait until someone unseats a player - I like to see the bar set high and youngsters forced to work for a place.

I'm assuming we're in agreement that Thornley / North, Ronchi and the three seamers are all well below the standard of Hussey, Haddin and Bracken!

On the Watson front... I think he should be eligible.. I just think he's unspeakably ****: I doubt he's even in the top 20 of eligible batting candidates.... or of bowling candidates... and I have yet to hear anyone suggest he's even got the merest hint of subtlety to his game with either bat or ball.

Bottom line: if McDonald is so undeserving... then it shouldn't be setting the bar too high to require Watson to eclipse him before being in contention: when Watson figures amongst the top run scorers and the top wicket takers (as McDonald does) he should enter the frame... but not until then!

acker · 07:46 AM

Thanks Rachael I just wanted to see what our agreed nuclear team looks like. And continue the frank discussions on the issues of White/Heal/Bailey/Cullen and McDonald.
I agree Haddin, Bracken and Hussey would have been walk in's if the question of being to close to 30 and sitting on 5 tests was'nt brang into the equation.

View Poll Results: Final touches for the side.
Thornely/Heal	0	0%
Thornely/Bailey	0	0%
McDonald/Heal	2	66.67%
McDonald/Bailey	0	0%
Bailey/Heal	0	0%
Thornely/McDonald	1	33.33%
Voters: 3. You may not vote on this poll

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