Ashes squad

[RugbyReg]

Cricket Australia?s National Selection Panel (NSP) today announced a 16-man squad for the five-Test Ashes Series during Australia?s VB Tour of England. The first Test of the series, to be played in Cardiff, will begin in 50 days.

The 16-man squad is:
State Age
Ricky Ponting (c) TAS 34
Michael Clarke (vc) NSW 28
Stuart Clark NSW 33
Brad Haddin NSW 31
Nathan Hauritz NSW 27
Ben Hilfenhaus TAS 26
Phillip Hughes NSW 20
Michael Hussey WA 33
Mitchell Johnson WA 27
Simon Katich NSW 33
Brett Lee NSW 32
Graham Manou SA 30
Andrew McDonald VIC 27
Marcus North WA 29
Peter Siddle VIC 24
Shane Watson* QLD 27

* Subject to fitness

No Roy.

Lee is there.

Looking forward to seeing Hilfy bowl over there.

Massive test for Mitch.

Gees our spinning stocks are crap. Just like they were pre-Warne.

 

[Lindommer]

Dear oh dear, how did FU Watson get a guernsey? He'll break his hand putting down the phone after being informed of his selection. Why oh why do selectors see anything in Watson, or the current Symonds for that matter? What's the point of two all-rounders, McDonald and Watson, in the squad? One ordinary, the other useless.

Australia seem to want to manufacture an all-rounder after Flintoff's successes four years ago. He was a very good cricketer who went through a purple patch allied with a lot of luck. But he's no Imram Khan or Richard Hadlee; he can't keep up that level of performance over a long period of time.

Who missed out? Bollinger, Krejza, Jaques (injured). Who're the backup batsmen?

First Test team:

Katich
Hughes
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
North
Haddin
Johnson
Hilfenhaus
Clark
Hauritz

 

[formeropenside]

There's not enough Queenslander in there, but as there is still more than the Poms have, Aust should retain the Ashes, provided Punter doesn't make too many stupid decisions.

McDonald might be ideal in English conditions, but I doubt it. He's a poor man's Mark Lathwell, but taller and with red hair.

Watson - there's talent there, but also ego and he appears to be patient zero of Heenan's syndrome. He wont last the series out, and perhaps Symonds will replace him mid-tour (or even pre-tour, as Lindommer points out).

Hauritz is a sad inditement of our spinning stocks. He is unlikely to win a match with the ball.

 

[barbarian]

Geez, what's with all the negativity boys? We are coming off a series win in South Africa with our tails in the air!

I thought it was a great squad, and am particularly glad Symonds is sitting on the sideline with McDonald and Watson on the plane. McDonald is growing into a decent international player (scored a good 70 in the 3rd test and his bowling nicely compliments the rest of the attack) and Watson is a classy bat despite what is said of him on this forum.

The side they will play will lok something like

Hughes
Katich
Ponting
Clarke
Hussey
North
Haddin
McDonald/Hauritz
Johnson
Siddle
Hilfenhaus/Clark

Depending on conditions.

 

[cyclopath]

There's not enough Queenslander in there, but as there is still more than the Poms have, Aust should retain the Ashes, provided Punter doesn't make too many stupid decisions.

McDonald might be ideal in English conditions, but I doubt it. He's a poor man's Mark Lathwell, but taller and with red hair.

Watson - there's talent there, but also ego and he appears to be patient zero of Heenan's syndrome. He wont last the series out, and perhaps Symonds will replace him mid-tour (or even pre-tour, as Lindommer points out).

Hauritz is a sad inditement of our spinning stocks. He is unlikely to win a match with the ball.

I'd be surprised if he lasts the flight over! He won't bowl much, so is essentially selected as a batsman, and I cannot believe he is that high up the list of specialist bats in the country. Dumb.

 

[PaarlBok]

Michell Johnson, Hilfenhaus & Siddle should crack them up.

 

[Scotty]

I thought it was a great squad, and am particularly glad Symonds is sitting on the sideline with McDonald and Watson on the plane. McDonald is growing into a decent international player (scored a good 70 in the 3rd test and his bowling nicely compliments the rest of the attack) and Watson is a classy bat despite what is said of him on this forum.

I completely disagree with that statement. He is a manufactured batsman who has put a lot of hard work in on his technique to let it stand up to international level. His bowling is straight up and down, and for some reason he thinks he can intimidate opposition batsmen - they must be laughing on the inside. He has use in the shorter forms of the game, but by no means can you apply the word 'classy' when describing him. He is more use than McDonald though.

I think he is the most overrated player in Australia.

I am also dissapointed that Lee got in the squad - his pre-injury form did not warrant it. I think he may be the most overrated bowler in the history of Australian cricket.

I would be inclined to pick 4 quicks and Hauritz, with Johnson batting at 7.

 

[RugbyReg]

Shees, I really don't know what I'd pick. So much depends on form from the likes of Hussey, Lee and Clark. I am intrigued how big Stu (1) comes back from injury and (2) how he goes in England? Theoretically he should tear them up. But so should Hilfy I reckon.

1 Simon Katich
2 Phillip Hughes
3 Ricky Ponting
4 Michael Clarke
5 Mike Hussey/Marcus North
6 Marcus North/Shane Watson
7 Brad Haddin
8 Mitchell Johnson
9 Nathan Hauritz
10 Ben Hilfenhaus/Brett Lee/Stu Clark
11 Peter Siddle

So basically I've picked everyone except for Ronald and Manou.

Nice.

 

[formeropenside]

I've never rated Brett Lee, and he has never been particularly impressive in England even when in his "prime", so I expect this to be his swansong.

If only they could have transplanted Brett Lee's face and hair onto Andy Bichel. Someone who never gives up AND can pull a big crowd...

And apparently Shane Watson's heart is close to giving out; apprently you can transplant the heart of a mouse into a human, but it wont last very long. Luckily, he's gone several days without an injury now, so an opportunity to undertake the surgery in secret as part of "back surgery" is due to arise in the near future.

 

[Pfitzy]

If only they could have transplanted Brett Lee's face and hair onto Andy Bichel. Someone who never gives up AND can pull a big crowd...

I hardly think its appropriate to say Lee ever gave up. He just wasn't the smartest.