Cricket XVII

[The Winged Shadow]

CA is just covering its ass by giving itself yet another excuse for the impending Ashes catastrophe.

[Paxter]

So with the Aussie squad more or less finalised, and in the knowledge that Dave Warner is unlikely to feature, I've had a stab at Australia's XI for Trent Bridge. Note this isn't the team I'd personally pick! Just an idle prediction.

The big question is the no. 6 spot - it could easily be Smith instead of Khawaja.

1. Cowan

2. Rogers

3. Hughes

4. Clarke ©

5. Watson

6. Khawaja

7. Haddin (wk)

8. Starc

9. Siddle

10. Pattinson

11. Lyon

[Stubby]

One advantage of Lehman is that we are playing up to the stereotypes expected of us as colonials by naming a bloke called Boof as our national coach.

ETA:

The big question is the no. 6 spot - it could easily be Smith instead of Khawaja.

Or not. FFS, Pax, do you want me to go apoplectic?

[Paxter]

Or not. FFS, Pax, do you want me to go apoplectic?

Bahaha. As I said, not the team I'd pick, but it's a possible permutation!

[Hereward]

CA is just covering its ass by giving itself yet another excuse for the impending Ashes catastrophe.

Throwing tour preparations (presuming there are any) into chaos is an odd way to cover their arse. I'd say, whatever their intentions, they've actually ensured they get the blame.

[Stubby]

Throwing tour preparations (presuming there are any) into chaos is an odd way to cover their arse. I'd say, whatever their intentions, they've actually ensured they get the blame.

They didn't need to do anything so drastic as sack Arthur to achieve that goal.

[The Winged Shadow]

Throwing tour preparations (presuming there are any) into chaos is an odd way to cover their arse. I'd say, whatever their intentions, they've actually ensured they get the blame.

They'll probably try to make it seem that Arthur getting fired was his own fault, and that somehow this was the root cause of Aussies sucking, which would result in the impending disaster also known as Ashes 2013/14. Definitely not CA's fault, no sir!

[Jeor]

Stubby, before you get too apoplectic over Steve Smith being in the Test team, I should remind you of his long term career trajectory and the selectors' likely plans for him. He is, after all, an all-rounder from New South Wales, who is now trying to succeed as a specialist Test batsman in the middle order. With those sorts of career aspirations, I wouldn't be surprised if the selectors begin to think of him as the new Steve Waugh, the ready-made next Test captain of Australia.

The bowling lineup doesn't look too bad in Pax's team, but the Australian batting is embarrassingly thin. Apart from Rogers (who appears in good first-class form) and possibly Clarke (although he hasn't played much because of his back), none of the batsmen are in any sort of form. Cowan probably comes closest.

[Stubby]

:bang: :bang: :bang:

:shocked:

:tantrum:

[williamjm]

Well, Australia's Ashes tour continues to throw up surprises, and we haven't even played any cricket yet!

I wouldn't have been overly surprised by this move if it had happened straight after the India tour, but the timing seems really off with less than three weeks to go until the first test. Looks like Darren Lehmann is best placed to take over, which would be a reasonably good appointment.

It does seem a bit bizarre to do it now. It could have been a benefit if it had been done a bit earlier since Arthur did seem to be struggling to control his team and the heavy to defeat to India would have provided a good excuse, but to do it so soon before the first Ashes Test seems a bit crazy since Lehmann isn't going to get much time to prepare.

So with the Aussie squad more or less finalised, and in the knowledge that Dave Warner is unlikely to feature, I've had a stab at Australia's XI for Trent Bridge. Note this isn't the team I'd personally pick!

England's XI are close to being finalised as well, with the squad for the warm-up game including Root and Bairstow but not Compton, so the third seamer is the only question mark now, the team will presumably be:

Cook

Root

Trott

Pietersen

Bell

Bairstow

Prior

Broad

Swann

Bresnan or Finn

Anderson

I think the choice between Bresnan and Finn is the only remaining question, it might come down to what the selectors expect the pitch to be like. Graeme Onions and the former Irish player Boyd Rankin are the two other bowlers in the squad for the warm-up match, but I can't imagine either of them getting into the team unless there are a couple of injuries.

[Hereward]

That's a good team. Please be Finn.

[williamjm]

That's a good team. Please be Finn.

I'd choose Finn over Bresnan, but I have a suspicion the selectors may decide to go the other way. Bresnan at his best has been more effective than I thought he would be when he first started, but I think Finn is a better bowler even if he sometimes doesn't live up to his full potential.

[Paxter]

Where is Bopara at in terms of test selection ATM? I can't see Bairstow causing the Australians too many problems to be honest. But yes, it's a good line-up, particularly with the dangerous Prior at 7 and then a strong lower order.

[williamjm]

Where is Bopara at in terms of test selection ATM? I can't see Bairstow causing the Australians too many problems to be honest.

I doubt Bopara is in contention for a Test spot at the moment. He did perform well in the Champion's Trophy, so he seems to have resurrected his limited overs career (although someone is going to have to make way for KP when he returns to the one-day side and it could be him), but he's had several attempts at securing a Test place and the South Africa series last year could have been his last opportunity. I think in his Test career he's done well against weak attacks (I think he scored three consecutive centuries against a weak Windies side a few years ago) but he's struggled when put under pressure.

Bairstow is probably the weakest of the batsmen in the team, but he could be effective playing aggressively at 6 if the top order have managed to construct a platform. He's still relatively untested against top teams, but he did play very well when almost scoring a century against South Africa last year.

[Paxter]

Makes sense BillyJ - I remember Bopara being jittery against better attacks.

[DemonKing]

I see Clarke has given up being a selector because it takes up too much time and causes conflicts of interest. I'm a bit on the fence here - on one hand I like the idea of Clarke concentrating on his batting and captaincy but on the other I feel he should just man up a bit and accept that being a selector means you might occassionally have to sit down and give a player honest and hard reasons as to why they're not selected for a particular game/tour etc, which might actually make the players respect him more in the long term (which to some degree they clearly don't at the moment).

[Jeor]

I understand Clarke's giving up of selection.

Atherton said in his autobiography that he wanted either complete control of selection (which he virtually had at the start of his captaincy) so that he had who he wanted, but he was also equally happy to be handed a teamsheet that had been selected for him (towards the end of his captaincy).

What he didn't like was in the middle, that grey area where he was one of a few selectors and had the official title but in reality not much say. It meant he had to break bad news to friends when he hadn't voted for that to happen, but if he told them, the new guy included knows that the captain didn't want him, and he ended up having problems with both. The whole notion of collective responsibility was a burden, and Athers felt the official title gave him lots of headaches but very few positives.

[Mosi Wanostracht]

England's XI are close to being finalised as well, with the squad for the warm-up game including Root and Bairstow but not Compton, so the third seamer is the only question mark now, the team will presumably be:

Cook

Root

Trott

Pietersen

Bell

Bairstow

Prior

Broad

Swann

Bresnan or Finn

Anderson

I like that.

I'd have Morgan for Bell - but that's just me.

Bresnan is solid - in performance and presence, but Finn can produce magic .... Hmmm ... Finn, I guess.

[Paxter]

I think Bresnan's batting is sometimes what sneaks him into the team...a test batting average of 31 after 18 tests is nothing to be sniffed at. But for sheer killer instinct I hope they play Finn. I can see him causing the likes of Rogers, Cowan and Hughes a fair bit of trouble.

[Mosi Wanostracht]

Hopefully we won't need Bresnan's batting. Our batting line up looks really really excellent. If they all perform England should not need the safety net.

Ashes gossip http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/23021131