Katich cut from CA contract list

Beer's selection was a snap shot of the cluelessness that has befallen the Aus NSP under Hildick's leadership. Only weathermen rival Hildick in their ability to continually and unfailingly get things wrong and still retain their job.

And let's not talk about another ill-fated spinner who was selected to play against Pakistan, could barely hit the pitch but went to the Caribbean soon after. According to players on that tour he was hitting the wire in the practice nets.

Ok I give up. Who?

Who cares - I just want to know what 'hitting the wire' is a euphemism for?

Fred Nerk wrote:Who cares - I just want to know what 'hitting the wire' is a euphemism for?

Called draadtrek in SA.

Henry wrote:

And let's not talk about another ill-fated spinner who was selected to play against Pakistan, could barely hit the pitch but went to the Caribbean soon after. According to players on that tour he was hitting the wire in the practice nets.

Ok I give up. Who?

Johnny Watkins of course.

Of course......

Actually, yeah, that Beer selection was a f*cking abomination. Hauritz must've spat blood at that point. WALOC

Wasn't Hauritz injured?

Imagine how the spinners who haven't been selected for Australia in the last few years must feel. Imagine how sh!t they must be.

Red wrote:

Henry wrote:

And let's not talk about another ill-fated spinner who was selected to play against Pakistan, could barely hit the pitch but went to the Caribbean soon after. According to players on that tour he was hitting the wire in the practice nets.

Ok I give up. Who?

Johnny Watkins of course.

Yeah. Relevance to the current spinning woes and selection f*ck ups? About zero by my reckoning.

Actually, that particular Test match - Sydney January 1973, was probably when big Maxie actually earned his MBE-equiv. by bowling us to victory v Paksters. Only took him 38 years to get the silverware.

Watkins was a fiasco of the first order but a temporary one TF. It only happened because Ashley Mallett suddenly pulled out of the Windies tour. As it turned out, three spinners weren't needed - we got by with one and a half. An extra fast bowler might have been handy, mind you, might have saved some hassle for DKL especially....also Jeff Hammond was great as Maxie's back-up and looked a good prospect but wouldn't have played another dozen first class games, more back problems as I recall.

Aye Nerky. That winning attack in the Caribbean in 1973 might just be the worst that has won a series for Aus. After DKL broke down and Massie forgot how to swing it, Max and Jeff Hammond lead the attack with KOK and TJ in support. Dougie chipped in with a michelle when needed. Outstanding effort by an understrength attack. Maxie was supreme with 26 wkts at 21.

Only mentioned Watkins as an aside. Wasn't meant to be considered of high relevance to my naming of Beer as a selectorial howler.

Oh.

Fred Nerk wrote:Oh.

Sometimes this forum disabuses me of the notion that only women can be catty.

Red wrote:

Fred Nerk wrote:Oh.

Sometimes this forum disabuses me of the notion that only women can be catty.

Why would you think that, given some of your comments?

Testes, testes, one, two...

Red wrote:

Fred Nerk wrote:Oh.

Sometimes this forum disabuses me of the notion that only women can be catty.

That 'insight' is so WGAF it doesn't even rate an Oh.

I think someone (Gary?) mentioned it the other day- It's probably time for the Australian selectors to really earn their money and identify players with the character and temperament to succeed at international level (ala like when Duncan Fletcher pulled Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan out of the hat back in 1999-2000) and not just pick players with lots of first class runs runs/pretty cover drives/nice blond hair.

Pick players who might not be there just yet, but who you KNOW will be in 3-4 years.

Mind you the first class runs would help....but the days of blokes with talent rotting in the Shield until they're 28 or 30 and have 'earnt it' have to be gone.

The NSP was resting on its laurels through the tgm/TGM/NLWL/Tugga/Gilly/etc era. And they have no clue how to handle it now the team doesn't pick itself. Which is why the above suggestion won't happen before there's major changed at the top.

Henry wrote:I think someone (Gary?) mentioned it the other day- It's probably time for the Australian selectors to really earn their money and identify players with the character and temperament to succeed at international level (ala like when Duncan Fletcher pulled Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan out of the hat back in 1999-2000) and not just pick players with lots of first class runs runs/pretty cover drives/nice blond hair.

Pick players who might not be there just yet, but who you KNOW will be in 3-4 years.

Astute judges have always said that it's not merely about averages and aggregates but whether or not the player concerned's form will translate to the next level. Occasionally they disregard averages like they did with Clarke but too often they're reactive. Lately there seems to be no rhyme or reason to selections with many smacking of desperation.

Red wrote:

Henry wrote:I think someone (Gary?) mentioned it the other day- It's probably time for the Australian selectors to really earn their money and identify players with the character and temperament to succeed at international level (ala like when Duncan Fletcher pulled Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan out of the hat back in 1999-2000) and not just pick players with lots of first class runs runs/pretty cover drives/nice blond hair.

Pick players who might not be there just yet, but who you KNOW will be in 3-4 years.

Astute judges have always said that it's not merely about averages and aggregates but whether or not the player concerned's form will translate to the next level. Occasionally they disregard averages like they did with Clarke but too often they're reactive. Lately there seems to be no rhyme or reason to selections with many smacking of desperation.

Because the cupboard is bare?

Basically Aunt Hilda and co need to find the next three Clarkes - and on current form I doubt they could find their backsides with both hands. Astute judges? Where?

I'm not going to bag Clarke's captaincy until I've seen some, and I couldn't give a flying arse what the Noise thinks of his lifestyle, his haircut, his sex life or anything, but this current impasse where he's the only viable alternative has
been absolutely predictable since at least Ashes 06-07.