last drinks at the test bar in 2011

Retirements and permanent sackings in the offing
Australia
Ponting, Johnson. Hughes, HADDIT, Siddle AND Hussey
South Africa
Boucher, Prince

I have a feeling Drunky may have saved himself from a sacking but will probably retire at the end of the summer.

Johnson must go, along with Haddit. Hughes should go but will probably get a reprieve due to Watto's dodgy hammy. Paris will survive (he has been our best bat this year, so the failure in a short series in SAf can be forgiven). He may well retire at the end of the summer with Drunky.

Cummins has now locked a spot and Rhino will be 2nd pick. Siddle may still be given a go, but I think Milf is worth another chance. If Copeland could find a yard, he'd be grouse, and Shane George shouldn't be written off. Butterworth must also be in the mix. I'd also consider SOK although Elmer deserves an extended chance.

skully wrote:I have a feeling Drunky may have saved himself from a sacking but will probably retire at the end of the summer.

Johnson must go, along with Haddit. Hughes should go but will probably get a reprieve due to Watto's dodgy hammy. Paris will survive (he has been our best bat this year, so the failure in a short series in SAf can be forgiven). He may well retire at the end of the summer with Drunky.

Cummins has now locked a spot and Rhino will be 2nd pick. Siddle may still be given a go, but I think Milf is worth another chance. If Copeland could find a yard, he'd be grouse, and Shane George shouldn't be written off. Butterworth must also be in the mix. I'd also consider SOK although Elmer deserves an extended chance.

Punter has had his extended farewell...we must have openers with some semblance of technique...Rhino has a body that is dire and should not be selected again - other than for a one off test...he is incapable of playing 2 tests in a row....I admire cot, but he lacks the fundamental of talent...Hussey has been found out again by quality bowling...hi is not gouing to improve at his age....the tragedy for Huss like Boof before him is that he should have played 7-8 years earlier...

George reminds me of cot...great trier...not much else....aye re butters...copeland is a donkey

skully wrote:I have a feeling Drunky may have saved himself from a sacking but will probably retire at the end of the summer.

Johnson must go, along with Haddit. Hughes should go but will probably get a reprieve due to Watto's dodgy hammy. Paris will survive (he has been our best bat this year, so the failure in a short series in SAf can be forgiven). He may well retire at the end of the summer with Drunky.

Cummins has now locked a spot and Rhino will be 2nd pick. Siddle may still be given a go, but I think Milf is worth another chance. If Copeland could find a yard, he'd be grouse, and Shane George shouldn't be written off. Butterworth must also be in the mix. I'd also consider SOK although Elmer deserves an extended chance.

even after 13 years in retirement?

As I posted in the match thread, the Aus selectors will still have a big decision to make because Marsh has done well, and Khawaja looks the part and has now enforced that with his maiden test 50. Who would they leave out for Brisbane assuming everyone is fit?

It would be a bit awkward if they left out either Marsh or Khawaja in favour of the 36 year old Ponting at this stage, imo. It's only NZ, after all. Ponting would prove nothing if he made runs against them. He should do a Nasser. Retire. Make way for younger players who are performing.

He surely doesn't want to go through the Summer with everyone saying "Why is he playing on? Khawaja/Marsh is ready and waiting." He'll need a barn-storming Summer to prevent people saying and thinking that, imo.

In regards to the others- Johnson wont play at Brisbane but I bet you if he takes Shield wickets he'll still be in the frame. He has a Harmison-like allure for Australia. Hughes wont be dropped yet. Haddin will need to win the game for Australia tonight to prevent Wade from coming in, and Hussey will likely go at the end of the Summer.

For South Africa, Boucher is on thin ice. Young Quinton de Kock is impressing everyone and the Sri Lanka series might be an ideal time to blood him. Prince is also under pressure, but there isn't really anyone hammering the door down demanding to replace him. Duminy is next in line but he still has issues with the short ball and has hardly played any first class cricket in the last year.

Possible Aus top seven for Brisbane-

Hughes
Warner
S.Marsh
Khawaja
Clarke
Hussey
Wade

It's not out of the question. Has there ever been six left handers in the top seven of a test team before?

Id prefer

Schoolgirl
Bog/Koaja
Koaja/Bog
Punter
Pup
Paris
ABH

I'm not sure they'll risk playing Watson if his hammy still isn't quite right. And he's surely played his last test as an opening batsman.

Henry wrote:Possible Aus top seven for Brisbane-

Hughes
Warner
S.Marsh
Khawaja
Clarke
Hussey
Wade

It's not out of the question. Has there ever been six left handers in the top seven of a test team before?

Windies once had:

Griffith, Hinds, Adams, Chanders, Gayle, Jacobs. McLean and Ambrose in their top 9.

And Aust had:

Hayden, Langer, Elliot, Lehmann, Katich and Gilly in their top 7 in one of the Darwin tests.

There is zero reason to retain Ponting in Australian cricket in any capacity whatsoever.

Rick, go and sharpen your wedge play, the seniors tour beckons.

Perhaps the new selectors will quietly suggest to him that the Hobart test against NZ would be an appropriate time and place to bow out?

Henry wrote:Perhaps the new selectors will quietly suggest to him that the Hobart test against NZ would be an appropriate time and place to bow out?

Australian Cricket owes him nothing.

Mick Sawyer wrote:

Henry wrote:Perhaps the new selectors will quietly suggest to him that the Hobart test against NZ would be an appropriate time and place to bow out?

Australian Cricket owes him nothing.

Turn it up. He has been a great servant to the country





they at least owe him a lap of honour around the oval in BD's volvo in one of the rain delays

That's true, and the Aus selectors aren't as ruthless as they used to be. It began with all the hoopla surrounding Steve Waugh's farewell in 03-04.

In days gone by, Waugh would have been told to quit after the 02-03 Ashes (despite the hundred he made at Sydney). As it was, Waugh played for another year, picked up some cheap runs against the the Windies and Bangers, before he announced his retirement at the START of the 03-04 series against India, meaning the selectors basically had to stick with him until the end of that series regardless of his form. All of the standing ovations at every ground and red hanky waving caused huge distractions for the Aus team, and they were lucky not to lose that series.

Matt Hayden was clearly past his best coming into the 2008-09 season, but he was allowed to struggle on to the Sydney test, and the Saffies beat Aus at home.

Fairytale finishes are extremely rare; just ask Allan Border and Ian Healy. But SRW's retirement has led a few Aus players in recent times to think they have a right to a standing ovation at Sydney for one last time. The Selectors have gone along with it, and it usually contributes to Aus struggling on the field as one player becomes more important than the team.

G.Wood wrote:

Mick Sawyer wrote:

Henry wrote:Perhaps the new selectors will quietly suggest to him that the Hobart test against NZ would be an appropriate time and place to bow out?

Australian Cricket owes him nothing.

Turn it up. He has been a great servant to the country,but then again, he has been a freeloading passenger for the last 2 years and yes, he did say "we'll bowl mate."

they at least owe him a lap of honour around the oval in BD's volvo in one of the rain delays

It shouldn't be anything more than naming a novice pole pisser go around at Mowbray Park after him. BD's Volvo wouldn't like the rain.

The Selectors have gone along with it, and it usually contributes to Aus struggling on the field as one player becomes more important than the team.
.

wtf has hacked Mudge?

horace wrote:Retirements and permanent sackings in the offing
Australia
Ponting, Johnson. Hughes, HADDIT, Siddle AND Hussey
South Africa
Boucher, Prince

Why would Prince be dropped. It is also very unlikely Boucher would get the axe.

Prince has been average for the last couple of years, hasn't he? Hasn't been terrible, but has only averaged around 35 for the last couple of years.

Sri Lanka might be a good chance to give one of Elgar, Levi, or Russouw a go. Or bring Alviro Petersen back to the opener's spot, and bat Rudolph at six.

Henry wrote:Prince has been average for the last couple of years, hasn't he? Hasn't been terrible, but has only averaged around 35 for the last couple of years.

Sri Lanka might be a good chance to give one of Elgar, Levi, or Russouw a go. Or bring Alviro Petersen back to the opener's spot, and bat Rudolph at six.

Hasn't been bad enough to be dropped. Better than JP. I would agree on Elgar, even to open. Levi is a Saffie version of Warner.

I wouldn't pick Duminy either. Needs to spend the rest of the season playing domestic cricket and to prove he has developed some way of dealing with balls aimed at his throat.

I'd even consider removing him from the ODI and T20 teams against Sri Lanka if it means him playing more four day cricket. Wont happen, though....

taipan wrote:

Henry wrote:Prince has been average for the last couple of years, hasn't he? Hasn't been terrible, but has only averaged around 35 for the last couple of years.

Sri Lanka might be a good chance to give one of Elgar, Levi, or Russouw a go. Or bring Alviro Petersen back to the opener's spot, and bat Rudolph at six.

Hasn't been bad enough to be dropped. Better than JP. I would agree on Elgar, even to open. Levi is a Saffie version of Warner.

Does that make Elgar the Saffie version of Strauss?

Pretty much. Similar types of player.

JGK wrote:

taipan wrote:

Henry wrote:Prince has been average for the last couple of years, hasn't he? Hasn't been terrible, but has only averaged around 35 for the last couple of years.

Sri Lanka might be a good chance to give one of Elgar, Levi, or Russouw a go. Or bring Alviro Petersen back to the opener's spot, and bat Rudolph at six.

Hasn't been bad enough to be dropped. Better than JP. I would agree on Elgar, even to open. Levi is a Saffie version of Warner.

Does that make Elgar the Saffie version of Strauss?

Probably closer than you know.