Rashid for Monty?

Rashid seems like a more talented bowler and a better choice as a second spinner than Monty.

Why?

My first look at him last night and he looks to be overrated imho.

taipan wrote:My first look at him last night and he looks to be overrated imho.

Your 'ho' is overrated (by you).

imltho the montesaurus is ace and a far more dangerous opponent than Rashid or swann

Just listened to an interview with Warnie. It went on for about fifteen minutes and despite being labelled as "Warnie Savages Buchanan", it was clear, concise, to the point, diplomatic where it needed to be and basically just everything you might want from an Australian captain.

I've often made jokes about his million dollar arm and ten cent brain but I'm beginning to think I was a bit harsh. The guy's pretty sharp and a hell of a lot more erudite than most of our pollies, and this was literally a doorstop interview. Not an evasive 'uuhhmm' or 'aahhh' to be heard.

Has Tim Nielsen pulled a three-card trick and sacrificed a high T20 WC placement by getting Aus to play sh!tfully against spin to coax England into playing two spinners?

Well, I really don't believe that for a second, but would PMSL if 2 spinners are played, then Ponting, Clarke, Hussey and others pound the spinners, and Nielsen and Ponting come out sniggering at the post-T1 press conference.

Playing Monty and Swann wouldn't be the worst move IMO. Rashid doesn't look all that to me sorry.

So looking clueless against the might of Paul Harris was all part of the ashes plans as well?

We're generally shithouse against spin (any kind of spin) anyway. Everyone else in the world had to get used to playing it. We coasted with a few honourable exceptions.

I'm all for playing Rashid - but only on a sun baked wicket.
If this unsettled weather continues and the green tops stay green, then no way Rashid gets a look in over 4 quicks and Swann.

But yeah - Rashid ahead of Monty for me.
Off and leg spin against the Aussies sounds good ... anyway, he's a better batsman and a shed-load better fielder than ol' slop bucket Monster who has since fashioned himself on gashley Piles ..... bad move.

If Monty can find some sort of form, then he's extremely dangerous bowling on English pitches. Especially if the weather is dry. Maybe Monty should just go back to bowling like he was in 2006, firing it in, and relying on the pitch for natural variations.

Yes, he's a different animal with the duke ball. But we don't play at Old Trafford or Trent Bridge and he's just not picking up any wickets.

Neither is Adil for that matter

Rashid's problem is flight. Whereas he might get away with it in T20, he'll be sorted out very quickly in tests or even ODIs and TBH, I don't think he's a great turner of the ball. I'd think even Patel is a better bet for the Ashes. But IMO, Monty and Swann would be the right selection for the Ashes.

Anyone judging a 21yr old leggie on T20 is a fool.... its the perfect tournament to blood him in though.

Onions for Monty.

JKLever wrote:Anyone judging a 21yr old leggie on T20 is a fool.... its the perfect tournament to blood him in though.

Living in a country where there is an abundance of spinners, you get to study a few and watch how they grip the ball and at which point of their bowling arc they release the ball to impart the desired spin and flight. That’s what I watched for in Rashid, albeit on the telly like you I guess. I don't think he'll ever be able bowl his leggies with any bit of consistency. Watch Swann and for that matter Monty, whose consistent bowling action is also sadly his demise. He's too one-dimensional unlike Swann.

So take it from this fool, the Aussies will be licking their lips - and calling Rashid the greatest leg-spinner on earth - till after the Ashes.

The Aussies were licking their lips at the prospect of facing Paul Harris as well.

Henry wrote:The Aussies were licking their lips at the prospect of facing Paul Harris as well.

So? Did they call him the leg spinning messiah like Shane is allegedly said to have done before the series?

Harris has picked up some big names


Wickets Inn Batsman Dismissal Runs

1-5 3rd Test v Ind at Cape Town, 2006/07 [1827]
1 KD Karthik c HM Amla 63
1 SR Tendulkar c JH Kallis 64
1 V Sehwag c M Ntini 40
1 Z Khan st +MV Boucher 1
3 R Dravid c & b 47
6-9 1st Test v Pak at Centurion, 2006/07 [1828]
3 Imran Farhat c AB de Villiers 68
3 Faisal Iqbal c HH Gibbs 9
3 Kamran Akmal c HH Gibbs 15
3 Danish Kaneria c HH Gibbs 23
10-11 3rd Test v Pak at Cape Town, 2006/07 [1830]
3 Kamran Akmal st +MV Boucher 6
3 Mohammad Asif c AG Prince 6
12-18 1st Test v Pak at Karachi, 2007/08 [1843]
2 Mohammad Hafeez c JH Kallis 34
2 Kamran Akmal lbw 42
2 Shoaib Malik st +MV Boucher 73
2 Salman Butt lbw 24
2 Umar Gul st +MV Boucher 12
4 Faisal Iqbal c JH Kallis 44
4 Kamran Akmal c +MV Boucher 9
19-23 2nd Test v Pak at Lahore, 2007/08 [1844]
2 Salman Butt c GC Smith 40
2 Kamran Akmal c GC Smith 52
2 Mohammad Asif c HM Amla 4
4 Kamran Akmal bowled 71
4 Inzamam-ul-Haq st +MV Boucher 3
24-24 1st Test v NZ at Johannesburg, 2007/08 [1846]
4 JDP Oram c A Nel 40
25-29 1st Test v WI at Port Elizabeth, 2007/08 [1856]
1 CH Gayle c JH Kallis 66
3 DJ Bravo c HH Gibbs 10
3 DJG Sammy lbw 3
3 JE Taylor c A Nel 22
3 DBL Powell bowled 6
30-30 2nd Test v WI at Cape Town, 2007/08 [1858]
3 RN Lewis c HM Amla 1
31-33 1st Test v Ind at Chennai, 2007/08 [1870]
2 W Jaffer c JH Kallis 73
2 SC Ganguly c +MV Boucher 24
2 VVS Laxman c & b 39
34-34 2nd Test v Ind at Ahmedabad, 2007/08 [1871]
3 A Kumble bowled 5
35-38 3rd Test v Ind at Kanpur, 2007/08 [1873]
2 Yuvraj Singh c AB de Villiers 32
2 MS Dhoni st +MV Boucher 32
2 S Sreesanth c AG Prince 29
4 V Sehwag c AG Prince 22
39-41 1st Test v Eng at Lord's, 2008 [1880]
1 IR Bell c & b 199
1 PD Collingwood c HM Amla 7
1 SCJ Broad bowled 76
42-43 3rd Test v Eng at Birmingham, 2008 [1883]
3 KP Pietersen c AB de Villiers 94
3 A Flintoff c HM Amla 2
44-46 4th Test v Eng at The Oval, 2008 [1885]
2 JM Anderson lbw 13
4 AJ Strauss c GC Smith 58
4 KP Pietersen c ND McKenzie 13
47-47 1st Test v BD at Bloemfontein, 2008/09 [1893]
2 Imrul Kayes c HM Amla 10
48-52 1st Test v Aus at Perth, 2008/09 [1899]
1 MJ Clarke c GC Smith 62
1 A Symonds c ND McKenzie 57
3 RT Ponting c +MV Boucher 32
3 A Symonds c GC Smith 37
3 BJ Haddin st +MV Boucher 94
53-53 2nd Test v Aus at Melbourne, 2008/09 [1902]
1 RT Ponting c HM Amla 101
54-57 3rd Test v Aus at Sydney, 2008/09 [1904]
1 MEK Hussey c JH Kallis 30
1 NM Hauritz c JP Duminy 41
1 PM Siddle lbw 23
3 MJ Clarke c HM Amla 41
58-60 1st Test v Aus at Johannesburg, 2008/09 [1910]
1 MJ North st +MV Boucher 117
3 PJ Hughes c AB de Villiers 75
3 MJ Clarke c JH Kallis 0
61-62 2nd Test v Aus at Durban, 2008/09 [1913]
1 RT Ponting c ND McKenzie 9
1 MJ Clarke bowled 3
63-71 3rd Test v Aus at Cape Town, 2008/09 [1916]
1 PJ Hughes lbw 33
1 SM Katich c I Khan 55
1 BJ Haddin lbw 42
3 PJ Hughes c JH Kallis 32
3 SM Katich c JP Duminy 54
3 BJ Haddin c JP Duminy 18
3 AB McDonald c AB de Villiers 68
3 PM Siddle c AB de Villiers 0
3 BW Hilfenhaus c AG Prince 12

Haddin seriously?

Harris is talentless- hope they bring Tahir in ASAP.

PlanetPakistan wrote:Harris is talentless

His record says otherwise... however ordinary he may look

yeah unfortunately he makes good use of what ever he has but its still quite boring to watch his bowl


The thing that i don't like about Monty is that he is AFRAID to take risks

I still admire Monty for his past accomplishments. (I was a bit of a Monty Whore on C4)


However, the frustration remains when you see him going in reverse in recent times.


Monty needs to transform these 'past accomplishments' into present ones. It's now going to be an uphill struggle due to Swann impressing and the ravings of Rashid. Also, the fact that there are other bowlers on the County circuit who might be thinking, "Hang on", I've done a lot this season, give me a go.

Final thought: Toss it up Monty.