Ashes Series 2021-22

It's nine months away still (scheduled to start on Wednesday the 8th of December, I've been told, but I'm thinking it has to be Thursday the 9th) but not too soon to think about how the two teams might look. Both teams have come off demoralising losses to India although (potential bias admitted) I think that Australia's losses were not so devastating. A home series is always helpful to winning chances, too, so I think Australia will start as favourites.

There surely will be many changes to both sides, and there's not much cricket for either of them between now and then to influence team selection.

AUSTRALIA:

01. Warner (much as I hate the thought, I think he's a certainty at home)
02. ANOTHER - but who? Renshaw, Harris, Burns, Bancroft, Khawaja, Marsh S or a fresh face? **
03. Labuschagne
04. Smith
05. Green
06. ANOTHER - Head? Handscomb? Renshaw? Patterson? Wade? I think this position is wide open
07. Paine (Carey the obvious shadow, and starting to make serious FC runs)
08. Cummins
09. Hazlewood
10. Lyon
11. Starc / Pattinson / Agar / Zampa / Abbott / Boland / Conway depending on conditions, rotation.
(I think Bird must have had his file marked, and Sayers has markedly declined)

** opportunities for Hunt and Street, perhaps even Weatherald although I think that's unlikely.

So you've given up on Pucovski?

lardbucket wrote:It's nine months away still (scheduled to start on Wednesday the 8th of December, I've been told, but I'm thinking it has to be Thursday the 9th) but not too soon to think about how the two teams might look.  Both teams have come off demoralising losses to India although (potential bias admitted) I think that Australia's losses were not so devastating.  A home series is always helpful to winning chances, too, so I think Australia will start as favourites.

There surely will be many changes to both sides, and there's not much cricket for either of them between now and then to influence team selection.

AUSTRALIA:

01. Warner (much as I hate the thought, I think he's a certainty at home)
02. ANOTHER - but who? Renshaw, Harris, Burns, Bancroft, Khawaja, Marsh S or a fresh face? **
03. Labuschagne
04. Smith
05. Green
06. ANOTHER - Head? Handscomb? Renshaw? Patterson? Wade? I think this position is wide open
07. Paine (Carey the obvious shadow, and starting to make serious FC runs)
08. Cummins
09. Hazlewood
10. Lyon
11. Starc / Pattinson / Agar / Zampa / Abbott / Boland / Conway depending on conditions, rotation.
(I think Bird must have had his file marked, and Sayers has markedly declined)

** opportunities for Hunt and Street, perhaps even Weatherald although I think that's unlikely.

Puck?

WideWally wrote:So you've given up on Pucovski?

... for the moment - hasn't he just had surgery?

Can't see him playing again this season. Perhaps if he gets away to a flier at the start of next season ....

lardbucket wrote:
AUSTRALIA:
11. Starc / Pattinson / Agar / Zampa / Abbott / Boland / Conway depending on conditions, rotation.
(I think Bird must have had his file marked, and Sayers has markedly declined)

seriously?!?!  

Hopefully Puke recovers from surgery well and gets some early season runs next summer. If so, he'll be GCS's opening partner.

At 5 or 6 Head is good enough but just has a ridiculous penchant for throwing his wicket away. There's no time to unearth another Green so I'd be going with him. Contrary to your musing re: Kurtis Patterson, maybe he can finish the current season well and be in the frame for a middle order spot come next summer.

The bowling picks itself except for Koo. I'd go with James Pattinson.

lardbucket wrote:There surely will be many changes to both sides, and there's not much cricket for either of them between now and then to influence team selection.

Not much cricket? We’ve got 7 home Tests against the top two sides in the world...

Best guess at this stage:

Burns (or AN Other county form pick)
Sibley (as above)
Crawley (could also open, but then we need to find another #3 - if the top three all perform poorly it could be three new/recycled names anyway!)
Root* (a certainty at last, injury permitting)
Stokes (too high? Well, there’s not too many banging the door down to bat above him.)
Pope/Lawrence (both need a good summer to cement places, and not to be hung out to dry at number 3)
Buttler+ (batting X-factor will get him the nod over Foakes, away from the subcontinent)
Archer (long tail, I know, but can only see first-choice attack in Australia being him and...)
Leach
Broad
Anderson

Rest of the squad - Wood and Stone will go, if fit, for pace options. Foakes obviously as backup keeper. Woakes as “balance of the side” option. And a top order batting cover and backup spinner (definitely up for grabs).

"We're doomed I tell you - DOOMED!!"

Well yeah, winning away against decent opposition in conditions you’re not really suited to is near impossible these days.

We’ll no doubt go “horses for courses” and end up like Gordon Elliott.

Puke had shoulder surgery so 'he would be right' for the Ashes

beamer wrote:Well yeah, winning away against decent opposition in conditions you’re not really suited to is near impossible these days.

We’ll no doubt go “horses for courses” and end up like Gordon Elliott.

We're assured of going "horses for courses" and picking donkeys like Khawaja and Mitch Marsh.

Neser and J Richardson are other bowling options

skully wrote:

beamer wrote:Well yeah, winning away against decent opposition in conditions you’re not really suited to is near impossible these days.

We’ll no doubt go “horses for courses” and end up like Gordon Elliott.

We're assured of going "horses for courses" and picking donkeys like Khawaja and Mitch Marsh.

Flogging dead horses, not just sitting on them...

If Warner and Smith play IPL instead of Shield they will commence in rubbish red ball form.

The IPL is in April and May

They should play Shield before the Ashes

embee wrote:The IPL is in April and May

They should play Shield before the Ashes

how many Shield games can we fixture after we get unceremoniously bundled out of the T20I World Cup?

horace wrote:If Warner and Smith play IPL instead of Shield they will commence in rubbish red ball form.

So the former might not even average 9 against Broad?

Will Broad be effective in Australia in 2021-22? If in the squad?

lardbucket wrote:Will Broad be effective in Australia in 2021-22? If in the squad?

If Warner’s playing he will be

Warner's much more at home at home though, isn't he?

Besides, it's batsmen England need to find. Root can't haul them out of the fire virtually on his own.

And it's not much use bundling the other side out for under 200 if you yourselves get skittled for 100.

PeterCS wrote:Root can't haul them out of the fire virtually on his own.

No, he won’t take 5 for 8 too often in Perth...

PeterCS wrote:Warner's much more at home at home though, isn't he?

Yes. He is utter rubbish when he has to have a passport.

Broad will not get his favoured dial-it-up pitches here.

He lacks the stomach for long spells in unfavourable conditions.

Australia would welcome his selection.

I'd like to see him come just to watch his attitude as a 12th man. He's never bowled well here and I doubt he'll make the best XI for England in Australia in 21-22.