It ain't over till Mata sings

[SilentBob]

[quote author=Matabele link=topic=179000.msg204719#msg204719 date=1230672091]
I agree that they'll persist with Hayden until after the Ashes.  They can't afford to go to England with only Ponting in the top 6 having played there previously.

Katich and Clarke played in the last ashes over there but didn't do very well. 
[/quote]

Hussey and Jaques are quite familiar with the conditions, both have a crap load of County runs to their names.

 

[Fro]

Hayden will be punted if he doesnt score many in Sydney.

Jaques will then be bought in to tour SA and the ashes after that.

Ronald McDonald better enjoy his stint in the baggy green, he is in the right place at the right time, but will be lucky to play 10 tests in his career, good luck to him, he's the last man standing, although as has been mentioned Dave Hussey could feel agrieved to not get the allrounders job, particularly as its in Sydney

 

[Kiwi Eagle]

I agree that they'll persist with Hayden until after the Ashes.  They can't afford to go to England with only Ponting in the top 6 having played there previously.

The majority would have played County cricket wouldn't they ?

Haydens record in England is average from memory. I do recall massive pressure on him last tour and he made a very, very slow century to save his skin

 

[willstyles]

Hayden has earnt the right to go out on his own terms and that deserves to be when he is in better form.. Hayden will come out the other side of this. I'm not giving up on him yet. He's been stiff on a couple of decisions been run out a couple of times lately and all of a sudden he's under pressure. He'll be right. I expect him to bounce back and retire after a successful ashes tour.

Ludicrous!! Ian Healy, Mark Waugh, Bill Lawry...they didn't get the romantic send off, despite all having superb careers in the baggy green. I don't even think Captain Grumpy was given that opportunity, so why should Hayden's atrocious form be carried? At 37 he's only ever going to decline, but he refuses to go. In reality we all realise this team is one in transition, we need to get the new blood in now - and that means Hayden should not be in the XI. Nothing more needs to be said about it.

As for Ronnie Mac - that was a selection from left field. He's a good kid, and very likable, but you have to think he's a step below Test selection. His batting is probably his strength, and he looked totally at sea against the short ball today - and only has two bloody 100s to his name in his entire first class career! It's a bit much to ask him to step up and do it in Test match cricket against either the best or second best nation in the world! Would've been better off bringing in a batsman. The SCG loves to take a bit of spin, so I think we'll be better served by Hauritz/Katich/Clarke than whatever overs Macdonald sends down.... Good luck to him though. He's always smiling, and apparently sentimentality is more important than winning to this current Aussie team and the fans....

 

[Guest]

Ronald McDonald better enjoy his stint in the baggy green, he is in the right place at the right time, but will be lucky to play 10 tests in his career, good luck to him, he's the last man standing, although as has been mentioned Dave Hussey could feel agrieved to not get the allrounders job, particularly as its in Sydney

Fro you put an extra 0 on the the number of tests that McDonald will play.  He won't play any more after this one as Symonds will be back and Dussey is a better option.  or even Martin north.  At least these guys can bat unlike McDonald.

 

[Fro]

probably right Tooks, especially after yesterdays effort.

and Will, Andrew Hilditch would have still been picking all those players, Trevor Hohns was the one punted those guys.

the selectors are a large part of the problems of the moment.

 

[Fluffy]

true, as much as i like seeing another NSW player make the sidie in Bollinger i still think Hilfenhaus should have played. He needs to be given a chance prior to the ashes tour as we need a swing bowler, maybe they could have brought both in and dropped Piddle.

The best side for the Ashes tour would have to be

Jaques
Hughes
Ponting (lives in Sydney now)
Katich
Clarke
Henriquez (allrounder)
Haddin
Lee
Hauritz
Clark
Bollinger

 

[willstyles]

I'd have Krejza (originally a Blue) ahead of Hauritz.

Fro - I think it was Bradman who punted Lawry (didn't even give him a call to let him know or anything, very cold was Sir Don....). Not sure who would've been around to punt AB? He definitely cut Junior and Heals though.

I think Trevor Hohns copped a lot of punishment from fans during his time as Chairman, but as you point out he did make some fairly tough/controversial and mostly positive decisions. The bottom line is that Hayden is no longer the best option to open the batting for Australia and is only holding back the most talented young bat to come into the team since Punter.

 

[Fro]

well yes obviously Hohns wasn't in the seat for Lawry

Krejza leaks runs which is ok while someone is stopping runs at the other end, unfortunately our quicks are rubbish at the moment.

He's a wicket taker though, which is what we need

 

[willstyles]

Yep. He goes for runs, but that's because he is always searching for the next wicket. He's a positive cricketer, and that's what I like about him.

Haha, and I wasn't suggesting it was Hohns who punted Lawry, just pointing out that Hohns wasn't the only bloke who had the balls to cut legends of the game. Letting a bloke plod along for the romantic notion that he deserves the dream farewell....it's not something Australia has ever really accepted, so we shouldn't have to put up with it now.

Time to go Haydo.

 

[Fro]

although Steve Waugh started the recent fascination with farewell games (or series)

And Langer/Warne/McGrath perfected it last season.

and it shouldnt be tolerated.

but 100% correct that Haydens past time.

 

[nodd]

Yep. He goes for runs, but that's because he is always searching for the next wicket. He's a positive cricketer, and that's what I like about him.

Haha, and I wasn't suggesting it was Hohns who punted Lawry, just pointing out that Hohns wasn't the only bloke who had the balls to cut legends of the game. Letting a bloke plod along for the romantic notion that he deserves the dream farewell....it's not something Australia has ever really accepted, so we shouldn't have to put up with it now.

Time to go Haydo.

As much as I support Haydos(GREAT QLD'ER  8)) even if he gets a double ton in the 2nd dig it may be a good time to call it quits.

Hughes(never seen him play) sounds like a good option, even if he is blooded until Jaques returns from injury. Jaques is still the best option when not injured.

 

[Matabele]

Australia's fast bowling stocks must be thin if they've had to resort to picking blokes with double chins.