I had assumed after his disastrous series against NZ that Compton would be the one to miss out with the return of KP with Root pushed up to open. He’s unbeaten on 139 overnight against Durham in his first knock since though, so he might leave the selectors with a decision to make. It’s effectively a straight choice between him and Bairstow for the last batting spot, with Root filling whichever slot is left open.
Clarke’s back is playing up again. They’ll do everything to get him out there you’d imagine. Their batting line-up looks bad enough with him in it.
Compton will definitely play the first test. Have Australia signed up that Pakistani spinner yet? The Punter got a big score for Surrey the other day, wonder will he get the call if Clarke is dodgy? Chris Rogers got a big ton for Middlesex yesterday as well. Cowan got 47 for Notts.
Wouldn’t be so sure about Compton. Bairstow would definitely have been favourite to get the nod of him before today. It’s hard to convey just how bad Compton was in those two Tests, looked absolutely awful. I’d suppose the two centuries he got out there will count in his favour. Tough one to call at the moment.
The Aussies seemed to be trying to rush some kind of citizenship law through before the end of their parliamentary session to make that Pakistani guy eligible. It’s all rather unedifying. Punter gave an interview on arrival in England where he basically said he’d love to get the call. He rowed back on that when he saw how much coverage it got, but there is absolutely no doubt he’d love it and I’d imagine it’s the main reason he took a contract with Surrey. He was banging the runs in for Tasmania in the Shield too. I’d say he would have hung on in there if he knew Hussey was about to retire. They probably would have stuck with Punter until after the Ashes if they knew they were going to be losing all that experience in one go.
[quote=“braz83, post: 782392, member: 390”]Wouldn’t be so sure about Compton. Bairstow would definitely have been favourite to get the nod of him before today. It’s hard to convey just how bad Compton was in those two Tests, looked absolutely awful. I’d suppose the two centuries he got out there will count in his favour. Tough one to call at the moment.
The Aussies seemed to be trying to rush some kind of citizenship law through before the end of their parliamentary session to make that Pakistani guy eligible. It’s all rather unedifying. Punter gave an interview on arrival in England where he basically said he’d love to get the call. He rowed back on that when he saw how much coverage it got, but there is absolutely no doubt he’d love it and I’d imagine it’s the main reason he took a contract with Surrey. He was banging the runs in for Tasmania in the Shield too. I’d say he would have hung on in there if he knew Hussey was about to retire. They probably would have stuck with Punter until after the Ashes if they knew they were going to be losing all that experience in one go.[/quote]
I would concur with all of that.
If we can get at least 2 of the middle order to click at the same time you just never know. I honestly think the Aussie attack will surprise quite a few this summer, the only problem is their attack on paper should cut through the Aussie batting line up with aplomb, especially in tailored favourable conditions.
I’d never ever write off Australia entering an Ashes series however. If Punter was to come back it would be a game changer.
Warner threw a punch at Root in a nightclub in Birmingham after the Champions Trophy game on Saturday. Apparently Root was wearing a wig as a beard, Warner took this as an impersonation of Hashim Amla and took umbrage with it. Took the wig off him, and when Root asked for it back he threw a punch at him. All very strange. He was left out of the team for the NZ game today, seems like they are considering whether to send him home altogether. Following in the footsteps of his Twitter outburst at the journalist a few weeks ago, it seems like it’s getting harder to keep him under control. Not exactly like his form is good enough at the moment to justify putting up with the trouble either.
Flintoff has a series about Ashes legends on 5 live. Last night an extended interview with Boycott about his career. Last week the England bowlers talking about 2005. Not a bad listen.
Warner banned by Cricket Australia for the rest of the Champions Trophy and the warm-up games for the Ashes, but eligible for selection in the Ashes. Given his shit form and the fact that he can’t play the warm-ups, you’d bet against him being in the team for the first Test. That would mean either Watson going back to open, or more likely Chris Rogers to come in at the top. He’s been banging the runs in for Middlesex this year.
The statistics tell their own story. Bar the home series 4-0 whitewash of India 18 months ago, its a tale of steady decline. Here’s all his test stats for the last 2 and a half years:
In his last series before retirement against South Africa a paltry 32 runs at an average of 6.40, posting scores of 0 4 16 4 & 8.
[SIZE=3][FONT=arial]Prior to that in the Caribbean in April/May 2012 he scored 146 runs at an average of 24.33 - scores of 4, 14, 7, 41, 23 & 57[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=arial]In the 4-0 home rout of India in December 2011/January 2012 he was in very good form scoring 554 runs at an average of 108.00 - scores of 62, 60, 134, 7, 221, 60[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=arial]At home to New Zealand in December 2011, he scored 99 runs at an average of 33.00 - scores of 78, 5 & 16[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=arial]In South Africa in November 2011 he scored 70 runs at an average of 17.50 - scores of 8 0 0 & 62[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=arial]In Sri Lanka in August/September 2011 he scored 124 runs at an average of 31.00 - scores of 44, 4, 48, 28[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=arial]In the Ashes in Australia November 2010 to January 2011, Ponting scored 113 runs at an average of 16.14 - scores of 10, 51, 0, 9, 12, 1, 10, 20 [/FONT][/SIZE]
That’s pretty much what I’m saying, not saying he’s anything like the player he was. I reckon he’s better than Cowan, Watson and whoever will bat at six too. I’d be fairly confident his experience and natural confidence would be welcomed in their dressing room at the moment too.
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]ENGLAND great Ian Botham says rain is probably the only thing stopping Australia being beaten 10-0 in back-to-back Ashes series this year.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]As Australia flopped to a 48-run loss to England in the Champions Trophy, Botham said there was a yawning gap between the talent in the two teams.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]“I could do a Glenn McGrath and predict a 5-0 whitewash for us - but I’m not daft enough to do that,” Botham said.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]“They’re crap all right. It’s just that in England there’s every chance we’ll get some rain. In fact,” Botham adds, “given that we’ve got back-to-back Ashes series between now and January, if we get a good summer - and you rarely lose too many days to rain in Australia - make that 10-0. I’m serious. Why not? I think we’re that much better.”[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]Botham questioned the direction of the Australian team under coach Mickey Arthur.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]“They don’t look much like the hard-as-nails cricketers I used to know,” he said. "This business of their coach setting them homework made me laugh out loud, almost as much as that previous coach banging on about Chinese warlords.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]"Maybe they’ve been playing so badly because the players are confused by all this stuff. And if so, good. I’m just glad I played in the pre-bullshit era, when grown men were allowed, by and large, to go away on tour for months on end and be treated like grown men and not schoolboys.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]"We didn’t need to be told what we had to do to become better players and as long as we performed when it mattered we were left to prepare pretty much as we liked within reason.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]"Homework? Do me a favour. I never did that when I was at school, never mind when I was playing cricket. And ice baths? What’s that all about? Bowlers used to bowl all day, then wind down with half a dozen pints and a curry. And they stayed a damn sight fitter than the modern lot.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]“I’m a bit like Shane Warne on coaches. You can learn a bit from them, sure, and the game is far more professional now than in my day. But I learnt more from sitting down over a post-match beer with Lillee and Marsh than I ever would have from a coach and it’s a shame that kind of mixing with the opposition really doesn’t happen any more.”[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]Botham said England was more experienced, more talented and in better shape.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]“Australia will be tougher than they look on paper, because they’re born fighters, but not only are they struggling to keep a fast bowler on the field for more than one game at a time, losing (Ricky) Ponting and (Mike) Hussey has left a gaping hole in the batting,” he said.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]"They’re relatively inexperienced, which is a big minus coming to a place like England, and when I hear things like, ‘Phillip Hughes has a much better technique than when he was last here’, I think, ‘Well, that wouldn’t be hard’.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]“And if Michael Clarke continues to struggle with his back, then yes, 5-0 is definitely on the cards. It’s not just his batting, either. He thinks a bit more out of the box than England’s captain, which is probably Warnie’s influence.”[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]Some people, including the editor of Wisden, have voiced concerns that back-to-back series will remove some of the magic from the Ashes. Botham is a non-subscriber to the theory.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=14px][FONT=Arial]“If it’s tight, people will be glued to it and it’ll be the same if we’re thrashing them. And in Australia it won’t have anything to do with the number of games in a row but whether they’re winning,” he said.[/FONT][/SIZE]
Mickey Arthur’s been sacked by Australia, with 16 days until the first test. Can this joke of a set up get any worse? Thankfully Darren Lehmann appears to be the replacement, he’s already there coaching the A side.
[quote=“Fitzy, post: 791385, member: 236”]Mickey Arthur’s been sacked by Australia, with 16 days until the first test. Can this joke of a set up get any worse? Thankfully Darren Lehmann appears to be the replacement, he’s already there coaching the A side.
