Pick your 16 Australian players for the 2013 Ashes Tour

[Jay]

fixed it up... thoughts? :)

Warner
Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Clarke
Doolan
Wade
Starc
Pattinson
Siddle
Lyon

12th= Johnson

Others: Cummins, Cowan, Paine, Bird

[BB67th]

Actually looking at their records, O'Keefe should get in ahead of Beer by a mile.

Both are around the same age, but O'Keefe averages 28 with the ball in FC while Beer averages 40.
Also Beer averages around 10 with the bat while O'Keefe averages around 25. O'Keefe has also captained the NSW team for a while now so has some leadership and international experience through a few T20Is.

And he must be on all of those Commonwealth Bank ads for a reason. He has to be taken to India as the second spinner!

[Nige]

fixed it up... thoughts? :)

Warner
Watson
Hughes
Khawaja
Clarke
Doolan
Wade
Starc
Pattinson
Siddle
Lyon

12th= Johnson

Others: Cummins, Cowan, Paine, Bird

Wouldn't have Lyon in there, but they need a spinner...

[Sapientia]

Actually looking at their records, O'Keefe should get in ahead of Beer by a mile.

Both are around the same age, but O'Keefe averages 28 with the ball in FC while Beer averages 40.
Also Beer averages around 10 with the bat while O'Keefe averages around 25. O'Keefe has also captained the NSW team for a while now so has some leadership and international experience through a few T20Is.

And he must be on all of those Commonwealth Bank ads for a reason. He has to be taken to India as the second spinner!

The thing is though lad, state performances don't always translate to international performances.

Averages don't indicate you're a good bowler either. Look at Thisara Perera's ODI average!

O'Keefe's pretty simple, round-arm loopy spin that turns enough. There's nothing extra about it, no 'incredibly loop,' no 'dustbowl turn' and no variation. Indian batsmen would have a field day against him.

Beery on the other hand gets excellent shape, probably the best genuine flighter of the ball in Australia and also changes his shape. He just does enough to make me confident that he could take the odd wicket for us, unlike O'Keefe who bowls like a Lehmann/Clarke hybrid. (Yes, I'm aware both those fellas have good test bowling records but it doesn't mean they were/are actually good!)

Pattinson was averaging like 32 in the FC cricket when he was picked, and look at him, just like some of the biggest failures have been the elite statistical options.

Of course, plenty of people with good averages thrive, I just don't believe SOK will be one of them. There's more to a players ability than numbers.

[Cookie311993]

Has Pat Cummins even returned from his injury yet? I don't think they will recall him with so little match fitness. I also believe they are crazy to adjust a side that had a rather successful test season. Jackson Bird would have to be the find of the season. Surprised he hasn't got more ODI games for Australia. Swings the white ball a fair bit, and look how a swinging ball affected us in the GABBA ODI match, which I was unfortunately.

Wade wont lose his spot basically because of his century in the last match. All this talk of Paine is correct but also wrong at the same time. Wade was always chasing after Paine. Left Tasmania cause he was stuck behind Paine. Paine was 2nd in line to Haddin when he had the gloves. Paine's unlucky run has really hampered his international career. As a batsman he has a very sound technique. Wouldn't expect him to be a keeper with that technique. Paine is more along the lines of AB Devilliers imo. both have amazing techniques. He is probably 2nd in line now due to Haddin getting injured.

Imo, Hilfenhaus is finished. He is getting along in age and a younger version has come along in big strides. Starc I don't believe is a test player just yet. Too much t20 may have affected his line and length between the styles. Bird and Lyon have 2 spots sealed. with Pattinson and Cummins battling injuries in their short national careers I think they may rotate.

Its sad to say but unfortunately Nathan Lyon is the best spinner we have available in Australia atm. For the first time since Warnie, the selector have stuck with a spinner long enough to prove themselves. I feel Lyon is still yet to prove himself though. Cricket Australia and the chairman of selectors see both Zampa and Boyce as the spin future for Australia. We cant deny it that ever since Warne, the Australian selectors have found a soft spot for leg spinners.

With Watson not bowling I feel that they may have a closer look at Henriques or Maxwell to replace Hussey. Henriques has batted good so far in the first class season

[Scrads]

Well according to this article:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/australia/phillip-hughes-set-to-miss-final-three-odis-against-wests-indies-to-begin-preparing-for-india-report/story-fn2mcu3x-1226563304336?from=public_rss#.UQX3yr-yDYc

The squad we take over is going to include all of Hughes, Siddle, Lyon, Pattinson and Bird. Not that there are any surprises there.

[Kellogscrunchynut]

1.Warner
2.Cowan
3.Hughes
4.Watson
5.Clarke
6.Khawaja
7.Wade
8.Pattinson
9.Starc
10.Siddle
11.Lyon

12.Maxwell

Paine, Johnson, Cummins, Hussey

[tbagrocks]

Why rest Hughes for three games :o keep him in form maybe ???

[BB67th]

Why rest Hughes for three games :o keep him in form maybe ???

Exactly, why does this rotation policy need to extend to batsmen? This is cricket not rugby which is all that Pat Howard knows about.

[Tominator]

TOMINATOR'S ASHES XVI (what it should be)

Dave Warner
Shane Watson
Phil Hughes
Michael Clarke
Usman Khawaja
Shaun Marsh
Matthew Wade
Mitchell Johnson
Peter Siddle
James Pattinson
Nathan Lyon

Reserves:
Mitchell Starc (12th Man)
Jackson Bird
Pat Cummins
Dave Hussey
Stephen O'Keefe

NOTE - As much as I like Paine, if we need a second keeper we can use Hughes. But Paine should keep in the ODIs and/or T20s, he needs to be playing for Aus at some capacity


JOHN INVERARITY'S ASHES XVI (what it will be)

Dave Warner
Ed Cowan
Phil Hughes
Shane Watson
Michael Clarke
Matthew Wade
Glenn Maxwell (I hate him but the selectors love him)
Mitchell Starc
Jackson Bird
Peter Siddle
Nathan Lyon

Reserves:
James Pattinson (but Pat Howard will do his most to keep him out)
Usman Khawaja
Mitchell Johnson
Brad Haddin (if they take two keepers)
Steve Smith

[fidou]

Why rest Hughes for three games :o keep him in form maybe ???

He's going to India early to acclimatise as he has never toured India before.

[Sapientia]

TOMINATOR'S ASHES XVI (what it should be)

Dave Warner
Shane Watson
Phil Hughes
Michael Clarke
Usman Khawaja
Shaun Marsh
Matthew Wade
Mitchell Johnson
Peter Siddle
James Pattinson
Nathan Lyon

Hurr Durr 5 openers in the top 6.

People need to realise.

*opening the batting is very different from batting at 4 or 6*

SERIOUSLY. You don't take the best 6 batsmen, you take the 6 batsmen who form the best and most cohesive batting unit.

And 5 fellas whose game lends to opening the batting cannot form that.

Khawaja should not bat anywhere but top 3. He's an awful middle order bat in the way he plays. Marsh should only be top 4. Watson either opening or 7, Warner opening or 5, Hughes top 3. But no more than 3 of them. You can't have 5 openers in a team.

Plus, Marsh still needs to regain his place in his state's proper (4 day) cricket side.

[Clyde Frog]

TOMINATOR'S ASHES XVI (what it should be)

Dave Warner
Shane Watson
Phil Hughes
Michael Clarke
Usman Khawaja
Shaun Marsh
Matthew Wade
Mitchell Johnson
Peter Siddle
James Pattinson
Nathan Lyon

Reserves:
Mitchell Starc (12th Man)
Jackson Bird
Pat Cummins
Dave Hussey
Stephen O'Keefe

You have got that spot on, my thoughts exactly. I guarantee that Shaun Marsh will play Test cricket at some stage in 2013.

Hurr Durr 5 openers in the top 6.

People need to realise.

*opening the batting is very different from batting at 4 or 6*

SERIOUSLY. You don't take the best 6 batsmen, you take the 6 batsmen who form the best and most cohesive batting unit.

And 5 fellas whose game lends to opening the batting cannot form that.

YES, you do take the best 6 batsman and you make them fit, that's is why they're the best because they can adapt and as Justin Langer said on Inside Cricket last night; any opening batsman should be able to adapt to batting inside the top 6.

[FisherSaints]

Could play Hussey and Maxwell and not need to play Lyon

[FisherSaints]

Or play Doherty, I'm liking him in the shorter forms (is that what he's focusing on?)