Unbelievable. Just fucking mind-boggling. To be dusted off like that, going down without a whimper...I'm fumbling for words. I didn't ever think it would ever be possible for an Australian team to ever lose an Adelaide Test ever, but I was horribly wrong. And so, here come the changes for Perth. I personally wouldn't be going nuts with the changes. After musing over all things Ashes via e-mail with the Professor, who is calling for wholesale changes, here's what I finally decided I would do, somewhat more conservatively:
"Starting at the top, well, the Kat is out of the series so we need a new opener. I keep Watson there for some stability at the top, our openers haven't really been the main problem anyway. I don't entirely trust Hughes but he deserves another go, and there's no-one else really knocking on the door. Maybe Marsh, but I don't trust him more than I don't trust Hughes. I leave Ponting at 3 but strip him of the captaincy immediately, and see if that gets him back to being focused on his batting. Clarke slides down the order, he's too irresponsible at 4, I just cannot trust him there. But you can't really have him anywhere other than at 5 with North/preferably someone else at 6. So it will be Hussey at 4, and captain by default. You know who's form with the bat is as good as anyone in the country this season? Ronald McDonald. Averaging 93 with the bat through 4 matches, including 3 centuries. And he's far more useful with the ball than North. It's a different change-up too with Haddin up to the stumps. That would also keep Watson from bowling too many overs and he can focus on the batting as well. So I fuck North off for Ronnie. That gives you Hughes, Watson, Ponting, Hussey (C), Clarke, McDonald, Haddin. You know what? It's humble pie time; bring back Hauritz. We don't clearly don't have anyone who's better/anyone else who's ready for Test match cricket against a strong English batting line-up, plus he bolsters our own piss-weak batting line-up. Hilf and Harris, in form, are your top two paceman in the country without a doubt. I'm still stunned they dropped the Hilf, but that's the loyalty of the selectors..."we know you've easily been our best bowler for two years, but you just didn't get it right in that Gabba Test"...Fuckers. Siddle concerns me in that he can bowl superbly for a couple of spells and then fades away alarmingly. His first innings at the Gabba was brilliant, and he's just given nothing since. And it's not just in this series that I've noticed it; it's like he can only fire up sporadically. The time is definitely right for some new blood in the bowling stocks. I bring two of the handful of promising youngsters from the domestic scene into the 13 man squad and give Siddle one more chance to fire up, and stay fired up, knowing that the youngsters are right there if he doesn't."
I'd be happy with those changes, they're all realistic except I'm pretty sure Punter will never stand down as captain, and the selectors won't change the captaincy mid-series. Besides, that wouldn't give him the chance to complete his Final Frontier...
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