The bowling is not quite as solid, and they haven't really shown the ability to run through the Aussies. I'm fairly high on Roach, Benn is the kind of player that traditionally gives the Aussies (and noone else) trouble, Bravo is solid enough and Rampaul is well, rubbish.
There seems to be few concerns in the Australian batting. I'd be keen to move Hussey to opener for the remainder of the summer. It seems to be the old ball that troubles him, though I could see him prolonging his career as an opening partner for Katich for the next four years. Without the move, I think he struggles to see out the summer. Watson has surprised the hell out of me with his bowling. North is the guy who for me doesn't see next summer in this lineup. He has played well to date, but his spin bowling is fairly pedestrian and as a batsman I'm not sure what he offered to keep the unlucky Brad Hodge away from test cricket.
Bowling is a shambles at the moment. Without getting to spin - the crux of this post - the pace attack is not looking particularly strong. Hilfenhaus when fit is leading the attack. Bollinger is the best left arm option in the country and then it's a big question mark. Mitchell (I'm Mitch now) Johnson somehow took 8 wickets in this test. I'm staggered by his 50 wicket calendar year - he is just awful. I'm going to try and plot his wicket balls through the year - I'll put money on 70% of these wickets coming from pies. And he's a giant vagina. The Captain sent me a message on Saturday along the lines of "Johnson has had a fight with his mummy this morning. Not allowed to bowl like a man." I laughed hysterically. Siddle has looked like a guy playing injured and then what's left? Sarfraz would potentially complement this group the best but what's he got to do? Watson is so much better with the ball at test level than I ever thought he would be.
Spin? When I watch Hauritz trundle in I ask one question. Honestly. Would Mark Waugh circa 1995 be Australia's first choice spinner? He's basically Nathan Hauritz in a pair of shades. I say fuck risk and throw Smith into the next test. If you believe he can bat 6, you can play four seamers at the WACA or at a lot of other grounds you can play Krez as well.
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You and I could talk the finer points all day but the fact is that the selectors would be jeopardising their positions if their selections failed. We couldn't have that now could we?
Johnson basically admitted that his mum's rantings caused him to bowl like a fucktard in the Ashes. Suck it up princess, life's tough, even tougher when you don't get paid a million bucks a year to play cricket for Australia. I find it hard to accept that a guy can be so mentally weak and play Test cricket for his country.
I cannot have Watson as a bowler in any team, in any form of the game. Every time I remotely entertain the idea, he'll come up with an over that stinks like ass. There was one in the one day series against India. On the Richter scale of ass-stink, it was off the chart. It made me want to have a massive power-yak.
I like your ideas. The guys you mentioned, North and Hauritz are good players but not great players. The don't have the X factor. Zazz, zork, call it what you will. There are not enough match winners in the side which is why I was so opposed to the sacking of Phil Hughes during the Ashes. People say "well Watson is doing quite well opening the batting". Wrong. The guy hasn't made a hundred yet, let alone a match winning hundred. That's what openers are supposed to do.
Clark has to play in Perth. I don't care who else plays, if he doesn't play, I think I'm about done with Australian cricket.
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