Johnnie Walker Super Series

[MWaugh]

The thing is, no team has succeeded in scoring big against australia in the first 10-15 overs. India has done it sometimes, pak. once or twice. Those are the crucial overs and because of Aussie bowling quality it is not easy. We will need experienced cricketers up that order in ODI's and there can't be anything better than seeing Sachin-Lara as openers. Both have performed wonderfully well against Aussies and others, especially sachin up the order.
Taking afridi will be a gamble, but if he continues his form it can well be a good choice. I also see a possibililty of kaif in the squad atleast, just for his fielding that match and sometimes better the Aussies. HIs batting too is in some sort of form.

We have to wait for couple of months to see clearly who will be in the squad.

i wouldnt bank on lara being a good ODI opener. i would rather go with shewag and tendulkar. afridi is a great talent but hes just to unpredicatable. he would be better at 6 or 7 because i think he is a great OD player. but risking him at opener is a bit of a gamble. only because shewag and tendulkar are proven at that level.

 

[DeLonge182]

No need to explain about this series as such as most of you would be knowing bout it .

Well its about another 6-7 months away why not we start to decide as to who should be in the Rest team.

Remember its the BEST V/S the REST

TEST TEAM :

V.Sehwag
G.Smith (looks the other best opener around in Test)
R.Dravid
S.Tendulkar
J.Kallis
V.V.S.Laxman (horses for corses)
K.Sangakkara (best Test keeper other than Gilli around)
S.Pollock
S.Harmission (on his sheer wicket tacking ability)
M.Murlitharan \A.Kumble (depending whom do u want for the situation)
S.Akhtar (on his match winning performances in Aussie land )
A.Strauss (12 th man )





ODI TEAM :

V.Sehwag
S.Tendulkar
J.Kallis
R.Dravid
Inzamam
A.Flintoff
M.S.Dhoni ( for his ODI exploits and batting talent)
S.Pollock
A.Razzak
H.Streak
M.Murlitharan
D.Vettori (12 th man )



What do you all have to say . Post ur teams with reasons.

laxman.......................WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he sucks against everbody except australia, wait this is against australia??????????intreging selection still

how can u say G Smith is better than strauss!!!!! Smith sucked balls aginst england and u say our attack sucks, please explain that one to me!!!

 

[ravigoteti]

Strauss has played few matches dude, he can't be a great player...he's just another promising batsman, nothing else. Smith has played better, atleast more matches. Smith is very defensive and i doubt his skills against australia, i think vaughan would be a good choice.

 

[DeLonge182]

Strauss has played few matches dude, he can't be a great player...he's just another promising batsman, nothing else. Smith has played better, atleast more matches. Smith is very defensive and i doubt his skills against australia, i think vaughan would be a good choice.

Smiths technique sucks, struass looks a much better player.............he won the game for england in the icc champions trophy match between eng and aus (after vaughan was dismissed knowing eng, anything could have happened). There the best bowlers in the world...................smith on the other hand played terribly against eng in the recent test series and he hasn't played aus. They would sort that technique of his out!!!!

 

[MWaugh]

while smith and strauss are REALLY yet to totally prove themselves at the top of world cricket, i would look to even play vaughn next to shewag at opener. vaughn proved to be the best england batsman and one of the best in the series last ashes series out in australia. his consolidated approach and shewags fireworks may prove exciting and difficult to dismiss. just a thought but i think its pretty logical. what do you guys think?

 

[jwalit_s]

I would pick Strauss in front of Smith, based on form and Strauss also has a better technique than Smith....

Test Side:
V. Sehwag
A. Strauss
R. Dravid
B. Lara
I. Ul-Haq (c)
J. Kallis
K. Sangakarra (wk)
D. Vettori
C. Vaas
S. Harmisson
M. Muralitharan/Harbhajan (if Murali's not fit)

12th man: could be anyone, doesn't really matter. My choice to include 2 spinners is the fact that the Test is a 6-day test and plus its at the SCG, so spinners will have an advantage and Vettori is the natural choice after Muralitharan considering Australian's weakness against Left-arm tweakers...

ODI:

V. Sehwag
S. Afridi
B. Lara
R. Dravid
I. Ul-Haq (c)
J. Kallis
A. Flintoff
K. Sangakarra (wk)
S. Pollock
C. Vaas
M. Muraliatharan / Harbhajan (again on fitness)

My policy in ODI's is that quicker the better (for the batsman that is), so I have decided against picking out and out quick bowlers and gone for medium-pacers who use swing/line and length as their main weapons and plus their are plenty of bowlers in the side.....so the 5th bowler option is never a problem and also have Afridi and Sehwag as back-ups for Murali (or Bhajji).

 

[sachin]

SACHIN!!!!!not picking sachin is blasphamy!LOL

 

[ronny_kingsley]

I would pick Strauss in front of Smith, based on form and Strauss also has a better technique than Smith....

Test Side:
V. Sehwag
A. Strauss
R. Dravid
B. Lara
I. Ul-Haq (c)
J. Kallis
K. Sangakarra (wk)
D. Vettori
C. Vaas
S. Harmisson
M. Muralitharan/Harbhajan (if Murali's not fit)

12th man: could be anyone, doesn't really matter. My choice to include 2 spinners is the fact that the Test is a 6-day test and plus its at the SCG, so spinners will have an advantage and Vettori is the natural choice after Muralitharan considering Australian's weakness against Left-arm tweakers...

ODI:

V. Sehwag
S. Afridi
B. Lara
R. Dravid
I. Ul-Haq (c)
J. Kallis
A. Flintoff
K. Sangakarra (wk)
S. Pollock
C. Vaas
M. Muraliatharan / Harbhajan (again on fitness)

My policy in ODI's is that quicker the better (for the batsman that is), so I have decided against picking out and out quick bowlers and gone for medium-pacers who use swing/line and length as their main weapons and plus their are plenty of bowlers in the side.....so the 5th bowler option is never a problem and also have Afridi and Sehwag as back-ups for Murali (or Bhajji).

I think you r still at school level as far as cricketing acumen or knowledge is concerned .

Missed out on Sachin,Kumble,Pollock.This are certainties.

Just guessing r u a Pakistani ????????

 

[nightprowler10]

Just guessing r u a Pakistani ????????

Seeing as how he only included Inzi in both squads and no other Pakistani other than Afridi made either squads, I'm assuming he isn't a biased Pakistani.

you can't have kaneria as a good option. Now, i have nothing against him, he is a good bowler. But you need a proven bowler, like kumble/bhajji. Both of them are in good form in tests and would definitely make it, its an automatic selection when it comes to spinners. Its murali and one of bhajji/kumble. I think kumble will get in because you need the leg/off spin combinations.

Batting will be tough because only few players get in automatically. Sachin, Lara, Dravid, Sehwag, Kallis...are sure one's. They are proven players and have fabulous record against Aus. Youhana might get into the team instead of imzi, for the latter was not that good against Aus. Fleming might get into, and as captain as well.
For wicket-keeping batsman, you have Jones, Sangakarra or may be Boucher or even Dhoni.

Sachin's avg against Aus is 53, and IN Aus is 54. Lara's is 51 against Aus and 40.1 in Aus. Laxman's is 52.3 against Aus and 60 in Aus. Sehwag's is 51 against Aus and 58 in Aus. Inzamam's is 35 against Aus and 34 in Aus. Yousuf Youhana's is 30~ against Aus and 29 in Aus. Ganguly's is 38 in Aus and 33 against australia. Fleming's avg is 28 against Aus. Dravid's is 60 something. Vaughan's is 63 against Aus!.
Chanderpaul's is 42 against and in Aus. Kallis has avg of 32 against aus and 41 in Aus.

Bowling:

Kumble has an avg of 27 against Aus, while murali has 31.2. Bhajji has 24.2, kaneria has 42.2, vettori's is 33.5.
For bowling, pathan has 72!, khan has 40, akthar (don't know if he'll play or not) avgs 36, Hamirson is new.., pollock has 27 (finally), Ntini has 50, and Vaas has 30. So we have a strong spin attack and a weak pace attack.

for bowling, hamirson pollock and vaas look good. Pathan/Khan have a chance but its going to be a tough competition. For spin, its clear. Murali, Kumble and Bhajji will fight out for those two posts. Batting too is clear but now..its all upt ICC to decide. lol

Just to state facts:

Kaneria against Aus. in Aus. (test matches only):

Mat O R W BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 5 10
3 149.2 560 15 7/188 8/204 37.33 3.75 59.7 2 0

Kumble with the same filter:

Mat O R W BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 5 10
6 352.3 1160 29 8/141 12/279 40.00 3.29 72.9 3 1

Bhajji with the same filter (its just one match though):

Mat O R W BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 5 10
1 35 169 1 1/101 1/169 169.00 4.82 210.0 0 0

In bold are averages.

So, in short, either Kumble or Kaneria would be a good choice, Bhajji isn't experienced enough down under so he hasn't had a chance there.

 

[MWaugh]

i think everybody is limiting themselves to the sub continent when picking these spinners. dan vettori has done a great job against australia in both new zealand and australia. plus he is a leggie which gives a different angle and spin. i think vettori would be a good choice with murali. i dont think bhajji can be considered a possibility. murali constantly troubles australia and kaneria had one good series against australia, kumble has bowled well against them for a long time. but murali, vettori and harbajian singh are the only spinners to really claim that they have controlled australia at any point in time.

 

[ronny_kingsley]

i think everybody is limiting themselves to the sub continent when picking these spinners. dan vettori has done a great job against australia in both new zealand and australia. plus he is a leggie which gives a different angle and spin. i think vettori would be a good choice with murali. i dont think bhajji can be considered a possibility. murali constantly troubles australia and kaneria had one good series against australia, kumble has bowled well against them for a long time. but murali, vettori and harbajian singh are the only spinners to really claim that they have controlled australia at any point in time.

Vettori is he a spinner ????

I always thought he makes it to NZ team for his batting.Wiseman is a better bvowler than him.As far as having Aussies in a tangle is concerned Kumble did it in India and Australia.So no looking elsewhere .

 

[brad352]

So, in short, either Kumble or Kaneria would be a good choice, Bhajji isn't experienced enough down under so he hasn't had a chance there.

So Kaneria is a good choice because he bowled 50 overs an innings and picked up 5/150+ because Pakistan had nobody else?

 

[MWaugh]

Vettori is he a spinner ????

I always thought he makes it to NZ team for his batting.Wiseman is a better bvowler than him.As far as having Aussies in a tangle is concerned Kumble did it in India and Australia.So no looking elsewhere .

are you serious? i hope that was an attempt at humour. vettori is a class above wiseman by so much. harbajain had australia in far more trouble than kumble did.

 

[sohum]

Kumble can bowl killer spells in test cricket. Harbhajan's stats cannot be used in the above comparison because he has only played one match down under. Vettori would be an interesting inclusion especially since he can bat too. Any extra batsmen would be good against Australia. However, the spinners remain in subcontinent because that is where the top-spinners in the world have come from. We thrive on spinners. Without a quality spinner in the team I doubt any subcontinent team could have won a game, forget a series.

6-day match? Then I expect a batting pitch, so all this talk of bowlers seems a little foolish.