WI tour of Australia, Dec 2 - Jan 7

[Dr Cricket]

This is going to be a 3-0 pasting, and plenty of opportunities for the Aussies to fill their boots and their already over-inflated averages.

Seriously, does anyone thing that Warner, Smith and Voges are better than Hayden, Ponting and Waugh? They've got better averages, thanks to the flat Australian pitches and piss-weak bowling attacks they've had to face over the last few years, especially from touring sides. They hardly ever have to bat in tricky conditions or against decent bowling attacks.

TBH Australia pitches have always been flat, difference being these lot can not play overseas and touring sides bowlers are crap.

[backfootpunch]

This is going to be a 3-0 pasting, and plenty of opportunities for the Aussies to fill their boots and their already over-inflated averages.

Seriously, does anyone thing that Warner, Smith and Voges are better than Hayden, Ponting and Waugh? They've got better averages, thanks to the flat Australian pitches and piss-weak bowling attacks they've had to face over the last few years, especially from touring sides. They hardly ever have to bat in tricky conditions or against decent bowling attacks.

TBH Australia pitches have always been flat, difference being these lot can not play overseas and touring sides bowlers are crap.

they have always been fairly flat

but the pitches in the last couple of years have been terrible

now johnson is retired and they only have starc bowling lightning they may no longer be able to win consistently on these flat decks and may have to produce something a little more helpful to the bowlers

[yuppie]

This is going to be a 3-0 pasting, and plenty of opportunities for the Aussies to fill their boots and their already over-inflated averages.

Seriously, does anyone thing that Warner, Smith and Voges are better than Hayden, Ponting and Waugh? They've got better averages, thanks to the flat Australian pitches and piss-weak bowling attacks they've had to face over the last few years, especially from touring sides. They hardly ever have to bat in tricky conditions or against decent bowling attacks.

TBH Australia pitches have always been flat, difference being these lot can not play overseas and touring sides bowlers are crap.

they have always been fairly flat

but the pitches in the last couple of years have been terrible

now johnson is retired and they only have starc bowling lightning they may no longer be able to win consistently on these flat decks and may have to produce something a little more helpful to the bowlers

I would like to see the test pitches in Australia start to regain some of their old character back. Maybe the drop in pitches has meant they have become more flatter. But i would love to see Perth and Melbourne give more back to the quicks.

[from_the_stands]

Peter Siddle is under an injury cloud with a bad back.

[ianp1970]

Australia are between 1/25 and 1/100 to win this series, and between 4/9 and 1/3 to win 3-0

Don't think I've ever seen odds so short...

[bigfluffylemon]

Peter Siddle is under an injury cloud with a bad back.

I haven't seen any reports of that. It looks as if the Australian attack will be Hazlewood, Siddle, Pattinson, Lyon and Mitch3, with NCN as 12th man or in if there is indeed an injury issue.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I've read that Haze will be rested, and Nile play.

[bigfluffylemon]

Peter Siddle is under an injury cloud with a bad back.

I haven't seen any reports of that. It looks as if the Australian attack will be Hazlewood, Siddle, Pattinson, Lyon and Mitch3, with NCN as 12th man or in if there is indeed an injury issue.

Confirmed
http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v ... 50275.html

Wouldn't be surprised if Hazlewood and/or Sids are rested later in the series, especially if (as expected) Australia are ahead.

[bigfluffylemon]

Speculation is rife that the crowds for this game will be abysmal, and further that if they are the future of Hobart as a test venue could be in doubt.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-09/h ... d-/7012910

Canberra could be considered as an alternative venue, and obviously as a resident I'd love that to happen. Crowds here have been consistently good - even the crappy PM's XI games usually draw decent numbers, and the two occasions Australia has played ODIs here have been sellouts, along with one of the three world cup games. So there is definitely a strong case.

I'll be voting with my feet and joining the Manuka crowd for the India-Australia ODI in January

[Arthur Crabtree]

Cricinfo has Chandrika opening in place of Hope, and Brathwaite playing ahead of Gabriel.

[The Professor]

Chris Gayle isn't fit enough to play for the West Indies but bangs out 92 off 47 balls in the BSL.

[dan08]

Chris Gayle isn't fit enough to play for the West Indies but bangs out 92 off 47 balls in the BSL.

Playing 40 overs is a lot different to 5 days.

[The Professor]

Still makes a mockery of him not being fit enough.

[bigfluffylemon]

Still makes a mockery of him not being fit enough.

Darn right. But it's fairly clear that this is an under strength WI side in part because the WICB has lost all control of its players. Players like Gayle have no interest in test matches or representing the West Indies when the alternative is a fat bundle of cash for playing T20. It's a sad indictment of what WI cricket has become.

[Making_Splinters]

Still makes a mockery of him not being fit enough.

Darn right. But it's fairly clear that this is an under strength WI side in part because the WICB has lost all control of its players. Players like Gayle have no interest in test matches or representing the West Indies when the alternative is a fat bundle of cash for playing T20. It's a sad indictment of what WI cricket has become.

While that may be true to an extent, it is frankly nonsense to say because a player is fit enough to play a few T20s they are fit enough to be playing Test cricket.