WI tour of Oz, Jan 17 - Feb 13

[mikesiva]

Wed, 17 Jan '24
1st Test • Adelaide, January 17 - 21, 2024, West Indies tour of Australia
Australia
West Indies

Thu, 25 Jan '24
2nd Test (D/N) • Brisbane, January 25 - 29, 2024, West Indies tour of Australia
Australia
West Indies

Fri, 02 Feb '24
1st ODI (D/N) • Melbourne, West Indies tour of Australia
Australia
West Indies

Sun, 04 Feb '24
2nd ODI (D/N) • Sydney, West Indies tour of Australia
Australia
West Indies

Tue, 06 Feb '24
3rd ODI (D/N) • Canberra, West Indies tour of Australia
Australia
West Indies

Fri, 09 Feb '24
1st T20I (N) • Hobart, West Indies tour of Australia
Australia
West Indies

Sun, 11 Feb '24
2nd T20I (N) • Adelaide, West Indies tour of Australia
Australia
West Indies

Tue, 13 Feb '24
3rd T20I (D/N) • Perth, West Indies tour of Australia
Australia
West Indies

[mikesiva]

West Indies have included as many as seven uncapped players in their squad for the daunting challenge of facing Australia in two Tests next month. Batter Zachary McCaskie, wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach, allrounders Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge and Kevin Sinclair along with quick bowlers Akeem Jordan and Shamar Joseph are among the 15 names which will be without Jason Holder who has opted to play T20 franchise cricket.

Exciting young quick bowler Jayden Seales is also unavailable due to a shoulder injury while, like Holder, allrounder Kyle Mayers has opted out of the tour to play T20s.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/west ... ur-1413764

West Indies Test squad for Australia 2023-24 series
Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), Alzarri Joseph, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie

[mikesiva]

Steven Smith has been named as Australia's new Test opener, with Cameron Green slotting in at No.4 for the first Test against West Indies as the team begins life after David Warner.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/came ... ad-1416116

Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc

[sussexpob]

Had Australia made these changes this time last year, I would say they made more sense. But since 2023, Marnus had a sub-par year, Smith had a sub-par year and Green got obliterated in the Ashes by England's attack.

For that reason, switching Smith to an unfamiliar role while he is out of form doesn't seem sensible to me, and even in form openers average less than middle order players, so you are having to leave runs on the table. Marnus needs to recapture some of his form, so if Smith fails, it puts more pressure on him to perform. And elevating Green to 4 is a huge increase in responsibility, he's gone from just having to bat in the 30s average-wize with his bowling, to having to contribute regular big runs.

I guess from that, we can take it that Australia's future intentions will be for Green's batting to be more important than his bowling? It might work, Green has some talent, but his technique was horribly exposed in England and it must have dented his confidence. Needs to get a lot better if he plans to stay at 4 long.

[sussexpob]

Exciting young quick bowler Jayden Seales is also unavailable due to a shoulder injury while, like Holder, allrounder Kyle Mayers has opted out of the tour to play T20s.

Its very sad that Jason Holder has stopped playing cricket. His career record will never do his immense talent justice... maybe the lack of desire to play test cricket he has displayed in recent times might be the reason for that, as his heart was never in the longer format.

Either way, a big loss for the West Indies cricket. I never used to be worried about the future of test cricket too much, but since SA and now WI players are skipping good tours, I think its time for test cricket to make sure its written its will.

[bigfluffylemon]

I fear so, and I said as much a year ago when the program for the current test championship was released.

Didn't WI tour Australia last year too? They got totally obliterated, hard to see it being any different this time with a bunch of uncapped players. Marcus and Smith will have the opportunity to flay a sub par bowling attack on home pitches and get back into form.

[bigfluffylemon]

So Australia play 2 wtc series at home against weak opposition they only just played to bolster their WTC position, while England get to tour India for the second time in three years. Seems fair. But as I already said, the scheduling makes no sense and never has.

The test championship program rewards short series and touring as little as possible, so probably isn't helping with the decline of test cricket.

I think I read that there are no planned bilateral series through to 2027 of more than 2 tests unless England, India or Australia are involved. South Africa clearly couldn't give a stuff, West Indies test cricket has been dying a slow death for 20 years...

I genuinely fear test cricket will, in the next 20 years, become a bit of an old anomaly relegated to the Ashes and maybe India-Aus/Eng tours.

[mikesiva]

West Indies 188 all out

McKenzie 50

Cummins 4-41
Hazelwood 4-44

[sussexpob]

Steve Smith's last year in test cricket - 14 tests, average of 38.... Increasingly looking like his patchy form might be indicative of permanent decline, because he has never had this length of poor form in his career really. I say poor form, but the majority of test bats would probably be very happy to average 38 - but Smith obviously set generationally high levels of scoring throughout his career, so 38 from the master seems quite lean, even if it inst a disaster.

Been a lot of noise about him retiring. I don't think he will retire that soon, but maybe another middling year might force the decision a bit earlier.... the next Ashes is nearly 2 years away, so its a long time for him to make it.

I think this experiment at the top of the innings will end quickly. You don't want your best bat struggling for form taking on a harder job.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Not a great start for the bleached Bradman at the top of the order.

No decent openers in Sheffield Shield?

[sussexpob]

No decent openers in Sheffield Shield?

Judging on the chatter in the press I have seen from Australia, there is a big debate about Cameron Bancroft returning, but his performance was rubbish when he got a chance and he looked technically vulnerable.... before we even get to the ball tampering stuff. I got the feeling that most pundits really didn't want him to get another opportunity.

Other than that, some lad (Henry Hunt) I have never heard of was mentioned, but his average is rubbish.... so I concluded if a 28 year old who can barely score runs is getting a big mention, there must be absolutely no one in Australia.

[sussexpob]

Obviously Will Pucovski would walk into the team, but I think its safe to say after a 2 year spell where he walked away from the game, he must have retired for good. I can't think of a more tragic career than Pucovski.... I lost count of his concussions after 10, and he played one test where he shattered his shoulder and needed a long time out the game for reconstructive surgery.... the head trauma from being hit has also lead to serious mental health issues. I think at one stage he even had a serious head trauma from diving for his crease....

Would be nice to see him back on the field and get back to test cricket, but I think its a very remote possibility. I hope he is in better health whatever he is doing, I seen an interview about his problems and it was pretty scary stuff... his record suggests he could have gone on to be a great player, a very sad tale of terrible luck

[mikesiva]

Australia 283 all out

Head 119
Khawaja 45

Shamar 5-94

[Arthur Crabtree]

WI 69-5 though. Going to be a short game.

Good effort from Head in a game where no one else has scored more than 50.

[Arthur Crabtree]

5-fer for Shamar on debut.