Australian 2013 Ashes Squad Announced

Without further to do, here is the 2013 Australian Ashes squad to take on England in their territory.
The Australia A squad can be found at the end of this article. Your views are most welcome right here or via The Baggy Green Blog's Facebook page. The comment tab is at the footer of the article, moderation is active.

2013 Australian Ashes touring squad:

Batsmen:
Michael Clarke (Captain)
Ed Cowan
David Warner
Phillip Hughes
Usman Khawaja
Chris Rogers
 
All-rounders:
Shane Watson
James Faulkner

Wicket-keepers:
Brad Haddin (Vice-captain)
Matthew Wade

Bowlers:
Nathan Lyon
Peter Siddle
James Pattinson
Ryan Harris
Jackson Bird
Mitchell Starc

Let me begin with an overall verdict. All in all I am satisfied with this side. The Indian tour, which was a nightmare, is over and we march on. This is the Ashes, a different competition and a different opponent in different conditions. The battle is fresh and after losing Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting, I believe this is a well balanced side of emerging players and experienced candidates. I believe this side can win back the urn.

Batting wise, this was the biggest area of concern for us. This was evident in India and over the last three years we have seen frequent patterns resulting in batting collapses. Far too often our bowlers have been required to dig us out of a hole, which in hindsight has resulted in a bowling unit relatively young in age gain sound experience. This Ashes series is one for the batsmen to stand up. A recall of experience may help that drive.

Michael Clarke was a given. He's yet to be a member of a winning Ashes side in England, but he is now leading a side that has the ultimate opportunity to rise from the pit of negativity, following a tough start to 2013. His batting form has been sublime for some time but right now, we as Australian Cricket supporters, need to see this continue, not as The Michael Clarke show but rather The Australian Batting Show.

Phillip Hughes struggled in India and there were calls for him to dropped, yet again, from an Australian squad. However, he dug deep and managed to find some form, even though the series was lost. There was a small victory in Hughes finding some runs ahead of the Ashes series. One must also remember that India is historically reported as the toughest place to tour. This was his first tour to the sub-continent and we must keep in mind what Phillip has achieved in recent times. In other words don't base too much on that tour.

For South Australia in Shield cricket, he scored 673 runs at 59.19 from 12 innings. He hit two centuries and three half-centuries. Last county season he didn't dominate by any means as he did in 2009 for Middlesex, but in a stint for Worcestershire from 17 innings he scored 560 runs, averaged 35.00 with a highest score of 135*. Not prolific as when he burst onto the scene, but not poor either.

I also don't believe this return to England will result in short-ball nightmares for him, casting your memories back to 2009. This is an opportunity for him to realise his true potential and move forward, as the whole squad and supporters need to do as well. I also don't see value in questioning Hughes' unorthodox technique against short ball bowling. After all, it is unorthodox! If anything, he displayed a genuine weaknesses against New Zealand during his return with deliveries just back of a length pitched on middle and leg, where Chris Rogers (returning to the side) analysed Hughes' pitfalls from the sidelines.

Usman Khawaja has been in the waiting line a while and as one of the better players in the state system against swing bowling, I see complete value behind his selection. I doubt he is in the starting XI as a certainty, but I can't see any reason to oppose his selection. He's been one of the better performers at state level and a move to Queensland was one to enhance his opportunities and ultimately put himself in the best position to handle swing bowling conditions. He is a versatile batsman too.

Rogers is set to put his Baggy Green cap back on (2008).

Paul Kane: Getty Images

Ed Cowan and David Warner will be viewed as the likely opening duo, but I would say with Cowan currently getting further experience on the county circuit with moderate consistency, and Chris Rogers not showing any serious signs of struggle for Middlesex, Warner is not the definite opener. There has been discussion amongst supporters for Warner to drop the order, which has substance to it. I think the concept of Warner coming in at 6 or 7, as Adam Gilchrist did, will ensure the opposition never find time to relax with the knowledge there is still a game changer due to walk out to the middle.


The opening challenge is definitely set with Chris Rogers back in the frame. Chris has played one Test for Australia, which was against India in 2008. He's been left in the wilderness since but having put in the performances at first-class level he has cemented a case for himself to make this return, better late than never. A recommendation on the 2011 Argus Review was to focus on Test cricket as the pinnacle of the game and reward cricketers for their first-class performances.

For Victoria, Chris scored 742 runs at 49.46 from 17 innings. He had a highest score of 131, with three centuries. Last county season in division one, he scored 1,086 runs at 40.22 with a highest scored of 173. This was achieved in 29 innings. Definitely being rewarded for performances, how it should be!
One also can't expect him to suddenly perform miracles upon entering the side but persisting with him will show the experience come to the surface when needed.

Brad Haddin has been recalled to the squad, which will likely be seen as the most questionable selection. I s my ideal 17 man Ashes side, Brad was my second keeper of choice. I do see value in having Brad as a specialist batsman. He seems to have a bit of a short circuit up top though with the bat in hand at times. There is no doubt though that if he plays sensibly and paces his innings out, avoiding his aggressive desires to hit out, he can put together solid innings.
As selected vice-captain as well, this proposes the likely probability he is going to be in the starting XI come the first Test of the series, bringing the next topic of debate.

Matthew Wade had a poor tour of India and did show difficulties behind the stumps. An improved performance against Sri Lanka saw his confidence return but no doubt Brad will keep him on his toes. The competition may be seen as unhealthy though, given Brad is "on in years" in terms of keeper talk, while Matthew is at an age where his development is as important as the formative years behind the stumps. He's had plenty of experience and exposure to other conditions and I like to think he's had a bit of a boot camp.

Therefore, for the sake of development Matthew should keep wicket to not affect his progression. Having said that, we need to win this series and experience is clearly a vital ingredient for the NSP's desired recipe for success. Brad's position and situation does edge me towards the drive for experience in this series to win the urn, but it does put Matthew's position in doubt for the starting XI, a slight cause for concern in the greater scheme of things perhaps.

Shane Watson and James Faulkner make way into the side as the all-rounders of choice.

James, like Chris Rogers, has been rewarded for consistent state performances. He was also a member of my 17-man Ashes squad, and it would seem the selectors share the belief his bowling could prove to be menacing in English conditions but there's of course the value we have in a guy who showcased definite signs of improvement with his batting.

Shane Watson offers greater experience and has the edge over James regarding his batting, but Watto has battles of his own. He's had a shocking return with the bat for Australia in Test cricketer and his lack of bowling duties to help give him some longevity come his body conditioning for Test cricket, hasn't helped his case as well. Fortunately, we have seen the need for experience in this side and with Watto you get it. In the Indian Premier League he recently smashed a century, but has most importantly started resuming bowling duties as well. The short four over bowling will hopefully condition his body as needed to be able to offer Michael Clarke some overs to look at breakthrough opportunities, especially with an older ball in hand.

Watto also recently stepped down as vice-captain, a key reason for Brad Haddin's selection. I'd prefer to not write about the dramas of the Indian tour where he was a core part of the dilemma, but I do back his decision. Since giving up the responsibility of vice-captain, Watto has blasted a century for his IPL franchise - a sign of freeing the mind - and has appeared to be far more confident in his body language.

As selfish as it sounds to give up a role of responsibility to rather focus on your own game, there is logic behind this in a game where your individual input can outweigh a team input on paper at the end of the day. If this means Shane Watson can regain consistency with better performances and find a way to offer greater all-round duties for Australia, I am all for it.

Nathan Lyon is the sole spinner, with Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Jackson Bird and Ryan Harris doing the fast bowling duties.

The bowlers were almost a given. Perhaps the only question mark is why only one spinner was selected; a reason why a 17-man squad had purpose.

Nathan has yet to take on the English batsmen and has gained experience against other oppositions with mixed results. Like Matthew Wade, he has in some ways been through a boot camp of his own. Perhaps having not had the pressure of an Ashes series, while having had exposure against other sides in different conditions has put him in a thrilling position to get ready for the challenge. A second spinner would be good, but that is where the Australia A tour has value and someone like Ashton Agar could easily be retained for the remainder of the series after the 'A' side fixtures if required.

Ryan Harris is making his return after some destructive performances for the Queensland Bulls and remains, in my opinion, our best bowler in the system. The only issue with Ryan is the question mark if his body can handle all five Tests, as well as Australia A duties. His attributes will be sensational to witness in English conditions if he is in top shape.

Peter Siddle is the experienced candidate but by no means a leader in terms of his bowling attributes. His attitude and burning ambition will always be key ingredients for a leadership role to help his teammates through the day's play. His role as a bowler is an anchor role, to build pressure from one end and fire away looking for that one delivery that surprises the batsman, while his mates work around him.

Jackson Bird has an ability to just keep the ball in the right slot with no inabilities come variation. Another bowler who deserves his selection based on first-class experience, but also his performances with a fresh Baggy Green cap.

James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc are the young guns and with Patrick Cummins - our most exciting prospect in years - facing a long road to return with an increased depth, they are the gunners of choice.
Both possess attributes that contribute to the success of our bowling unit with combined with pace, variation and a joint ability to swing the ball. Mitchell Starc gives us the left arm option as well, notably shadowing that of Mitchell Johnson in the eyes of many.

Australia A sees Steven Smith serve as vice-captain, giving him a leadership chance on the back of an impressive show in India. Alex Doolan, Jordan Silk and Nic Maddinson get their opportunities as three batsmen who give us belief in our future batting stocks. The Ashes may be far too soon for all of them, so the opportunity to graft in English conditions with experienced Baggy Green players is vital for their development.

South Australia's Chadd Sayers has been rewarded as the leading Shield wicket grabber, while Ashton Agar has a chance to work the ball over as the spinner of choice. The Australian Ashes squad only had Nathan Lyon, but as mentioned the selectors can retain players post the Australian A tour. Ashton is in a great position.

My one surprise exclusion is that of Ben Hilfenhaus, given he was the leading wicket-taker for us in the 2009 Ashes series and has made steady progress since returning from injury, but Hilfenhaus alongside Harris provides a serious injury concern for the greater context of the series. Both would be epic to watch in tandem with the new ball, but not being in the Australia A side, he will have to wait for another opportunity to get that100th Test wicket.

In conclusion, the inclusions of Rogers, Harris and Haddin may prove to be surprises but it's simple really.
We need experience, we need to balance out progressing players with guys who have walked some hard yards. Ultimately it all comes down to what goes on out on the field. This is a team that needs to rebuild their image, needs to gain the confidence again from casual supporters and this move by the National Selection Panel is a start.

Bring on the Ashes! I have confidence in this side, so with that I wish the best of luck to the players selected.

Australia A Squad:

Brad Haddin (Captain)
Steve Smith (Vice-captain)
Ashton Agar
Jordan Silk
Alex Doolan
Chadd Sayers
Nic Maddinson
Usman Khawaja
Jackson Bird
Nathan Lyon
James Pattinson
Ryan Harris
Peter Siddle


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The Baggy Greens go 1-0 up against Sri Lanka

At last victory has been claimed by the boys after a rained out result in Brisbane, a psychological drawn result in Adelaide where we were a bowler down and then followed by a collapse in form to lose the series in Perth to the Proteas.

Once again Michael Clarke saw the boys in a similar position as it was in Adelaide.
Ben Hilfenhaus has been ruled out of the Boxing Day Test with a side strain and with the injury flared in the Sri Lankan first innings it meant come the second dig we were set to be a bowler down.

Hilfy will remain stranded on 99 Test wickets.

Fortunately the never ending determination and ambition of Peter Siddle, along with the opportunist attitude of Mitchell Starc, we were able to grab the remaining 8 wickets which stood between a drawn result and a badly needed victory.

It was tough going out there for the boys and the one concern from a bowling perspective will be the ineffectiveness of Nathan Lyon, which was the same case at the Adelaide Oval.

It is evident that Nathan Lyon has improved and it's good that the selectors have stuck with him. It was a major pitfall of the last selection panel where we saw an embarassing number of spin bowlers debut for the side following the retirements of Shane Warne and Stewie MacGill.

However, as the commentary team pointed out, Nathan has 56 wickets to his name so he is no push over but the time has come for the major step up.
It's easier said that done but it is understandable that such a comment be made.

When they talk about a "big step up" I don't think we should confuse it with a breath taking, somewhat mesmerising effort that we'd have expected from a guy like Warnie, but rather a comprehensive performance that plays a defining role to find key wickets when the team needs to pave a smooth path to victory when the track permits.

Having said that, fortunately our fast bowlers were geared up and ready to go head to head with the Sri Lankan resistance, which was admirable.

Peter Siddle, or Pedro as I call him, was remarkable and since his debut in 2008 he has not faultered with his attitude. He will break his back for this team and never ever shows signs that he is not up for the battle even when his body is evidently giving him problems with the strain.

He ended up with 9 wickets for the game, a 5fer in the first innings and then four in the second innings. On the final day he managed the only break through but he pitched it up fuller, extracted what bounce was on offer from the Bellerive deck and most importantly he was executing some brilliant outswingers.

A year ago I often commented that as good a bowler as Pedro is he needed more tricks up his sleeve to seriously break into the league of the best of the best.
It's taken time but he's starting to find ways to mix it up and does so on challenging tracks.
Excellent performance!

Mitchell Starc has his second 5fer now but did a splendid job to take the pressure of Pedro and Shane Watson.

With the possibility of Watto leading side in the Boxing Day Test due to Clarkey's hamstring worry, he wasn't exhausted for use and Pedro had already exhausted himself to fight for the final wickets.
Enter Mitchell Starc's final spell.

His first ball was a poor ball which drifted onto the pads of the right hander which was easily splashed away to mid wicket for four. The field was right in and the off side was loaded.
It didn't take Mitchell too long to adjust his line and it all came together.

The last 6 wickets fell for Sri Lanka with only 54 runs added.

When that last wicket was claimed the emotions that hit me where well received.
It's been hard work for the boys and they had the opportunities to mow the Proteas but psychologically got hammered as a result of those opportunities not being claimed. They have faced similar challenges against the Lankans but they pulled through it, many more to follow!

It was also a victory for the batsmen as this Test marks a new chapter with Ricky Ponting retired.

Phillip Hughes made a wonderful return this match.
I am proud he is now a South Australian player and the move has done his game the world of good and if you saw his first innings you would have noticed massive changes in his game.

The balance of his head, front foot positioning and follow through for off side stroke play is at a whole new level, he looks a different player. The cut shot is still as crazy and odd as ever and the heaved slog sweep he played for six immediately brought back memories of his back to back sixes to reach his maiden Test century off the bowling of Paul Harris.

Overall though his balance is is looking set for a strong return at even better is that it's at number three in the batting line up. David Warner and Ed Cowan also had personal victories as well as a dual one.
The two have had a mixed relationship as our opening duo in Test cricket as ESPN Cricinfo's Brydon Coverdale researched a few weeks back, but this Test saw their stand in the second innings prove to be a vital one in the context of the match, especially the welcomed aggression of David Warner!

Davey's average is starting to look like an opening batsman's as well.

The experience of Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke is still shining brightly.

Michael Hussey has always highlighted the importance of luck when it comes to batting in Test cricket and he had no shortage as he was dropped on the boundary to allow him the chance to raise his bat upon the achievement of his 19th Test century.

His ability to switch momentum and channel different game tempo's is remarkable and something that I admire so much. To do it so consistently as well after so many years is spectacular. We're fortunate.

Irrespective it was all owed to him as he rarely looked troubled in his innings as he built another sensational partnership with Clarkey whose figures below give sufficient indication of his sublime form since taking on the captaincy against, none other than, Sri Lanka.

23, 60, 13, 6, 112, 151, 2, 11, 2, 139, 22, 0, 31, 1, 329*, 18, 210, 37, 73, 6, 45, 15, 24, 25, 259*, 230, 38, 5, 44, 74, 57*.

Matthew Wade is also looking far more settled and managed to put his hand up in the first innings with a half-century. His average is now settled just below 40 with the bat and was backed with 6 catches for the match (21 career catches). Not a bad medium pace bowler either, maiden over secured.

I look at the balance of this side and I am very pleased with what we have.

Our batting looks like a line up that is still ironing out some creases but the outfit as a whole looks tidy enough to take on the best.

As sad as I am that Ricky Ponting has gone this has opened up the door for the new era of batsmen to emerge.

Usman Khawaja has come into the Boxing Day Squad, rightly so, with the injury worries regarding Clarkey and there's some strong batsmen creeping into the system as well.
The State season has not been one to commend the batsmen for but it's given us enough indication as to who is in the mix.

Jackson Bird is also in the side and this is totally fair and an indication that the selectors have been giving careful consideration to strong State cricket performances, which Jackson has given.

He has 87 wickets for the Tasmanian Tigers at 19.72 in First Class cricket.
This season alone he is top of the Sheffield Shield bowling chart with 27 wickets at 20.55.

I am excited about his call up and feel it's a deserved opportunity. Well done Jackson!

In the system we still have James Pattinson (injured), Pat Cummins (injured), Ben Cutting, Josh Hazelwood, Luke Butterworth, Trent Copeland, Alister McDermott and of course some experienced campaigners like Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris (will he return?) and Doug Bollinger.

Spin stocks still appear low but the overall mix is looking good and I am excited for what's ahead.

We still have a series that is alive for both sides but we have drawn first blood and have the victory to be 1-0 up.

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The Australian cricket schedule is under way

The wait is over and Australian cricket is ready to speed off for a season that will be one with high intensity and mighty challenges ahead in all forms of the game. The state season is also just around the corner with an earlier start due in order to acommodate the Big Bash League later this year (SMH - Usain Bolt for the Melbourne Stars?).

The first game against Afghanistan for the UAE tour was a victory and this was to be expected. I was only able to get a re-cap from Cricinfo.com this morning and read a few bulletins. Seems that the Afghans put up some resistance with their batting and made a game of it but looking at our score it would seem that a win was really optimistic.

This game also gave clear indication that our boys are in for a testing series against Pakistan and batting will not be easy, notably due to the sluggish tracks which Pakistan will definitely turn to spin - particularly to target our top order - and the unbelievable heat in humidity which makes batting extremely draining and the bowlers will be tested for fitness and stamina. Michael Clarke will need to be smart with his rotation for both tactical and safety reasons.

There were plenty of positives looking at the feedback.

I am proud to see Michael Clarke stamped down some authority with the number 3 role and this innings was driven by the class of our skipper, which we saw come to the forefront in 2007. Straight drives, brilliant footwork and bat speed against the spinners and cautious control within the state of the game. He managed to score 75 runs and will head into the ODI series with confidence within his own game and his leadership.

Matt Wade scored his highest ODI total but his struggles were noted. He struggled for rhythm, something we saw against England, and the conditions hammered him, but you can't blame him in this regard!
All in all, he put runs on the board and would have learnt a substantial amount in a 131 run partnership with Clarkey.

With Brad Haddin making a comeback and Tim Paine also working on his return this is an important series for Matt to show he's learning and adapting to the different conditions he's been exposed to in a short time frame.

Michael Hussey was assertive and scored 49 runs from 37 deliveries. Good signs ahead of the ICC WorldT20 and a welcomed return for our middle order maestro. Pakistan know what he's capable of!

The bowlers were made to work hard but it was the fast bowlers who got us over the finish line in the end. Mitchell Starc is continually building a strong profile in limited overs cricket for us as he took 4-47 with top order wickets.

James Pattinson has an opportunity to find a role as the dealer of new ball duties with Brett Lee now retired. I have always likened his attitude to that of Binga's when he was a young man starting out for Australia and his figures suggest that he held his own out there with 3-46. Like Starc, this is a passage of learning.

Mitchell Johnson was the man called on the break up Afghanistan's most threatening partnership and things ended well for Mitch which is really pleasing given his ODI recall in England was a bit of a nightmare. I still value him in ODI cricket and his figures were 2-34 at just 3.77 runs per over.

The victory came with a wicket to Xavier Doherty as Australia claimed victory by 66 runs. It's a first victory on the board and the first step towards winning this series and regaining some pride after the fall in the UK.

Australia u19 lose the title to India:

On a slightly low note, the Australian u19s lost to India in the ICC u19 World Cup final in Australia.
It was a high scoring encounter and another lack of a top order partnership from our batsmen left the hard work to our middle order batsmen. India passed our total of 225 with 14 deliveries to spare, so it was a comfortable victory in some regards.

Spare a thought though for skipper Will Bosisto. In my opinion I have been impressed by his conduct and leadership of the side throughout this tournament. He's worked with his team in a balanced manner and the stats would also indicate this as most of our victories came as a result of a balanced team effort, as opposed to individual's saving the day.

Bosisto also held his own with his batting as he was unbeaten - playing an assertive, patient role in rescuing the side on a few occasions - with 87* runs. He scored 276 runs from 6 innings in the tournament, at an average of 276 runs owed to the fact he was only dismissed once and this was a run out during the semi final against South Africa. Definitely put himself on the map as a player for the future.

The young Western Australian, Cameron Bancroft, showcased his skills with a century and a fifty during the tournament. He had a dismal start to his career with WA in first class cricket last season but all these guys are just young men new to the step up in intensity with professional cricket. These two performances from him the series will hopefully change his mind set as he heads into the cricket season.

I was also impressed by Travis Head who should see himself find plenty of opportunities for the Redbacks this season, especially if he performs as he did against England during the tournament.

Plenty of positives witnessed with the younger players coming through the system and even though only a handful of these blokes will find a career within the game of cricket, we've seen many outstanding cricketers come through the system having represented the Australian u19 side. It's always exciting to watch the journey of these players to see who will one day play for Australia at the elite level.

Names like Bosisto, Bancroft, Patterson, Turner and Head may very well be headliner names in the distant future. It all begins in tournaments like these.

For the series stats, you can read up on it all at ESPN Cricinfo.com, the source of all cricketing stats and facts.


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1st ODI: Bad fortune or missed opportunities?

Although the result didn't go our way, it was still great to see some cricket again. The boys ended up falling 15 runs short of the target set by England. Having done really well in the warm-up matches, I wouldn't see any reason to be concerned for the rest of the series. We missed a few opportunities and worst of all there was some misfortune with our batting in terms of dismissals. Nature of the game.

1st ODI scorecard via ESPN cricinfo.com
England: 5-272
Australia: 9-257, Michael Clarke 61, David Warner 56.

England did a good job with their batting. Their openers set a solid foundation for the middle order, which Eoin Morgan used excellently as a platform to launch a brutal assault against our bowlers. He was directly responsible for their victory as he belted our bowlers during the last five overs of the innings. The result was 54 runs from the last 5 overs, which shifted the momentum right into England's favour.

Brett Lee was our pick of the bowlers. What an awesome effort with the new ball. Tight figures and brilliant variation. It was a real pity he was also a part of the Morgan-attack but he certainly looks set for a good series.

Patrick Cummins showed loads of promise and whenever a youngster gets into the setup it all about learning. Look how James Pattinson's already had some ups and downs in his career. Not necessarily low points but every now and then inexperience comes through but he's a quick learner and is already the real deal. Patty is definitely on the same path.

Xavier Doherty struggled a bit but he had such a good summer that it would be daft to rule him out. Maybe he will be viewed as a Southern Hemisphere specialist but here's his chance to take command. He is a bowler with a very good mind for cricket, so he's rarely going to be unaware of what is to be expected from him. I have no doubt he will look back on this match and then come back stronger for the remainder of the series. We saw how effective Graeme Swann was to build pressure towards the end of his spell with a batch of dot balls.

The bowlers struggled in the heat of the action come the death overs, but we have Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson on the sidelines as well, so I hope we will see these two guys getting a chance. Hilfy was pretty good for the better part of the death bowling duties in the IPL for Chennai.

The batting came down to some misfortune. George Bailey had been working away at the singles to get himself into a good position with 29 runs until he chopped one onto his stumps. To make matters worse David Hussey misread the bounce of a short pitched delivery from Steven Finn and the ball deflected of his helmet on the top of his stumps.

Then the wrap it all up, Matthew Wade - who was just getting ready to go into entertainment mode deluxe - and Michael Clarke (61) had a terrible mix up which resulted in an unnecessary run out. Wade was the guy to walk and Clarkey was left with a big task on his shoulders. After Clarkey had played such a well composed innings and had himself in a brilliant position to start opening up the more attacking aspect of his game, the run out occurred. He also brought up his 7,000th ODI run.

It was frustrating but it was also good to see Matt Wade get out there, get settled and then play with confidence. He's no longer viewing himself as the substitute for Brad Haddin with Tim Paine making a comeback. He's now set on becoming Australia's number one wicketkeeper.

Brett Lee managed to score 29 runs but England were too good for us in the end. I was hoping Binga would  unleash the fury as he did against the West Indies to score his highest ODI total, but there were too few overs to play with.

I was also pleased to see David Warner play a well composed innings. His dismissal was so soft but his lack of footwork was to blame. Warner his 6 fours and 1 six and this is definitely form to gamble on that he's in for a big series. There's a bit more time to watch the ball come onto the bat in English conditions as well, so I really hope he can capitalise.

I still maintain my concerns about Steven Smith. As you saw in the Ashes series he was regularly troubled when he hung his bat outside of off-stump, just prodding at deliveries moving away from him. I hope he comes right this series because he is clearly in the side for his batting and not his bowling, given his lack of duties.

He came right in the IPL with some entertaining innings but he needs to step it up with competent players hanging about the fringes. I never like to single out a player but it just seems as though his role in the side is cloudy. Mitchell Marsh is looking like a young all-rounder due to make an entrance into the squad who could fill the void for Smith, but hopefully Stevo comes right this series. It's only the first game.

England have a lot to play for. Should they find a way to win this series 5-0, then they will take the number one spot from us for the ODI rankings. However, we need to defend the title and with a really good mix of players it's going to be an exciting series for both sides.

It wasn't the desired result and it's never easy to accept defeat against England in any form of the game, but they have brought their A-game and it should make for a hard fought and very entertaining series.
It's 1-0 to England with four games to go. Some of our players have started off on the right foot so here's to positivity for the next fixture.


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New Cricket Australia contracted players list

A Memorandum of Understanding was reached between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association. The good news is that the game will roll on, however what you may notice is how the original twenty-five player contract list has now been reduced to seventeen.

Having a look at the list, the fundamental concept behind it seems to be the selection of the the players who have played the most cricket for Australia over a period of time, as well as players who have shown relative consistency within their own specialist form of the game.

This list is definitely more focused on Test cricketers as opposed to limited overs cricketers.

It was always going to be a logical move and once again this has been a step towards following the recommendations of the Argus Review which has done nothing but get Australian cricket back on track. I see no reason why this should even be up for debate.

The original contract list always baffled me as to why a player like Callum Ferguson would get his contract but would sit on the sidelines playing State cricket. With little opportunity granted due to his poor Big Bash form - Twenty20 cricket mind you - he was never given a chance to fulfill those opportunities with the fresh contract.

Despite the above, the fact remains there's no point in dishing out reasonably lucrative contracts to players who won't be given the chance due to competition for places. There's also new avenues for players to have access to the money in circulation within the game, for example; Twenty20 competitions, county cricket, overseas limited overs stints.

I did mention that the revised list seems to based on, 'the selection of the the players who have played the most cricket for Australia over a period of time as well as players who have shown relative consistency within their own specialist form of the game.'

You may then see the name of Mitchell Johnson. Immediately you will likely think why he is even on that list? He has been out of action since November, has only just made a return and didn't exactly perform well in Test cricket.  That's where we need to look at his limited overs performances. He was our best bowler in ODIs last season and he's about to make a return. Although I don't see his return to Test cricket as a likely one due to the young guys coming through the system and a consistent crop of bowlers leading us to victory, Mitch is suited to limited overs cricket and is a valuable player.

In Mitchell's case, this is where 'players who have shown relative consistency within their own specialist form of the game' comes into effect. You can't deny that Mitch wasn't a stand out performer for us in limited overs cricket for the 2010/11 season. Limited overs cricket narrows the gap between his best and worse, where as the harsh nature of Test cricket doesn't allow him this.

As John Inverarity, Chairman of selectors, stated, "We have very high expectations that he (Johnson) will come back and come back extremely well. His record is very good. The consideration was that he already had a contract for this period. That was a given."

A few observations. I thought Ed Cowan would find his way onto the list but it has been widely reported that the Test series at the end of this year will be the series that determines his future as an Australian opening batsman. He's had two series where he has been able to hold his own but can't seem to get over next hurdle when he has got himself into a good position during his innings.

The other would be George Bailey who did a really good job in the West Indies during his first ODI series. However, I don't think he has played enough and not cemented himself into a certain form of the game, Twenty20 captaincy aside as well. His omission seems legitimate.

One talking point I reckon will be about Brad Haddin.
Brad has had to walk away from the game due to personal circumstances within his life. As a result Matt Wade was given his chance and has made an exciting impression for the future of Australian cricket. Basically we need not panic!

Tim Paine was dubbed to the man to step in for Brad but his unfortunate injury last year paved the way for Matt to debut in all forms of the game. Given his lack of exposure since making a slow comeback from injury, Tim will need the Australia A fixtures in July to get himself back on the radar, regain his confidence after being out of the game for a while and most importantly take on the role as a senior player for Australia A. Further opportunity to groom his leadership ambitions.

Two wicket keepers seems to be a logical choice. Despite Brad having struggled for the 2010/11 season post the Ashes series, he has the experience and may still make a comeback. It may be a contract granted due to the circumstances of only one keeper being a guaranteed candidate for selection at this point in time.

Your thoughts on the new contract list?

I will update the Player Profile page as soon as I can but in the meantime, without further to do, here is the new list of Cricket Australia's contract players:

Michael Clarke (NSW),
Pat Cummins (NSW),
Xavier Doherty (TAS),
Brad Haddin (NSW),
Ryan Harris (QLD),
Ben Hilfenhaus (TAS),
David Hussey (VIC),
Michael Hussey (WA),
Mitchell Johnson (WA),
Nathan Lyon (SA),
James Pattinson (VIC),
Ricky Ponting (TAS) ,
Peter Siddle (VIC),
Mitchell Starc (NSW),
Matthew Wade (VIC),
Shane Watson (NSW),
David Warner (NSW).

Once again New South Wales dominates the list with Victoria not too far behind. Tasmanian cricket is on the rise as well, along with Ali de Winter, Tasmanian assistant coach, being on a test drive as bowling coach for the National side.

NSW: 6
VIC: 4
TAS: 3
WA: 2
SA: 1
QLD: 1

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