Interesting article and player docos you might be interested in.

[hodgie]

here is the arrticle by Peter Roebuck
Peter Roebuck: Is Clarke up for the captaincy job? | Opinion | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

Here is the player docos

Keith Miller - Australia's greatest allrounder | Legends of Cricket | Video | Cricinfo.com

Craig

 

[howzat]

Very interesting read! Is Clarke tough enough? I personally don't think so, but who else is there? And like the article says, the players can grow into the captaincy, there is no way callum ferguson can be thrown into the mix (and I know how much of a fan you are hodgie )

I can see a tough time coming up for australian test cricket, its on the cards really. Ponting has been criticised a lot during his time as captain, but he has been at the downward spiral of the talent cycle in the last few years losing the likes of Warne/Mcgrath/Gilly/Hayden/langer etc etc those 5 blokes right there are some of the greatest the game worldwide will ever see! SW had all of them and he also had Punter, the leading aussie run scorer of all time, to make his captaincy job look a hell of a lot easier!

Punter has come along way from the young bloke on the news sporting 2 black eyes apologising for his behaviour and when he retires people might appreciate just how good a bastman/captain he was...

 

[hodgie]

Like anything, people are ready to cut heads before required. I agree with the principle that the team needs to have young blood, but at what expense? You think back to the early eighties and Border had some pretty green players to manage and look what followed.

Now I am not suggesting that this type of outcome will occur again but why couldn't a Cameron White (learn on the job) have the opportunity, it would seem that he is getting better and better every year with it. Players come and go, we need to look for the next Warne, McGrath, Waugh's etc. We don't want to be like the west Indies whom have had to suffer for the last 20 years behind the shadow of the 70'/80's windies.

We will win some and lose some, but hat i would like to see is a young bloke (Callum Ferguson) get the chance to have a go rather than a bloke who has had a go ( mike Hussey) and should be looking at playing in the IPL only. Dont get me wrong, players like North, hussey are good players but they will only get older and not necessarily better.

I agree with you Liam that callum could not be put in the mix, it is a little far fetched but i think that there might be a few other dark horses that could do the job.

I could rant on and on, but for me it is simple - youth at all costs, blood them in t20, provide experience for them in ODI and if they show an ounce of potential (long term) then give them an opportunity at test level.

Craig

 

[COMPO]

I am afraid that the present team makeup has forgotton how to win. The bowlers can't take 20 wickets and the batsman can't make a decent score in the second innings. The status quo could lose the Ashes five nil. Call me Dr Doom. I would replace North with Khawaja, Johnson with Siddle and Hauritz with O'Keefe or Smith. If four fast bowlers selected then throw in Harris.
Replacing the recently retired players will take time. It won't happen overnite but it will happen if the selectors show a little courage. There is an old cliche that it is harder to get out of the Australian team than to get in.