December 19, 2005
Bring back Clarke!
Enough. It's time Andrew Symonds was dropped and Michael Clarke reinstated to the Australian Test team.
Symonds has just been dismissed in Perth, again failing to make a score. Since his recall to the Test team this summer he has scored 1, 9, 13 and 25. And he has taken a solitary wicket. A brilliant fielder he may be but Australia cannot afford the luxury of a specialist fielder.
Clarke may have deserved a spell but has done everything right in the four day competition for NSW. In his only innings since he was dropped he made 201 not out, boosting his Pura Cup average this season to 395!
Pup has paid his penance. Mr Hohns and company, bring him back for the Boxing Day Test!
Posted to Cricket by Keith PittyWell, I don't know about bringing Pup back just yet. We could certainly have done with McGill yesterday, and Bracken has been pretty useful (not devastating, but useful). The position Symonds has had is notionally an all-rounder spot (even though he hardly bowled at all), yet between Warne, Lee & Bracken - as well as the best wicketkeeper batsman in the history of the game - we have enough batting to cover an all-rounder's batting spot. Therefore we should be able to play 5 bowlers pretty comfortably. I reckon we may need to...
Posted by: Jed Wesley-Smith at December 21, 2005 3:24 PMYou've definitely got a point about playing an extra bowler, Jed.
Now that the selectors have added MacGill to the squad for Boxing day, I can only hope that they make Symonds 12th man. But my guess is that they'll play him and leave Bracken to carry the drinks.
I still reckon Clarke should be in the team. He's such an exciting player.
Posted by: Keith Pitty at December 21, 2005 4:09 PMWell, from the curator's comments (http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/speed-track-may-bounce-out-macgill/2005/12/21/1135032080001.html) it will probably be MacGill who misses out - again!
Posted by: Jed Wesley-Smith at December 22, 2005 11:59 AM