Sidhoni Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Cameron White has been dumped as Australia's Twenty20 captain and replaced by George Bailey for the two matches against India next week. And Australia's selectors have announced the surprise recall of the 40-year-old spinner Brad Hogg, who made a T20 comeback this summer and has been the standout slow bowler in the Big Bash League In a major shake-up eight months before the ICC World Twenty20, the new selection panel under John Inverarity has sent a clear message that the T20 side needed refreshment. Australia made the final of the 2010 World T20, but since then they have lost seven matches and won only two, and sit fifth on the ICC rankings behind England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa. The appointment of White as captain when Michael Clarke retired from the format last January was made by Andrew Hilditch's selection panel with a view to building towards this year's World T20, to be held in Sri Lanka in September. However, White made just 55 runs at an average of 7.85 in the BBL this season and Inverarity's panel has made the change with at least four matches on Australia's schedule before the World T20. Bailey, the captain of Tasmania and a team-mate of White at the Melbourne Stars, has not been in outstanding form either, having scored 114 runs at 19. However, he was viewed by the selectors as the right man to lead the side, with David Warner his vice-captain, while the Test vice-captain Shane Watson was not considered for the two games against India due to his ongoing injury problems. "The Australian T20 team has been ranked a rather disappointing sixth in the world and we've certainly considered that the team needs refreshment," Inverarity said in announcing the squad in Melbourne on Monday. "It would be fair to say the national selection panel has been discussing this T20 squad for six or seven weeks. "If you look at [bailey's] record as captain ... I'm of the view that Tasmania have done particularly well in recent years because of the leadership they've had, the well-defined leadership of Daniel Marsh and ... then George has taken over. Last season they won the Shield under George, the year before they won the one-day competition under George. The results are there. "He's widely respected throughout Australia. Those who play with him regard him very highly as a captain and as a leader. We've seen from Michael Clarke's leadership, he has done very well not least because of his astute decision making on the field and George certainly has that too." The decision means Bailey, 29 , will play his first match for Australia in any format next week, and he will do it as captain. Bailey has been part of an Australian squad in the past - he was called up for the ODIs in New Zealand in early 2010 when Clarke returned home for personal reasons - but did not win a cap. When he walks out as leader for the T20 at Sydney's Stadium Australia next Wednesday and the match at the MCG two days later, Bailey will be in charge of a new-look side. The fast-bowling allrounder James Faulkner will be in line for his debut, while the batsman Travis Birt has earned a recall nearly two years after his last international appearance. But the big talking point, besides the captaincy, was the recall of Hogg, whose left-arm wrist-spin has been a major reason the Perth Scorchers have made the BBL final. Hogg retired from all cricket four years ago but made his T20 comeback this summer, and Inverarity said if all went well, Hogg would be part of Australia's squad at the World T20 in spinning conditions in Sri Lanka this year. "In my conversation with Brad it was that it would be the World Cup and that if he was selected our interest with him wouldn't go beyond that," Inverarity said. "Of course it could change. But that's the general intention ... Two months ago we probably weren't thinking about Brad Hogg. [bBL] games have changed when he's come on to bowl. He has been outstanding." The inclusion of Hogg meant there was no room for Steven Smith or Steve O'Keefe, two slow bowlers who had been part of the T20 side in recent months. Xavier Doherty was the other specialist spinner named to take on India. Brett Lee, Clint McKay and Daniel Christian will round out the attack, while Matthew Wade was not surprisingly named as the wicketkeeper. Michael Hussey was not named in the squad but Inverarity clarified that his exclusion was a workload issue. Hussey almost singlehandedly blasted Australia into the final of the World T20 in 2010 with a brilliant innings in the semi-final, and although he has not played a T20 international in a year and a half, he is expected to be part of the squad when Australia play two matches in the Caribbean in late March. "Mike is being rested for this," Inverarity said. "Mike has had a pretty gruelling schedule of Test matches - Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and India. I had a chat to Mike in Perth about a week ago and we're looking to give him a little bit of a break here, and probably in the early stages of the ODIs so he comes out fresh. We're also keen to try some of these younger players. But at this stage there'd be no doubt that Mike Hussey would be playing in the T20s in the West Indies." Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. The squad- George Bailey (capt), David Warner (vice-capt), Travis Birt, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Brett Lee, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Matthew Wade (wk) Shocking!! Bailey will make his debut as captain!!! :ohmy:
saneindian Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 So the Aussies are building a team for the next world t20 and we will be playing t20s with Vinay Kumar, Parthiv Patel, Dhoni etc. This world t20 is the time for the selectors to experiment with a new t20 skipper. If Gambhir is the next skipper as per their plan, let him lead the side in the two t20s vs Australia too and the subsequent t20s we play before October. Also, if those doing well in the IPL and CL are not being given a chance in the t20s, where else will they be picked? The likes of Abu Nechim who had done well in the CL should have been playing the t20s instead of Vinay Kumar.
Crookbond Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Captain first, batsman second http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2011/content/current/story/550582.html A few weeks ago, hundreds of Australian and Indian cricket fans headed to Melbourne's Southbank for a public appearance by the players ahead of the Boxing Day Test. Some wore their team shirts, others carried paraphernalia to be signed. Most were serious cricket followers. As a few groups crossed the Yarra River on the St Kilda Road footpath to go and meet their idols, they took no notice of George Bailey, who was out for a stroll on a day off from Big Bash League duties. Nobody stopped him to ask for an autograph. No one prodded their mate and said "Hey, that's George Bailey!" It appeared that this correspondent was the only person within cooee who recognised him. That will change next week, when Bailey leads Australia in a Twenty20 against India and becomes the first man since Dave Gregory in Test match No.1 in 1877 to be named captain in his first match for Australia in any format. It is an extraordinary rise, and one that has not come because of compelling form: Bailey has scored just one T20 half-century in his past three summers. But the new selection panel headed by John Inverarity rates Bailey highly as a captain, and it is for his leadership and tactical nous that he has been handed control of Australia's T20 outfit as they build towards September's ICC World Twenty20. It was telling that in the press release outlining Bailey's appointment, Inverarity noted that the role of the captain was especially important in the shortest format, where meticulous preparation needed to be accompanied by calm split-second decision-making. "A captain can have a most significant impact on a game," Inverarity said, "even if he does not bowl or get to the crease". The message was clear: captaincy skills are just as important as batting or bowling form for a T20 leader, if not more so. The juggling of bowlers, the setting of fields, the reading of play - these are factors that arguably become more important the shorter the format. That being the case, it could be argued that the incumbent leader, Cameron White, might have been retained despite his dismal BBL form. White has been captain of Victoria for a decade and in that time the Bushrangers have won four Big Bash titles. But his appointment as Australia's captain was a legacy of the Andrew Hilditch era. Inverarity's panel prefer Bailey. That's their prerogative. You don't move into a new house and keep the furniture where it was just because the previous owners had it there. The panel's options were few. Shane Watson is the Test vice-captain but is not fit. In any case, managing himself as an allrounder in three formats is enough of a burden without asking him to direct the side on the field. David Warner, vice-captain to Bailey, is an option in the long term, but he is only just beginning to learn about leadership. David Hussey has led Victoria on and off during White's absences, but he is more of a lead-by-example captain. Once while standing in as the state skipper in a one-day match he was asked at the toss who was in his side and he admitted he hadn't even checked the team sheet to find out. Bailey has the captaincy record to do the job. He has steered Tasmania to a Sheffield Shield and a one-day title in the past two years. He is regarded by his peers as an astute leader and tactician. He is a good enough batsman to have made an Australia ODI squad in 2010, and is a more aggressive, muscular strokeplayer than Michael Clarke, who was a clever T20 captain but lacked the power to be a forceful batsman in the format. He has much to offer, and giving him this opportunity was a brave, bold move by the selectors. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't, but something had to be done to revive Australia's T20 fortunes. They are ranked fifth in the world and have won only two matches since making the final of the World Twenty20 in 2010. They have four, maybe five games before the title is again up for grabs. It is just enough time for a new group to settle in. While the new squad does just that, White will be left to wonder where his career is heading. He started as a legspinner who could bat, and has ended up as a batsman who hardly bowls. He has spent time in the Test, ODI and T20 international teams, and now finds himself in none of them. He has time, but perhaps not Inverarity's panel, on his side. For now, all he can do is pile up the runs with Victoria. In Bangladesh in April, when White was dropped from Australia's ODI side, he and Hilditch were spotted out on the field, the last two men standing at a training session as the outgoing selector hit catches to the outgoing player. Their fates have turned out to be more closely aligned than anyone knew.
Crookbond Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 'I feel like I'm 21 again' - Brad Hogg http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-india-2011/content/current/story/550566.html They say 40 is the new 30. Or maybe 40 is the new 20 in Brad Hogg's case after he was selected in Australia's T20 squad for next week's internationals against India. Hogg, who turns 41 next month, retired from all forms of cricket in March 2008 but made his comeback this summer for the Perth Scorchers and has been one of the standout performers in the Big Bash League. He has collected 12 wickets at an average of 13.50 in helping the Scorchers reach this weekend's final, but even more impressive has been his economy rate of 5.40. Hogg now has the chance not only to resume his international career next week, but also to earn himself a place at the ICC World Twenty20, to be held in Sri Lanka in September. "It's unbelievable. Seriously I feel like I'm 21 again," Hogg said. "I really feel excited about where my cricket's gone over the last month and to be honest with you it's just a dream come true. "John (Inverarity, national selection manager) rang me up yesterday morning and just asked me if I was right to go. He woke me up at about 7 o'clock in the morning, the old bugger, but it was just great news. I hardly slept last night. I'm just excited. It's just like being a kid again and another Christmas present under the Christmas tree." It is an astonishing turn-around for Hogg, who four years ago ended a 15-year first-class career that brought him seven Test appearances, 123 one-day internationals, and two T20 internatioanls. Despite still being extremely fit, and seemingly enjoying the game, he cited personal issues as the major reason for his retirement, saying at the time "I've got things that I want to sort out at home and get my new chapter in my life organised and on the go." Hogg disappeared from the game completely, surfacing briefly as a television commentator for Australia's tour of India in 2010, before returning to represent Willetton Dragons in Perth grade cricket last season. After two T20s he was convinced to play two-day cricket again, and he took 5 for 44 in an elimination final, before scoring off a match-winning 144 in the semi-final. Since being recruited by the Perth Scorchers this season he has been a revelation. "I didn't plan it. It's just really exciting and I'm going to enjoy every moment of it," Hogg said. "One thing I've realised over the last three years is life only comes once and once cricket was gone I thought it was gone forever. But I'm just really going to make the most of this opportunity. It's just fantastic. I'm proud to be West Australian and I'm proud to be back in the green and gold as well." Only Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (15) and James Faulkner (13) have taken more wickets in the BBL than Hogg this summer, while only Mitchell Starc has a better average, and no other player has conceded less than a six per over. However, despite his incredible form, representing Australia had only recently become a possibility in Hogg's mind. "Probably only about a week ago I started to think if they were interested in selecting me I'd definitely take that opportunity," he said. "The only thing that's on my mind for the rest of this week is to make sure that we give it our best to get some silverware on the mantelpiece for West Australian cricket through the Perth Scorchers, and then after that my goal will be to try and get in that World Cup squad and win a World Cup at T20 level for Australia." Hogg is no stranger to World Cups having been a part of both the 2003 and 2007 triumphs for Australia in the 50-over format. Hogg was quick to point out he was no guarantee to go to the World T20 later this year and was even more cagey when asked about his prospects of playing beyond that tournament. "Firstly I've got to be fit around the World Cup and I've got to be still showing form. They're not going to pick me if I'm not showing form, simple as that. Beyond the World Cup I don't really have any aspirations after that. I think Australian cricket's got to look forward and go for the younger players, but at the present moment, luckily, I've been in form with the ball and they've given me the nod to participate in Twenty20 cricket for Australia. I'm not going to complain, simple as that." Hogg was hoping to go Sri Lanka for the World T20 in any case, having accepted a coaching role with Papua New Guinea. "I've had to change a few things. I was meant to be coaching Papua New Guinea and we were hoping to get that squad into the T20 World Cup just coming up. Things have changed. We've got to find a new coach over there for the boys. "Andy Bichel was doing the job and then I was going to take over when Bich decided to leave but those things have changed. I'll stay involved in some capacity there. [i will] keep chatting with Greg Campbell who is in charge. They're a pretty good, talented squad over there. An interesting group of people but the enthusiasm over there for the way they go about their cricket gave me the joy to come back and play for the Perth Scorchers." Should Hogg play next Wednesday against India it will be one month shy of four years since he last represented Australia, and more than five years since he played a T20 international. But that pales by comparison to the seven-year, 78-match gap between his first and second Tests. However, Hogg is unperturbed by any of that as Twenty20 has given him a new lease on life. "If I was a little bit younger I'd want to play all three forms of the game but Twenty20's given me the opportunity to participate for my country at the highest level again and keep me involved in the game as a player," he said. "Basically I just want to stay involved in cricket as long as I can. It's been my life from day dot, I've enjoyed it. I love my sport and I'm just grateful that cricket's given me the opportunities that it has."
Pak_Fan_4_Eva Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Great to see Oz not giving it much importance. Other teams must follow suit. Most of their players are unknowns.
adi B Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 india will get thrashed in both the t20....india are no way even a decent enough t20 side, bcoz of the crap bowling attack....worst t20 bowlers
rkt.india Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 So the Aussies are building a team for the next world t20 and we will be playing t20s with Vinay Kumar, Parthiv Patel, Dhoni etc. This world t20 is the time for the selectors to experiment with a new t20 skipper. If Gambhir is the next skipper as per their plan, let him lead the side in the two t20s vs Australia too and the subsequent t20s we play before October. Also, if those doing well in the IPL and CL are not being given a chance in the t20s, where else will they be picked? The likes of Abu Nechim who had done well in the CL should have been playing the t20s instead of Vinay Kumar. Our selectors are rubbish. There is no vision, no thinking behind any selections. Kuldeep Raval picked up by Delhi Daredevils had scored runs at an SR of 203, 92 balls, 14 sixes, 14 fours, from Saurasthra, in just concluded Mushtaq Ali Trophy and DD has not wasted any time in picking up him. Why cannot they pick separate players for T20 matches, likes of Uthappa should always be in a T20 team and he should keep as well.
Crookbond Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Our selectors are rubbish. There is no vision, no thinking behind any selections. Kuldeep Raval picked up by Delhi Daredevils had scored runs at an SR of 203, 92 balls, 14 sixes, 14 fours, from Saurasthra, in just concluded Mushtaq Ali Trophy and DD has not wasted any time in picking up him. Why cannot they pick separate players for T20 matches, likes of Uthappa should always be in a T20 team and he should keep as well. It's time for us to separate teams across all three formats. It's the need of the hour. At least T20 teams should only consider players in form and fitness. Considering the relative less activity in the international circuit, no legacy game should be allowed here.
saneindian Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 These selectors don't give importance to IPL/CL performances for t20s (and use the same to pick players for ODI/test squads), I wonder if they even know who has done well in Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
rkt.india Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 It's time for us to separate teams across all three formats. It's the need of the hour. At least T20 teams should only consider players in form and fitness. Considering the relative less activity in the international circuit' date=' no legacy game should be allowed here.[/quote'] Agree.
rkt.india Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Knock outs of Mushtaq ali trophy have not even been played yet. Here is the list by most runs: http://stats.espncricinfo.com/syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy-2011/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=6762;type=tournament
Deleted_User_1 Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Mark my words, India is going to lose every match on this tour!!!! Not a single win for these feckers!!!!!
Crookbond Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Knock outs of Mushtaq ali trophy have not even been played yet. Here is the list by most runs: http://stats.espncricinfo.com/syed-mushtaq-ali-trophy-2011/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=6762;type=tournament I am not sure of the selectors but the Mumbai Indians are definitely keeping an eye of the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy.
bulbul Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 One non performing Captain to another :giggle: they better ask Clarke to come back
Sidhoni Posted January 23, 2012 Author Posted January 23, 2012 Bradd Hogg recalled at 40 :blink: That is not a surprise given his performance in BBL
Dhonuts Dhoni Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 The Hoggster is back. So much for India's tour revival. Not even his wife can pick his wrong un'
Old guy Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 The Hoggster is back. So much for India's tour revival. Not even his wife can pick his wrong un' :hysterical:
sumvell Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 Bailey as captain reminds me of what England did with Adam Hollioke...
Pagalpanti Posted January 23, 2012 Posted January 23, 2012 All in-form players from BBL. As it is India's chances were bleak I doubt we can even give a fight.
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