If Smith is back for the ashes then is there any need to keep Paine? His keeping is nowhere near as good as people thought it was and his batting does not make up for it.
I recall Smithās and Warnerās punishments included bans on holding leadership positions after they returned. So weāll still need to choose a captain and vice captain from the rest.
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As suggested Smith is ineligible to hold a leadership position for at least 12mths.
His keeping is significantly better than those who are behind him in the pecking order.
And his batting isnāt what has him in the side, although it hasnāt been as woeful as one would have expected considering his FC record
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Now thatās funny
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Paineās record is a bit of a misnomer, owing to his constant injury problems with the busted finger. Heād have had a incredible 1st class career if not for ā ā ā ā ā ā ā Dirk Nannes!
Iām still comfortable that heās our best wicket keeping option for test cricket at the moment. Wadeās quality is waaaaaaaaaaay overblown at the moment, itās like heās been reincarnated as MS Kumar Gilchrist. And not sure Carey is ready yet. Give it time.
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I know. But his keeping alone has not been good enough to keep him in the side either
um, yeah it hasā¦ 
113 FC games. (Thatās over 10 full seasons of Shield). 1 ton.
One.
O-n-e
Incredible?
Get yer hand off it.
Reckon you mightāve struggled to get the best out of your potential if youād had 7 surgeries and 8 pins in your busted hand.
Just to put into context how little cricket heās played because maybe 113 1st class games seems like a lotā¦ Adam Voges debuted 2 years earlier than Paine and played twice as many 1st class games. Phil Hughes debuted 2 years later and played 1 more game than Paine by the time he was dead at 25.
Paine hasnāt played more than a couple entire Shield seasons from start to finish without interruption. Heās never been able to get to England to play County cricket. He didnāt really play a single game from end of 2010 to 2012. He basically hasnāt managed more than 6-7 1st class games a year since his debut.
With passage of time maybe you have forgotten how good he was as a younger bloke, or maybe you never realised to be begin with. I know I was an unabashed fan of him as a younger bloke so I followed him reasonably closely. His average was pushing 40 back in ~2013 before yet another finger surgery interrupted his career. His subsequent career has been mediocre at best for sure, but he wouldāve been a star if not for the finger injuries. And all for a pointless T20 exhibition matchā¦
ā ā ā ā ā ā ā Dirk Nannes!
Umā¦no it hasnāt
Did the international cricket finish earlier than normal this year? Feels like we should still have more games to comeā¦
Perhaps a touch. But they also started a bit earlier this year with the ODI series against SA and thereās a Limited overs tour to India later this month and into March.
You can take it as you want. When Iām feeling down some of yours improve my mood also.
Ive seen him a couple of times now, On varying decks. It was pleasurable for this purist anyway.
Itās my fantasy team anyway based on what if. Thatās the last time Iāll explain to those who donāt read
Thereās no doubt that Marshās best is/was world class, sadly seen all too infrequently. Although interestingly is ODI form this last 12 months has been sublime.
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Heās 35.
Heās not out of form, heās past it.
Iād certainly agree heās as talented, and good to watch, as anyone weāve produced since the early 00s. But heās underachieved.
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age hasnāt got much to do with it, plenty still going around - jimmy Anderson, alma donāt seem to be slowing down. hes not cooked. and any forms good form (for some, correct) according to CAs new criteria. you might have argued against yourself with that one.
anyone else going to England you may as well throw under those rocks Chevy chase knocked over in vacation.
Now thatās funny
Re-integration of David Warner and Steve Smith into the Australian team following their 12-month bans for the Newlands scandal may be staggered over the course of the World Cup and the Ashes this year, with the former captainās more problematic elbow injury causing serious consideration of a conservative return to the game tailored to peak during the bid to retain the urn.
Age has everything to do with it. Marsh at his best is undoubtedly very good, but unfortunately that happens once every half dozen years or so. His time has come and gone, and unfortunately for him he pisssed his talent up against the wall for most of it. 17 odd years of not even reliably reaching mediocrity is enough. Someone elseās turn now.
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