[bazzap]

Originally Posted by bazzap

Bazza's Fearless T20 World Cup Predictions





Australia to flog Pakistan in the semi-final. Look to Lords 1999 WC final. We always hammer the Paki's.


Kiwis or the Curry Munchers to beat England in the other semi. England has started a losing streak now that will continue to the end of the Ashes. They peaked too early


Australia to win T20 final probably against the Kiwis. Kiwis only beat Australia in NZ. Source? 2015 WC final.


With a team that contains my heroes Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, and Dave Warner, how can we lose!!!!



And if we lose it doesn't really matter, as we are having ANOTHER Men's T20 World Cup in Australia next year

What can I say?? Even old fools like me get it right every now & then.



Actually, I put it all down to Fozzie. He was in Pattaya in 2015 when Australia won the ODI World Cup. He is back there now and we win again. He is our lucky charm.

I hope he goes to Oz for the upcoming Ashes. The last time he went, the Aussies won 5-0

[Frankie]

Originally Posted by bazzap

What can I say?? Even old fools like me get it right every now & then.



Actually, I put it all down to Fozzie. He was in Pattaya in 2015 when Australia won the ODI World Cup. He is back there now and we win again. He is our lucky charm.

I hope he goes to Oz for the upcoming Ashes. The last time he went, the Aussies won 5-0

Just pyjama cricket though Baz nothing to get excited about. Of course I wouldn't have wrote that if England had won, as then T20 would have been the No 1 sport in the world.

[Frankie]

Been all hell let loose in the UK over former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq's racist allegations. Rafiq even appeared before a UK parliamentary committee on Tuesday to face questions from MPs. BBC all over it as you would expect. Questions also being asked as why the ECB is a closed shop full of white ex Public School types. Hopefully they will get their arses well and truly kicked and they will have to be more open and inclusive. No more champagne, foie gras and caviar more like John Smiths, tripe and black pudding.

[bazzap]

Where is my old mate, The Bagman?? We have a serious issue and we need to throw in our two bobs worth.


The Australian Test cricket team needs a new captain as our man Timmy has fallen by the wayside for doing what 99% of men have done in one form or another over the years. Years ago nobody would have cared but we are now in a different era.


Time to put on our thinking caps

The following would have probably been the First Test line-up (not that I agree with it)


1. Warner
2. Harris
3. Labs (coz I still can't spell his name)
4. Smith
5. Head
6. Green
7. Paine
8. Cummins
9. Starc
10. Hazelwood
11. Lyon


Lots of talk in the media about pretty boy Cummins being named as captain. I hope not. He is way too nice. The last bowler to captain Australia was Benaud, 60 years ago and he was a leggie. Australia does not have fast bowlers as their captain. So that leaves out No.'s 8, 9, 10. Lyon used to shag other women while being with his former partner so no chance for him.



Australia's Test captain was normally the team's best bat. After Benaud, we have had Simpson, Lawry, I. Chappell, G. Chappell, Simpson again, Yallop, Chappell G. again, Hughes, Border, Taylor, S. Waugh, Ponting, Clarke, and Smith. So pretty close to the mark. Paine was not the best batsman but an old-school gentleman.



So the process of elimination begins

Warner & Smith? No fucking chance. That would cause a civil war.

Labs? Best bat but a bit of a hothead. Not born in Australia. No.

Head and Harris? Lucky to have a spot. No

Green? A bit young and a rookie. No





What to do, what to do?



Normally the captain should come from NSW but no one in the team fits the bill. There has only been one Western Australian captain (Hughes) but he cried. Only one Victorian (Lawry) but he was too boring and raced pigeons. Yallop does not count as he was there by default. One Tasmanian (Ponting) but he was an off-field gambler and brawler in the Stokes mould. Both Chappells came from South Australia but that was the 70's. The place is fucked now. No real Queenslander captains Australia.




What to do, what to do?




Then it struck me!! We have to go a bit left-field.



My New Australian Test team


1. Warner
2. Harris
3. Labs
4. Smith
5. Marsh M.
6. Green
7. J. Pierson w/k
8. Cummins
9. Hazelwood.
10. J. Richardson
11. Lyon




And the captain? My man, Mitch Marsh, of course. He is the best Australian batsman at the moment, a born leader and good mate of Langer's. He just needs to curb his enthusiasm with regards to punching walls. Punch a few Poms instead.


After he won the World Cup for Australia a week ago, it was said that he was the most popular player on the team and that everyone loved him. The natural choice.


Jimmy Pierson to be V/C. He captained QLD to a rare Sheffield Shield win and is in good form.




There ya go. I have solved Cricket Australia's problems again




Time for another Leo

[Frankie]

What do you make of the emergence of Mitch Marsh into a seemingly quality player Baz? Flash in the pan or after what seems ages has he now found out how to play at international level?

[bazzap]

My man Mitch did not make the Ashes squad for the upcoming first two tests but did get named as an Australia A team player. These squads will play an intra-squad game on December 3. Ya never know, he may play a blinder and get back in.

Australia squad: Tim Paine (wk), Pat Cummins (vc), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner



Additional Australia A players: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Nic Maddinson, Mitchell Marsh, Matt Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Bryce Street

Mitch has had many chances in the past but never forget that the likes of Langer, Hayden, both Waugh brothers, etc have all been dropped in the past but came back to perform superbly at the top level.


The eastern states media especially from NSW & Victoria (where most of the population of Oz lives) will have a field day if Mitch (from Western Australia like Langer) ever gets picked in the Test team again.

[Frankie]

I think what happens with quite a few players is that they break through into Test cricket, manage to find their feet relatively quick and score some runs and initially looks quite impressive. But the more they play the more footage coaches have to analyse their technique. Then for a lot of them they are well and truly found, struggle and are dropped. However a few go away, work on their technique and return and go on to be world-class players. Graham Gooch is a prime example. Opening bat, bagged a pair on debut, dropped but came back and ended up as one of Englands all time best batsmen. Maybe Mitch is one of them?

[bazzap]

No chance IMHO He won't get back in. He has had too many chances already.


Bloody hell, they have picked a fast bowler as captain. There is a reason no fast bowler has captained Australia before. "They have no fucking brains!!" quoting my mate Stumpy. He might be the best Test bowler in the world, looks pretty, and is an all-around nice guy but he should not be captain. His job is to breathe fire and knock their blocks off.


Most Australian captains could bowl. Benaud, Simpson, Chapelli, Waugh, Border, Clarke, and Smith started out as a leggie. No fast bowlers.


Remember when Botham was the captain of England? 12 Tests, 0 wins, 4 losses and 8 draws. Bob Willis did a bit better but remember when Flintoff captained England in Australia in 2007/08. We all know what happened


On top of that, Cricket Australia rewarded that cheating prick Smith with a leadership role again. He will have plenty of tips for Cummins


To make matters worse, young Inglis is in line for the keepers job. He is a bloody Pom!!! Born in Leeds. Might as well give the Paki, Khawaja a spot as well. Throw in the Saffa (Labs) and it's near the UN team. There are probably a few Indians and Sri Lankans playing state cricket that are next in line too.


We are giving the Ashes to the Poms on a plate.


Time for me to go back into my cave, open a bottle of Thai whiskey, and drown my sorrows.


As Wham once sang, Wake me up when it's all over

[Frankie]

Apart from fast bowlers not being selected as Captains because they are too fucking thick fast bowling does not go hand-in-hand with captaincy IMO. Typically after bowling an over the fast bowler will go out to "graze" in the outfield at either Third Man or Long Leg. Obviously if he's Captain he will have to be in the infield and organising things. And this will be a huge change from the normal role and will be difficult to adapt to. Don't know what Cummings is like as a slip but he will be bowling and then having to field at least at mid-off. The pressure on him will be enormous.

[monkeyspanker]

nothing to see here..no ashes talk..move on...