Interesting article

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Kiwi Eagle

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Hard to argue with a lot of these comments from Lawson. I still can't believe Watson is picked as a test opener, his first class record as an opener is horrendous, and he has massive problems with the straight ball, being out a huge percentage bowled or LBW

Geoff Lawson says Australia selectors have messed up opener Phillip Hughes and believes the Test side is being picked on personality, not performance.
Lawson claims Hughes, 20, has been left "totally confused" after being dumped from the Test arena despite averaging 52.44.
The Blues left hander was bombarded by short balls on the Ashes tour, leading to his axing after just two Tests.
Lawson says the treatment from selectors has stripped Hughes of his confidence and left him a shadow of the player who blasted tons in each innings of a Test against South Africa in March.
"Phil Hughes is totally confused," the former Australia paceman said. "Can someone explain to me why Phil was dropped in the first place?
"He's been dropped after three innings (in the Ashes series) after bashing the South African attack all over the place ... my goodness.
"What is he to think after being dropped so early? Every senior person I talk to in Australian cricket asks me the same question - what are the selectors doing?
"He's a different player now, you can't even consider him in the same light to the player we saw in South Africa.
"He's become really defensive. That's not how you make 150."
After scoring 10 centuries in his first 24 first-class matches, Hughes has had an indifferent start to the summer. He has scored 123 runs in the Sheffield Shield for NSW at 41, with a top score of 79. In the domestic one-day arena, Hughes has scored 72 not out, 30 and 12.
Lawson fears Hughes is worse off for tinkering with the unusual, instinctive style that won him a baggy green cap.
"He's changed his technique. From what I saw in the recent Shield game, he's a different player. He's gone three steps backwards," Lawson said.
"Phil needs to clear his head, understand where he's at and go back to the people he trusts and play his natural game, because he's well out of form at the moment.
"Phil still has so much time to get back. But at the moment he's fallen off the cliff and I don't know what the selectors are saying to him. Here's a kid who used to smash good-length balls on off stump through point for six.
"Now he's getting side on to balls outside off stump and playing them on. I couldn't imagine a bigger change of technical approach to the game.
"He got bounced a few times against England A and they drop him. Steve Waugh had problems against the short ball, but he still worked out a way to make runs."
Lawson also claimed prolific Victoria opener Chris Rogers is being overlooked because he may not be popular with Australia's stars.
Rogers has scored centuries in his past six first-class matches and plundered 1195 runs at 74.69 last summer. But the 32-year-old has not been seen at Test level since his one and only Test against India nearly two years ago.
"The team is picked on personalities. If you don't fit the personality, then you won't make the team - that's a serious concern," Lawson said.
"When Rogers played his one Test, he was treated like a leper. That's why they've lost three of their past five series; they aren't picking the best players.
"The whispers are around that the Australian team is picked around who the selectors and the captain like.
"It seems to me they are picking personalities rather than people who can play the game."
 
Lawson is pretty much saying what others have been saying for a while. Don't know how Hilditch got a new contract.

Chris Rogers is unlucky, like a lot of players in Australia over the last 15-20 years.
 
they screwed our spinners, now they are screwing the openers

Watson should be at 5 or 6 and Hughes or Jacques should be opening.

Get rid of North - never rated him even if he can get a few runs here and there. 
 
Lawson is only sticking up for Hughes because he is a New South Welshman. Henry is a tosser, always has been. He was one of the unpopular players on tour in his day, and is still bitter about it. I take everything Lawson says with a grain of salt.

Sure Rogers is unlucky, but there is a list a mile long of Aussie players who are unlucky to be born at this time. You could probably name half a dozen players who would walk into most test sides in the world, but can't crack into the Aussie side.
 
But the point in C&C, you can also name half a dozen with credentials better than Watson's to be Australia's test match opener
 
You don't have to listen to Lawson, there are plenty of other commentaters/journalists saying the exact same thing.
 
It's just another example of the Australian selectors never ending quest to have an "all rounder" in our national side. We had to put up with Symonds' substandard performances for years, and we'll have to do the same with Watson.

Does it really matter whether he is opening or playing middle order ? The question is does he deserve to be there at all ? I don't rate him as a test class bowler. He can bat OK but he is not good enough to be picked on his batting alone, there are plenty of others with higher claims.

The thing is that you only get dropped from the Australian side if you are unpopular (Clark, Magilla,) or get injured (Jaques, Lee). If you are a "good bloke" and can stay fit, then you only need to string some reasonable performances together because the side as a whole will generally dominate and cover most form slumps. That's life in the baggy green.

Hughes just needs to suck it up and start scoring some runs in the Shield and keep pressing his claims. Watson will get injured again soon anyway so it won't be a long wait.
 
Chip & Chase link said:
Sure Rogers is unlucky, but there is a list a mile long of Aussie players who are unlucky to be born at this time.
  Starting with Stuart Law.  ;)
 
Yes, like Stuart Law ;). Although not high on my list of guys unlucky not to play more tests, he would have probably got a run in the test side of 3 or 4 other countries.

On another note, it seems that Stuart Clarks test career is dead in the water seeing as he has been overlooked as replacement for Hilfenhaus. I'm not convinced it's an ability thing, I get the impression he has rubbed someone up the wrong way.
 
The spell he bowled in the second innings of the last test in the ashes where he struggled to hit 125kmh and the tail smashed him around ended his career I reckon. 
 
How annoying is Bollinger?  It's not often I wish a batsman would smack a ball back at the bowler and remove all of his teeth.  But I'd love for Gayle to do that to the man with three chins.
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
3 2 1 45 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 22 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
3 2 1 10 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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