Is Joe Mennie's selection for the Australia Test squad justified?

[Ellipsism]

The reason why Mennie is in the team baffles me. You have guys like Behrendorff in your circuit, but you decide to go with a bowler whom doesn't have enough pace to trouble a club batsman and can't swing the ball.

His fitness is also sub international standard to say the least, he was bowling in the 125-130 KPH range by the end of the day.


Is he the worst bowler to ever play Test Cricket for Australia?

 

[Ellipsism]

What I find amusing is this guy has been toping the Shield bowling charts for the last few seasons. If this doesn't prove their is a dearth of talent in the current crop of Australian cricketers, I don't know what does.

 

[Junaids]

Greg Campbell
Scott Muller
Simon O'Donnell
Dave Gilbert
Simon Davis
Chris Matthews

Trust me, there were some real stinkers in the mid-1980's!

 

[Ellipsism]

Greg Campbell
Scott Muller
Simon O'Donnell
Dave Gilbert
Simon Davis
Chris Matthews

Trust me, there were some real stinkers in the mid-1980's!

We don't need to back that far. In the last decade, Mennie without a shadow of a doubt is the worst bowler to play for Australia.

 

[Junaids]

We don't need to back that far. In the last decade, Mennie without a shadow of a doubt is the worst bowler to play for Australia.

Doug Bollinger
Xavier Doherty
Michael Beer
Moises Henriques
Bryce McGain

 

[OS_89]

Doug Bollinger
Xavier Doherty
Michael Beer
Moises Henriques
Bryce McGain

What?! Bollinger was a top class bowler, just had fitness issues.

Agree about the others

 

[OS_89]

Mennie looks extremely ordinary. It's not just the fact that he's bad that's perplexing about his selection, it's the fact that he was picked over Bird, who is a far better bowler, who picked up a 5fer in the last test he played and Hobart is his home ground. It's a mind-bogglingly stupid selection.

 

[Junaids]

What?! Bollinger was a top class bowler, just had fitness issues.

Agree about the others

Dougie?

I like the guy, but he's just the Aussie Mitchell McClenaghan!

Hits the deck hard, but usually doesn't move the ball.

 

[anuk]

Dougie?

I like the guy, but he's just the Aussie Mitchell McClenaghan!

Hits the deck hard, but usually doesn't move the ball.

bollinger was a fantastic seamer.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

trent copeland ...

 

[Justcrazy]

He is picked because he can bat also.

 

[TalentSpotterPk]

Why Jackson Bird wasn't picked ?

 

[Hasan123]

Why Jackson Bird wasn't picked ?

Apparently his batting isn't good enough

 

[Pete Rose]

Yes, he can bat.
And as he proved today, second highest scorer as well.

 

[Dark Magician]

Lol Mcgain was rubbish.

 

[aloo paratha]

Don't know why Bird was dropped, he would've done really well on a pitch like this.

 

[Slog]

He is bang on average

Prolly the most mediocre Aussie pacer I've seen in a Aussie home test match

They've had some run of the mill pacers in ODIs at times but in tests generally they put out the top quality ones which means that maybe this so what they have now

 

[MMHS]

I don't think Mennie was picked for his batting - in that case, Aussies won't have dropped Mitch Marsh, rather played both of them. I rather think, there is not much option left for 3rd pacer - Copeland, Bird, Sayers, Behrendorff ... probably none of them are that good (& fit enough), therefore they went for the man with a bit better batting skills. Also, his FC average is <27, Behrendorff's is around 25 (but half number of matches) & more or less, others are similar, therefore I think, they went for the better batsman.

On technical terms, AUS needs a stock bowler for 1st change - no one is going to take the new ball from their opening pair; therefore they went for the pacer with better economy & higher stamina. But not sure why Chadd Sayers is never given a chance.

 

[zacattakk]

I saw a few of his overs yesterday and have to agree with the above. I had never heard of him before, and he seemed very average. Bowling at medium pace, just an average line and length bowler without any real swing or significant seam movement.

 

[Convict]

Mennie is a perfect example of why selecting from cricinfo scorecards is stupid.

 

[Syed1]

Seems to be from the Anwar Ali school of cricket..

 

[Chrish]

It's extremely unlike Australia to select 125k bowler on debut

 

[The_Odd_One]

Doug Bollinger
Xavier Doherty
Michael Beer
Moises Henriques
Bryce McGain

Unfair to include Bollinger who averages just under 26 with 48 strike rate.