Aussie Selection Lessons from Tasmania - Day One

Wickman was absolutely delighted to discover that the final warm up game was on Sky last night. In HD. From Hobart. In his living room. Where his bottle of Laphroig was.

And as luck would have it England won the toss, stuck Australia A in, and we got to have a look at some of the 17 that the Aussie selectors have "picked" for Brisbane. And even some that just missed out.

Admittedly in almost perfect English conditions, Chris Tremlett absolutely destroyed Phil Hughes early on with one that climbed a bit and left him. Nicked it to slip where Strauss pouched it. Selectors get a tick there. They left Hughes out and he looked out of touch.

That was very good news because it allowed us to look at the much hyped Usman Khawaja. This guy is probably Mike Hussey's long term replacement. Left handed. Tall. Touch of the David Gower about him perhaps. He looked classy. Well. He blocked it well. Got in behind a probing off stump line from Shezad and looked comfortable with ball dug in shortish. But then nicked a full one behind. Selectors get a cross. Too early for the guy surely to be put under pressure by picking him in the squad and telling him if he gets runs he might get a debut?

The good thing was that got us a look at Ferguson. Ferguson has already had two looks at the Test attack with modest returns so it was probably only fair to give him a go against our net bowlers. He also nicked one, this time off Bresnan who must have thought he was back in Yorkshire so awful were the conditions. Another cross.

There was time before lunch to watch One Day stalwart Cameron White cleaned up completely by Tremlett and to hear Ian Healey and a couple of other Aussie commentators talking up Smith's batting as if that might get him the nod next Thursday. That he made 59 on a day when none of the Aussie likely top 6 made it past 17 suggests it might not be a bad call... but another cross as he won't play next week as a bat.

Not much to suggest that picking 17 was worth the media coverage. Wickman will be back tonight to see if Smith can bowl. Evidence so far from his one day career suggests we aren't about to see a ball of the century from him at Brisbane...