Chris Hartly, Tim Paine and Adam Crosswaith are all better keepers than Luke Ronchi, they would all come under consideration before him. Don't get me wrong, Ronchi is quality, but there are better. Our wicket keeping stocks at the moment is of the highest quality, so Gilchrist's impending retirement doesn't concern me in the slightest. ANY of the states first string keepers could keep for Australia.
Anyway, on the issue of our side post Langer, McGrath and Warne. I think Jaques will replace Langer will no hassles, I hear murmors of Jaques being out of form atm? Uhm. Our next test is in November, plenty of time to find form, he'll be there. Hussey MUST stay in the middle order, he is the rock.
Anyway, on the bowling side, I think we'll need 5 quality bowlers for a while to make up for no McGrath and Warne. People forget that most teams in the world have to use 5 bowlers, we have just been blessed with the luxury for so long of having such an outstanding attack. This is close to what I'd run
1. Jaques
2. Hayden
3. Ponting
4. Hussey
5. Clarke
6. Gilchrist/Symonds
7. White/Gilchrist
8. Lee
9. Johnson
10. Hilfenhaus
11. Clark
Obviously depending on the track here. The top 5 are self explanitory. I'm a big Symonds fan as a one day player, and I'd like to see him get first crack at 6, but I dunno whether we should risk taking in 4 relatively inexperienced (excluding Lee) bowlers against teams like India and Sri Lanka.
We need to go with 4 quicks and a spinner to be honest. Lee adds the experience, Stuart Clark has shown this year he's up to the task, and I think Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson both deserve spots in the side. The debate will continue for a long time as to who has the brighter future of the two, but fact is, they should both be in the side, they're both different type bowlers and they're both sharp and they could both be invaluable to the side.
I don't rate Shane Watson, so I haven't considered him here, so don't say I'm forgetting him, I think his batting is garbage, and his bowling is too straight up and down and I think Stuart MacGill is far to eratic in his bowling, sure he turns it, but his line can be ****house, plus he's an arrogant ******.
Anyway, much to my displeasure, Cameron White would be my first choice spinner, as long as he spends alot of time with Warne and Terry Jenner before hand. White gets the gig on his batting ability here. I don't rate him as a bowler at all, but as an allrounder he has really picked up and I think we'll see him get a gig in the VB series this summer at some stage as well. With the right coaching, White could become quite good.
If it was a batsmens track, then Symonds would be six, Gilchrist seven, White, Lee, Johnson and Hilfenhaus. With no Clark in the side, because I'm sure eventually he will become quite mediocre at test level. If and when Hilfenhaus and Johnson get their chance, they will shine much brighter than Stuart Clark.