“The Selectors Have NO IDEA Who The Next Star Is!" | Australia v South Africa Test Preview

Let's talk, Dan, just while we're with you, about how this Aussie 11 and squad is looking at the moment.

Obviously, lots of, I, I guess bemusement almost when Nick Maddinson got called up after not playing first-class cricket for a r- while Sam Harper called up after some pretty impressive first-class form, especially on that A tour.

But there's gonna be some different names in and around that team.

Matt Renshaw looks to have kind of cemented his place.

Cooper Connolly's there or thereabout.

So what can you tell us about how that team's looking, not just for that first test, but the series as a whole?

Yeah, look, it's an Australian team that's in a bit of a state of flux at a level.

I mean, it-

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I think all the discussion around the Australian team to, to an extent needs to be prefaced by the fact that they have been very successful.

I think this is sometimes gets forgotten that we, we p- try to pick holes in this Australian team, but they have lost...

They have not lost a bilateral test series since early 2023.

That's the only one they've lost it since Pat Cummins took over as captain.

Um-

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they lost the World Test Championship final to South Africa last year, but ov- over- overall, they've been very successful.

That's not to say that there aren't issues.

And look, the Nick Maddinson selection in particular, that is, that has been a huge talking point.

It was a real shock, certainly to me, I think to a lot of people.

It's raised a lot of, um, [tsking] uh, concern or at least, um, set tongues wagging, riled a lot of people, particularly in the domestic cricket system.

Um, I see both sides of the debate.

Y- look, Nick Maddinson has been around for a long time.

Uh, he had a very...