Second Round Group F - Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh

[Speersy]

umm, I dont play cricket but is it normal for a guy to get injured as much as he has?

Why would you play if you thought that you could tear a freakin muscle ffs. If I was the selectors I would seriously think about ever choosin watson again.

I love Watson, and unfortunately I have wathched every game he has been injured.
Is his body just not cut out for bowling the pace he does?

 

[Scaly piscine]

Heh @ Salman Butt doing it again.

 

[Days of Grace]

lol at Butt's dismissal 'ere. Jeez, he's having a rubbish time of it. Do Pakistan have another batsman in their squad?

 

[Prince EWS]

I think people are over-reacting slightly to Watson's latest injury after reading a few reports. He didn't actually re-injure it; it simply wasn't healed. You could tell from the first over he bowled that he wasn't 100% fit and I said so here before he got injured. It isn't like he has injured himself again.. he just shouldn't have played today as he wasn't ready. The physio said he wouldn't have played if it was an ODI, and he hasn't torn it again, he just pulled up sore because he obviously wasn't fit to return yet.

Obviously I'm quite frustrated with this, but it doesn't actually prove he's any more injury prone than we thought previously as he didn't injure himself in this game. It was obviously either a poor decision on behalf of Watson himself or the team physio to allow him to play judging by how he approached the crease, how he bowled and what caused him to go off again.

 

[howardj]

Obviously I'm quite frustrated with this, but it doesn't actually prove he's any more injury prone than we thought previously as he didn't injure himself in this game. It was obviously either a poor decision on behalf of Watson himself or the team physio to allow him to play judging by how he approached the crease, how he bowled and what caused him to go off again.

He was obviously approaching the crease perfectly fine in his warm ups for this game. The physio is not a fool. However, he gets to the match situation, and suddenly there's a problem. I think, at least in part, his mental toughness needs to be questioned.

 

[Burgey]

There's no way the poor bloke should go to India. It's like flogging away with Flintoff when he can hardly walk. Let them recover properly please.

AWTA. It's not that he can't play. Part of the problem here is the scheduling. Perversely, he was injured after several months off, but now they're back into it they have the T20, then India, then SL at home then India at home pretty much in a row.

As much as I'd like to see him playing regularly, they ought not take him to India and let him heal properly then play some FC stuff at home before SL arrive.

 

[JASON]

India and Pakistan brought several youngsters who have done well. SL decided to stick with the old guys...Should've brought in Kapugedera and Warnapura at least ...a missed opportunity....

 

[Nate]

I hate Watson, and fortunately I have watched every game he has been injured, coz I'm the devil bitch!.

 

[SJS]

India and Pakistan brought several youngsters who have done well. SL decided to stick with the old guys...Should've brought in Kapugedera and Warnapura at least ...a missed opportunity....

Thats easy to say afterwards jason. Not that I disagree entirely.

I think Sri Lanka has a problem with its youngsters introduced in the last three years or so. People like Dilshan for example. They are not showing that they are evolving to the next level. They will play the odd innings but they do not inspire any confidence. This cant beattributed to not being given enoughchances. Because they have been.

I think Sri Lanka has to decide that Jayasuriya has played his last innings. It is always sad when a legend passes on but all good things have to end. The break has to be made now. Same may soon have to be the case with Vaas. Maybe write away.

Again this is not denying that both of them will still produce an innings of sheer class or a greatspell but with Jayasuriya, Murali and Sangakarra representing experience, Sri Lanka can afford to have a few of those slightly younger to take up more responsibility. Otherwise by the time it is forced upon Sri Lanka some of those who should be taking up more responsibilty will have the requisite grey hair or receding hairlines to justify inclusion in the list of leaders but not the zest of youth to be called the 'young leadership'.

Thats what all sub continental teams need to realise, a young leadership being nurtured within the safety net/umbrella of mature seniors is a continuous process and so critical for a balanced team.

 

[JASON]

Thats easy to say afterwards jason. Not that I disagree entirely.

I think Sri Lanka has a problem with its youngsters introduced in the last three years or so. People like Dilshan for example. They are not showing that they are evolving to the next level. They will play the odd innings but they do not inspire any confidence. This cant beattributed to not being given enoughchances. Because they have been.

I think Sri Lanka has to decide that Jayasuriya has played his last innings. It is always sad when a legend passes on but all good things have to end. The break has to be made now. Same may soon have to be the case with Vaas. Maybe write away.

Again this is not denying that both of them will still produce an innings of sheer class or a greatspell but with Jayasuriya, Murali and Sangakarra representing experience, Sri Lanka can afford to have a few of those slightly younger to take up more responsibility. Otherwise by the time it is forced upon Sri Lanka some of those who should be taking up more responsibilty will have the requisite grey hair or receding hairlines to justify inclusion in the list of leaders but not the zest of youth to be called the 'young leadership'.

Thats what all sub continental teams need to realise, a young leadership being nurtured within the safety net/umbrella of mature seniors is a continuous process and so critical for a balanced team.

I agree with most of what you said.

I think guys like Kapugedera, Warnapura and some of the others should have been given a go here.

Dilshan is a real case in point...a few 20s and 30s here and there seems to keep him in the side ...but never a big innings when you need one...

Maharoof is at best an average ODI player...and there are others...like Mubarak ...lets not go there...

But one only has to look at the Ageing Brigade of Australia and wonder when the change is going to happen there...ie Hayden at 36 Gilchrist at 36 etc...

 

[JASON]

I am certain Jayasuriya has played his last 20/20 for Sri Lanka. (but perhaps a new chapter of 20/20 in ICL or IPL may beckon....)

I am certain his Test career wil finish in Australia in November.... ODIs may be after that ie the Triangular series.....

Vaas will continue ...but perhaps only in Tests after the Triangular series in Australia ....

The trouble is SL doesn't have anyone good enough to take over from Vaas....and it may be Dilhara and Malinga for a while...until someone comes on...

 

[JASON]

One hopes SL Cricket administrators are working with Trevor Bayliss and some of the domestic coaches in SL in uncovering Talent ....

I remain hope ful that another Vaas and Malinga are only just around the corner...

I even dream that another Murali will soon turn up too....... to take over from the Master .....

 

[PakPowered]

Kudus to Dravid,Tend and Ganguly for opting out of this tour and giving youngsters a chance. Mohd Yousuf & Razzaq should have learnt something from them rather than start acting like cry babies.Anyway full marks to Pak selectors for giving chance to youngsters in this tour.

I'm surprised that Lanka carried such an experianced and aged team in this tour, they should really have tried some youngsters.

 

[biased indian]

Kudus to Dravid,Tend and Ganguly for opting out of this tour and giving youngsters a chance. Mohd Yousuf & Razzaq should have learnt something from them rather than start acting like cry babies.Anyway full marks to Pak selectors for giving chance to youngsters in this tour.

I'm surprised that Lanka carried such an experianced and aged team in this tour, they should really have tried some youngsters.

so should have been AUS

 

[pup11]

I think in Australia's case them sending their usual odi squad to this World T20 was due to the fact that the Australian cricketers hadn't played any international cricket since the World cup final and probably the Australian selectors wanted the players to feel their way back into international cricket before the odi series in India.
Secondly with an Australian A tour to Pakistan clashing with World T20, more or less all the young players who could have been the part of the Australian T20 were drafted into the Australia A side.

 

[SJS]

But one only has to look at the Ageing Brigade of Australia and wonder when the change is going to happen there...ie Hayden at 36 Gilchrist at 36 etc...

I dont think age alone can be a criteria. Hypothetically, if Gilchrist can go on like thgis (performance wise) for another six years, why should we talk of replacing it with a youngster. Youngsters have to earn their place in the side and should not get a reward for being born later.

It changes when a senior players performance starts flagging and the good performances come less and less regularly. If a senior is performing just enough (consistencywise) to maintain a foothold in the side AND there is a good youngster waiting to be picked, sure pick the youngster. Not otherwise.

Thats where I feel Jayasuriya is today. Just performing enough to scotch talks of being past the use by date. We should throw away stuff not always by some prefixed notion of what is the 'use by" date but on the basis of the whiff of 'food going bad".

Australia's 'senior brigade' still smells deliciouly fresh and thats good enough to eat.

 

[Nate]

Great pear of posts you two.