Kohli Equals Border - 32 Test wins as captain

[CricAddict]

would be fantastic.

Kohli will never stoop down to that level

 

[Burgey]

What makes you think people would stoop down to the level of picking it up?

Then again, a buck's a buck I suppose.

 

[Burgey]

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Act '2'

 

[Gnske]

Can't wait for when Kohli starts raining Aussie dollars over the masses in Sydney

Start raining cocaine and coupons to therapists and then you're talking.

 

[Red]

The best thing about the Newlands scandal is the dismantling of the self created mythos of the Australian cricketer and the mutual **** fest it used to generate. It used to be that they would justify all sorts of poor behavior by saying “well we are allowed to say and do what we want because we play hard but fair. We get to decide on the boundaries because we play HARD BUT FAIR. AUSTRALIANISM!!”

Now it’s “well we only cheat to try to win”.

No, we got caught ball tampering in a stupid way, but it's something that teams have done since the beginning of the game. We were trying to improve our chances of winning a game.

I'd much prefer a straight up sledge or ball tampering incident than have to live with the sort of corruption, match fixing, and bullshit that goes on in some other countries.

 

[silentstriker]

No, we got caught ball tampering in a stupid way, but it's something that teams have done since the beginning of the game. We were trying to improve our chances of winning a game.

I'd much prefer a straight up sledge or ball tampering incident than have to live with the sort of corruption, match fixing, and bullshit that goes on in some other countries.

No doubt. It wasn’t a big deal at all from a cricketing perspective. All the teams have done it.

But now, thankfully, we can say Aussies are just like everyone else instead of themselves and their supporters moaning on about how they get to decide where the lines are because they have a sporting tradition that’s somehow different from the rest, how they play hard but fair so they get to be the arbiters of what’s allowed. You’ve seen that type of responses multiple times. “We can use that type of language because it’s just Australian cricketing culture mate.” Allowed people to be assholes and then act all indignant and self righteous when anyone tried to say anything back. I never bought it before either but now it can be summarily dismisses just like all the other jingoistic drivel from every other country. And hopefully, I’ll never hear “Australianism” again.

 

[Gnske]

Australianism is intrinsically good no matter how you look at it anyway. Complaints against it always reek of envy.

 

[silentstriker]

Australianism is intrinsically good no matter how you look at it anyway. Complaints against it always reek of envy.

No it’s really stupid because it actually takes away from the skill of the players. Australia had arguably the best team in history for a decade because they have a good grass roots system (which makes them always pretty good at worst) and they happened to get a lot of players who were all time greats playing at the same time (which made them all time great). It’s not anything in the water or some kind of weird macho undefinable “spirit” that they alone happen to possess.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

When I think of Australianism, I think of the late great Steve Irwin.

 

[Gnske]

No it’s really stupid because it actually takes away from the skill of the players. Australia had arguably the best team in history for a decade because they have a good grass roots system (which makes them always pretty good at worst) and they happened to get a lot of players who were all time greats playing at the same time (which made them all time great). It’s not anything in the water or some kind of weird macho undefinable “spirit” that they alone happen to possess.

Grass roots maybe played a small part. But particular cultures can also produce thriving sublets of individuals with extraordinary abilities in abnormal amounts. It's so obvious its painful that the Australian way of competition, hard play and the desire to excel no matter what has bred the type of values into our cricketers that just spell success.

It's why a culture like New Zealand couldn't win a World Cup. There's no substitute for victory.

 

[Burgey]

No it’s really stupid because it actually takes away from the skill of the players. Australia had arguably the best team in history for a decade because they have a good grass roots system (which makes them always pretty good at worst) and they happened to get a lot of players who were all time greats playing at the same time (which made them all time great). It’s not anything in the water or some kind of weird macho undefinable “spirit” that they alone happen to possess.

History suggests it actually is. There's an inherent sporting advantage which comes from having a climate conducive to outdoor activity and therefore a comparatively healthy lifestyle, combined with being fortunate enough to be a first world nation and sufficiently wealthy that a large percentage of your population can avail themselves of that natural advantage, rather than have to go down pit or scrounge around to survive. Kiwis have a similar level of fortune, though their climate is a little bit shittier than ours.

It might not be a palatable thing to contemplate, nor is it anything more than a geographical and historical accident, but it's still a fact. It's perfectly understandable that in turn gives rise to a (in this instance) well-founded sense of sporting superiority.

 

[Burgey]

Grass roots maybe played a small part. But particular cultures can also produce thriving sublets of individuals with extraordinary abilities in abnormal amounts. It's so obvious its painful that the Australian way of competition, hard play and the desire to excel no matter what has bred the type of values into our cricketers that just spell success.

It's why a culture like New Zealand couldn't win a World Cup. There's no substitute for victory.

See also Wagga Wagga.

 

[silentstriker]

History suggests it actually is. There's an inherent sporting advantage which comes from having a climate conducive to outdoor activity and therefore a comparatively healthy lifestyle, combined with being fortunate enough to be a first world nation and sufficiently wealthy that a large percentage of your population can avail themselves of that natural advantage, rather than have to go down pit or scrounge around to survive. Kiwis have a similar level of fortune, though their climate is a little bit shittier than ours.

I don’t disagree with any of this.

 

[Daemon]

Dammit SS, we’re supposed to ellicit wahhhs not be the wahhher

 

[silentstriker]

Dammit SS, we’re supposed to ellicit wahhhs not be the wahhher

I am too old for either.

 

[cpr]

Grass roots maybe played a small part. But particular cultures can also produce thriving sublets of individuals with extraordinary abilities in abnormal amounts. It's so obvious its painful that the Australian way of competition, hard play and the desire to excel no matter what has bred the type of values into our cricketers that just spell success.

It's why a culture like New Zealand couldn't win a World Cup. There's no substitute for victory.

This would be more believable if you weren't **** at other sports

 

[jimmy101]

We actually made the semi-final of the FIBA world cup recently :-)

 

[Burgey]

This would be more believable if you weren't **** at other sports

No englishman is in a position to bag any other nation re sporting prowess. Woeful.

 

[Gnske]

This would be more believable if you weren't **** at other sports

I was referring more to Cricket. But consider our dominance of sports generally compared to our modest population, and the statistics tell you we achieve abnormal levels of success.