Amazon "The Test" documentary

[TheBrand]

Dunno about you guys but anyone reckon JL comes across as a bit of prick?

Definitely a lot of respect for Paine and Uzzie after watching this.

 

[Burgey]

I don't think anyone is surprised that Langer comes across that way. He cut his teeth under SWaugh who, for all his awesomeness, genuinely bought into the wrap-yourself-in-the-flag/ baggy green-type bullshit Langer revels in. I suppose one thing you can say in his favour is he genuinely believes it. Which is sad, but at least gives him a veneer of authenticity.

I could see why he and the Pillow might bump heads though - Langer was a bloke who demonstrably scrapped and fought to get absolutely everything out of what talent he had. Khawaja gives the impression (albeit very likely inaccurate) through his demeanour that he's a lot more laissez faire about ****. Sort of like Mark Waugh without the talent.

 

[hazsa19]

Dunno about you guys but anyone reckon JL comes across as a bit of prick?

Definitely a lot of respect for Paine and Uzzie after watching this.

No one seems to listen to a word Haddin says either

 

[Burgey]

No one seems to listen to a word Haddin says either

Probably explains why the team has rebounded so well tbh

 

[Kraken]

Really liking Aaron Finch more and more after watching this. Never particularly warmed to him, but in this he carries himself well. The way he handles things during his massive slump, and being captain is inspiring. And having played a decent level of sport (obviously not to the same level), but the reactions to getting out are inherently relatable as well.

 

[Burgey]

*Arun

 

[stephen]

I don't think anyone is surprised that Langer comes across that way. He cut his teeth under SWaugh who, for all his awesomeness, genuinely bought into the wrap-yourself-in-the-flag/ baggy green-type bullshit Langer revels in. I suppose one thing you can say in his favour is he genuinely believes it. Which is sad, but at least gives him a veneer of authenticity.

I could see why he and the Pillow might bump heads though - Langer was a bloke who demonstrably scrapped and fought to get absolutely everything out of what talent he had. Khawaja gives the impression (albeit very likely inaccurate) through his demeanour that he's a lot more laissez faire about ****. Sort of like Mark Waugh without the talent.

It was early in his career that people were comparing him to Mark Waugh. I think it's probably an accurate comparison, though without Mark Waugh's fielding. Khawaja has played some absolutely stunning knocks over the years under pressure similar to Waugh.

 

[Spark]

To clarify I was referring to your use of the term "PR" which is also Latin for "per rectum", as in applying something in the anus. Sorry I thought that was more common knowledge than it obviously is.

...............i see

Dunno about you guys but anyone reckon JL comes across as a bit of prick?

Definitely a lot of respect for Paine and Uzzie after watching this.

Khawaja has always had a very likeable public persona IMO.

 

[Gnske]

Usman and homeworkgate really adds up now.

I like how Langer asked about how the public would perceive Patterson's selection but we didn't get the Burns / Bancroft / Harris insights during 2018 in that regard which would have been doozies.

I'm surprised he and Paine get anything done.

 

[stephen]

I've only watched two episodes but boy it'd be hard to be a player under Justin Langer. I'm not surprised that it was basically when Khawaja ignored what Langer was saying that he made his UAE ton.

 

[hazsa19]

I've only watched two episodes but boy it'd be hard to be a player under Justin Langer. I'm not surprised that it was basically when Khawaja ignored what Langer was saying that he made his UAE ton.

He gets more annoying as it goes on. Just started the Ashes episode and his whole monologue on Steve Waugh is vomit inducing.

 

[Spark]

Paine comes off extremely well in this. His man management skills are legit imo.

Rewatching the last hour of Headingley the day after and then having to actually talk about it would have been so ****ing brutal.

 

[Neptune]

The baggy green, good people shite was sickening and hilarious at the same time. Totally over the top, facking hell. Langer seems strange, seems to be a boodhist too.

 

[honestbharani]

If they did not mention "Elite Honesty" at least once, what is even the point of this documentary?

 

[stephen]

Paine comes off extremely well in this. His man management skills are legit imo.

Rewatching the last hour of Headingley the day after and then having to actually talk about it would have been so ****ing brutal.

Yeah he does.

For all the talk of process, Langer forcing batters to rotate any time one of them got out annoying the batters was a bit ridiculous. Whatever happened to letting the players prepare how they felt most comfortable. Batting is about rhythm as much as bowling is. By not letting batters prepare the way that they like interrupts their ability to get into a rhythm. Surely the point of a nets session is to help the players get their bodies into the zone more easily and let them practice. The rotation thing was such a stupid theory.

I totally understand Khawaja's frustration. He's got a phlegmatic personality type and Langer is obviously a type A. Those two types don't necessarily get along.

 

[stephen]

If they did not mention "Elite Honesty" at least once, what is even the point of this documentary?

Yeah they showed the slide show where they launched it.

Paine is a legit leader too.

 

[BoyBrumby]

About fifteen minutes into the first episode.

Langer comes across as a deeply odd cat. Seems to talk exclusively in an uneasy mix of Australianisms and media trained bullshit. Lots of talk of "buying in" and "pro-jects".

Paine and Finch seem good chaps though. Paine in particular seems to talk about his coach in a protective, almost apologetic way.

 

[stephen]

About fifteen minutes into the first episode.

Langer comes across as a deeply odd cat. Seems to talk exclusively in an uneasy mix of Australianisms and media trained bullshit. Lots of talk of "buying in" and "pro-jects".

Paine and Finch seem good chaps though. Paine in particular seems to talk about his coach in a protective, almost apologetic way.

As he's portrayed in the documentary, Langer reminds me most of my mother of all people (just with a lot more swears). The part that gets me is he had a go at the players for their theories but he's the worst case of a guy with theories. And it's all well and good to joke around with equals about biased selection, but when the coach "jokes" that he'd rather have a team full of Western Australians after the shenanigans he pulled to get Bancroft selected for the Ashes over Renshaw the joke didn't only fall flat, but it was cringe worthy. You can't make jokes like that when you're a selector in a position of power to a team full of blokes fighting for their place.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Have to say I have a lot more respect for Khawaja after watching now. Takes balls to call bullshit on your coach.

Obviously these kinda docos are edited to exaggerate conflict for narrative purposes, but the contrast between his reaction and that of the one day squad in 2018 who copped the mother of all paddlings is pretty stark.

Only Stoinis seemed to have anything to say.

 

[stephen]

I also noticed Khawaja roll his eyes in one of the BS team meetings as well. Langer's philosophy really feels like he babys the team a bit instead of treating them like grown men. It's honestly no wonder that Khawaja tended to do better under Lehmann.