Australia - the aftermath of the Ashes

[GotSpin]

See, I dunno if it's that they can't play state cricket. The guys with the best form this season (Hussey, Watto, Siddle) have played all forms of the game they can get their paws on for Australia, IPL and fit in some state cricket. The guys with the worst form (Johnson, Clarke, Ponting) played nowhere near as much cricket, came into this summer claiming they were fresh as daisies from all the rest they had and have skipped state games.

Indeed. Courtney Walsh always said the best way to keep bowling well and remain injury free was simply to keep bowling (playing). Trundling into the nets will never replicate or replace match fitness nor create form

 

[howardj]

Does anybody share my outrage about Clarke and Hughes attending a Shane Warne Foundation breakfast on the morning of the Boxing day Test.

Particularly in light of stuff like this.

Australia's senior players had a leadership meeting on the first night of the pre-season camp at Coolum and Ponting advised his fellow headline acts to join him in shunning promotions in preference to razor-sharp preparations.

 

[howardj]

Like the playing of state cricket, nobody stands up to these guys.

Nielsen is like a wet bus ticket.

 

[Top_Cat]

Surely that makes the case that it didn't make a difference if anything?

 

[GotSpin]

Really need the coach to step in and give them a whack before they leave in the morning. Timmy probably said it'd be good for their spirits or some crap...or did Langer suggest that

 

[social]

The two are not mutually exclusive though - IPL and Shield. They don't really clash as such, as G_T pointed out.

Agree about the current players hardly playing. They've really become disconnected from their State squads.

Criminal that they are thinking of re-arranging the schedule so the international players can play more Big Bash, and yet they won't undertake the same rearrangement so they can play more Shield.

IMO, CA should create at least one window in the international calendar that allows all Australian players to be available for their states for several matches each season

 

[Spark]

See, I dunno if it's that they can't play state cricket. The guys with the best form this season (Hussey, Watto, Siddle) have played all forms of the game they can get their paws on for Australia, IPL and fit in some state cricket. The guys with the worst form (Johnson, Clarke, Ponting) played nowhere near as much cricket, came into this summer claiming they were fresh as daisies from all the rest they had and have skipped state games.

True or not, it looks like the senior players are using that clout to pick and choose their games. Fair enough if they were smashing it but they're all batting and bowling like ****s.

Clarke was going to play the second shield game wasn't he? That back injury was the worst thing...

No idea why Ponting was resting from so many matches doing nothing though.

I see absolutely no reason that a player shouldn't play Shield cricket if he doesnt' have international duties. How much international duties does the average player have nowadays though?

 

[GotSpin]

IMO, CA should create at least one window in the international calendar that allows all Australian players to be available for their states for several matches each season

there's hardly enough Shield games as well

 

[Spark]

Yeah both of the above are are absolutely correct. More shield games, more test players playing them

 

[GotSpin]

If they need to extend the Big **** extend the bloody Shield season. No wonder the domestic system is going to the dogs. They only play 10(?) matches a year. If need be, play at other grounds like Bankstown etc.

 

[Nate]

They play a few at Bankstown. But I agree, either make players available for Shield Cricket, or create extra Shield Games.

 

[Spikey]

easier said than done though. extending the season isn't an option due to the grounds being relinquished to the AFL. the OD comp would have to be seriously cut back.

in any case i'd prefer more australia A games (which have been making a comeback of sorts in recent seasons), cricket academy squads going to england in the off-season and overall encouraging players to go to england when possible. plus a cut down in ODI's obviously.

edit didn't see the previous two posts. a earlier start at those minor grounds could perhaps be feasible.

 

[GotSpin]

easier said than done though. extending the season isn't an option due to the grounds being relinquished to the AFL. the OD comp would have to be seriously cut back.

in any case i'd prefer more australia A games (which have been making a comeback of sorts in recent seasons), cricket academy squads going to england in the off-season and overall encouraging players to go to england when possible and a cut down in ODI's.

Yeah play on much lesser known grounds. No need to play at the fabulous 6 all the time.

Agree on the other points though

 

[Tom 1972]

On of the most depressing parts of the summer was watching Hauritz hit 2 tons for NSW in the weeks leading up to us being bowled out for 98 on a wicket that was never going to work for 4 quicks. Just diabolical.

If my memory serves me right, much the same selectors dropped Hauritz for the last two Ashes tests in 2009.

4th Test at Leeds our pacemen smacked 'em on the first day.

5th & deciding Test at The Oval, was a pretty dry pitch expected to turn a bit later in the game (it wound up turning sideways).
Poms win by just under 200 with Swann taking 8/158 off 54 overs. (plus a runout at slip off his bowling)
Our part-time spinners took 4/160 off 52 overs.

Sure - we didn't deserve to win after 160 in the first innings but these sorts of selection blunders don't help things.

At the time, at least Cox admitted his mistake but lightning has struck twice.
Selectors have got to go. Only complete idiots don't learn fro their mistakes.

 

[TumTum]

If my memory serves me right, much the same selectors dropped Hauritz for the last two Ashes tests in 2009.

4th Test at Leeds our pacemen smacked 'em on the first day.

5th & deciding Test at The Oval, was a pretty dry pitch expected to turn a bit later in the game (it wound up turning sideways).
Poms win by just under 200 with Swann taking 8/158 off 54 overs. (plus a runout at slip off his bowling)
Our part-time spinners took 4/160 off 52 overs.

Sure - we didn't deserve to win after 160 in the first innings but these sorts of selection blunders don't help things.

At the time, at least Cox admitted his mistake but lightning has struck twice.
Selectors have got to go. Only complete idiots don't learn fro their mistakes.

Nobody expected the pitch to be that dry, most thought it would be really flat.

It would have been even more stupid to abandon the 4 man pace attack which just won us a game convincingly.

 

[howardj]

It would have been even more stupid to abandon the 4 man pace attack which just won us a game convincingly.

Are we talking Melbourne 2010 or Oval 2009?

Two bad boo boos

 

[Spark]

Unfortunately with the Melb 2010 thing the pacer most likely to be dropped was Siddle...

 

[social]

Nobody expected the pitch to be that dry, most thought it would be really flat.

It would have been even more stupid to abandon the 4 man pace attack which just won us a game convincingly.

Literally everybody bar the Australian hierarchy expected it to be dry and, if they didnt, a ****ing look at it before play would've convinced them

A quite astounding selection blunder IMO

 

[robelinda]

Massive blunder. Funny how each time we go with 4 quicks it seems to go ok, then we do it for the next match and it FAILS.

Also, just thinking, where are the quality openers these days? Last proper opener Aus have had is Hayden. Everyone else was a middle order bat (Watto/Katich/Langer). Phil Jaques was so unlucky with his injury, he was going so well by the end of that WI tour. Must admit to never being impressed by Rogers, more uncomfortable than Hughes on the legside. Has the numbers though, to his credit. Any chance of him getting a 2nd test? Time we had some hard arse players to beef up our team, rather than these softies. Need more guys like Katich, who arent afraid of a bit of chest hair.

 

[social]

easier said than done though. extending the season isn't an option due to the grounds being relinquished to the AFL. the OD comp would have to be seriously cut back.

in any case i'd prefer more australia A games (which have been making a comeback of sorts in recent seasons), cricket academy squads going to england in the off-season and overall encouraging players to go to england when possible. plus a cut down in ODI's obviously.

edit didn't see the previous two posts. a earlier start at those minor grounds could perhaps be feasible.

Aside from the main venues that dont host huge amounts of winter sport, Allan Border Field, Cairns and Darwin have all hosted international matches and could be used more extensively early in the season

I'm also in favour of more A team tours e.g. with an Ashes tour coming up in 2013, it makes perfect sense to me to schedule an A tour for 2012