Duncan Fletcher Blasts Australia

[Jason_M]

The behaviour of the Australians on the recent Ashes tour was disgraceful, when they got a bad decision they're true character was there for all to see, and that's been the way for the past decade with the Aussies. I actually used to support Australia even through most of Mark Taylor's captaincy but once i started to hear words such as "mental disintegration" enter players vocabulary and of their abusive sledging and other intimidation tactics i stopped following them. As a cricket fan i wanted my country to become the best by winning the battle of the bat and ball not by using stand-over tactics to gain world domination. Unfortunately Australia will be remembered for ushering in this ugly new era of cricket and their victories against sub standard teams who have struggled to come to grips with the way cricket is played these days.

 

[Shahid_Afridi_6]

Why doesn't Fletcher coach his own country?

 

[UncleTheOne]

Why doesn't Fletcher coach his own country?

Who on earth would want that job with the way Zim's game is getting out of control?

 

[SteveG]

The behaviour of the Australians on the recent Ashes tour was disgraceful, when they got a bad decision they're true character was there for all to see, and that's been the way for the past decade with the Aussies. I actually used to support Australia even through most of Mark Taylor's captaincy but once i started to hear words such as "mental disintegration" enter players vocabulary and of their abusive sledging and other intimidation tactics i stopped following them. As a cricket fan i wanted my country to become the best by winning the battle of the bat and ball not by using stand-over tactics to gain world domination. Unfortunately Australia will be remembered for ushering in this ugly new era of cricket and their victories against sub standard teams who have struggled to come to grips with the way cricket is played these days.

If you've played cricket you've faced some form of sledging. If you've play most codes of Rugby you will have been sledged a dozen times a game. Mental domination is important in all sports as much as physical domination...I suggest to you that maybe cricket isn't for you...it may have been a gentlemans game once, but in the modern professional game things have change. Maybe for the worse, maybe not.

The great Windies sides of the late 70's and 80's were not above using mental domination and I don't hear anyone criticising them.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

The behaviour of the Australians on the recent Ashes tour was disgraceful, when they got a bad decision they're true character was there for all to see, and that's been the way for the past decade with the Aussies. I actually used to support Australia even through most of Mark Taylor's captaincy but once i started to hear words such as "mental disintegration" enter players vocabulary and of their abusive sledging and other intimidation tactics i stopped following them. As a cricket fan i wanted my country to become the best by winning the battle of the bat and ball not by using stand-over tactics to gain world domination. Unfortunately Australia will be remembered for ushering in this ugly new era of cricket and their victories against sub standard teams who have struggled to come to grips with the way cricket is played these days.

I very much doubt it. Australia will be remember for great players like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Steve Waugh, for winning 16 tests in a row, and for being a hard, competitive side that dominated world cricket like no team ever before them has. As has already been mentioned, the West Indies sides of the 70s and 80s were not saints either, but people remember them as great cricketers.

 

[Jason_M]

The difference between the Aussies and the Windies is that the Aussies have pre-conceived tactics to sledge and mentally disintegrate an opponent, the Windies didn't need that, they let their bouncers do the talking and play on batsman's minds. There's no comparison between the two sides.

 

[vic_orthdox]

The difference between the Aussies and the Windies is that the Aussies have pre-conceived tactics to sledge and mentally disintegrate an opponent, the Windies didn't need that, they let their bouncers do the talking and play on batsman's minds. There's no comparison between the two sides.

So the bouncers weren't pre-conceived?

 

[PY]

In the same way that the beamer wasn't pre-conceived as a weapon of mass destruction by Brett Lee?

 

[vic_orthdox]

In the same way that the beamer wasn't pre-conceived as a weapon of mass destruction by Brett Lee?

Lets be honest. Brett Lee has about as much "control" as Jason Biggs in American Pie with that European bird.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Lets be honest. Brett Lee has about as much "control" as Jason Biggs in American Pie with that European bird.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Lets be honest. Brett Lee has about as much "control" as Jason Biggs in American Pie with that European bird.

And who could blame him... (Jason Biggs I mean)

 

[SteveG]

The difference between the Aussies and the Windies is that the Aussies have pre-conceived tactics to sledge and mentally disintegrate an opponent, the Windies didn't need that, they let their bouncers do the talking and play on batsman's minds. There's no comparison between the two sides.

And you now this because you sit in on the tactical meetings? I'm sorry, but that is crap!!!

The Windies were not above sledging and mentally dominating other teams.

Australia wouldn't waste their time thinking up wonderful and witty sledges, they would be analysing every oppositions players weakness and honing in on it...it was Steve Waughs specialty. I'm sorry if this offends some peoples sensibility, but that is professional sports.

We aren't all brandy-sipping old school englishmen sitting around the bar at Lords, the game is played at an elite level now, not some Saturday afternoon gentlemans game at the local town green.

The reason Australia has stayed at the top is because of the toughness instilled in the team by Alan Border and carried through to the present day.

And, as far as sledging goes...why has there been no action taken by the ICC on players who use excessive sledging as a tactic? Because it isn't excessive. If it was, the umpires would note it in their match reports and the Match Referee would impose fines or bans for unsportsmanlike behaviour.

IMHO I think it is less prevalent then everyone thinks. Its the media that likes to stir the fires of controversy.

 

[toons_39]

duncan

Hi,
i thought would post this message on the fact that Duncan Fletcher apparently deserves an apology from his critics. I however disagree. England on the whole tour of Australia won only 5 games 2 of which happened to be in the final.Obviously he must be congratulated on winning the commonwealth bank series aswell as the whole of the England team. But people are forgetting about the ashes.A 5-0 whitewash , the wrong team was picked on basiccly all the tests. Ashley Giles was a complete waste of time , and finally when monty came in he took 5 wickets. Why take players and injured players who havnt played any cricket for over a year. SO NO HE DOES NOT DESERVE AN APOLOGY.

However the world cup team i am very happy with.