Graeme Smith

[Craig]

Dont you mean Brisbane? Trust me, I watch as much cricket as I can when I can. And that can be a lot. Just because I dare critise them and have my opinions, doesnt give you the right to say I dont watch enough cricket. I was talking about Test not ODIs.

So are telling me he is better then Andy Flower, who averaged more then 50 for most of his career, against teams better than his, scored runs when his team was trying to aviod the follow on or for example 23-3? Barring a few times, he has done when Australia have been on top.

Oh and Hayden, havent you noticed that the wickets have been flat and good for batting? If not, you must give up the dope. Remember Sharjah? That wicket is flat as and plus they have been against some weak bowling line ups.

And what does Tendulkar have to do with anything? You are just like every other Australian supporter, you support them, but dont see past your own nose, and you dont think behind the wickets that they play on, or the quality of wickets.

I would rant more, but I am going to cook dinner.

 

[marc71178]

Must say I agree on the Hayden point, and definitely think Bichel is nowhere near as good as some people seem to think.

 

[Eclipse]

Dont you mean Brisbane? Trust me, I watch as much cricket as I can when I can. And that can be a lot. Just because I dare critise them and have my opinions, doesnt give you the right to say I dont watch enough cricket. I was talking about Test not ODIs.

So are telling me he is better then Andy Flower, who averaged more then 50 for most of his career, against teams better than his, scored runs when his team was trying to aviod the follow on or for example 23-3? Barring a few times, he has done when Australia have been on top.

Oh and Hayden, havent you noticed that the wickets have been flat and good for batting? If not, you must give up the dope. Remember Sharjah? That wicket is flat as and plus they have been against some weak bowling line ups.

And what does Tendulkar have to do with anything? You are just like every other Australian supporter, you support them, but dont see past your own nose, and you dont think behind the wickets that they play on, or the quality of wickets.

I would rant more, but I am going to cook dinner.

No I mean Adelaide he made a great second innings hunderd against South Africa on a pritty dodgy track.

I never said he was better than Flower Hayden that is.

I Only used Tendulkar as an example because I have heard alot of people call him a flat track bully that was my only reason for using him no other reason at all other than the fact that IMO Gilly & McGrath are great players and just like Tendulkar they deserve the exact same respect.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

All great players are flat track bullies. Indeed, all decent players are flat track bullies. The term refers to a player who will not let the opportunity slip when presented with a flat - a player who will dominate and score heavily in favourable conditions. This doesn't mean that a 'flat track bully' cannot score runs in other conditions of course.

IMO, Gilchrist is an outstanding player, but is average is way inflated from where it would be if he weren't in the Aussie team. Flower is the better of two IMO, because he maintained such a high average whilst playing for one of the bottom ranking Test teams.

Re: Hayden, I agree that he is over-rated to an extent. Give him a pitch with some seam movement and I think he can struggle. He's certainly an outstanding player though and a good player of spin.

 

[Eclipse]

All great players are flat track bullies. Indeed, all decent players are flat track bullies. The term refers to a player who will not let the opportunity slip when presented with a flat - a player who will dominate and score heavily in favourable conditions. This doesn't mean that a 'flat track bully' cannot score runs in other conditions of course.

IMO, Gilchrist is an outstanding player, but is average is way inflated from where it would be if he weren't in the Aussie team. Flower is the better of two IMO, because he maintained such a high average whilst playing for one of the bottom ranking Test teams.

Re: Hayden, I agree that he is over-rated to an extent. Give him a pitch with some seam movement and I think he can struggle. He's certainly an outstanding player though and a good player of spin.

I agree in some aspects Gillys avrage would be lower but not drasticly lower IMO.

The thing about Gilly is and you probably dont understand this is that he is the best man other than Steven Waugh at rising to the occasion if times were tough In Australian Cricket Gilly would still do fantsitic he is just that sort of player. He never seems to ever let the team down in a tough situation unlike most other agrresive stroke players.

I dont rate Flower quite as high as Gilly for me Gilchrist has somthing special that Flower cant match.

As For Hayden I dont know wether to agree or not IMO he is not as good as some beleve but also alot better than others think.

I dont think he is suseptible to seam movment all that much considering he went almsot whole year without being cought behind in test cricket.

He is usualy cought at cover or point or in the deep.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I dont rate Flower quite as high as Gilly for me Gilchrist has somthing special that Flower cant match.

Gilchrist doesn't face anywhere near the pressure to perform that Flower has had to. Aside from Goodwin, who wasn't around that long, and Grant, who is quite inconsistent, whenever Andy Flower failed, the team failed. When was the last time Gilchrist failed and consequently Australia didn't get a good score?

 

[Eclipse]

Gilchrist doesn't face anywhere near the pressure to perform that Flower has had to. Aside from Goodwin, who wasn't around that long, and Grant, who is quite inconsistent, whenever Andy Flower failed, the team failed. When was the last time Gilchrist failed and consequently Australia didn't get a good score?

I am not an Idiot I am awere of all that.

Gilly has always been good under pressure I am absoultly sure he would have no problem if in the same cercumstances. Not saying he would do better but he would be well and truly up to the task.

 

[Andre]

Anyway, back to the topic of Graeme Smith....

His captaincy seems quite inept - taking Pollock off after just 7 overs for 5 runs and using Kallis for the first time in the 40th over are both puzzling decisions at best.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I'm intrigued at the way van Jaarsveld bowled more than Kallis.

Watch for him putting himself on for Jayasuriya-like cheap wickets at some point this summer.

 

[Rich2001]

I'm intrigued at the way van Jaarsveld bowled more than Kallis.

Watch for him putting himself on for Jayasuriya-like cheap wickets at some point this summer.

Well the only answer I can come up with is that the pitch was gripping and turning quite alot, and although I agree Kallis should be bowling more, van Jaarsveld did a handy job at one stage (for a guy who never bowls really) had figures of 5 - 1 - 18 - 1 --- Just checking the card that was also his final figures.

 

[Craig]

Be fair to Kallis and Smith, kallis has every right to be a bit fatigued over all the batting and deserves a bit of a rest. He is their best player, and South Africa dont want him out with burn out or injure.

 

[marc71178]

That was some shoulder barge.

 

[Langeveldt]

I am puzzled by the lack of Kallis bowling... The only thing i can come up with is that with him batting for entire innings, he might be getting a bit tired!

Van Jaarsveld looks not too bad with the ball, I would like to see him and Rudolph bat at three and four (if there is no final position at stake in the match)

Hopefully Kallis will bowl more when he hasnt been so drained at the wicket batting...

I can unserstand him taking Pollock off, wanted him back later on, because they have a lack of backup bowling...

 

[Craig]

I think Langeveldt hit the nail on the head there.

 

[masterblaster]

Pheww.......

people have stopped bashing Sourav Ganguly and after the World Cup he proved to many that he is one of the best captains in the business.

It looks like it Smith's turn now to face the "CricketWeb Wrath"

 

[Langeveldt]

It looks like it Smith's turn now to face the "CricketWeb Wrath"

I sort of agree with you lot putting him in that position! However i hope he proves you all wrong...

 

[Neil Pickup]

I've been slagging him off ever since he was appointed... find my TVS Cup reports :baddevil:

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I've been slagging him off ever since he was appointed... find my TVS Cup reports :baddevil:

And, by doing so, you've granted him a personal vendetta which will undoubtedly inspire him to bury England in the Natwest final.

 

[Langeveldt]

And, by doing so, you've granted him a personal vendetta which will undoubtedly inspire him to bury England in the Natwest final.

Yeah he is going on about inflicting "psychological scars" on England before the Natwest Final...

Sheesh he sounds pretty messed up

 

[Rich2001]

I am puzzled by the lack of Kallis bowling... The only thing i can come up with is that with him batting for entire innings, he might be getting a bit tired!

Hopefully Kallis will bowl more when he hasnt been so drained at the wicket batting...

I can unserstand him taking Pollock off, wanted him back later on, because they have a lack of backup bowling...

1/ To a point J Kallis would be tired but you have to remember this guy hasn't played in like 3 months, so can't be to bad compared with the likes of M Vaughan / M Trescothick (admittly dont bowl much) but I can't remember the last break they had.

However iam a nice guy and I will give him that his mind is obviously elsewhere with his dad being ill back at home.

2/ S Pollock catch 22 - His in a fantastic spell, he bowls through and could take another wicket that will all but condem the opp or do you wait to bring him back later when everyone else gets carted around and he has only 2 overs or so to try and get back into his flow... I probley wouldhave kept him going as everyone gets carted about in the last 10 no matter how good you are, therfore anyone can take wickets.