*Official* Australia in decline thread

[Stumped]

Will Australia fall into a slump?

With many top players from the current australian team retiring. Will australia loose the title as best team in the world?

 

[Perm]

I don't think they will lose the title as best team in the world but I can see other teams getting closer and making ground on them. It will take a couple of years for Australia to consolidate their team after these retirements and by then Hayden and Gilchrist will have probably called it quits aswell so for the next 10 years the competition will be way closer than it has been in the past 10.

 

[luffy]

I said no due to the fact we still have several stars eg Hayden, Ponting, Lee, Hussey who with the exception of Hayden will be playing for the next three years. We have the depth in the Country with players such as Phil Jaques, Chris Rogers, Brad Haddin, Adam Voges, Dan Cullen, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Shane Watson who can all do a good job. They are all players that could be playing in the next 5 years. It is good in the fact we can farewell players individually so we can get 1 or 2 young players into the squad at a time instead of like 3 or 4 which could of caused problems. While it will be a struggle and we may not be the best team for much longer while all the players are retiring we will always be up there and hopefully not have such a demise as the West Indies team had.

 

[Salamuddin]

They'll still be very hard to bowl out but they'll find it harder to bowl other teams out particularly away from home.......

 

[Josh]

Plenty of depth & talent coming through. No need to worry

 

[luffy]

They'll still be very hard to bowl out but they'll find it harder to bowl other teams out particularly away from home.......

We will struggle in the bowling ranks for say a year or 2 but with Brett Lee and Stuart Clark leading the way, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Dan Cullen will all improve.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Already been plenty of threads on this. No, they won't go into a slump and no, they won't lose the title of the best in the world. They may however be less dominant, particularly when MacGill goes and leaves Australia without a world class spinner.

 

[Great Birtannia]

They'll still be very hard to bowl out but they'll find it harder to bowl other teams out particularly away from home.......

I think you have that the wrong way around regarding the bowling. Unless the pitches in Australia are juiced up a bit post Warne and McGrath we will struggle to bowl sides out at home more than away, save for the subcontinent. Pitches in England, New Zealand and South Africa are usually a lot more favourable for quicks than Australia and we will still have a reasonable pace attack - no worse than any other nations anyway.

 

[Craig]

Wewll why won't they fall into a slump?

 

[luffy]

Wewll why won't they fall into a slump?

Read the above posts maybe.

 

[Craig]

I mean it shouldn't just be taken as a given that they will stay at the top. The batting will still be strong, but the bowling will be a lot weaker and teams have cashed in (with the bat) when there is no Warne and McGrath.

And some of the players mentioned as replacements aren't exactly Test class yet. The only thing we can go buy is this word 'potential'. Chris Rogers for one (IMO) is one of the biggest flat track bullies in this country. ANd I doubt Adam Voges will be up to much at Test level. ODIs maybe.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

The batting will remain the best in the world IMO, and Clark, Lee, MacGill and one of Johnson/Hilfenhaus/Tait isn't exactly a rubbish bowling attack. I don't see any reason to think Australia will go into a "slump". The Australian domestic setup is the best in the world and there's been years of preperation for the inevitable departure of a handful of great players around this time.

The only area of genuine concern is spin bowling, and that will be the area where Australia lack a killer punch they have always had with Warne.

There's also the fact that for Australia to stop being the best in the world, someone actually has to be able to consistently beat them. Australia don't play England again until 2009, and between now and then there's tours of India and Pakistan that are potentially difficult but won't really prove all that much without a return leg. I can't see any country in the world beating Australia at home in a test series in the near future, though I suppose we'll see a solid test next year with India.

A decline is inevitable, but a slip from number 1 will take a while, if it occurs at all in the near future.

 

[Matt79]

Was going to post here, but ^ Faaip's already said exactly what I would have...

 

[Stumped]

everybody that has posted has said no, but looking at the poll people have voted yes. y dont they post? id be interested to see y they say yes

 

[marc71178]

Wewll why won't they fall into a slump?

Because people are automatically assuming that the replacements will be successes.

 

[aussie tragic]

No, I don’t think this will put Australia into decline as the following team should still be a very tough unit to beat

1. Matt Hayden
2. Phil Jaques
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Mike Hussey
5. Michael Clarke
6. Shane Watson
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Brett Lee
9. Mitchell Johnson
10. Stuart Clark
11. Stuart MacGill

While the following five should make up a touring squad of 16:

Chris Rogers, Andrew Symonds, Brad Haddin, Shaun Tait, Ben Hilenhaus, Cullen Bailey

 

[PhoenixFire]

No, I don’t think this will put Australia into decline as the following team should still be a very tough unit to beat

1. Matt Hayden
2. Phil Jaques
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Mike Hussey
5. Michael Clarke
6. Shane Watson
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Brett Lee
9. Mitchell Johnson
10. Stuart Clark
11. Stuart MacGill

While the following five should make up a touring squad of 16:

Chris Rogers, Andrew Symonds, Brad Haddin, Shaun Tait, Ben Hilenhaus, Cullen Bailey

That side you put is pretty scarce on bowling. With MacGill, Watson, Lee and Johnson all prone to being erratic, then they could end up getting smashed around a bit if it goes wrong. That said, they could be destructive if they get it right.

 

[Goughy]

As Ive mentioned before, I dont generally like to talk about specific individuals when answering questions of this nature.

Its more important to look at the processes in place and the cricketing production line. The Aussie system is fantastic and I have no doubt that they will continue to succeed.

I and many anthropologists do not beleive in the "Great Man Theory". ie Special people occur at random with incredible skills. Rather special talents come out of cultures and environments conducive to recognising and allowing potential talents to develop.

Australia in this area are exceptional and their domination will coninue, not because of a few individuals mentioned, but because the 'business model' for success is well designed and well executed and will continue to produce players of quality.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I don't think they'll be anything approaching a slump & (sorry to say, JL) I think he'll be the least missed of the recent retirees. That's no slight on him as he has been a great player for Australia, rather a recognition of how special Warne & McGrath have been.

I have to be honest and say I do retain doubts about Jaques's technique against the swinging ball early on, but he looks to have a great temprement for an opener (something he shares with the man I'm assuming he'll replace in the baggy green).

 

[BoyBrumby]

As Ive mentioned before, I dont generally like to talk about specific individuals when answering questions of this nature.

Its more important to look at the processes in place and the cricketing production line. The Aussie system is fantastic and I have no doubt that they will continue to succeed.

I and many anthropologists do not beleive in the "Great Man Theory". ie Special people occur at random with incredible skills. Rather special talents come out of cultures and environments conducive to recognising and allowing potential talents to develop.

Australia in this area are exceptional and their domination will coninue, not because of a few individuals mentioned, but because the 'business model' for success is well designed and well executed and will continue to produce players of quality.

Hmm. Well the very obvious counter-argument is why haven't Australia produced another Warne since?

No-one would ever hold him up as an example of what to do to succeed in any sport; he smokes, he has questionable refuelling habits & we've all heard about his private life in the tabloids. I'd say Warne succeeded despite himself & the system, not because of it. Genius, as they say, writes its own rules.