*Official* Australia in decline thread

[Richard]

Roebuck's Prescription:

Australia need to get back to basics, and if that means recalling Andrew Symonds, choosing four aggressive fast bowlers while training a wrist spinner, omitting Shane Watson and Cameron White and, for that matter, a struggling gloveman, then so be it. A team trying to cover up weaknesses does not get anywhere.

Not the worst picks. I guess it would mean something like:

Katich
Hayden
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Symonds
Ronchi
Lee
Johnson
Clark
Hilfenhaus/Noffke

How on Earth can anyone possibly argue for Haddin's exclusion?! He's so ridiculously obviously a better batsman than Ronchi!

I can't see any case for Symonds not coming back into the side (and seriously hope if he does SA can give him a good working-over without dropping catches off him and without Umpires conspiring in Symonds' favour - NOT deliberately, obviously, so don't anyone start there) and as I've said White playing Tests in Australia would be plain braindead IMO.

So you either have to go with a fourth seamer or you have to pick eight batsmen.

 

[four_or_six]

How on Earth can anyone possibly argue for Haddin's exclusion?! He's so ridiculously obviously a better batsman than Ronchi!

I can't see any case for Symonds not coming back into the side (and seriously hope if he does SA can give him a good working-over without dropping catches off him and without Umpires conspiring in Symonds' favour - NOT deliberately, obviously, so don't anyone start there) and as I've said White playing Tests in Australia would be plain braindead IMO.

So you either have to go with a fourth seamer or you have to pick eight batsmen.

The only question is will they pick Symonds with such poor domestic form behind him?

 

[Top_Cat]

The only question is will they pick Symonds with such poor domestic form behind him?

They probably should. He's shown in the past his domestic form means little when it comes to performing for his country. His mindset will probably matter more; if Ponting sits him down and says "Are ya right?" and Symonds says "Ready to go.", reckon he'll get picked.

 

[four_or_six]

They probably should. He's shown in the past his domestic form means little when it comes to performing for his country. His mindset will probably matter more; if Ponting sits him down and says "Are ya right?" and Symonds says "Ready to go.", reckon he'll get picked.

Will be interesting... the cricinfo commentary wasn't very complimentary of his play today! Also will be interesting to see if Watson can pull a rabbit out of the hat.

 

[Top_Cat]

Will be interesting... the cricinfo commentary wasn't very complimentary of his play today! Also will be interesting to see if Watson can pull a rabbit out of the hat.

Yeah it's pretty clear Watto has turned a corner or two of late, even if that has only been partially reflected in performances just yet. Just has to be patient; if he gets dropped for Symonds, has a barnstorming start to the season with QLD and Symonds struggles vs NZ or SA, reckon he'll be back in the side pretty quickly.

 

[four_or_six]

Yeah it's pretty clear Watto has turned a corner or two of late, even if that has only been partially reflected in performances just yet. Just has to be patient; if he gets dropped for Symonds, has a barnstorming start to the season with QLD and Symonds struggles vs NZ or SA, reckon he'll be back in the side pretty quickly.

Well I expect Qld would be pretty happy with the swap.

 

[howardj]

They probably should. He's shown in the past his domestic form means little when it comes to performing for his country. His mindset will probably matter more; if Ponting sits him down and says "Are ya right?" and Symonds says "Ready to go.", reckon he'll get picked.

Ponting: "Be here at the end".

 

[Richard]

If he says that again, good God I just hope Richie Benaud doesn't find-out about it this time. We'd hear about it every session whether Symonds was batting or not that way.

 

[Top_Cat]

If he says that again, good God I just hope Richie Benaud doesn't find-out about it this time. We'd hear about it every session whether Symonds was batting or not that way.

Haha, yeah Richie is fast becoming Grandpa Simpson talking about onions on belts and Symonds being there at the end.

 

[Richard]

Becoming?! He became it 5 years ago and has never recovered!!!! That was one of the worst things about Symonds getting in the Test team, instead of hearing it every ODI we heard it every ODI and Test!! Aaaaarrrrggghhh!

For the man who's always been "the doyen" of commentators as John Woodcock put it, the way he's overdone the Symonds-be-there-at-the-end thing pretty much ever since it happened has always really surprised me.

 

[howardj]

Becoming?! He became it 5 years ago and has never recovered!!!! That was one of the worst things about Symonds getting in the Test team, instead of hearing it every ODI we heard it every ODI and Test!! Aaaaarrrrggghhh!

For the man who's always been "the doyen" of commentators as John Woodcock put it, the way he's overdone the Symonds-be-there-at-the-end thing pretty much ever since it happened has always really surprised me.

He's gone on too long, fullstop.

 

[Top_Cat]

Becoming?! He became it 5 years ago and has never recovered!!!! That was one of the worst things about Symonds getting in the Test team, instead of hearing it every ODI we heard it every ODI and Test!! Aaaaarrrrggghhh!

For the man who's always been "the doyen" of commentators as John Woodcock put it, the way he's overdone the Symonds-be-there-at-the-end thing pretty much ever since it happened has always really surprised me.

Haha, have you been watching cricket for long? The Symonds thing has just replaced other events like that which Richie used to repeat ad nausuem. Before 2003 is was anectdotes about Steve Waugh and how he cut the hook and pull shots out of his repertoire to get back into the Aussie side. Before that (and probably for many years) it was all about Bill O'Reilly and how Bradman rated him the best he ever saw.

 

[howardj]

And how the SCG is a lovely blend of the old and the new.

 

[Top_Cat]

And how the SCG is a lovely blend of the old and the new.

haha, can't believe I forgot that one.

 

[SirBloody Idiot]

Ponting: "Be here at the end".

"...and he was!"

 

[NZTailender]

Haha, yeah Richie is fast becoming Grandpa Simpson talking about onions on belts

As was the style at the time.

 

[Richard]

Haha, have you been watching cricket for long? The Symonds thing has just replaced other events like that which Richie used to repeat ad nausuem. Before 2003 is was anectdotes about Steve Waugh and how he cut the hook and pull shots out of his repertoire to get back into the Aussie side. Before that (and probably for many years) it was all about Bill O'Reilly and how Bradman rated him the best he ever saw.

I've only been taking serious note of things like cricket commentary and the goods and bads of the commentators since 1998, and I've only been watching Test cricket in Australia on C9 solidly since 2003/04. He was always damn good on UK TV, be it BBC or C4, never repeated anything ad nauseum. Maybe he just didn't have the anecdotes for the players over here. They do tend to change more regularly than Australian players do, for one thing.

 

[Burgey]

Channel 9 are always full of that vapid crap though. Let's go through the venues:

Perth - the traditional Fremantle Doctor will blow in this afternoon"
Brisbane - some idiotic reference to the old greyhound track
Sydney - the old and the new, tradition etc
Adelaide - "Prettiest ground in the world"
MCG - "the traditional Boxing Day test" - which only started about 20 odd years ago.

It's crap, all of it. Why can't they come out and say:
MCG - "once historical, now a heartless giant salad bowl"
SCG - "no longer any spin here, it's the New Year and everyone wants to get on the piss"
Adelaide - "oh look, a church, but it's the flattest ****ing pitch in the world" (was going to use the "Adelaide - It's Yass with poofters" line, but that would be inappropriate, especially as I've never spent any time there)
Perth - "****, it's hot. but the pitch is a road nowdays and no one here ever turns up for a test match"
Brisbane - "Like the MCG, it's lost it's soul, but at least there's usually something there for the bowlers".

 

[Johnners]

Lol'n at the Salad Bowl

 

[duffer]

Channel 9 are always full of that vapid crap though. Let's go through the venues:

Perth - the traditional Fremantle Doctor will blow in this afternoon"
Brisbane - some idiotic reference to the old greyhound track
Sydney - the old and the new, tradition etc
Adelaide - "Prettiest ground in the world"
MCG - "the traditional Boxing Day test" - which only started about 20 odd years ago.

It's crap, all of it. Why can't they come out and say:
MCG - "once historical, now a heartless giant salad bowl"
SCG - "no longer any spin here, it's the New Year and everyone wants to get on the piss"
Adelaide - "oh look, a church, but it's the flattest ****ing pitch in the world" (was going to use the "Adelaide - It's Yass with poofters" line, but that would be inappropriate, especially as I've never spent any time there)
Perth - "****, it's hot. but the pitch is a road nowdays and no one here ever turns up for a test match"
Brisbane - "Like the MCG, it's lost it's soul, but at least there's usually something there for the bowlers".