***Official*** South Africa In Australia

[GIMH]

Exactly (Y)

(to pasag)

 

[NUFAN]

The way that the domestic cricket season in Australia needs addressing.

Hear we are, being 1 nil down against the second best side in the world and we are about to enter into a Twenty20 phase, so no one state cricketer can continue to press their claims.

 

[GIMH]

I'm trying to work out if the same thing happens in England. But actually, I think the T20 Cup normally clashes with the first ODI series of the summer.

 

[Mister Wright]

The way that the domestic cricket season in Australia needs addressing.

Hear we are, being 1 nil down against the second best side in the world and we are about to enter into a Twenty20 phase, so no one state cricketer can continue to press their claims.

Totally agree. Was thinking just the same thing last night.

 

[howardj]

The way that the domestic cricket season in Australia needs addressing.

Hear we are, being 1 nil down against the second best side in the world and we are about to enter into a Twenty20 phase, so no one state cricketer can continue to press their claims.

There's just been a full round of Weet Bix Cup matches though, where Hauritz, Bollinger and Hilfenhaus pressed their claims with solid performances, and PJ Hughes once again put his name up in lights.

 

[howardj]

Watson for Siddle would be appropriately ******** actually.

.

I don't see why. I think one should go on performances rather than getting obsessed about pigeon-holing people as all-rounders, bowlers or batsmen. Fact is, Watson presents more of a threat with the ball than Siddle, as indicated in India where he took 10 wickets @ 32 and was arguably our best quick.

 

[Ausage]

Now you put in a few work-experience players, and you need all your big guns to be firing - but Lee and Hayden are horribly out of form, and Ponting's not exactly having the best time of it. So what do the selectors do? Do they drop the "talents", and bring in journeymen who at least won't be embarrassed? Do they drop the mis-firing big guns?

You start the process of building a new era. You don't persist with misfiring elder statesmen well past their best because that loses you matches (our "experienced" top order cost us that match). You cop a loss or two due to inexperience without dropping a fall guy like Krejza after a single loss to one of the strongest sides in the world.

Hughes is in brilliant form, and a player that you can build a long term opening duo around. Klinger, Bollinger and Hilfy are also in incredible form and at the peak of their powers right now. When players are in form like this it often translates into test matches and these are guys that a team for the next 5 years can be built around. I have no doubt they'd do better than Hayden, Ponting and Lee during this tour while being an investment in the future.

 

[howardj]

You start the process of building a new era. You don't persist with misfiring elder statesmen well past their best because that loses you matches (our "experienced" top order cost us that match). You cop a loss or two due to inexperience without dropping a fall guy like Krejza after a single loss to one of the strongest sides in the world.

Hughes is in brilliant form, and a player that you can build a long term opening duo around. Klinger, Bollinger and Hilfy are also in incredible form and at the peak of their powers right now. When players are in form like this it often translates into test matches and these are guys that a team for the next 5 years can be built around. I have no doubt they'd do better than Hayden, Ponting and Lee during this tour while being an investment in the future.

 

[Ausage]

I didn't say it was realistic. Only that someone in red hot form might end up playing better than someone going through a very lean patch.

 

[Top_Cat]

I didn't say it was realistic. Only that someone in red hot form might end up playing better than someone going through a very lean patch.

Maybe. Or maybe they'll do worse. Throwing out half a dozen players just because they're a bit lean on runs will only de-stabilise the team and I'd back the team overall to then do far worse.

No need to panic.

 

[Ausage]

Maybe. Or maybe they'll do worse. Throwing out half a dozen players just because they're a bit lean on runs will only de-stabilise the team and I'd back the team overall to then do far worse.

No need to panic.

Maybe. But that's kind of the idea of changing the guard so to speak. To be fair to Ponting his recent form isn't as bad as I was thinking it was, but I still don't see why we have to have an underachieving old guard hang around while terrific cricketers have to wait till they're in their 30s to get a chance at test level.

 

[Burgey]

Siince the retirements of Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh after the 1983-84 season, CA and the Australian selectors have always wanted a more gradual changing of the guard.

There have been several occasions where public musings have been made about the need to avoid the calamity of the 80s once the Waughs, Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist et al retired.

I'm not saying you're wrong per se, but this may be one of the reasons for the reluctance to make wholesale changes at any given time.

 

[Top_Cat]

Siince the retirements of Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh after the 1983-84 season, CA and the Australian selectors have always wanted a more gradual changing of the guard.

There have been several occasions where public musings have been made about the need to avoid the calamity of the 80s once the Waughs, Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist et al retired.

I'm not saying you're wrong per se, but this may be one of the reasons for the reluctance to make wholesale changes at any given time.

This.

Honestly, the Aussie batsmen aren't travelling that badly. Have another look at the scorecard;

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/engine/match/351681.html

Plenty of starts so I'd suggest there's a lack of focus and possibly some team problems but dropping any of them seems a fair over-reaction. The bigger problems are definitely in the bowling.

Let us not forget that the match was pretty even for 4 days and that there are still two Tests to play. The Aussies in 1994 against a stronger bowling unit were 0-1 down with one to play, a far worse position, having lost in Pakistan before the series. Forecasts of the end of days followed, gnashing of teeth, Aussie top-order was full of guys too old who were resting on their reputations, top-order needed a clean-out, (Border, Boon, etc.), etc. Then they got up in Adelaide, tied the series 1-1 and suddenly things looked brighter. Australia, in contrast to that lot, can still win the series.

Again, no need to panic yet.

 

[Athlai]

Problem isn't with Australia's batting at all, just the average attack. Siddle was totally useless IMO and even with one of the best spells I've seen from Johnson the fact that not a single other Aussie bowler did anything with the ball just gave the game away. (Though TBF Lee was okay)

 

[howardj]

Been a huge backlash against the Aussies over the last 48 hours. Personally, I think it's one of the good things about Australian cricket - when we lose, there is anger and hurt. Unlike many other nations, we don't just brush off defeat. Rather, it burns.

 

[Sanz]

Been a huge backlash against the Aussies over the last 48 hours. Personally, I think it's one of the good things about Australian cricket - when we lose, there is anger and hurt. Unlike many other nations, we don't just brush off defeat. Rather, it burns.

TBF, that's just stupid. You cant be expected to win all the time and such transitions are always going to be there. As usual media picks out certain guys who are vulnerable and keeps on beating the same thing (for example, Hayden's current form)

Oh and I dont think Aussie players and fans know much about anger after losing, Please ask any of the Indian/Pakistan Players.

 

[pup11]

Been a huge backlash against the Aussies over the last 48 hours. Personally, I think it's one of the good things about Australian cricket - when we lose, there is anger and hurt. Unlike many other nations, we don't just brush off defeat. Rather, it burns.

I think that attitude won't necessarily work with all these new players around, all this backlash and bull**** from every corner could only put these new blokes under tremendous amount of pressure, which could hamper their performances, what made likes of Warne, McG, Gilly, Langer such legends was that whenever there team lost or they as a team were under the pump, they remained pretty unfazed by it all and silenced their critics with their performances, but the newer crop of players neither have that sort of talent or nor do they might have temperament like their predecessors, so i don't think all this would lead to any good, what is required is that the selectors show faith in few players who they believe are talented and give them a few games to repay the faith shown in them.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I think that attitude won't necessarily work with all these new players around, all this backlash and bull**** from every corner could only put these new blokes under tremendous amount of pressure, which could hamper their performances, what made likes of Warne, McG, Gilly, Langer such legends was that whenever there team lost or they as a team were under the pump, they remained pretty unfazed by it all and silenced their critics with their performances, but the newer crop of players neither have that sort of talent or nor do they might have temperament like their predecessors, so i don't think all this would lead to any good, what is required is that the selectors show faith in few players who they believe are talented and give them a few games to repay the faith shown in them.

I don't think it has anything to do with their talent or temperament. It's the fact that they know that, with less than 5 tests to their name, that they'll be the ones on the chopping block.

Siddle has one bad test in his 2nd match, and it's pretty much accepted that he needs to be dropped; when he's about the only bloke who has played regular matches at the next ground that we play at? Krezja gets dropped for doing what the selectors knew that he would when he was first selected - go for runs.

Funnily enough, the hard decision for the selectors would be to back their original decisions and stick with them, rather than chop and change.

 

[Son Of Coco]

If the players are indeed so tough as you seem to say, why is there any use of sport psychologists?? Almost all teams have one, are they not tough enough to handle cricket? After all its only a game.
Brett Lee.........such a wimp...........just not tough enough. Everybody goes through a divorce.:

The sports psychologists are there to help them with their games, not with getting over any abuse from their captain after a poor performance.

 

[Son Of Coco]

its not our fault if england players want to celebrate christmas with their familly ..unlike when they are in austrlia during ashes

When they're in Australia for the Ashes they're only away from their families for 3 days between Christmas and New Year's Day anyway