*Official* Sri Lanka in Australia 2010

[Ruckus]

Oh no he looks bad. Not quite as bad as 2008-9 but that's not saying much.

Yeh its just very strange how someone could go from being so good, to so bad, so quickly. His age shouldn't really be a problem (especially couple of years ago), so what could explain his decreased ability?

 

[GotSpin]

Yeh its just very strange how someone could go from being so good, to so bad, so quickly. His age shouldn't really be a problem (especially couple of years ago), so what could explain his decreased ability?

Looks like he's lost his eye somewhat
Lost his confidence
Isn't in touch with his game anymore
Benefited from playing a lot of his early career in straya - somewhat of a HTB

 

[Spark]

Yeah it was a poor defensive shot but lets face it, everyone's a bit shaky first ball. He faces much better bowlers than Perera every time he goes out to bat for Victoria and here are his Shield averages for the past three seasons:

2009/10: 47.00
2008/09: 57.75
2007/08: 49.86

To ignore all that and judge him on one ball when he was as vulnerable as a batsman gets definitely seems a bit harsh to me. He's the most qualified middle order batsman in the country who isn't in the Test team, isn't retired and isn't Dave Hussey. Three seasons in a row averaging high 40s to high 50s, combined with his excellent cricket brain, the fact that he's the best slipper in the country and his ODI knocks under pressure should really put him right in the frame.

I do get the feeling he'd be a bit North-like, but we're not going to get better credentials than what he has to offer. I'm not saying he should definitely be in the team but he should be in the frame - ahead of Marsh, Ferguson etc and ahead of Mike Hussey too.

I'm not disagreeing but I just think that given his status and that he is around the international setup yet not a hint of a possibility of a test call up, there must be a reason for it - that's the only one I can see.

Mind you with our selectors there might not be a reason.

 

[TumTum]

Hussy seems to almost always get out lbw or edge behind in Test matches. I really think it is a technical problem now.

 

[Ruckus]

Looks like he's lost his eye somewhat
Lost his confidence
Isn't in touch with his game anymore
Benefited from playing a lot of his early career in straya - somewhat of a HTB

Or perhaps he put so much effort into playing so good early on, he has burnt himself out?

 

[GotSpin]

Or perhaps he put so much effort into playing so good early on, he has burnt himself out?

Oh come on...

I hope you're posting this from the Bondi Hotel otherwise I'm worried.

 

[Spark]

Yeh its just very strange how someone could go from being so good, to so bad, so quickly. His age shouldn't really be a problem (especially couple of years ago), so what could explain his decreased ability?

Well it's definitely down to a massive developed or exposed weakness around off stump. Whether it's always been there but the bowling has been too **** to exploit it (he did have a fair amount of luck with dropped catches and edges through slip early on too), or he's just lost his purple patch and been exposed by test-standard bowlers, I don't know.

 

[GotSpin]

Hussy seems to almost always get out lbw or edge behind in Test matches. I really think it is a technical problem now.

Yeah think he's been technically found out too

 

[vic_orthdox]

Hussey doesn't necessarily play as straight as what he once did. He's always been a great cover driver, but where the ball is asking to be driven to mid-off, he still tends to play with an angled blade. Again, he's never been a big driver of the ball down the ground, but he'd still play straight, let ball hit bat and take a single.

Now he thrusts his leg down the line of off stump too often, which means that he has to play around his pad fairly often.

 

[andyc]

Yeah it was a poor defensive shot but lets face it, everyone's a bit shaky first ball. He faces much better bowlers than Perera every time he goes out to bat for Victoria and here are his Shield averages for the past three seasons:

2009/10: 47.00
2008/09: 57.75
2007/08: 49.86

To ignore all that and judge him on one ball when he was as vulnerable as a batsman gets definitely seems a bit harsh to me. He's the most qualified middle order batsman in the country who isn't in the Test team, isn't retired and isn't Dave Hussey. Three seasons in a row averaging high 40s to high 50s, combined with his excellent cricket brain, the fact that he's the best slipper in the country and his ODI knocks under pressure should really put him right in the frame.

I do get the feeling he'd be a bit North-like, but we're not going to get better credentials than what he has to offer. I'm not saying he should definitely be in the team but he should be in the frame - ahead of Marsh, Ferguson etc and ahead of Mike Hussey too.

Had no idea that White's Shield performances have been so good recently tbh. Would you have him in the team over Khawaja?

 

[GotSpin]

Hussey doesn't necessarily play as straight as what he once did. He's always been a great cover driver, but where the ball is asking to be driven to mid-off, he still tends to play with an angled blade. Again, he's never been a big driver of the ball down the ground, but he'd still play straight, let ball hit bat and take a single.

Now he thrusts his leg down the line of off stump too often, which means that he has to play around his pad fairly often.

Think this is a part of losing all confidence in his own game

 

[kingpin]

Ahh soooo many good ODI's now a days... Waiting for WC this year cud be anyone's.....

 

[Ruckus]

Oh come on...

I hope you're posting this from the Bondi Hotel otherwise I'm worried.

lol why? Seriously, if someone is selected for the team as late as him, they would probably be working their ass off to try and stay there. And because of that maybe he has lost the same motivation he once had. I just can't think of why a player (who isn't particularly old) would suddenly lose 'his coordination' or otherwise.

The theories of his technique being found out sound more plausible, but surely in all the years of FC cricket he would have had the same problems?

 

[Prince EWS]

Had no idea that White's Shield performances have been so good recently tbh. Would you have him in the team over Khawaja?

Dunno. Don't really mind; it's a coin flip for me personally. Khawaja's been a bit better, but for a less sustained period. Khawaja has more time on his side, but he's less experienced. He's technically better, but White adds slips catching and part-time bowling.. etc etc.

Both would be good options at this point. I'd probably lean towards Khawaja I suppose, because I get the feeling he'd be less inclined to get out early and contribute to a collapse with North and Haddin also vulnerable early.

 

[Prince EWS]

The theories of his technique being found out sound more plausible, but surely in all the years of FC cricket he would have had the same problems?

Well, he kind of did. He could never put back to back seasons together, and he only averages 42 for Western Australia.

 

[GotSpin]

lol why? Seriously, if someone is selected for the team as late as him, they would probably be working their ass off to try and stay there. And because of that maybe he has lost the same motivation he once had. I just can't think of why a player (who isn't particularly old) would suddenly lose 'his coordination' or otherwise.

The theories of his technique being found out sound more plausible, but surely in all the years of FC cricket he would have had the same problems?

Hussey looks pretty motivated if you ask me

I think it's a combination of his eye getting a little worse, International bowlers working out the perfect lines to him, and a loss of confidence which has led to a deterioration in his technique. If you compare the way he used to play to the way he does now, you can tell something has gone terribly wrong

 

[Ruckus]

Well, he kind of did. He could never put back to back seasons together, and he only averages 42 for Western Australia.

Well thats interesting then. So if this is pretty much the sole reason for Hussey's consistent failure, why on Earth haven't batting coaches etc. addressed his problems?

 

[Furball]

Benefited from playing a lot of his early career in straya - somewhat of a HTB

This.

His career essentially consists of bullying rubbish attacks on home pitches and failing away from home.

It was interesting in a recent thread on the best batsman to have emerged in the mid 00s that quite a few people voted for Hussey and no-one voted for Gambhir, when they've exhibited much the same traits - the only difference being that Gambhir hasn't had the opportunity to be tested outside the subcontinent. Virtually every away series Hussey has played, he's been a failure.

Hussey's initial awesomeness owes a lot to the fact that 5 of his first 7 Test series were played in Australia (one in Bangladesh), against poor attacks.

 

[Furball]

Well, he kind of did. He could never put back to back seasons together, and he only averages 42 for Western Australia.

I take it Hussey's excellent FC record is largely down to him being epic in County Cricket?

 

[Prince EWS]

I take it Hussey's excellent FC record is largely down to him being epic in County Cricket?

Yeah he averaged 79 in 43 matches (!!) for Northants and 76 in 10 matches for Durham.
He also averages over 100 for Australia in tour games.