Opinions on The Super Series

[tassietiger]

As much as you all like to say this series was a joke and the team needed to gel, cricket is a largely individual sport anyway. Brett Lee getting Brian Lara out, despite being quite incredible, would've happened no matter who was at the other end. The only things that teams need to be together for is so the captain knows who to bowl at what stages, which was the least of their worries.

It's quite funny that the World XI would've done a lot better if they were allowed to pick players from the Rest of Australia as well. Shane Warne and Michael Bevan would've done a lot better than Pietersen and someone like Shoaib.

It would have to simply boil down to the fact Australia have been looking forward to this challenge for about a year now, and gearing up for it, ready to impress, whereas the World XI was just picked a short time before the series.

This is proof that Australia still has the best cricket team in the world, despite a recent hiccup where it lost a series by two runs. But, as I'm sure I'm about to be told, ODIs cannot be related to Tests, which I'm also a believer in. So bring on the Super Test.

 

[honestbharani]

Sure, Australia are the best side in the world, not many doubted that.

 

[BoyBrumby]

As much as you all like to say this series was a joke and the team needed to gel, cricket is a largely individual sport anyway. Brett Lee getting Brian Lara out, despite being quite incredible, would've happened no matter who was at the other end. The only things that teams need to be together for is so the captain knows who to bowl at what stages, which was the least of their worries.

It's quite funny that the World XI would've done a lot better if they were allowed to pick players from the Rest of Australia as well. Shane Warne and Michael Bevan would've done a lot better than Pietersen and someone like Shoaib.

It would have to simply boil down to the fact Australia have been looking forward to this challenge for about a year now, and gearing up for it, ready to impress, whereas the World XI was just picked a short time before the series.

This is proof that Australia still has the best cricket team in the world, despite a recent hiccup where it lost a series by two runs. But, as I'm sure I'm about to be told, ODIs cannot be related to Tests, which I'm also a believer in. So bring on the Super Test.

I don't subscribe to that myself, I think cricket is essentially a team sport but in the course of a game there are dozens of individual battles.

I think the fact that Australia have won all 3 ODIs very comfortably (embarrassingly so in fact) shows the virtue of a team as opposed to a collection of talented individuals.

 

[tassietiger]

I don't subscribe to that myself, I think cricket is essentially a team sport but in the course of a game there are dozens of individual battles.

I think the fact that Australia have won all 3 ODIs very comfortably (embarrassingly so in fact) shows the virtue of a team as opposed to a collection of talented individuals.

I see where you are coming from, but if people like Sehwag, Lara, Dravid and co. played to the best of their abilities all series, it could've gotten them over the line, no matter how much they talked to each other. Particularly in ODIs I could see a team of champions doing well, as all it takes is one big performance to effectively win a ODI (e.g. Gilchrist in game 2, Watson in game 3)

 

[marc71178]

This is proof that Australia still has the best cricket team in the world, despite a recent hiccup where it lost a series by two runs.

I think it was a bit more than that to be fair.

 

[Pratters]

This is proof that Australia still has the best cricket team in the world, despite a recent hiccup where it lost a series by two runs. But, as I'm sure I'm about to be told, ODIs cannot be related to Tests, which I'm also a believer in. So bring on the Super Test.

Sore loser? England played better than Australia in the Ashes and won it rightfully. Two runs or two hundred runs, a win is a win.

 

[Pratters]

It's quite funny that the World XI would've done a lot better if they were allowed to pick players from the Rest of Australia as well. Shane Warne and Michael Bevan would've done a lot better than Pietersen and someone like Shoaib.

The Rest of the world played crap. Does it mean they are crap players? Not really.

Any other national one day (among the other top 8 one day teams) team could have done better in a 3 match one day series.

The Australians played brilliantly, the world XI players didnt click individually and nor did they click as a team. This does not mean you will try and show the bench stregth of Australia is great. Their bench bowling stregth was exposed in India's tour to Australia and recently in the Ashes if it really does need to be reminded to you.

Nor could any of their great batting stregth or batting bench stregth could help them in the Ashes. (There are some good batsmen in the Aussie bench - no one is denying that) Some times teams and players dont click and the ROW faced that situation in the series against a hungry Australia.

 

[Richard]

did i also mention he averaged 97 in the domestic test series?

Domestic Tests?

 

[Richard]

I found myself agreeing with most of what you were saying recently in this thread until this comment.

Hmm, well I found he bowled better in the just-completed game but I really was not overtly impressed with his bowling in the First game, thought he was most fortunate to get such good figures.

 

[Richard]

This is proof that Australia still has the best cricket team in the world, despite a recent hiccup where it lost a series by two runs. But, as I'm sure I'm about to be told, ODIs cannot be related to Tests, which I'm also a believer in. So bring on the Super Test.

No, it's not proof of anything - no-one had the slightest doubt that Australia were the best ODI side in The World - nor did they lose a recent series. In 7 ODIs against England they won 3-2.

 

[Richard]

I don't subscribe to that myself, I think cricket is essentially a team sport but in the course of a game there are dozens of individual battles.

I think the fact that Australia have won all 3 ODIs very comfortably (embarrassingly so in fact) shows the virtue of a team as opposed to a collection of talented individuals.

Cricket is an individual sport played by teams.
Very rarely does teamwork come into it the way it does in football, rugby and tennis-doubles for instance.
Cricket is more comparable to Davis Cup tennis. The only parts that really form teamwork are relay-fielding and running-between-wickets.
And what has hurt The World XI is not lack of teamwork but individual underperformance - Lara, Kallis and Dravid, the best batsmen in the line-up, have been extremely poor, Afridi was an abominable selection and Sehwag's poor form has continued.

 

[marc71178]

Cricket is more comparable to Davis Cup tennis. The only parts that really form teamwork are relay-fielding and running-between-wickets.

Erm, no - there's the whole playing as a team unit thing (such as bowlers working in teams)

 

[archie mac]

I hate to say I told you so, but!

The joke that was giving these matches official status was on show for all to see. Lara didn't seem interested, Freddie just seem intent in hitting until he was dismissed(last game) Kallis did not show any real desire with bat, ball or in the field. Murali's pride made him strive hard with the ball.

The players I thought were 100% committed

All of the Aussies + ROW captain and the one NZ player.

I hope a 6 day Test match will bring out some desire in the ROW team. I am worried it is 6 days though, what are we going to have provided for us? ROAD

 

[Richard]

Erm, no - there's the whole playing as a team unit thing (such as bowlers working in teams)

So... where do bowlers work in teams, then?
I was under the impression that only 1 bowler could bowl a single delivery.

 

[Richard]

I hate to say I told you so, but!

The joke that was giving these matches official status was on show for all to see. Lara didn't seem interested, Freddie just seem intent in hitting until he was dismissed(last game) Kallis did not show any real desire with bat, ball or in the field. Murali's pride made him strive hard with the ball.

The players I thought were 100% committed

All of the Aussies + ROW captain and the one NZ player.

I hope a 6 day Test match will bring out some desire in the ROW team. I am worried it is 6 days though, what are we going to have provided for us? ROAD

I'd probably be willing to strip these games of ODI status, yes.
And obviously if the Test is equally poor I'd do the same.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I'd probably be willing to strip these games of ODI status, yes.
And obviously if the Test is equally poor I'd do the same.

So, if teamwork isn't a part of cricket, what's not worthy of ODI status for these games? Just the fact that you personally were against the idea?

 

[Richard]

No, the fact that they were all extreme mismatches and quite possibly that was because so many players weren't really up for it.
Teamwork has little or nothing to do with it.

 

[marc71178]

So... where do bowlers work in teams, then?
I was under the impression that only 1 bowler could bowl a single delivery.

Because in the real world they work together to create pressure etc.

A clear example of that would be England in the Ashes - as a unit the bowling was brilliant, because they worked as a team.

 

[Richard]

No, all the individuals (bar Harmison and sometimes Giles) just played well.
But only 1 bowler can bowl 1 delivery at a time, and hence it's not possible to bowl as a team.
If all the individuals get it right, the team will do well. If some do and some don't, the team might do well.

 

[marc71178]

So you're saying bowlers never work well in pairs then?

Have you ever actually watched Cricket?