What has been the single biggest contributing factor to Australia's demise?

[TNT]

Free pass? He is probably the most maligned captain Australia has had since Ponting.

Fixed

 

[Tangles]

nice try bud



Sadly, Katich was the most expendable of the 4 36yos, and after a 3-1 Ashes loss at least one of them had to go straight away, given all were doubtful to make the Ashes. Ponting wasn't getting the chop straight away, and Hussey and Haddin had just been the best batsmen in said Ashes loss, and had the boost of playing ODI & T20 players too eg being bigger leaders in the dressing room than Katich, who had also been in sketchy form leading up to his dropping. Personally though, I wanted them to sack Hussey anyway.

I personally would have sacked Ponting but that was never going to happen.

 

[Jono]

Fixed

Nah no way. No one ever said Ponting should not be captain because he had a hot fiance or because he drove a sports car or made ads with Pat Rafter wearing underwear.

Yes this happened before Clarke was officially appointed but everyone knew he was the next captain and many people hated it.

Ponting didn't have a charmed run, and copped his fair share of criticism. But no more than most captains do.

 

[Sanz]

Free pass? He is probably the most maligned captain Australia has had for 25+ years.

That does not say much, does it ? Aussie Captains in Last 25 years :-

Allan Border, Mark Taylor, SR Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting.

 

[Sanz]

Nah no way. No one ever said Ponting should not be captain because he had a hot fiance or because he drove a sports car or made ads with Pat Rafter wearing underwear.

Yes this happened before Clarke was officially appointed but everyone knew he was the next captain and many people hated it.

Ponting didn't have a charmed run, and copped his fair share of criticism. But no more than most captains do.

Many people hated it because they knew that it was a bad idea. Look where is Australian Cricket now..a laughing Stock of the cricketing world.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yep it's all Clarke's fault that the batsmen of this generation aren't as good as the ones previous. It's his fault they have poor techniques and/or don't score any runs in Shield cricket.

It makes perfect sense.

If not for Clarke then the side would be a hundred times more ****ed than it is. Watson would be captain and if you thought the batting was bad now, imagine how bad it'd be without the bloke averaging 70 or whatever in the last couple of years.

The quality of Australia's batsmen is the problem. There's no getting around that. Given that, blaming Clarke is the most nonsensical approach you can possibly come up with.

 

[benchmark00]

lol surely Sanz didn't deserve a reply. The fact that Clarke is probably the best captain tactically in the world is enough.

 

[the big bambino]

Clarke has been pretty close to impeccable since becoming skip. He used to be a bit of chicken against pace and the short ball. But runs against the Saffers has shown he has the ability and the will to overcome flaws and that should be an example to our other batsmen fighting technical issues of their own.

I'm not a fan with the way Arthur has handled the discipline and as much as Clarke has been a part of the latest incident then I'd critcise him for that. Overall though Clarke is the example the others should follow.

 

[Sanz]

Yep it's all Clarke's fault that the batsmen of this generation aren't as good as the ones previous. It's his fault they have poor techniques and/or don't score any runs in Shield cricket.

It makes perfect sense.

If not for Clarke then the side would be a hundred times more ****ed than it is. Watson would be captain and if you thought the batting was bad now, imagine how bad it'd be without the bloke averaging 70 or whatever in the last couple of years.

The quality of Australia's batsmen is the problem. There's no getting around that. Given that, blaming Clarke is the most nonsensical approach you can possibly come up with.

Clarke's leadership is the problem not his batting, he is worse than Kim Hughes.

 

[Sanz]

Australia's troubled tour : Michael Clarke's cultural decree | Cricket Features | India v Australia | ESPN Cricinfo

"Shane Warne and others were exceedingly careful not to name Clarke in connection with the decision, as though hoping it had nothing to do with him. Amid all the jokes about homework, and ridicule of the Arthur and his boss, the team performance manager Pat Howard, there was even the question raised: "why isn't Michael Clarke stopping all this bull****?" "

 

[Salamuddin]

I think people are over exaggerating the decline, personally. We can't be dominating test cricket all the time, but it seems thats what people expect now? Its not like we're New Zealand/West Indies.

This. People massively over exaggerating Australia's problems.



I don't particularly like the Aussie team or their supporters but the fact is they have players who are still learning about the game at international level.
The only two teams at the moment who are genuinely better than Australia are South Africa and England and both of them are filled with players who are the peak of their careers.

Australia have a very good youth, club, and first class structure that continues to throw up prodigious talent.
I think their structure is better than England's - England are lucky they had a few good players who all peaked at roughly the same time plus a couple of South African imports but I think the talent they produce is generally inferior to Australia's.

Yes Australia's talent will take a while to truly flourish at the highest level but when it does Australia will be no.1 .

I still think the Aussie system and culture is more conducive to long term success than that of any other nation. The fact that they actually dropped the four players needs to be applauded not scorned - this is the sort of discipline and focus that needs to be instilled in young players to make them world beaters.

 

[uvelocity]

This. People massively over exaggerating Australia's problems.



I don't particularly like the Aussie team or their supporters but the fact is they have players who are still learning about the game at international level.
The only two teams at the moment who are genuinely better than Australia are South Africa and England and both of them are filled with players who are the peak of their careers.

Australia have a very good youth, club, and first class structure that continues to throw up prodigious talent.
I think their structure is better than England's - England are lucky they had a few good players who all peaked at roughly the same time plus a couple of South African imports but I think the talent they produce is generally inferior to Australia's.

Yes Australia's talent will take a while to truly flourish at the highest level but when it does Australia will be no.1 .

I still think the Aussie system and culture is more conducive to long term success than that of any other nation. The fact that they actually dropped the four players needs to be applauded not scorned - this is the sort of discipline and focus that needs to be instilled in young players to make them world beaters.

hey we dont like you either buddy

 

[the big bambino]

Yeah! Screw you guy.

 

[weldone]

Lack of players who can even hold a candle to the men of 95-2007

This.

 

[weldone]

Yep it's all Clarke's fault that the batsmen of this generation aren't as good as the ones previous. It's his fault they have poor techniques and/or don't score any runs in Shield cricket.

It makes perfect sense.

If not for Clarke then the side would be a hundred times more ****ed than it is. Watson would be captain and if you thought the batting was bad now, imagine how bad it'd be without the bloke averaging 70 or whatever in the last couple of years.

The quality of Australia's batsmen is the problem. There's no getting around that. Given that, blaming Clarke is the most nonsensical approach you can possibly come up with.

And this.

I mean their pace attack is OK. It's definitely not as good as SA or England, but it's not really bad either. And teams can do well without a world-class spinner. The main problem lies in their batsmen except Clarke, especially after the retirements of Ponting and Hussey.

 

[Son Of Coco]

I think the main cause is Global Warming.

 

[dhillon28]

Michael Clarke's non cricketing contributions to Australian cricket:

1. Making sure Andrew Symonds felt rejected and kicked out of the Aus team for ever and therefore losing a middle order batsmen who was just coming good in tests, could destroy attacks and one of australias best players of spin. Also a handy medium pacer/off break bowler. Also one of the best fielders ever after Jonty.

2. Kicking Simon Katich out of the team- a top order batsmen who averaged 46 and provided stability to Australia at the top of the order

3. Encouraging and therefore accelerating Ricky ponting's decision to step down from test cricket (when there is clearly no worthy replacement to him in Australia atm)

4. Kicking out 4 players simultatneously from the test squad- including his best bowler on tour

conclusion: great player, poor strategist whose poor man management decisions have robbed australia of transitional stability at the top and middle order of their batting line up

 

[benchmark00]

Holy ****.

 

[Spikey]

have i missed something. how on earth can you blame clarke for the symonds thing. other people have done it too

 

[benchmark00]

He also kicked Ricky Ponting out apparently.