Australian Summer Of Cricket '08/'09

[Bucking Beads]

Aussies will be back to number 1 in about 10 years or so I reckon. They just don't have the cattle anymore. The Australian domestic cricket comps are garbage and they are not producing enough quality players for Australia to remain a force in world cricket. I can't see us coming close to winning test matches in South Africa..

A miracle is still possible tonight but I wouldn't be betting on it.

 

[Major JW Hochstetter]

bet the selectors overlook him because he's only 20.

Yep, I absolutely loath that attitude that has plagued our selection process, particularly during our period of dominance where such faults in the way we bring players through to the top of the system didn't have much of an effect, if any.

This summer we were finally pulled down from the perch and have now well and truly come back to the pack, so now is the perfect time to start playing in-form youth and set a plan for the next generation of players to take the team right back to the top. Time to stop trying to hold on to the past, or what worked in the past, and accept the current reality.

Who cares if it takes another 12-18 months or longer and a couple of series defeats here and there to get a new, highly competitive, consistently winning team together that can stick around for many seasons to come? And perhaps give 4 straight WC wins a read hot go in the ODIs? Surely it can't be any worse than banking on out of form old favorites or blokes rushing back from injuries struggling for match practice?

It really is time to clean out the current selectors, review any selection policies that are holding the team back, put in place a plan of progression over a certain time frame and FFS give the in-form youth a go!

Phil Hughes MUST tour Seth Effrika, end of IMO. Couldn't give a rats if he fails most of time, we can't let another obvious talent like that rot in State cricket for another 10-12 years and give us 4-5 years of Test cricket in his 30s. We simply can't afford to that any more. Again, the selectors can't keep living in the past.

 

[Major JW Hochstetter]

Unlucky Phillip 'inexperienced'

Far from giving Hughes a glowing endorsement, Ponting said he would be advising the team's selection panel that the exhausting schedule combining South Africa and England over six months would better suit accomplished players such as Hughes's rival Phil Jaques.

"I'm not sure if it's a time for us right now in Test cricket to really go all out looking for youth," Ponting said.

"We have to pick who we think are the most competent and best players around the country to embark on a couple of very big Test series that we've got coming up.

"I will be making that point to selectors, if they don't know that already anyway."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/cricke ... ntentSwap1

 

[Coxy]

Hence why captains should have no say in squad selections. He's TOTALLY wrong.

As far as I'm concerned, Australia shouldn't be going to South Africa and England with intent and expectation to win the series. That horse has bolted. It's about rebuilding. Take some youth as well as what's left of our experience, and see how they go in these very tough series.

FFS, if the Australian selectors in the mid-80s hadn't banked on guys like McDermott, Waugh and co, the revival in the early 90s and then dominance from the late-90s onwards would never have happened.

 

[Major JW Hochstetter]

By the way, MUCH better bowling and fielding effort last night, albeit against one of the worst batting orders i've seen with a fairly lengthy tail.

Just goes to show how shyte our batting is going at the moment.

 

[Coxy]

Yeah, thank cripes for Johnson's late 20 in the Australian innings. Made NZ's job hard enough to make it interesting.

 

[mrslong]

why is david hussey in the team? has he ever performed at this level? I can't remember it if he has.....

 

[Hamm.0]

Last night was a cripple fight. it was seriously worse than watching Souths v. Bulldogs, I had to LOLZ when I realised that we still lost the cripple fight.

It's one thing to be continually embarrassed by the best team in the world, however it's a whole new low to lose to New Zealand. LOLZ.

I thought the quick Kiwi series would be just what the Aussies needed, a couple of easy games to win big and get some confidence back before heading over to the Meat Eaters. However, they could very well end up going over their even more mentally disturbed!!!

 

[Coxy]

Yep, and with Punter coming out and saying that old has beens who haven't been performing are better equipped to handle long, hard overseas tours...well, it's only going to get worse.

 

[Major JW Hochstetter]

'Cheat' claims poor and low - Haddin

Daniel Vettori was disappointed Brad Haddin did not make an effort to prevent Neil Broom from leaving the field after the wicketkeeper dislodged the bails in a bowled dismissal in Perth.

....

"I think you saw from Haddin's reaction that he knew something was wrong so he probably should have made more noise about it," Vettori told NZPA after the win. "It is [disappointing] because I thought that was the partnership that was going to win the game, so it put us under a bit more pressure. We've just got to make sure it doesn't happen again."

....

"I'm pretty disappointed in Dan that he didn't have the decency to come and speak to me after the game if he had an issue with it rather than air his thoughts in a press conference," Haddin told AAP. "I think the polite or the decent thing to do would be to come and ask me. He's played a lot of cricket now and he knows too well what happens with these situations, so I thought it was a bit low. I think it's quite poor."

....

Ponting spoke before he had seen a replay but challenged Vettori to be sure of his Haddin criticism. "It's a bit much, he's basically claiming [Haddin's] a cheat, isn't he? That's a bit strong unless they're 100% certain.

"We'll wait and see. If [a replay] does show anything that Brad is in the clear, I'll certainly be letting Daniel know about it. It's probably worth Haddin having a chat to him as well. He's basically had a bit of a crack at Haddin's make-up."

Haddin told Ponting the ball had hit the top of off stump. "The umpire gave it out and the batsman walked off, and the next I heard of it was when I was asked about it at the end of play," Ponting said. "[Haddin] obviously didn't know, because if he knew then he wouldn't have claimed it. Whatever we're saying about Brad Haddin here, you can't say that knowingly happened, that is for sure."

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ausvnz2 ... 88680.html

 

[Coxy]

Ponting, Haddin...face it. You got away with one and you're indignant because you've been caught cheating. And it didn't even pay off in the end.

Disgraceful.

 

[Hamm.0]

Australian's are poor sports at the best of times. The Aussie cricket team (which I LOVE) are some of the best (or worst depending on how you view it) sledgers in the world. However all that said, Haddin cheated and whether he did it unintentionally or not, he could have brought it to the umpire's attention. He chose not to, which leaves the usual "holier than thou" attitude that the entire ACB usually takes look LOLZ.

I wonder what went through Gilchrist's mind at the time, as he was commentating wasn't he?

 

[Black Philip]

They're Australian cricketers, they can't possibly be in the wrong. Everything they say is right and if you don't agree with it you're just a whinger. Of course if you turn the situation around it's a case of blue murder.

 

[Coxy]

I think Gilchrist and Healy were there at the time...or not long after. And I think both said "well, in the speed of the moment you may not realise what's happened" - benefit of the doubt.

One of the other commentators, probably Richie or Tony Greig, said "he'd have had to realise, surely, he's looking at the stumps, his gloves and the ball"...or words to that effect.

And seriously, the rule is that the keeper can not touch the ball in FRONT of the stumps. Haddin would have to be blind to not realise his gloves were in front of the stumps when taking the ball...

 

[Hamm.0]

They're Australian cricketers, they can't possibly be in the wrong. Everything they say is right and if you don't agree with it you're just a whinger. Of course if you turn the situation around it's a case of blue murder.

Sut up and have a bath you dirty pom. Don't be sad at Aussies cuz you guys can't win a single game in any of the sports you invented. LOLZ!

Why is Andrew Flintoff the unluckiest English player?

Because he was born in England....

 

[Bucking Beads]

Ponting is creating a stain on an otherwise great Australian record over the last 15 years.. Hughes it twice the player Jaques is and Ponting wants Jaques for his experience.. I stress how does one get experience if not given a chance to prove himself. Dave Hussey must go I have had enough of the brotherly love crap... Can someone put down Tait he only lasts 2 overs and is an absolute joke of a cricketer.

 

[Chumba]

Howdy folks, does anyone else get sick of the slow over rate by this aussie team? I like ponting as a batsman and he's a fine fielder, but this over rate crap and having to go up to the bowler between every ball is just killing the game. Tell them what to do and get on with it, he either has that little faith in the guy with the ball and he has to check with him all the time or he himself doesn't know what to do with the field and needs to double check with his team. This rot never happened with our old bowling line up, they would have told ponting to get back in his position and get ready, and not be up here yarning away every ball. He's the captain, so lead, this team work rot and discussing it all the time and wasting time and dragging things out just makes him look like a goose and I very much doubt adds to his leadership qualities in the team. Take a page out of a few of the previous captains and get on with it.

 

[Browny]

The last couple of games he's been ahead of the over rate, when the game gets tight you can expect all teams to do it