[don't forget to drop by my blog HIM: An Introduction and add you comments.]
It is a miserable summer for Australian cricket. To lose to India and then South Africa - and the latter at home for the first time - shows that our stocks have plainly fallen a long long way.
How has this come to pass? Well some of it is just happenstance. Warne retired, and then so did Hogg and MacGill. It is unreasonable to expect any international team to have more than three back-up spin bowlers. Then, we have had some frankly bizarre selections and mysterious non-selections. Beau Casson? Jason Krezja? Cameron White? What the?
But in the fast bowling department the failure to prepare for the retirement of McGrath is very distressing. Fast bowlers win tests. And so they need careful protection. The strain of too much cricket and overzealous training is telling on bowlers like Stuart Clark and Brett Lee. Shaun Tait had personal problems. Likewise, Brett Lee's failure to fire stems from the time his marriage disintegrated. Perhaps 'pastoral' issues play a more significant factor in this then we are led to believe. It is a very English problem to have so many injuries to key players. In the Steve Waugh era, our team was able to play test after test unchanged because the top players had so few injuries.
It all takes me back to the bad old days of the 1980s when Lillee, Chappell and Marsh all suddenly retired leaving a generation of young cricketers exposed. There were bizarre selections then, too (Glenn Trimble anyone? Robbie Kerr? Chris Matthews?). The scent of desparation hung over the team for a good while.
What did it take to revive our fortunes? It took several years, a tough minded skipper (Alan Border), the gradual coming to experience of bowlers like Lawson, McDermott, Alderman and Hughes, the persistence of the selectors with an underperforming Steve Waugh and the discovery of some consistent top order batsmen (Marsh, Boon, Taylor). Warne and McGrath appeared after all of this.
Which is by way of saying: I don't think the solution is around the corner. But whacky selections will really slow the process down.
5 comments:
The selections for this test were very strange indeed, and I hope that now the series is lost the selectors will at least give some young guys a chance to prove themselves in Sydney - Bollinger in for Lee and McDonald for Symonds?
I have never been a fan of Symonds as a test player (brilliant in ODIs though) and I cannot understand why he was in the side when his batting is off form and everyone knew he wouldn't be able to bowl.
But I think the biggest problem at the moment is Ponting as captain. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest batsmen to ever play the game, but I have never rated him as a skipper.
He inherited an awesome side from Steve Waugh, and they really didn't need a lot in the way of inspirational leadership. Warne and Gilly were clearly the strategist on the field and with them gone Ponting really struggles when the pressure is on. His field placings and use of bowlers on day three were bizzare and the Aussies lost control of the game.
IMHO, nothing will improve until Ponting steps down (although a replacement is far from clear).
BTW - the one bright spot in the current series is Haddin. He had a very difficult entry into the test side (West Indies and India), and has had some very big shoes to fill - I think he stepped up in Perth and showed his quality. Did well in Melbourne too and I'm looking forward to watching in Sydney.
Thank for the cricket ponderings. We Englsih have our own challenges but beware the summer is coming! Just a note to say thank you for your thoughtful blogging reflections and it is good to see you have settled well post-Wycliffe. On the cricket front, I noticed Netherland by Joseph O Neill made many of the lists of top novels of 2008 and is about cricket in New York of all places. You might enjoy it-I am planning to read it on hols in January. Keep at the blogging-you are a blessing. David.
Michael,
I'll never forget watching Glen Trimble in a ODI bowling beamers at batsman. It is time to rebuild the side with young players with Clark at the healm. Hayden and Lee need to go (bring back Jacques and Watson).
I don't know so much - things look pretty good from my side. After years of playing the underdogs to mighty Australia the Proteas have finally come good!
Well I have always thought the Proteas SHOULD have been the best side, or at least have had a shot at it. So it's about time!
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