OT: Ashes and the Aussies

[Rogue]

What the hell is going on? Aussies seem to be getting a hiding thus far...... thoughts?

[unleash06]

yep, other than hussey and haddin, they lack the mental toughness to compete at the moment. need to take them one by one down behind the changerooms and get them to harden the fu ck up.

[adamheight]

i have no idea why ponting is there as captain. but who else is there? michael clarke has a bad back.

[unleash06]

clarke is not a captain's asshole....bring back steve waugh

[Hounddawg]

The Australian Cricket teams dominance for 20 odd years is over, and in the last 2 years it's the worse bowling line up that i can remember. We're no longer a team that can finish a game off.

Haddin does alright with the bat once in a while, but he is defiantly 1 of the worse wicket keepers with the gloves i've ever seen wear the the famous Baggy Green, I think they should bring in that young kid that played in India.

Also what about young Hughes, how the fornicate can he not get a start, talk about fornicating up 1 of the best potentially gifted batsman in the world.


My change to this Australian team. Punter stays but gets dropped as captain, mr 50 Katich drops down the order, piss North off, bring in young Hughs, Drop haddin who doesn't know how to catch a ball unless it falls in the glove, and for fark sake find a bowler who knows how to spin a ball, with at least 1 tight ass fast bowler, who go's for 2 or less an over. And soon enough we'll be able to beat Bangladesh. :x

[adamheight]

i have no idea why ponting is there as captain. but who else is there? michael clarke has a bad back.

Ponting is a class player. You're too hard on him, he lost irreplaceable players, and we have better ones than on past tours. It's not really hard to work out what's going on, we might not win the series, but we have a better side than you currently. And it's about bloody time to.

but I'm English. we have been through this on another thread remember?

[Hounddawg]

i have no idea why ponting is there as captain. but who else is there? michael clarke has a bad back.

Ponting is a class player. You're too hard on him, he lost irreplaceable players, and we have better ones than on past tours. It's not really hard to work out what's going on, we might not win the series, but we have a better side than you currently. And it's about bloody time to.

You have better bowlers maybe, Swann is a class spinner, and probably the best English spinner i've ever seen, and I'm a fan of Pieterson he's a cheeky bastard, but aren't you guys statistically outmuscled? check the stats, i'm correct, our batters have better avarages, even our shitt bowlers have better averages,oh how this proves to mean fark all hey

[Hounddawg]

Ponting is a class player. You're too hard on him, he lost irreplaceable players, and we have better ones than on past tours. It's not really hard to work out what's going on, we might not win the series, but we have a better side than you currently. And it's about bloody time to.

You have better bowlers maybe, Swann is a class spinner, and probably the best English spinner i've ever seen, and I'm a fan of Pieterson he's a cheeky bastard, but aren't you guys statistically outmuscled? check the stats, i'm correct, our batters have better avarages, even our shitt bowlers have better averages,oh how this proves to mean fark all hey

Maybe you're right, I'm not up on your sides averages. But our players are bang in form coming into this tour, I was a little confident after seeing your tests against Pakistan over here (although they might mean nothing with what's been going on). Swann is the best English spinner I've seen in my life, although I don't think this is going to be his tour. Your biggest problem is I don't see where you're going to get 20 wickets a game from.

Well theres no arguments here, it's astonishing how bad these Australian bowlers are, not 1 would or could be top 10 in the world, it's quite embarrassing, form wise we've been getting broken down bit by bit against India and South africa, purely on the policy that we only play the best regularly and warm ups against Bangledesh, Newzealand and the Windies are generally not considered as stepping stones but as backward steps.

With a young team like Australia, especially these very average Bowlers, teams like i just mentioned are key in developing young talent.Throwing them in the deep end especially against probably the best ever India team in 50 years, and a very young and strong South African team 2 to 3 times each in the last 2 years is suicide for development.

When we play the Ashes England/Australia it wouldn't matter where we were ranked both sides lift to there best and in the last few years it's been evident.

The greatest English victory in the Ashes was the 2005, when you guys can claim that you did something that no side in the world and probably history could do and that was out bowl that Australian side and bowl out that batting lineup. However Greatness was assured only a year later when we smacked the cockiness out of the English with 1 of the most dominant performances ever witnessed 5-0.

[bollox]

Better get used to it, our time at the top is well and truly over and teams will be hammering us for a number of years to come. The McGarth's and Warnes are gone and they're irreplacable. Today they showed the ages of our team and they're all past their primes, pretty much all of them (even the newbies)

We had a good dozen or so years at the top which was a pretty good run

[Brute]

Australia has had bad runs before. It is a swings and roundabouts thing. When Kim Hughes was captain we could not even beat New Zealand!

[Hounddawg]

Who will ever forget the tears that followed when Hughe's was forced to step down.

[bollox]

I remember it well and I don't blame him for chucking it in. When someone like Dennis Lillee has absolutely no respect for you ad shows it out on the ground (and to millions on tv) then it's a pretty hopeless situation

[Craig14]

Slater and Healy asked today whether any team in ashes history has got over 500 in an innings in all 5 tests? Already - It's going to be along hard series for the Aussies. From the last test we are 1200 odd for 5.

[Rogue]

Slater and Healy asked today whether any team in ashes history has got over 500 in an innings in all 5 tests? Already - It's going to be along hard series for the Aussies. From the last test we are 1200 odd for 5.

Dougie B looked like he started off well this test but dropped catch put a dent and the new bloke missed a direct hit by a mile.... i guess times are changing and given the retirement of all the top blokes all in one go has hurt the Aussies. Play New Zealand and get some confidence back...at the moment even the Brazilian u-19 cricket team could beat the Black caps.....

[Craig14]

Slater and Healy asked today whether any team in ashes history has got over 500 in an innings in all 5 tests? Already - It's going to be along hard series for the Aussies. From the last test we are 1200 odd for 5.

Dougie B looked like he started off well this test but dropped catch put a dent and the new bloke missed a direct hit by a mile.... i guess times are changing and given the retirement of all the top blokes all in one go has hurt the Aussies. Play New Zealand and get some confidence back...at the moment even the Brazilian u-19 cricket team could beat the Black caps.....

The kiwis are struggling I watched some of the one dayer with India inbetween the ashes intervals and the black caps won't win any of the remainder of the games in the series. Won't stop me going to the test match v.s Pakistan in Hamilton. You going? Are you in the know about boxing bouts here in Auckland? I would have gone to the one in Ellersie yesterday but had no idea it was happening. Whens the next one at tha ABA?

[Brute]

I remember it well and I don't blame him for chucking it in. When someone like Dennis Lillee has absolutely no respect for you ad shows it out on the ground (and to millions on tv) then it's a pretty hopeless situation

Respect has to be earned. Hughes just did not earn it. Lillee never stopped giving his best.

[bollox]

Lillee wanted to set a ridiculous field one day during a test (a fieldsman about 30 metres directly behind the wicketkeeper from memory ) and Hughes said no. Lillee spat the dummy. I had more respect for Hughes that day than Lillee and I suspect so did everyone who saw it

[Rogue]

Slater and Healy asked today whether any team in ashes history has got over 500 in an innings in all 5 tests? Already - It's going to be along hard series for the Aussies. From the last test we are 1200 odd for 5.

Dougie B looked like he started off well this test but dropped catch put a dent and the new bloke missed a direct hit by a mile.... i guess times are changing and given the retirement of all the top blokes all in one go has hurt the Aussies. Play New Zealand and get some confidence back...at the moment even the Brazilian u-19 cricket team could beat the Black caps.....

The kiwis are struggling I watched some of the one dayer with India inbetween the ashes intervals and the black caps won't win any of the remainder of the games in the series. Won't stop me going to the test match v.s Pakistan in Hamilton. You going? Are you in the know about boxing bouts here in Auckland? I would have gone to the one in Ellersie yesterday but had no idea it was happening. Whens the next one at tha ABA?

Na wouldn't waste my time with Black caps...they good to bet against and use it as an anchor for a multi bet...never let you down! Ellerslie show was great last night.... ABA Dec 15 will see Pownceby fight Chapman... should be a goodie but very little build up and time to really promote it in main stream.

[Craig14]

Dougie B looked like he started off well this test but dropped catch put a dent and the new bloke missed a direct hit by a mile.... i guess times are changing and given the retirement of all the top blokes all in one go has hurt the Aussies. Play New Zealand and get some confidence back...at the moment even the Brazilian u-19 cricket team could beat the Black caps.....

The kiwis are struggling I watched some of the one dayer with India inbetween the ashes intervals and the black caps won't win any of the remainder of the games in the series. Won't stop me going to the test match v.s Pakistan in Hamilton. You going? Are you in the know about boxing bouts here in Auckland? I would have gone to the one in Ellersie yesterday but had no idea it was happening. Whens the next one at tha ABA?

Na wouldn't waste my time with Black caps...they good to bet against and use it as an anchor for a multi bet...never let you down! Ellerslie show was great last night.... ABA Dec 15 will see Pownceby fight Chapman... should be a goodie but very little build up and time to really promote it in main stream.

Excellent, who else is fighting? And are you up for beer? That's a thursday ain't it.

[Beltane]

There are a lot of culprits in the current demise of Australian cricket:

- Cricket Australia's shambolic match scheduling in not allowing the players to play hard four day lead up games in the Sheffield Shield. Instead they schedule T20 and one-dayers into the buildup to satisfy the greed of the Nine Network, themselves and their over-committments made to the overseas countries.

- The selectors obviously did not have any succession plans in place to cover for the loss of the recently retired great players. The selectors give some players the flick early (note the spinners revoving door, Phil Hughes etc), yet give duds like Marcus North repeated opportunities to fail for everyone to see. No doubt the selectors and captain: Ponting have their favourites and continue to select who they want, eg. Brad Hodge hit 200 and got dropped and was out of favour ever since. Sadly his time has passed. Hauritz is another on Ponting's shit-list.

- The players, who play with injuries to protect their contracts and to ensure an up and comer is not given a break in their place, eg. in the Adelaide test: Katich (ankle and thumb); Clarke (perenial shaggers back). In the Brisbane test, you can add Hilfenhaus (hamstring) with Katich and Clark.

What can be done?

First get Cricket Australia to organise the home and overseas schedule so that the players are not burnt out and balance the short and long forms of the game. But again Cricket Australia is chasing the almighty dollar both here and abroad (especially in India) and they are starting to worry that local attendences both at the games and viewing wise have been declining steadily over the last decade.

Selectors to pick on form and go with a youth policy of hungry, fit players and don't discard if them like the spinners of recent times. Anyone unfit or out of form - dont come back till you have proved your fitness and get back into form via the Sheffield Shield.

Somehow things will not change and Punter will suffer the fate of the barnacle: Bill Lawry and get sacked before the series is over and suffer the infamy as the only captain to lose 3 ashes series.

[Rogue]

Anyone fix matches over there? In NZ case there is nothing to fix, we get donkey licked anyways.... OK maybe spot fixing, copping a six on demand

[bollox]

There are a lot of culprits in the current demise of Australian cricket:

- Cricket Australia's shambolic match scheduling in not allowing the players to play hard four day lead up games in the Sheffield Shield. Instead they schedule T20 and one-dayers into the buildup to satisfy the greed of the Nine Network, themselves and their over-committments made to the overseas countries.

- The selectors obviously did not have any succession plans in place to cover for the loss of the recently retired great players. The selectors give some players the flick early (note the spinners revoving door, Phil Hughes etc), yet give duds like Marcus North repeated opportunities to fail for everyone to see. No doubt the selectors and captain: Ponting have their favourites and continue to select who they want, eg. Brad Hodge hit 200 and got dropped and was out of favour ever since. Sadly his time has passed. Hauritz is another on Ponting's shit-list.

- The players, who play with injuries to protect their contracts and to ensure an up and comer is not given a break in their place, eg. in the Adelaide test: Katich (ankle and thumb); Clarke (perenial shaggers back). In the Brisbane test, you can add Hilfenhaus (hamstring) with Katich and Clark.

What can be done?

First get Cricket Australia to organise the home and overseas schedule so that the players are not burnt out and balance the short and long forms of the game. But again Cricket Australia is chasing the almighty dollar both here and abroad (especially in India) and they are starting to worry that local attendences both at the games and viewing wise have been declining steadily over the last decade.

Selectors to pick on form and go with a youth policy of hungry, fit players and don't discard if them like the spinners of recent times. Anyone unfit or out of form - dont come back till you have proved your fitness and get back into form via the Sheffield Shield.

Somehow things will not change and Punter will suffer the fate of the barnacle: Bill Lawry and get sacked before the series is over and suffer the infamy as the only captain to lose 3 ashes series.

Spot on. A mate and I were talking about it the other night and basically came up with almost everything you've just said. Brad Hiodge has obviously pissed someone off in the past and he hasn't had a look in since. Reminded me a bit of the way Dean Jones was dumped when batting pretty bloody well and never made it back in

Bit of an old boys club, is Oz cricket

[Brute]

Lillee wanted to set a ridiculous field one day during a test (a fieldsman about 30 metres directly behind the wicketkeeper from memory ) and Hughes said no. Lillee spat the dummy. I had more respect for Hughes that day than Lillee and I suspect so did everyone who saw it

Lillee never asked for a fieldsman to be placed anywhere but where he was needed. Hughes padded up to spinners too often. He was an overrated batsman.

[bollox]

I've never seen a fieldsman directly behind the wickwtkeeper in my life. Have you?

[J]

only if you have a crap keeper and only at under 6 level not test.

it aint over yet chaps..thrown in the towel already?

hearing shouts for warne to replace ponting...lol...now that would make a fairytale...