Watson named Australia's best by the media

Is Shoiab Malik a chance? He would be handy with his off spinners, they need a 5th bowler

I agree with you, JohnB. My statement was ambiguous. On with Hobart now. Hope the Pakistanis do not let their supporters down and we see an engrossing battle on all days.

Kersi - as a prediction for the current year, perfectly reasonable (particularly given that past winners are ineligible). As the comment was phrased, I read it as suggesting he should or could have won this year ahead of Watson (a not unreasonable reading I think).

John B, Bollinger was only a prediction as the next ACMA award will be given in January 2011. Would you have expected Watson to win the Award last year this time?

How would Bollinger remotely qualify?

Kersi, a glaring anomaly that needs to be corrected post haste.

Malcolm Conn, the Secretary of the Australian Cricket Media Association (ACMA), informs me that Ricky Ponting has not won the award, "a major slip somewhere in the past" and the Award can be claimed ONLY once. "In the past it was the Young Player's Award but later it became the Emerging Player of the Year Award", adds Malcolm. "Basically anyone who has emerged strongly in Test cricket over that year wins the award."

Surprisingly, Ponting has never received the Australian Cricket Media Association (ACMA) Award. I got the following information from Malcolm Conn, the Hon. Secretary of ACMA: Hi Kersi, Many thanks. Ricky Ponting hasn’t won the award, a major slip somewhere in the distant past, and the award can only be claimed once. It was the young player of the year but became the emerging player of the year when Australia had an old and stable side from the start of this century. Basically anyone who has emerged strongly in Test cricket over that year. Hope this helps. Cheers, Mal

Apparently England have planned 3 warm up matches. No word of a fast man - but one lives in hope!

Viscount,I see the Ashes down under as one to savour for the ages. I sincerely hope that England are at their best and have some lead up matches before the First at Brisbane. if you lose Brisbane you lose the war. I also agree they need a quick man able to consistently bowl high 140's. Is there one you are hiding?

Thanks, Vinay, and best to you too. I quite agree about Test cricket - but I believe that the current SA Test series has been a million miles more interesting than the (truncated) ODI series! Indeed, I get the impression that the South Africans (despite their obvious disappointment with the current scoreline) are equally transfixed. It was great to see a full house at Newlands. The theories on Pietersen are numerous. Some say hubris, some say technique, some say lack of interest, and some say he's upset by the booing! I tend to think technique: his head is falling over the off side and consequently he lacks balance when hitting straight - it's worth remembering that he was a number 9 batsman at Natal when he made the move to England. But equally, I'm fairly confident he can find a solution. He's too good a batsman to be tied down for long. The encouraging thing for England is that that their worst batsmen in the Ashes - Bell and Cook - have stepped up to the mark. The disconcerting thing is that England still don't hit big hundreds consistently. I wa rather bullish above, but (like Brett) I'd just love to see a competitive Ashes series in Oz. It's been a while since the Aussie fans have enjoyed a proper Ashes and I think it's about time that England gave them a taste of what it's all about. I have great confidence in Strauss and the chaps, but time will tell...

Viscount,is it not refreshing that we are actually discussing Test Cricket? I have been impressed by Cook and Bell's new resolve. Self-belief is such an important element. I see in Pietersen the flaw of a sportman who perhaps thinks he is bigger than the game. It is a fine line between self-belief and hubris. The latter usually leads one to be hoist with ones own petard. Best for 2010 to you.

Indeed, old fruit, but Australia still boasted a legendary team in 2006/7... In 2010? Not so much... You are quite right though. England have a couple of questions to answer before then: (1) Can their batsmen bat for long enough to make big hundreds?; and (2) Are England's bowling chappies quite penetrative enough to take 20 wickets consistently? Currently, I suspect not. I think they need another fast seamer. That said, they are doing a rather jolly job at the moment with only a four-man bowling atttack. The worry for Ponting and his chaps is this: every question that has so far been asked of Flower and Strauss has been answered rapidly and emphatically. I sense some yellowness within the Aussie ranks and thus I rather fancy a repeat of 86/7. It should be a corking series.

Viscount, I don't think anyone doubts the quality of the current series in South Africa, but the very same sort of noises eminated from the Motherland in 2005. And how did that work out for you?? No doubt that next summer promises plenty, and I'd love nothing more than for England to arrive down this way at the very top of their game. But let's not too far ahead ourselves in terms of domination...

But chaps, in all seriousness, these poor Aussies are going to be walloped by England next southern summer. Watching these two series is like watching an A-League game followed by an EPL game: as the excellent Simon Wilde of the Sunday Times observes today, the quality of the current series in South Africa has been streets ahead of anything seen in the Ashes (still less Aus-Pak!) If England can win in SA, they can dominate in Aus. No bother.

nice write-up Kersi, and I'd have to agree Shane Watson is certainly a worthy winner of this year's award. In fact, along with Mitch Johnson, I think Watson may well end up being a favourite for the AB Medal too. With Johnson picking up the McGilvray Medal as ABC radio's Australian cricketer of the year, you'd think those two would be toward the pointy end of betting.

Gazz2, I accept Ponting's mistakes and would hope I am not so one eyed to his lapses. However I am prepared to judge him at the end of his career rather than jump in everytime he has a bad day at the ground. I believe strongly,that Ponting will be appreciated more when he is no longer playing. I am enjoying him while he is playing.

Vinay, It's well documented by 'Roarers' why Ponting is either loved or loathed. You have a strong opinion on Ponting which is well known and from what I've read well respected. I think you should accept Ponting's short comings in other areas which seem more obvious to some than others. In regards the award, Watson deserved it but it seems a little odd that you can only win it once.

Vinay, I'll have to check with Mike Coward and Malcolm Conn but I'm pretty sure Ponting has been named ACMA's Cricketer of the Year in the past. And you can receive this award only once. Also for those keen on seeing Dean Jones's epic 210 in the Chennai tied Test, Coward has brought out a video of that match.

Kersi,hard to predict next year's winner. Australia play 9 Tests including the one in Hobart next week. The opposition is New Zealand,Pakistan and England. If I had to pick two I would go for Ponting and Hilfenhaus. I think 50 wickets or 500 runs should be the minimum to qualify. Ponting ,if he is fully recovered from the elbow,will be determined to prove his detractors wrong. This is one of the more mystifying asspects of Australian Cricket. That a batting legend is constantly harangued because of the occassional failure. After 11000 Test runs and 150 odd catches (not to mention the run outs) I am surprised he is so criticised. I like the way he stands up for the young players in his team and I wish him all success.