I’m writing this ahead of Australia’s cricket World Cup quarter-final against India. If we’ve won, then terrific. If not, it might be time for Cricket Australia to consider the perils of the micro-tour to Bangladesh.
Ricky Ponting’s men play three one-day internationals a week after the Cup final is due to be held. Daft scheduling? Probably. A chance to try something different? Maybe.
An opportunity for Bangladesh to pounce on a tired Aussie playing group? Absolutely.
The matches are all day-nighters at Dhaka, April 9, 11 and 13. The ledger between the sides stands at 15-1 in Australia’s favour overall, 3-0 in Bangladesh with the only defeat handed to Ponting’s men coming on June 18 in Cardiff during the Natwest Trophy series in England.
And how fondly do Australian fans remember that day? Humph!
The most recent meeting of the Yellow Caps and the Bangla Tigers (or Tiggers, if plush toys are considered a safer, crowd-friendly option compared to a live tiger) was over two years ago, when Australia won by 73 runs on September 6 in Darwin.
The last time they crossed paths in Bangladesh was April 28 in Fatullah – Australia by nine wickets that evening.
That Darwin game saw Australia led by Michael Clarke – and here’s where things get really interesting. Let’s say Australia lost to India.
And Clarkie was the last man with the “c” beside his name when we beat Bangladesh. Put two and two together and you get the selection that has to be made. Anything short of it may just mean a humiliating series defeat against the Tigers.
Why not relieve Ponting of the pressure of being skipper and let him briefly learn to re-relish his role as a stand-alone batsman?
He could be a cinch-hitter, rather than of the pinching variety.
Freed from the need to think about the coin toss, field placing or press conference preparation for the rest of the afternoon, slicky Ricky could just get back into the batting groove.
All those unstable-looking nearly-falling-forward-down-the-off-side flicks to fine leg would come in very handy late in an innings if Ponting was listed as number five.
Instead of scratching his way to 30-odd, it would be a case of flicking down the leg-side to his hearts’ content – guaranteeing two runs per delivery he faces if he’s got his eye in quick enough. Whether he could usurp Michael Bevans’ old mantle as “the finisher” is another matter, of course, but the potential for more than a few high run-accumulation overs is there.
Based on the World Cup XI that would be an Australian batting order of Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke (c), Ricky Ponting, Cameron White, Steve Smith, Brett Lee, Mitch Johnson, Jason Krejza and Shaun Tait.
Bangladesh, on the other hand, would have Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Junaid Siddique, Shariar Nafees, Shakib Al Hasan (c), Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain.
For the sake of comparison, Australia’s XI from Darwin was Shaun Marsh, Watson, Clarke, Dave Hussey, Haddin, James Hopes, Johnson, Nathan Bracken and Stuart Clark.
When last in Bangladesh, it was Mark Cosgrove, Simon Katich, Brad Hogg, Clarke, Andy Symonds, Mike Hussey, Hopes, Adam Gilchrist (c and wk), Brett Dorey, Dan Cullen and Johnson. If that lot can win 3-0, then so can the current group. We assume. But stranger things have happened – and who would have predicted the Cardiff debacle? I certainly didn’t.
“We wanted to leave 3-0 winners and we’ve done that,” Clarke told Cricinfo.com’s Brydon Coverdale after that last Darwin victory.
“Our performances have been spot-on, I think our preparation has been unbelievable. The guys have been very disciplined [and] trained hard.”
Those same words would be expected on April 13 in Dhaka.
But only if he’s given the chance at the helm.
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