Former Test captain Ricky Ponting has still got it with his trusty blade, but more so with his vision.
“It’s no surprise to me to see the two teams with the best culture and work ethic, (Tasmania and Queensland), are in the Sheffield Shield final,” said Ponting,
Those words should echo around the Delhi hotel where the Australians are staying, waiting for the fourth and final Test to start tomorrow
Culture and work ethic, both sadly lacking among the current baggy greens, are the major reasons why they are down three-zip to India, heading for a whitewash.
Whose fault?
Skipper Michael Clarke, and coach Mickey Arthur.
It would never have happened on the Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, or Ricky Ponting watch as skippers.
Any potential problems would have been nipped in the bud before they surfaced in public.
Same applies on the coaches watch with Bobby Simpson, or John Buchanan.
And none of those six had a team performance manager like Pat Howard sitting in the bigger chair.
At the moment the Australian team is over-governed, and it’s not working.
The National Selection Panel has played its part in the downfall of culture and work ethic as well by coming up with some hard-to-fathom sides.
Let’s look at the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year, which Ponting won with 18 votes.
In eight games for Tasmania, Ponting cracked an unbeaten 200 and two other tons, with four half-centuries to top the Australian batting averages with 87.50 from his 875 runs.
South Australian swing bowler Chadd Sayers earned 16 votes for his 48 wickets at a miserly 18.52 apiece.
Usman Khawaja and exciting newcomer Gurinder Sandhu earned 12 votes each to finish equal third.
Khawaja scored 438 runs at 39.81 for Queensland, but pace bowler Sandhu played only two games for NSW to capture 14 wickets at 11.85.
He had match figures of 7-88 on debut against the Vics, and NSW won by six wickets.
In his only other game against South Australia he took 7-78 and NSW won by eight wickets to miss the final by a single point.
Sandhu is only 19 and 279 days, but what a stunning start to his first-class cricket career.
Ashton Agar is even younger at 19 and 157 days, but he made the Sheffield Shield team of the year after only five games for Western Australia.
Agar rook 19 wickets at 28.52 and scored 229 runs batting nine at 32.71, including two match-winning half-centuries.
The combined Shield team is Chris Rogers (Vic), Phil Hughes (SA), Alex Doolan (Tasmania), Ponting, Callum Ferguson (SA), Moises Henriques (NSW), Brad Haddin (NSW), Agar, Luke Butterworth (Tasmania), Sayers, and Jackson Bird (Tasmania).
Amazingly, there’s no Queenslander in the side, yet they made the final. Which just goes to prove to any team can be hard to beat, without a whole lot of stars.
Just be consistent across the board, without setting the world on fire.
And that’s all cricket fans want from the Australia side.
So far it has been consistent alright.
That’s why they are down three-zip.
Bearfax
Guest
OK David. Enough is enough. As one of many on these forums. I want to know what is happening with this selection committee that continues to ignore one of our top three young batsmen in the country in Khawaja. It has gone beyond the pale now with the failure to promote him with Clarke's injury and failure to allow him to return to play the Shield final. They obviously weren't going to pick him. Why stop him from coming back. There is something very wrong here. If Australia's batsmen were performing well, I could understand him being overlooked. But they arent. They're performing in patches and no where near good enough to be competitive in these tests. So why is one of the best players of spin in the country being ignored. This has become discrimination against this young fellow. I'm not saying religious or racial because I dont know the nature of the discrimination that is occurring. But all and sundry can see this fellow is being treated abysmally. David you seem to have the ear of people with influence. We want to know what is going on. This is downright shameful and it has to stop, otherwise the reputation of Australian cricket generally will be seriously tarnished. Do you not think other nations are not looking at what is happening. We want answers.
matt h
Guest
I think 2 seasons is the minimum. Many players regress in the second season once the opposition works them out
matt h
Guest
Great post. Back in the 80/90's the Test and ODI teams were also very similar, with only a couple of changes, so the culture continued and the bond strengthened. Look at the last T20 Australian team that played the Windies. Was there any Australian culture there at all?
matt h
Guest
Good Shield stats are one thing but the step up to international class is another. I can guarantee you that Pattinson and Siddles 5 fors in India were much harder to earn than Butterworth's in Hobart. The Australia A batsmen might find the going a bit tougher. Similarly Ponting's year has shown that international standards are significantly higher than the Shield right now, so you might find some of our struggling batsmen would go pretty damn well. Remember this: Ed Cowan (God bless him as a very limited player) topped the averages by a mile in the last Australia A tour to England last year.
matt h
Guest
Yes we thought this made Lyon undroppable. But we missed the small point that the team song was likely not going to be required for a long long time.
matt h
Guest
I disagree that the Shield team of the year should be a wholesale replacement. Time and again we have seen that the step up is pretty big. Look at how Ponting went in the shield both before and after the SA tour. He found international cricket a wee bit more difficult. so those looking at Cowan, Watson, Hughes et al re their international averages and then saying "this guys has average 40 in the Shield. He will do much better" are kidding themselves.
matt h
Guest
Um we do have Australia A. They played this year against SA and then ODI's against England A. they are touring England later in the year.
matt h
Guest
Same with Bailey. They both had shockers at the wrong time. also Hussey was struggling so much in the ODI's that he got dropped. Damn shame really. The D Hussey from three year ago would have been perfect for us right now. But I guess the Donald Bradman from 1933 would have also been handy. Where is H G Wells when you need him?
matt h
Guest
Brilliant post
matt h
Guest
What makes you say that. We are batting and Watson is captain!
matt h
Guest
Yeah but this is what Maddinson looked like in his first few digs and he has, until recently, not kicked on. Give the kids some time to see how he goes once other teams start to work him out.
matt h
Guest
Agreed Irfan. How can the players be expected to have the work ethic if management obviously did not do it's own homework?
matt h
Guest
Kev! Go have a lie down mate.
David Lord
Expert
You have nailed it sheek, get rid of the suits and bring back those wearing trackies,
David Lord
Expert
Pat Howard should ask questions of the selectors why Khawaja is being ignored.
Rob Barrow
Guest
Well said Irfan
Rob Barrow
Guest
Khawaja has hardly played any long form cricket in the last 4 months, if he plays tmr and doesn't do well we will all blame him, lets hope he can make the best of his opportunity
Nudge
Guest
Jo renegade and ando finally some true cricket fans who go by facts that are presented instead of making up facts that support your argument
ryan
Guest
Are you kidding? I'm sick of hearing 'we weren't prepared'. You remember most of the squad went over to India EARLY right? And everyone was whinging because we weren't seeing our best players now we all whinge cos weren't prepared. And khawaga played both warm up games so they gave him the best preperation they could
aussie1st
Roar Pro
Silk looks the good so far, stepped up to the top level with ease. If he makes runs in the final he could well be fast tracked after the Ashes.