Even the most optimistic Australian cricket fan will admit that things aren’t exactly going to plan for Australia in the build-up to the important 2013 Ashes campaign.
A 4-0 series defeat in India, the suspension and fine of opening batsman of David Warner and a winless Champions Trophy campaign, Michael Clarke’s ongoing back problems and rumours of unrest have all taken their toll on the team.
However, those stories are just secondary to the news that broke early on Monday morning when Cricket Australia announced that head coach Mickey Arthur would not be in charge of the team any longer.
Sacked, just two weeks before the Ashes.
Talk about a shambles.
However, the most confronting issue with the entire situation is not the fact that Arthur has been relieved of his coaching responsibilities. As crazy as it seems (especially given the timing of it all), that in itself isn’t the problem with this all.
The deeper issue is as to why Cricket Australia haven’t announced his replacement already and aren’t trying to present somewhat of an organised front.
Obviously anyone with half a brain can see that sacking the coach two weeks before the Ashes isn’t exactly organised, but it’s a start.
And for me, that’s the biggest problem.
Cricket Australia are in such a disarray right now that not even the sacking of a head coach can be killed in one news cycle. There’s got to be a replacement lined up, ready to go, talking about the positive steps that Australia are taking in their preparation, talking about the good things going on with the team right now.
According to several media outlets, CEO James Sutherland has scheduled a press conference for 9pm AEST on Monday night, where it seems he’ll announce current Australia A coach Darren Lehmann as the new Australia head coach.
Whether that’s a permanent or interim role still remains to be seen, but what is certain, is that it should have already happened by now.
The focus should have already been shifted back on to the future and the upcoming Ashes campaign, or at least tried to be shifted.
It hasn’t, and that’s the bigger problem at work here.
Arthur’s dismissal shows a number of things – the least of which being that no-one is excused from responsibility. Australia have failed miserably in the past few months and nobody – not the players or the coaching staff – are exempt from owning up and taking the blame for those shortcomings.
However, what it also shows is that the problems in Australian cricket right now stem from well above the coaching staff and players. The organisation itself is in disarray, and is unable to present a united front – even when making the most critical decision in the build-up to the most important test series on the calendar.
There are a myriad of holes in the proverbial boat right now, and the organisation is so busy trying to fill every hole with a finger that they’ve forgotten to keep their eyes on the waters ahead. And with the cliff face rapidly approaching, it’s clear that such an approach isn’t going to produce long-term success at all.
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