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Australia did not manage to win a game in the Champions Trophy. Quite frankly I am not surprised.
Australia have received a lot of press and it has pretty much been of a negative nature. Everyone is fully aware of the issues that have plagued the team. Put simply, the trip has been ordinary – on and off the field.
The absence of Michael Clarke was no doubt felt. Australia missed his run making ability and attacking captaincy. It does affect sides when your best players are not in the side for one reason or another.
Clarke’s absence was felt more because he was not only off the park, but holed up in a hotel in London receiving treatment for his long-standing back complaint. His presence around the team would have been a help even if he wasn’t participating in the game.
His back is a major concern – potentially career threatening. One thing is for sure, the medical team are leaving no stone unturned to help ‘Pup’ get back on the park, but there are some genuine concerns that he may not play a full part in the Ashes.
Phil Hughes (43 runs at 14) and Shane Watson (34 runs at 11) were expected to step up and get the job done in the top three, but they didn’t.
It may seem harsh I have highlighted these two players, especially with there only being three games and one was a no result and that there are 11 members of a side.
The fact is, though, in one day cricket, one of your top three needs to make a significant contribution.
Let’s use England as an example. Their top three contributions in the tournament were:
These contributions allowed their middle-order to up the ante, so to speak, in the middle and latter part of the innings whether they are setting or chasing a total.
That is much more challenging for the middle-order when you are 2 or 3 down for not many.
Hughes and Watson are not new to international cricket, especially Watson, and they understand the important roles they play and the associated pressures that come with top order responsibility.
If Australia were to progress in the competition, these lads needed to fire. Simple as that.
The off-field issues have been spoken enough about so I won’t mention them again here. Everyone has moved on. What concerns me is the words coming out in the media from the Aussie camp:
The coach talking about players as ‘risks’ and ‘lack of trust’ in the team does not sit well with me at all and it can’t breed a positive environment. Nor can it be helpful when captains acknowledge the team has low confidence, or off field issues have damaged their captaincy.
These comments in the press, while well meaning, smack of retreating.
Be positive, always. Back your players publicly and privately. This is a non-negotiable.
The old term ‘never give a sucker an even break’ is especially relevant here. You never give your opponents ammunition. At the moment, Australia are supplying England it in abundance before the Ashes.
Just have a look at the Australian coat of arms. The reason there is a Kangaroo and an Emu is that they are two animals that cannot go backwards. Never take a backward step!