My childhood spanned Australian cricket’s golden generation.
I remember the brilliance of Steve Waugh in the West Indies, arguing with my South African friends who would win each match and series, and finally at the end of my school life, the day Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer retired.
I gobbled up the name, state and details of every player who had a remote chance of playing for Australia.
I bowled leg spin because of Warne and learnt very quickly through Mark Taylor that the best captain is not necessarily the best player (that is no offence to Mark Taylor – after all this is the golden generation).
So I was excited to read Antony Pinshaw’s article describing that generation’s contribution to the current generation through their coaching prowess.
If the question was asked ten years ago which of Australia’s golden generation would excel as coaches, I don’t think any of the players Pinshaw mentioned – except for Shane Warne (who is not a full time coach) – would be mentioned.
None of these players, except for a brief stint by S.K. Warne, have ever captained their country. One of them only played one Test match.
Many of these were not the crème of crop – the calculated captain or the star player – but rather hard working or fringe players for their country.
Darren Lehmann’s attitude to coaching and managing players should be assessed and repeated by sports psychologists everywhere. He has managed to instil passion and simplicity into a highly technical and mentally tough sport.
Jason Gillespie‘s mantra is similar. Despite overcoming setbacks as a player (such as being one of the only players to be dropped after making a double ton), the fiery paceman went all over the world in order to achieve coaching excellence. If Australia or a state team can’t entice him back home, I predict he will coach England.
Shane Warne has one of the most amazing cricketing brains ever – I suggest that every aspiring player watch his ‘Master Class’ during the lunch break of the cricket this summer. Hampshire was so impressed with him as a captain that they named a stand after him.
Most of the players mentioned by Pinshaw were not icon players for Australia, but their careers are still impressive. All except Gillespie and Andy Bichel have been a captain for their state and/or a county team.
All these players had long-term cricket careers that extended to Australian, state and county cricket honours, and retired in there 30s. Cricket is a tough physical and mental game, so to survive that long is a formidable achievement.
It should not be surprising that these players are now brilliant coaches. Utilising what they have learnt from their long and successful careers in cricket, they have added additional skills so they can teach others and coach the game.
They may not have been the icons of Australian cricket at the time, but it shows how hard it was to get to the pinnacle during that era. Many had to break Sheffield Shield records to get a chance at playing for the Australian team.
If anything, it shows how brilliant Australian cricket’s golden generation really was.
Aransan
Guest
Daniel, I would agree that Warne can simply and articulately explain his craft very well. I don't know if he has written a book to do that or compiled a video but I am sure he could do a very good job of either. My father was a professional musician at a high level but he would admit that he couldn't teach at an individual level although he could give very good general advice and criticism. I am not convinced that Warne can coach well on a one to one basis and in any case he is not paid to do that. He is paid very highly as a celebrity and commentator and his commentary is not designed to assist the players he is talking about but to achieve maximum media effect. In doing this he can cause great damage to a player's confidence but it sells newspapers and amuses a television audience.
Daniel
Roar Rookie
Watching a great cricket player simply and articulately explain their craft is always something special. I have to disagree with Aransan above as I believe Warne's explanations are simple and clear and therefore perfect for coaching at all levels.
Bakkies
Guest
Pietersen's was interesting in how he explained at length about his technique, use of grips and throwing the bowlers off their line.
Nudge
Guest
Johnno, Fraser averaged 27 test match cricket, defreitas 32 test match cricket, malcolm averaged 38 test match cricket, George averaged over 40 first class cricket. Take the blinkers off mate.
Johnno
Guest
Nudge Your going on about English bowlers county cricket averages. County cricket was an inferior competition, Defratis would not have dominated shield cricket would have been average, he was no Carl Rackemann. And fast and wayward Devon Malcom would of got carted around the country. Heck Ian Botham couldn't cut shield cricket for QLD in the 80's, he was average.
Tatah
Guest
Johnno, you're way off the mark big fella. Warne's shield stats are absolutely irrelevant. Not for one second am I saying Warnie ever dogged it at shield level, however there is no way he would have played at the intensity of a test match. After a tough test series against (name the country), I don't think he played the odd shield game with the same care factor. Freddy Friedman was a great cricketer and an even better bloke, and he would be the first to tell you that he wasn't in Warnie's class. Furthermore, whilst Warnie's brains off the field are not likely to win him a Rhodes scholarship, he had an unbelievable cricketing brain. He got as many wickets by outthinking the baseman as he did by his skill. The combination of the two made him the bowler that he was.
Nudge
Guest
C'mon Johnno, shane George has a first class average over 40. Sorry mate that's no good. Defreitas averaged 27 in first class cricket Angus Fraser 27, Devon Malcolm 30, tim nielsen was a great player for SA but he was no Alec Stewart. You have Graeme Thorpe Mike Atherton Graeme Hick Mike Gatting, Graeme Gooch, Tufnell just to name a few. If that team would have finished anywhere near the bottom, I'll go swimming 500 meters off shore at Port Lincoln.
Rellum
Roar Guru
The question should be why is Warnie's average higher in Shield than Tests. Without having the numbers in front of me I would offer up these suggestions 1- Statistical anomalies. Warnie would not have played that many shield games compared to tests so his earlier performances would have more effect on his average. 2. As Johnno points out the standard of batting in the 90's was very high. Possible the greatest generation of batsmen the country has every produced. Just look at the best top 6 NSW or QLD could select in the mid 90's for example.That alone would add 2-3 runs to his average. 3. He did not have guys like McGrath bowling at the other end. So the pressure would be off and give those quality batsmen a little bit more help in combating Warnie. 4. The guys surrounding the bat were not named Taylor, Boon or M.Waugh. Catching was of a high standard in the 90's but those 3 would create wickets with their catching more than the guys who played for Victoria at the time. 5. Aussies grow up playing leg spin and are more used to it compared to other countries. All those factors plus others I have not thought of right now could easily add up to effecting his average to the degree listed above. That does not mean Warnie is over-rated.
Johnno
Guest
Nudge Are you saying Warne would have dominated sheffield shield and been the best ever spin bowler in the last 50 years if he only had decided to play shield, and decline the oppurtunity to play test cricket. So where are you saying England would of finished in the 90's in the shield some of there crap sides they put out. Who would they of beaten in the shield, what South Australia or Tasmania, who by the way had good teams. NSW,QLD,WA,Vic all would of beaten em. South Australia had Jason Gillespie,Tim May in tandem which was awesome, as was Shane George. Tasmania had some good bowlers too like Colin funky Miller who was the leading wicket taker 1 season. South Australia won the shield in 1995/6 they had a good team too, plus good batters Blewett,Lehmann, and co. England would of got the wooden spoon alot of the time. They couldn't of won a shield in the 90's.
Nudge
Guest
It's just a crap argument Johnno. What do they say about superstars in any sport. They go to another level when the stakes are at the highest. He just raised his game to another level when he played for Australia. Even to say England would have run last in the shield is complete nonsense. And any chance I get to bag England I take it
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Those Punter masterclasses on Sky are fantastic. I can see why Langer says he's a humble man.
mattyb
Guest
Never heard anyone criticize Shane Warne for taking Craig Howard's place before.I'm more dirty on Steve Waugh for taking the place of Geoff Parker. :)
Sideline Comm.
Guest
Had a look for the averages on cricincfo. Warne was 34.72 from 46 matches. The only other on the list was McIntyre at over 60 from 13 matches, which doesn't sound right. I'll look into it more later.
Johnno
Guest
Sidline comms your going by Warnes FC averages just focus on his shield averages, it's not impressive. He's Craig Howard like, do you know who Craig Howard was? Victorian leg spinner who Warney cut his career when he was coming good, he took his spot.
Sideline Comm.
Guest
You've lost the plot Johnno. It is NOT a logical jump to say that just because the Shield was world class in the 90s that Warne was second to shield spinners. Just look at the numbers. McIntyre: First Class Matches: 97. Wickets: 322. Ave: 39.66 Sleep: FCM: 175. Wks: 363. Ave: 39.39. Freedman: FCM: 56. Wks: 161. Ave: 31.04. Warne: FCM 301. Wks: 1319. Ave: 26.11. They don't even compare mate.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Just to clarify, I am not talking about Warnie here. He is certainly one of the top 2-5 Aussie players of all time.
Rellum
Roar Guru
1st half of the 90's the Windies were number one. Pakistan good still put together a good team for most of that decade.
Johnno
Guest
Nudge, Warney only once tore the windies apart in 1 innings only, 2nd test MCG 1992/92, that was it, he was nothing special on the 95 and 99 tour. And the rest of that 92/93 series.
Johnno
Guest
But he didn't destroy NSW or QLD, or WA. David Freedman and Peter Mcyntire were better than Warney in the Shield. As was Peter Sleep maybe.
Johnno
Guest
Exactly Rellum Back then in the 90's the shield was exceptionally high. I remember an article by Ian Chappell at the time saying the shield was the real world championship of cricket, not test cricket. Australia,South Africa were the only consistently good sides (West Indies only 1st half of 90's, occasionally Pakistan over the 90's would string a few good tests together) but that was it.