When it comes to State Of Origin I’m a Blues supporter through and through, and every year since I started watching, Queensland tries everything to take the underdog status.
This caper’s been going on since at least the 90s, but it really got going over the past 12 or 14 years, which just happened to coincide with the greatest run of series wins since the concept was resurrected in the mid-80s.
Every year I heard excuses about injuries, illnesses, guys out of form et cetera I bought into it, as did millions of others. This only made the disappointment of losing all the greater.
How did this come about? Clearly Queensland had a media plan to keep their preparation as low-key as possible and get the crowd on their side – after all, Australians love the underdog. They had buy-in from the coach, the captains, the players and so on, all of whom were convincing in their statements that the Maroons were under huge pressure to lose.
What has this got to do with cricket?
In the past few days Ricky Ponting has been appointed an assistant coach for the World Cup and came out with some extremely positive comments about our chances.
“India and England are probably the two standout teams right now, but if you add Warner and Smith back into that line-up, then I think that team looks as strong as any,” he said.
“I am not just saying that because I am one of the coaches. I actually said it when I wasn’t around the group. Conditions in England will suit our style of play … I think Australia will be one of the main contenders for sure.
“World Cups very rarely run exactly to plan … All the planning right now is we will have all those guys in the squad and if we do, it looks as good as any squad on paper.”
These are rousing words for sure, and I have few issues with them. My question is: Are these the right form of words to be using or would we be better served by taking a much more low-key approach to the tournament?
Now is a great chance for the media to help the Australian side – if Justin Langer, Ponting and co are clever enough to take advantage. They should be publicly pointing out our shortcomings – in the nicest possible way of course – most of which are on display anyway. Rather than trying to talk up our chances, they should be suggesting we have much to do between now and when we play our first game on 1 June.
This sets the bar low and would focus media attention onto other teams once the tournament starts, giving our guys a much better chance of winning games. This would also take a lot of pressure off the side, which I’m sure they’d want, so they could focus exclusively on their cricket. Being underdogs can also lift sides to play much better, which we’re going to need to do if we’re to beat the top-ranked teams to take the trophy.
The alternative is to take a very positive approach, which has a high chance of failure given the state of the team, its recent poor winning percentage, the number of players struggling for form and all the other issues cricket in Australia has faced in the past 12 months. In saying that, comments like this from respected ex-players like Ponting can really lift a side.
I’m interested to know what approach others think we could take. I think there’s only the underdog approach or the upbeat, positive approach – or is there some middle ground?
Paul
Roar Guru
I reckon that's a stretch when he uses words like "if you bring Warner & Smith back into that team, it looks as strong as any'. Id suggest these are ill-chosen, given our form before & after the Smith and Warner bans and the current for of India & England, which is way ahead of ours. I just wish he and the others would talk about our chances in a more low key manner
JamesH
Roar Guru
If you break down what he said, though, he's talking about the talent on paper. Being one of the 'main contenders' isn't really a big claim because you only have to be one of the top 3 or 4 teams talent-wise to fit into that category, and I'd say we're thereabouts. We just haven't been playing like it. If Ponting was going around claiming we were going to smash everyone or that we were clear favourites then I'd be a bit worried. But I don't think his actual words were over the top. He was also speaking in the context of pretty much the entire Aussie media dismissing us as no-hopers. Pointing out that we've actually got a pretty talented squad at our disposal - in his usual measured manner - is fair enough. Besides, Border was the captain of a relatively unheralded group. Ponting is an assistant coach (speaking from outside the playing group) of a squad that will feature a handful cricketers who have already been to the summit. The situation is a bit different.
Simoc
Guest
Can't see this. Australia are way below the likes of England and India. Best to go in as underdogs. Our bats don't do well against World class swing or seam bowling which they will encounter. We will find it hard to beat all the top teams including WI, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
keith hurst
Roar Pro
Nice idea Paul I understand your point, but although it may work in codes of football, I have not seen it work very much in cricket , where the difference between attitude and performance doesn't always work. There are exceptions. If Sean Marsh played in Tests like he does in ODI's or T20's he would be more successful.
anon
Roar Pro
We're actually not that far away from being competitive against anyone, but dopey selections have robbed us of victories and tarnished how proud cricketing record over the past 9 months (especially). Take the MCG Test where we were embarrassed. Three of our six batsmen weren't Test grade -- Finch, and the Marsh brothers. We played the best Test side in the world (possessing the likes of Pujara and Kohli ) with only three Test level batsmen. Of course we were got humiliated. Then for the SCG Test we replace Mitch Marsh with Labuschagne. That would be bad enough, but then we proceed to put him in at first drop. But since then, we've had Joe Burns perform (after people begged the selectors to play him) perform, Head, Patterson. We have other players to choose from such as Renshaw and maybe Bancroft. Smith and Warner come back into the frame. Suddenly we have an embarrassment of riches going into the Ashes all because we are getting our selections right. We don't have the Marsh brothers clogging up 1/3rd of our batting line up, Finch like a fish out of water opening, Labuschagne not only not playing but not at first drop, etc. Khawaja needs a kick up the backside too.
Paul
Roar Guru
At present, we don't have anything resembling a fixed WC squad (as you say, there's roughly 20 players in contention), lots of hope is riding on two or three injured players (Warner, Smith and Marsh), we have really important players like the ODI captain, in less than stellar form - yet Ponting wants to talk big? I guess what I'm trying to get across is a public strategy of low key communication, versus talking it up with the players. Border did the same thing in '89, where the Pommie press gave it to us, saying we were the worst touring team to contest an Ashes. Border did nothing publicly to dispel those comments but within the team, talked it up and rest is history.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Sounds appropriate language from a former World Cup winning Captain and Finals MOM. If you can't use your experience of multiple winning campaigns to gauge the current landscape, then I wouldn't listen to someone who's never been involved. England has continually been talked up 12-18 months out from a WC and continually been found wanting. It isn't underachievement, it is lack of tournament ability. Australia on the other hand has paced itself through 5 winning World Cups on 5 Continents. I know which squad I would rather be a part of, especially with experienced people like Ponting & Langer focussing them.
JamesH
Roar Guru
I think it would go against every fibre of Ponting’s being to talk his team down. More to the point, it would probably do more harm than good in the current climate. Right now, self-belief is a far bigger problem in our ODI squad than talent is. If you look through the roughly 20 players who are in contention, most of them have turned in starring performances in limited overs cricket for Australia at some point since the last World Cup. Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Richardson, Behrendorff, Zampa, Warner, Smith, Finch, S Marsh, Maxwell, Stoinis… even Agar, M Marsh and Head, who look unlikely to get a game at this point. The ability is there. The biggest hurdle facing our players is a lack of confidence and clarity in their own games and the team’s approach. Telling the world how ordinary we are and how unlikely we are to defend our crown is hardly going to help the situation! I can’t be the only one hoping that Ponting’s innate drive and self-belief might infect a few players and get them out of first gear. Better to go in with confidence and get brought back down to Earth than to enter the tournament feeling like we’re making up the numbers. (Edit: ha, I just realised it was you who wrote this one, Paul!)