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When I was a little tacker playing in junior cricket an award was given out for the most improved player. Fast forward quite a few years and a similar award could probably be handed to Aaron Finch on behalf of the Australian ODI team.
If there can be such a thing as a good time to lose, the game against India was surely it.
Ritchie Benaud used a simple mantra, when talking about ODI batting – “use up all your overs”.
The first game of this year’s World Cup starts on 30 May and by now the brains trusts from each team would be looking at all factors in the nine preliminary games they have to play.
Australian cricket is no stranger to controversy, and this has been the case since the first Indigenous side played against English teams in 1868.
One of the issues the NRL likes to talk up is how the salary cap has evened out the competition.
Cricket fans are offering opinions about which sides will make the finals and which ones won’t.
In the aftermath of that incident in South Africa, Steve Smith, Cameron Bancroft and David Warner each copped a series of penalties, one of which was around future leadership roles in Australian cricket.
One of my earliest memories of going to rugby league was sitting on the hill at the SCG with lots of grown men, some in ties, watching the Saturday match-of-the-day, when hundreds of them jumped up, started waving their fists at the playing field and yelling comments like “are you blind ref” or “you need […]
There was one particular year that sticks in my memory from my school days and that was when I brought home the report card with the dreaded words: “A disappointing result. Has the ability and should do better”.
The selectors have made their decisions about who will play in the World Cup and, as per usual, much has been made about our squad. It’s too late to offer suggestions on who should be in the squad, but it’s worthwhile looking at how this team should play.
In the good old days, people writing stories would start with “Once upon a time” or maybe “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away”.
If you ask any young cricket follower in any era who is their favourite batsman is, they’ll be quick with a reply: Donald Bradman, Neil Harvey, Norm O’Neill, the Chappell or Waugh brothers, Doug Walters, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Steve Smith, Dave Warner – the list goes on.
Jos Buttler’s recent run out has highlighted just how important running between the wickets is in our great game.
The ICC team ODI rankings as of the 10th of March have Australia on 102 points, equal with Pakistan.
Sid Barnes is not a name a lot of people outside Australia know. He played only 13 Tests yet averaged a highly impressive 63.05 with the bat. Across 110 first-class games, he averaged an excellent 54.11.
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.
South Africa toured Australia in 1952-53. The squad of 15 had six players who had never played Test cricket.
No one can question Glenn Maxwell’s prodigious cricket talent since he came onto the ODI scene back in 2012.
I didn’t think Bangladesh would get close to the Windies score either bobbo, but they made those runs easily.
On paper, your right for sure but as is the case in this sort of event, upsets can and will happen. I certainly wouldn’t write off the Saffers in this game, as it doesn’t take much for one side to beat another.
Are the World Cup semi-finalists already locked in?
The aim from here on HAS to be getting 40 good overs from whom ever, based on opposition, pitch, ground & weather conditions on the day and of course, the opposition. We know we have a weakness at the number 5 bowling spot so the true bowlers have to step it up. We also know we aren’t going to make 397 anytime soon, so the batsmen not only have to try and score as quickly as they can, but filed to their very best to reduce runs scored.
I’d have no issues with your suggestion Jeff, if that was the best combination, in the eyes of Finch & the Oz brains trust, for this game.
We MUST get creative, we simply don’t have a great XI and that being the case, anything we can do (legally!!) to give us an edge is what should happen.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
I still like length bowling on about 4th stump, but agree Finch needs to get creative with his fields. The Tigers want 4s and have run away shots to get off strike. Pressure bowling and good field placements to reduce or cut off those oportunities should hopefully do the trick. Otherwise it may be a case of trying to keeping it tight and waiting for the batsmen to make a mistake, not a very pro active strategy.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
Fair call, I was going back to the 70’s & even the 80’s, Rellum.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
A bit of sideways movement, coupled with some line bowling, a foot short of a good length on about 4th stump – that’ll get him – hopefully for a lot less than he’s been getting to date. Seriously impressive numbers.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
there’s obviously some sort of deal done between the ECB and CA, Ryan, where we’ve said to them we want to tour and they’ve collectively nutted out the games we’ll play.
I’m happy the team’s playing one dayers first, especially if one of our guys gets hurt. It’d be hard bringing in someone cold at the back end of the tournament and expecting them to be in sync, if they haven’t played recently.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
except they didn’t play one dayers till the end of tours in the old days and at least half the probable Test team’s out playing in the World Cup.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
The following is from your post yesterday;
“Why marsh? Why not Faulkner? He was man of the match in last Wc final & one of top 10 highest wicket taker in BBL last season, don’t you think he deserves that chance more than marsh based on his experience of playing in world cup?”
As for your comment about England & India going through “extraordinary changes” in the past two years, exactly what were these changes? I went back to the side England used against the Windies in an ODI series and they had the following guys playing in that series, Roy, Bairstow, Hales, Root, Morgan, Stokes, Buttler, Ali, Woakes, Rashid, Plunkett. Sound familiar?
I did the same thing with India and found they had a side which contained Sharma, Dhawan, Kohli, Rahul, Dhoni, Jadav, Pandya, Kumar, Bumrah and Chahal.
MM is an option because we have few other choices IF the selectors want an all rounder. Would he be better than Stoinis, his record is way better so yes, he probably would. He certainly wouldn’t be any worse.
Australia made a massive mistake not picking Hazlewood for the World Cup
If you want to get Aussie cricket captains blood pressure to rise by 100 points, ask Mark Taylor, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting about “dead rubbers”.
They absolutely hated losing that last game of a series and even today, will still be angry if asked about the ones they did lose.
Are the World Cup semi-finalists already locked in?
Jeff, the only thing I thought they did poorly was to schedule the domestic ODI comp so early in the season (September), then run it as though it was a nuisance.
There was a 3 or 4 week window between that last Test against Sri Lanka and the first ODI against India, where they could have played this and MAYBE we might have seen a different touring squad.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
I think their looking at the long term Mr Dog and that’s winning the Ashes. Give these guys some warmup games, get them used to the conditions, then play them in the 4 dayers and pick a squad.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
It’s something Finch should seriously consider, if for no other reason than a surprise tactic, Jeff. The Tigers will be expecting to face Cummins & Starc, but could get Behrendorff and Starc. Even if these guys don’t get a wicket, it may take the openers time to get going, which will frustrate them.
It’s never easy playing two left handed bowlers, especially when they’ve got a new ball in hand, so certainly worth a go for sure.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
You made an excellent comment in this piece, bcj.
“(coaches) who were able develop a game plan that didn’t compromise the prodigious raw talent of the team, but harnessed it, persisted with it, and unleashed it on the NRL in a way we haven’t seen since.”
I’m wondering if they need to take a different approach and get a really good assistant coach into work with the side for a couple of years, get to understand what it is that makes these guys tick, then let them loose on the squad as the head coach.
Maybe get one of Bellamy’s assistants who have a great grounding in how the game is played at the top level, but that same guy has to have an open mind, so when the time comes, he can combine what he’s learned at Melbourne with the talent pool that is the Warriors.
Thanks for this first article, bcj, certainly an interesting issue.
The Warriors need an Aussie coach to succeed
totally agree, BD. Hi style of footy makes him an old 31. If Super League wants him, I say go for it. Enjoy the Brits hospitality, have a bit of a look around the Old Dart and get ready for retirement.
Mannah's move to Tigers officially scuttled; will remain with Eels until season's end
maybe Mrs Mannah – she’d have to wash a different footy jumper.
Mannah's move to Tigers officially scuttled; will remain with Eels until season's end
Oh well, I just hope he’s used the time off wisely and can now actually perform for a change. I’m certainly not holding my breath though.
Forgotten Aussie quicks ready to press for World Cup contention
so I assume you’re not going to bother to watch any of this McBumble? After all, according to you, this Australian cricket generation is so bad, we’re going to not make the final of the WC and lose the Ashes.
Hope you enjoy the various codes of footy or perhaps the womens cricket instead?
Are the World Cup semi-finalists already locked in?
completely agree Brian. I think every team in this sort of tournament needs a “wake up” loss and NZ is yet to have theirs. No reason why the Saffers can’t beat them if they play to the best of their ability.
Are the World Cup semi-finalists already locked in?
How can a bloke be all but training with a new Club, because he’s clearly not happy at the Eels, somehow backflip and stay “with the Club he loves”?
Mannah's move to Tigers officially scuttled; will remain with Eels until season's end
what a stupid comment. Care to back up this inane remark with a few examples?
Mannah's move to Tigers officially scuttled; will remain with Eels until season's end
So Adam, given this highly critical piece, who would be your NSW squad for this game?
I also assume you have issues with the coach so exactly what are they, apart from the selections please?
Has Freddy gone a little bonkers?
I’ve started to look for pieces of individual brilliance rather than hoping for close games or dramatic upsets, Cantab. Stokes catch, Cottrell’s catch and that brilliant run out the other night, Morgan’s hitting, Roots batting, the Tigers batting, some of the work done by Maxy in the field, etc all make this tournament a worthwhile watch.
Are the World Cup semi-finalists already locked in?
Clearly a “must win” game for Australia. The Tigers were beaten pretty easily by England early in the tournament but put the frightners up the Kiwis. Clearly a side improving as they get more experience in the conditions and one we need to treat as a potential finalist. In other words, play our best team and play our best cricket.
Bangladesh issue a stern warning to Australia
Totally disagree bobbo and I have no idea where your getting your vibes from.
This side is enjoying success but know they can do better. Of course they’re going to be disappointed when things don’t go their way, but Finch has them playing good, positive cricket. Sure they’d love to have had Jhye Richardson and Hazlewood in the team but not to be.
Are the World Cup semi-finalists already locked in?