The silent killer of Aussie cricket
The article comes after the debacle at the G – but is in no way a heated reaction or panic response.
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No bigger fan of the Aussie cricket team in the world than me !!
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The article comes after the debacle at the G – but is in no way a heated reaction or panic response.
The Australian team is on the verge of a series loss to India. Quite a rocky start to Justin Langer’s coaching tenure – batting collapses galore and bowlers not living up to their billings.
The squad for Australia’s first Test against India this summer has been selected and comprises mostly tried-and-tested names and just two newcomers.
Ahead of the Test series against India, talk surrounds the makeup of the batting unit, particularly after Australia’s recent collapses.
The new cricket season is upon us, with the Aussies already flying out to the Middle East for the Test series against Pakistan in early October.
Australia – the dominating force in cricket world from about 1995 to almost 2008. Then the retirement of the greats and the transition – which we must say has wobbled and rocked and has shown lows like series whitewashes and highs like the 2015 world cup win.
In the good old days, there was once a ODI series involving Australia, England and Australia A.
Among all the doom and gloom of the Ashes humiliation, the Australia A side gave some very good performances in their subcontinent sojourn.
The first Test has come and gone. The Poms were brilliant in all aspects in conditions in which they specialise and against an almost unrecognisable Aussie side.
For the last three to four years, we have been hearing how bare the Australian batting cupboard is. It seems there are no able replacements or young batsman coming through.
For the last four to five years, Australia has seen a heap of fast bowlers crop up. Even if someone is injured, like Ryan Harris at the moment, there are so many able replacements to choose from.
The Ashes are done after Australia, with their whirlwind batting, explosive bowling and ton of aggression, blew away the poor Poms. Though the series has still two Tests to go, you cannot but help think about the South Africa tour.
All the shuffling and tinkering of the batting order during the Ashes has, finally, at least led to one thing.
The Sheffield Shield, in the 1990s and early 2000s, was the best domestic cricket competition in the world.
From the moment that Punter and Huss stepped out of the national setup, the most significant issue the Australian team is battling with is the lack of depth of batting talent.
Respect your views and opinions Paul. I have been observing the selections over the last several years and then come up with this piece – I have nothing personal against Hohns 😁 . Forget this time around what did he do in the last stint – last time the cupboard was overflowing for a good succession plan. Anyways.
Is the “cupboard” going to be the only reason for the selection failures – they pulled Handscomb and Renshaw out of the “cupboard” and both have test centuries to their name. One career trough and they are out – and that has not been the treatment for few others. They seem to have some players in their “nominated pool” and treat them differently than the newer players. If cupboard is bare then lets pull the ones from the top most filled shelf and let them groom and nurture with Smith, Warner and co. Pucovski, Green and Marnus should be persevered now so they gain the most out of the experience of the seniors.
The young players that have come in recently barring Green and Pucovski are more the work of Greg Chappell one feels – and you know how he advocates youth – ones he is out they seem to have gone back to Burns , Wade and even Siddle was part of the Ashes
About the possible results in T20 due to playing youngsters – who the hell cares about T20 results. And in ODIs , am not saying play all newbies but atleast rotate the big players and play one of them each game. Else there is no way they will have exposure to international standards – particularly because Australia A is virtually non-existent nowadays.
See I am not here to make a scapegoat out of anyone – there are other equally important issues like importance to Shield cricket , the BBL circus, scheduling , transition from U-19 to mainstream – as you say plenty of things contribute to we not dominating – astonishingly we are still the No 1 ranked team in the world. But this Hohns issue is something that defintely cannot be swept under the carpet
The silent killer of Aussie cricket
Whats the news on Will P ? Is he returning for the second test ?
Justin Langer confirms Cameron Green will debut in Adelaide - if he's fit
Great article !! Kudos
The point is about selecting them young in the shield teams and then the test team. That is the job of the selectors – state selectors are still ok in this aspect than the NSP jokers. Unbelievable how much damage the national selectors have done by not trying to rebuild the team, putting in some youngsters and sticking with them.
Along with WillP and Green i think Liam Scott has really impressed, standing tough at tough times. Henry Hunt too has been really good and needs to kick on to 100s
Breaking down the young talent in Australian cricket
The all-rounder tag scares me. If we only get a top 6 test batter out of Greenie i will be more than happy
Young gun Cameron Green stars for Western Australia with unbeaten ton
Agar will be a major pain point going into the world cup..not a great bowler, not a great batsman. Replace him with Maxi , Wade by Wells/Cooper and we’ll have a chance
Ashton Agar and Adam Zampa are driving Australia's T20I resurgence
In the long run Head , Pucovski and Patterson should be fighting for 2 places when Wade is gone.
Sad that Pucovski opted out – I can see him and Marnus forming a long-term backbone of the batting unit
Burns, Head and Neser deserved their Test call ups
Many reporting that Puckovski is in the 12 for Gabba !! Would be wonderful that. Hoping he succeeds so that he and Marnus would form the long term backbone of the team
Australian Test candidates flop against Pakistan
Many reporting that Puckovski is in the 12 for Gabba !! Would be wonderful that. Hoping he succeeds so that he and Marnus would form the long term backbone of the team
Eighteen months in: How is Justin Langer really going?
i can think/rethink what i want .. no need of your advice. Langer is the subject of discussion here not me – so keep the discussion to him
Eighteen months in: How is Justin Langer really going?
Forgot to add i never thought he was a legitimate choice in the first place. Legend of a player but as a coach ? i doubt
Eighteen months in: How is Justin Langer really going?
He has not formed the base for a new batting order – my biggest complaint. Far too long been circling around SMarsh , MMarsh and Khawaja , Wade.
Sometimes you just need to hit the reboot button and then stick with it.
Eighteen months in: How is Justin Langer really going?
“Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Jhye Richardson”
Add a certain Riley Meredith to that list – fast and wicket-taking
Should Cricket Australia adopt the seven 'P’s instead of a bowling rotation policy?
If Smith and Warner are back , Harris Burns Patterson and Head should be the other 4 batsmen
Unfortunately Khawaja misses out but thats the correct decision imo currently
Renshaw and Patterson playing for Ashes spots in Sheffield Shield
Would make only 1 change to that 11 Chris (which I feel will come as it is by the 3rd Test)
Warner
Harris
Burns
Smith
Head
Patterson
Paine
Cummins
Starc
Lyon
Hazlewood / Richardson
Think the 4 to 8 in Smith , Head , Patterson , Paine and Cummins look much much better than the teams of recent past to absorb the shocks of early wickets and rebuild the innings
Four frantic rounds to book your ticket to England
Is there a chance to change the squad now ? If Renshaw is going to bat middle order we might as well play a proper middle-order batter in Patterson
Patterson ton versus Sri Lanka upstages Test rivals
My ideal batting group though
Warner
Harris
Burns
Smith
Patterson
Head
Labuschagne
Pick them and give them 10 tests
VOTE: Pick your Australian XI to play Sri Lanka
Look at the batting pool
Warner , Khawaja, Harris , Head , SMarsh , Renshaw
Smith , Burns , Labuschagne , Handscomb , Maxwell
First 6 lefties , next 5 righties .. if you have to pick 8 batsmen( there is no all-rounder currently in Australia) – i would leave out Marsh and Renshaw 🙁 from the lefties and Handscomb from righties
VOTE: Pick your Australian XI to play Sri Lanka
James i think Head has also done reasonably ok given the circumstances. Marnus has looked ok in all his innings so far (except his first).One big score -100+ by any of these newcomers would have set this team on its way .. too bad that so many starts were wasted collectively
Aussie team battling internal enemies
Can be given benefit of doubt since he is only in his first season. Though his appointment as such typifies the selections and decisions of the Sutherland era. Scary when one and only one person is considered for the job overlooking others completely
Aussie team battling internal enemies
I predict that in a couple of years Khawaja would be the new Shaun Marsh – someone we will be wondering how he is keeping his spot inspite of non-performance !!! lol
Khawaja has failed Australia when they needed him most
Said this already here – https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/11/29/why-australia-needs-some-new-selectors/
Right from the end of the domination era to now , the selectors have been in bad form. Right from Hohns to Hilditch to Inverarity to Hohns again – if we can solve this 1 puzzle the team will start performing much better
Another Test selection embarrassment after Australia's Melbourne meltdown
#Flintoff05 still haunts these selectors !!
If Finch’s finger is not right , i would say go for Geoff Marsh to open with Harris. lol
Marsh in, Handscomb out of Boxing Day Test
Tremain should be the next cab in the bowling ranks surely. What speeds is he bowling this season any idea ?
It is also time for Jhye Richardson , Matthew Kelly , Gabe Bell and Biy Stanlake to feature regularly in and around the squad. Else again we will be left in a situation like there was nobody to replace McGrath , Gillespie , Lee and Warne
Where is Doggett btw ?
Mitchell Starc must be dropped for the second Test against India
Hard to say how this bloke does not get mentioned anywhere despite him being one of the prime reasons for the shambles -https://www.theroar.com.au/2020/12/31/the-silent-killer-of-aussie-cricket/
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