Roar Rookie
Joined February 2019
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I just watched Pakistan and England play a ODI that featured plenty of sixes and over six hundred runs. Exciting? Not at all. Interesting?…
A while ago I wrote an article about not picking Steve Smith and Dave Warner for the World Cup and the Ashes, and I…
Australian cricket has stumbled through the last 12 months after the ball-tampering affair but the sport has made some genuine progress recently. This will…
I agree that India and Australia (despite the presence of Joe Burns, Travis Head and Matt Wade) are easily the two best teams at the moment. Sadly, I can’t see that changing anytime soon. They will probably fight out the test championship final in England. (Now that would be interesting! India’s seamers against the fragile techniques of Warner, Burns, Head and Wade on a lively(?) English wicket.) But apart from that possible contest, there are precious few highlights on the International test calendar. Watching Australia play at home can be mind numbing. Dull wickets, inept opposition. I can understand fans turning to the Big Bash. Australia v England in England, Australia v India in India and Australia v South Africa are the only series that capture my interest. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan? I’d rather walk the dog!
Australia and India are clearly the two best Test teams
Poor decision by the ICC. Money grabbing exercise. It is not evolution it is bastardisation!
“but you are more than welcome not to watch”
Thanks I was seeking your approval.
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Yeah, that didn’t sound right. I agree! My apologies!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Agree Mitch. I believe they should play it for entertainment purposes only.
Don't 'overdo' day-night Tests, Starc tells cricket world
Didn’t mention the word conspiracy. I argue that Pink ball cricket is not test cricket. Don’t care who wins. It is irrelevant. NZ won a “Pink test” against England last year. Doesn’t count either because it is not test cricket.
Perfectly calm
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Quick explanation
Artificial: made or produced by human beings rather than occurring naturally, especially as a copy of something natural.
Manmade lighting! Artificial conditions.
Other listed items don’t apply.
“Next minute you’ll be Demanding cricket gets called off if the pitch takes spin.”
A Roar Guru? Hilarious! Now that’s precious!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
All of those variants and changes are examples of a game naturally evolving. The wicket, rules, bats, balls, fielding rules etc are all designed fairly to give both teams the same chance. Covering the pitches was a necessary move to protect players.
In this case, a deliberate artificial variant, playing under lights, has been introduced that changes the game completely! In order to cater for a new audience, they have unfairly altered the game.
“They don’t yell at the clouds.” Seriously?
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Yeah and I regard that test as not being test cricket too. All pink ball “tests” should be disregarded or the stats kept separately. Definitely shouldn’t be part of a test championship!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Next series we want to play a test where the middle session of each day has to be played with a blind fold and a ball with a bell in it. It’s still test cricket because “playing under varying conditions IS LITERALLY TEST CRICKET.”!!!!!!!!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Yes varying conditions that naturally occur due to weather and wear not ARTIFICIALLY INTRODUCED variations such as batting under lights!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
What a valuable contribution from the peanut gallery. I breathlessly await your next contribution, matth.
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Lovely to see their are young ladies on this site too, Jeznez.
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Deteriorating pitches are ok..oh unless you are planning to roll the ball or sandpaper the pink off of it.
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
The poor little victims out performed Australia in the World Cup (Made the final, did Australia?) are ranked higher in tests and don’t populate their team with cheats. Give NZ a fair opportunity in a real test match and watch them go. Surely this crap (Pink ball test) doesn’t count toward the test championship!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Yes they did Mr Emoji. But in normal test cricket you at least get the same amount of time to bat in daylight. This abomination of cricket makes what can be a slightly unfair playing field ridiculously one sided. Still no surprise Australians like the format. They don’t need sandpaper to get opponents out, they just make them bat in the dark. Not test cricket.
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
They didn’t begin their innings at night against a new ball. They already had set batsmen against a tired attack. BIG DIFFERENCE! Not test cricket!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
Sure do. Australia didn’t begin their innings at night against a fresh bowling attack. They faced a tired lineup with a set batsmen. NZ faced a fresh bowling lineup at night from the start. Not even conditions. Not a fair contest. Not test cricket!
Watch Williamson pile on the runs when the real tests (daytime + red ball + even conditions) start!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
I have to imagine it because so far they have avoided it. Won a match against Pakistan where they didn’t have to face a new ball at night but the Pakistani’s had to do it twice! So far they have avoided it again! Not test cricket!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
It was quite obvious to me that the New Zealand batsmen could barely see the ball at times. Watch two world class batsmen, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, squinting and blinking as they were facing the faster bowlers. Fair test cricket? No! Entertaining? Yes!
Starc runs riot against rattled New Zealand
You probably need good judgment to be a good selector. Ah well, at least he will fit in.
WATCH: George Bailey out first ball in his final innings for Tasmania
Our concussion substitutes will have to be sorted out. May need more than one! No way Cameron Bancroft should be considered
Wagner will use Bodyline tactics against Australia
So the selectors wait until he is ready. He will let them know I suppose.
No surprises as Australia make just one change to Test squad for New Zealand series
Keep selecting him.
No surprises as Australia make just one change to Test squad for New Zealand series
Two flat tracks and ordinary bowlers and all is good! As soon as the we encounter a good attack with a decent wicket, the walls will come tumbling down.
I agree with Ponting. Australian selectors need to blood these youngsters. Pat Cummins played as a youngster and got a mom award. Although he suffered injuries after that, he knew exactly what he needed to do to reach the pinnacle. Many young batsmen are given a go, get dropped and come back stronger than ever. Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith forged great careers after an early taste. Get Cameron Green and Will Pucovski in the squad!
No surprises as Australia make just one change to Test squad for New Zealand series
Lots of praise given here to Langer and Paine about the change in culture but I wonder how hard this would have been. After all Australia’s on field behaviour at the time of Sandpapergate was disgusting and the huge backlash in Australia would have hit home to even the dullest of cricketers. Rubbish like elite honesty and being a good enough man to marry one of Langer’s daughters indicate that Langer isn’t entitled to bask in praise at the teams improvement. Along the way we have seen him show bias toward Cameron Bancroft and Ashton Turner who are over rated duds from his old WA team. He has stood by and allowed Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell cop the blame for a World Cup flop (Yes I know they made the semi finals!) where he stuck rigidly to his plans and eventually copped the thrashing at Englands hands that most commentators were anticipating. Tim Paine only had to be a decent man to lead the team in a sporting manner. I believe Jason Gillespie would have achieved a similar result. Any decent coach would have.
Make no mistake, Steve Smith led a team that was an embarrassment to decent sportspeople. Paine should captain Australia until the test championship is over. At that point I believe he will retire and the next Australian captain should be Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne or Nathan Lyon but NOT Steve Smith!
Tim Paine silences noise with clinical summer