This is fairly long, and it's my first ever blog. There's no time like the present to start... and if you like Cricket as much as me, what a time to kick off a blog. Really I'm just another punter who is a big time sports nut, you can disregard the following as yet another punters wafty, over thought, irrelevant opinion, or you can use it to make ideas of your own.
Regarding the cricket, it appears that the plan ahead for the Aussie test team is a break for most of the players following the Sydney Test as there is the One day series vs England and then the World Cup at the end of Feb. After that the Test team is scheduled to reconvene for a two match test series vs Bangers in Bangladesh. Then we have a fairly long break until October where we venture to lions den, South Africa for a three match series (seriously only three matches).
Okay with all that in mind, and also midful of rebuilding a winning culture and building toward the future, I have made the following assesments.
Basically I don't want to see the Baggy Green cheapened any more than it already has. Phil Hughes and Steve Smith are pretty lucky to have scored baggy greens and jumped ahead of a guy like David Hussey who has had runs on the board at First Class level for many, many seasons. Phil Hughes form this year has been extremely poor. I still do not know what the point of selecting Michael Beers has achieved but I guess that will never be answered. These decisions are what is upsetting the balance of cricket in this country. I'm not exactly sure who is responsible for the blame anymore. Is this all to do with Punters influence? Has Hilditch no eye for the future shape of the team? Or is it ultimately Cricket Australia (CA) who have continued the gutless, directionless line since the crazy Sydney Test versus India a few seasons back.
For mine, blame aside, it appears the team has put its complete bowling stocks into the development of Mitchell Johnson and instead of becoming a spearhead... the man with the big sleeve tattoo has become an enigmatic first change option who can't control the new ball. Siddle is honest and gutsy... a solid resume for a first change bowler, but he isn't an opening bowler. Ryan Harris appears to have something special, gee I like this guy, but is seriously and sadly he is injury prone. Hilfenhaus gets named in the eleven consistently but at the moment he appears to be a fine leg fielding specialist. More on the bowling stocks later.
Why talk of bowling later? Because the main issue for this series isn't our bowling. Our inexperienced bowling lineup can't defend scores of 98 all out. McGrath and Warne at their peak couldn't do it either. Our batting lineup is vastly over rated, out of form, unbalanced and batting out of position.
Our best opener currently is Shane Watson and it is obvious he doesn't have the concentration at test level to hit those big scores the position demands. He bats like a six, and if he is put back to five or six then his all round abilities come back into play. At the moment when this blonde bombshell is bowling, once his strong point, he now throws down cream pies that are too slow to deceive. This bowling form as taken shape since he nailed down the openers slot. Admirable job, and I'd have no problem with him at opener if he'd converted at least a quarter of his fifities into big, juicy tons, but 15 half centuries with only two extra centuries is not the figures of an Australian opener in a successful national team.
Watson's makes my team either five or six, he is a good player with an excellent batting technique, but he does not make it as an opener. I'm sure slotting down the order will see both his batting and bowling stats improve.
I'm not sure what to make of Phil Hughes. He has so many technical flaws but he looks to be a confidence player. He is young and obviously a long term prospect, One option is to stick with him for Sydney, hope that he finds more confidence against Bangers and then pencil him in for a return to his happy hunting ground on South African turf with the promise of a full away series. If he falls flat in Africa against a quality attack, it's likely his technique has been found out. Option two is to say; Every nation has watched enough footage of Phil Hughes to work out his flaws and that sending him to South Africa for a second run is like hoping lightning strikes twice. It usually doesn't, the kids recent form at all levels has been making my skin crawl which must surely be a confidence thing. As an opener he looks more like Sri Lanka's former keeper batsman Kaluwitharana, hit and hope to score super quick runs before the inevitable walk to the pavillion... bashing his way into form. Personally I'd bid Phil Hughes adios until he regains confidence in the Shield. I don't think he is ready for international cricket, and his form this summer certainly does not warrant selection, but I think he's class, he's young and that's something to build on.
I'd replace Phil Hughes with Usman Khawaja for the Sydney test. Usman is an out and out opener, he has played all his grade career there and only slotted into #3 to fit into the top heavy Blues line up. The kid is in form, he leads the Australian first class averages and runs list for this summer. His form last summer was also outstanding, he looks all class and I reckon it's time to strike when the iron is smoking hot. I'd give Khawaja the whole Bangers test series and with the promise of the entire South African 3 test tour and including the next Aussie summer 4 test series against the cocky Indians. By the end of that he would have played in 10 tests. Enough to make an accurate assessment of his abilities at the highest level including a face off with the two topped ranked nations home and away.
Ricky Ponting stays in my team, despite umpire disputes he keeps the captaincy but drops down to five or six. We need his leadership in the team, no one else has put their hand up, no one else commands any kind of respect, no one else has stood tall or even looked like a captain for more than three consecutive tests lest a series. Ricky should keep and be guaranteed the captaincy for the next 14 months. Selectors should start grooming three or four blokes behind the scenes assessing their leadership quality, and then assess Punters mental and batting ability status at the conclusion of the next Australian summer.
Mike Hussey moves up to opener, partnering and mentoring young Usman. Mike is an elder statesman of the team. He was an opener his entire state career. He is in good form. He is not going to be in the team in in two years time. Now is the time to sacrifice his hiding place at #5 and give back to the team while he is in form. This is the decision. End of story.
Michael Clarke gets the award for the biggest disappointment of the Ashes. He has had five chances this series to stand tall, five clear opportunities to save Australia, five moments to create partnerships and show some leadership. Alas all we have collectively seen is that when the heat is on, Clarkie and his tuff stickers melt quicker than Frosty the Snowman in the Coober Pedy summer sun. The dream could be well and truly over for the Pupster. This series was the biggest series he has ever played in, he is at an age most acknowledge one to be at the peak of their batting powers. He was going to be The Man this series, that was the plan. Do we drop him? Surely not, the guy is a dead set super star with his best years ahead! I'm not sure what is going on in his head. I do recall seeing two years of absolute world class Michael Clarke form recently, and so much investment has gone into the current Vice Captain....
My personal gut feel decision on Michael Clarke... I'd absolutely back him, back him hard, I'd consider promoting him to first drop, especially on a spinning track, (he is probably most suited to batting at 4 outside of the sub continent). Cometh the hour cometh the man. This next twelve months is Michael Clarke's opportunity to create & reshape how history views him without the pressure.
I do not know what is going on with Simon Katich. I understand he is injured, I understand he has made claim offering a hope to be ready for the Sydney test. But despite his obvious guts, and his hairy chest, the form of Katich has not been earth shattering either. He is 36 years old in 2011, This choice is to leave him out of the squad for the remainder of his life or put him in at opener because there's dead set no one else. Brad Hodge has retired damn it... and he has subsequently gone and trashed everyone from Andrew Hilditch to Whoopie Goldberg so there is no point talking about his good form, but personally I'd love to show this man some love and see him at first drop. I'd probably drop Simon... sorry mate.
David Hussey. He averages 55 at Shield level and that record has run for 8 years and not a meagre 5 minutes. He topped the First Class run tally last summer, he's running 6th on the runs list this summer. The form line is good, historically Australia play well with brothers in the team, and I think David Hussey has more than earned a baggy green.
David Hussey is at the moment knows his game far better than a player like Steve Smith. I still don't know whether Smith even knows whether he is a batsman or a leg spinner or a work in progress or someone who is there to lift team spirit. Seriously on that note, we shouldn't be handing out test numbers to blokes who aren't the best in Australia at their position. Steve Smith may be the next Steve Waugh, he seems exciting, the talent is there, but he needs to settle on whether he's a classy bat or a leg spin bowler. I don't think he is both. After stating the obvious, then he should settle on a batting position as a pure batsman. If he drops his bowling, maybe he could become something special. We can only hope and Christ we need a new hero but I'm certainly not sold on his bowling just because he has blonde hair. Bottom line is that until he sorts out what he is for himself, we don't hand out baggy greens to project players. I think his best option is to go back to Shield or be taken as a touring project player.
Steve O'Keefe is clearly a better spinner than Steve Smith, same goes for Nathan Hauritz, but I think O'Keefe is the best spinner in the country and he would be in my team right now.
Brad Haddin stays as keeper in my team and we also plonk him with the VC tag to take pressure of Clarke so that Clarke just churns out the runs. I've always like keepers as Vice Cap's. It doesn't overly undermine or pressure the real captain, the press don't focus on a keeper vice captain as much as a failing one dimensional batsman. The Keeper, especially one as experienced as Haddin is a logical choice, the responsibility doesn't add much in the way of extra pressure to the keeper as usually the keeper talks all day, speaks with the captain often and forever remains the bridesmaid in a position of natural respect. These attributes are the keepers natural lot in life. I'm really not sold on the Clarke - Ponting captaincy dynamic... not sure what's doing but it doesn't seem natural and Punter seems to look to Hads or Huss for support anyway. Either way I don't think this affects Clarke's chances to be the next captain, it's just something that for me seems the best for the team and for Clarke and Ponting right now.
For the spin bowler, there are only two serious options. Either go back to Nathan Hauritz or fire Steve O'Keefe into the breach and stick with the kid as a member of the twelve until the conclusion of the Ashes series scheduled for Englands shores. No arguments, just do it and have faith in him. No more spinner revolving door. Which ever way they go, that would be the brief I'd give selectors. We need certainty in the spin department and someone who at the very least has a solid average at First Class level, and that someone is not Michael Beers. This "Beersy" bloke gets selected for Australia for the Boxing day test and at the same time gets dropped by Western Australia. This selection of Michael Beers proves to me that the entire selection panel is the problem. They invest 18 months in Hauritz, he shows form last summer, gets belted in India (who hasn't) and is given the boot for the Ashes for Doherty and you all know the story from there.
If Ricky Ponting can't work with economical Hauritz well O'Keefe (with a shield average of 15 per wicket and an economy rate of 2.8) is the main man from the Sydney Test and onward.
Now back to bronzing the fast bowlers. We need to find and or develop a lead bowler. Mitch Johnson is a strike bowler but not a lead bowler. With Peter Siddle's solid into the wind trundling he obviously deserves a spot but he hasn't grown on me either. Yeah he shows courage, but I'm not sure about his ability, maybe I'll give him that he's still very young and should only get better the longer he plays.
Ben Hilfenhaus will probably be in court facing burglary charges at summer end, and good riddance. How he got his hands on a Cricket Australia contract is one of the great con jobs of the 21st century.
I have a rap on Ryan Harris but now he is injured and to what extent puts his place in the team up in the air. Hopefully he'll be right and fit because he looks to be the best bowler in the country by light years. It's plain he will not be in Sydney and that's for dead set sure but hopefully he's right for the test after that. I think with him in the team, Mitch Johnson can chill and possibly be really who we want him to be. Anyway Doug Bollinger appears to be coming back into form if his last Shield match is a guide and his face has been plastered on more KFC ads than the Colonel. Of the others, there's not much. Trent Copeland appears economical, Mark Cameron looks sharpish - I've only seen him live once, but recent state selections suggest Copeland is ahead of him and probably Peter George. No one is there with out an out speed. Personally, I'd be going to Brett Lee cap in hand begging for forgiveness and a test cricket statement... 18 months of Brett Lee carnage at test level is the ticket, and by that time hopefully Mitchell Johnson has found some consistency, Ryan Harris avoided injury, Dougy regains form, and a new young group of tear-aways begin to rise from no where like a phoenix.
My best team I'd work toward is.
M Hussey
U Khawaja
D Hussey
M Clarke
R Ponting (c)
S Watson
B Haddin
S O'Keefe
M Johnson
R Harris
D Bollinger
My 14 man tour team to Bangladesh is the same above 11 plus Peter Siddle, Steve Smith (purely as a developmental bat), and Nathan Hauritz as the 2nd Bangers spinner. Fingers crossed they have success in Bangers, build some confidence and then a break until their October journey to South Africa. Like I said, I'd like to see Brett Lee in there too but I'm a realist, the selectors would never ask him back.
Regarding the cricket, it appears that the plan ahead for the Aussie test team is a break for most of the players following the Sydney Test as there is the One day series vs England and then the World Cup at the end of Feb. After that the Test team is scheduled to reconvene for a two match test series vs Bangers in Bangladesh. Then we have a fairly long break until October where we venture to lions den, South Africa for a three match series (seriously only three matches).
Okay with all that in mind, and also midful of rebuilding a winning culture and building toward the future, I have made the following assesments.
Basically I don't want to see the Baggy Green cheapened any more than it already has. Phil Hughes and Steve Smith are pretty lucky to have scored baggy greens and jumped ahead of a guy like David Hussey who has had runs on the board at First Class level for many, many seasons. Phil Hughes form this year has been extremely poor. I still do not know what the point of selecting Michael Beers has achieved but I guess that will never be answered. These decisions are what is upsetting the balance of cricket in this country. I'm not exactly sure who is responsible for the blame anymore. Is this all to do with Punters influence? Has Hilditch no eye for the future shape of the team? Or is it ultimately Cricket Australia (CA) who have continued the gutless, directionless line since the crazy Sydney Test versus India a few seasons back.
For mine, blame aside, it appears the team has put its complete bowling stocks into the development of Mitchell Johnson and instead of becoming a spearhead... the man with the big sleeve tattoo has become an enigmatic first change option who can't control the new ball. Siddle is honest and gutsy... a solid resume for a first change bowler, but he isn't an opening bowler. Ryan Harris appears to have something special, gee I like this guy, but is seriously and sadly he is injury prone. Hilfenhaus gets named in the eleven consistently but at the moment he appears to be a fine leg fielding specialist. More on the bowling stocks later.
Why talk of bowling later? Because the main issue for this series isn't our bowling. Our inexperienced bowling lineup can't defend scores of 98 all out. McGrath and Warne at their peak couldn't do it either. Our batting lineup is vastly over rated, out of form, unbalanced and batting out of position.
Our best opener currently is Shane Watson and it is obvious he doesn't have the concentration at test level to hit those big scores the position demands. He bats like a six, and if he is put back to five or six then his all round abilities come back into play. At the moment when this blonde bombshell is bowling, once his strong point, he now throws down cream pies that are too slow to deceive. This bowling form as taken shape since he nailed down the openers slot. Admirable job, and I'd have no problem with him at opener if he'd converted at least a quarter of his fifities into big, juicy tons, but 15 half centuries with only two extra centuries is not the figures of an Australian opener in a successful national team.
Watson's makes my team either five or six, he is a good player with an excellent batting technique, but he does not make it as an opener. I'm sure slotting down the order will see both his batting and bowling stats improve.
I'm not sure what to make of Phil Hughes. He has so many technical flaws but he looks to be a confidence player. He is young and obviously a long term prospect, One option is to stick with him for Sydney, hope that he finds more confidence against Bangers and then pencil him in for a return to his happy hunting ground on South African turf with the promise of a full away series. If he falls flat in Africa against a quality attack, it's likely his technique has been found out. Option two is to say; Every nation has watched enough footage of Phil Hughes to work out his flaws and that sending him to South Africa for a second run is like hoping lightning strikes twice. It usually doesn't, the kids recent form at all levels has been making my skin crawl which must surely be a confidence thing. As an opener he looks more like Sri Lanka's former keeper batsman Kaluwitharana, hit and hope to score super quick runs before the inevitable walk to the pavillion... bashing his way into form. Personally I'd bid Phil Hughes adios until he regains confidence in the Shield. I don't think he is ready for international cricket, and his form this summer certainly does not warrant selection, but I think he's class, he's young and that's something to build on.
I'd replace Phil Hughes with Usman Khawaja for the Sydney test. Usman is an out and out opener, he has played all his grade career there and only slotted into #3 to fit into the top heavy Blues line up. The kid is in form, he leads the Australian first class averages and runs list for this summer. His form last summer was also outstanding, he looks all class and I reckon it's time to strike when the iron is smoking hot. I'd give Khawaja the whole Bangers test series and with the promise of the entire South African 3 test tour and including the next Aussie summer 4 test series against the cocky Indians. By the end of that he would have played in 10 tests. Enough to make an accurate assessment of his abilities at the highest level including a face off with the two topped ranked nations home and away.
Ricky Ponting stays in my team, despite umpire disputes he keeps the captaincy but drops down to five or six. We need his leadership in the team, no one else has put their hand up, no one else commands any kind of respect, no one else has stood tall or even looked like a captain for more than three consecutive tests lest a series. Ricky should keep and be guaranteed the captaincy for the next 14 months. Selectors should start grooming three or four blokes behind the scenes assessing their leadership quality, and then assess Punters mental and batting ability status at the conclusion of the next Australian summer.
Mike Hussey moves up to opener, partnering and mentoring young Usman. Mike is an elder statesman of the team. He was an opener his entire state career. He is in good form. He is not going to be in the team in in two years time. Now is the time to sacrifice his hiding place at #5 and give back to the team while he is in form. This is the decision. End of story.
Michael Clarke gets the award for the biggest disappointment of the Ashes. He has had five chances this series to stand tall, five clear opportunities to save Australia, five moments to create partnerships and show some leadership. Alas all we have collectively seen is that when the heat is on, Clarkie and his tuff stickers melt quicker than Frosty the Snowman in the Coober Pedy summer sun. The dream could be well and truly over for the Pupster. This series was the biggest series he has ever played in, he is at an age most acknowledge one to be at the peak of their batting powers. He was going to be The Man this series, that was the plan. Do we drop him? Surely not, the guy is a dead set super star with his best years ahead! I'm not sure what is going on in his head. I do recall seeing two years of absolute world class Michael Clarke form recently, and so much investment has gone into the current Vice Captain....
My personal gut feel decision on Michael Clarke... I'd absolutely back him, back him hard, I'd consider promoting him to first drop, especially on a spinning track, (he is probably most suited to batting at 4 outside of the sub continent). Cometh the hour cometh the man. This next twelve months is Michael Clarke's opportunity to create & reshape how history views him without the pressure.
I do not know what is going on with Simon Katich. I understand he is injured, I understand he has made claim offering a hope to be ready for the Sydney test. But despite his obvious guts, and his hairy chest, the form of Katich has not been earth shattering either. He is 36 years old in 2011, This choice is to leave him out of the squad for the remainder of his life or put him in at opener because there's dead set no one else. Brad Hodge has retired damn it... and he has subsequently gone and trashed everyone from Andrew Hilditch to Whoopie Goldberg so there is no point talking about his good form, but personally I'd love to show this man some love and see him at first drop. I'd probably drop Simon... sorry mate.
David Hussey. He averages 55 at Shield level and that record has run for 8 years and not a meagre 5 minutes. He topped the First Class run tally last summer, he's running 6th on the runs list this summer. The form line is good, historically Australia play well with brothers in the team, and I think David Hussey has more than earned a baggy green.
David Hussey is at the moment knows his game far better than a player like Steve Smith. I still don't know whether Smith even knows whether he is a batsman or a leg spinner or a work in progress or someone who is there to lift team spirit. Seriously on that note, we shouldn't be handing out test numbers to blokes who aren't the best in Australia at their position. Steve Smith may be the next Steve Waugh, he seems exciting, the talent is there, but he needs to settle on whether he's a classy bat or a leg spin bowler. I don't think he is both. After stating the obvious, then he should settle on a batting position as a pure batsman. If he drops his bowling, maybe he could become something special. We can only hope and Christ we need a new hero but I'm certainly not sold on his bowling just because he has blonde hair. Bottom line is that until he sorts out what he is for himself, we don't hand out baggy greens to project players. I think his best option is to go back to Shield or be taken as a touring project player.
Steve O'Keefe is clearly a better spinner than Steve Smith, same goes for Nathan Hauritz, but I think O'Keefe is the best spinner in the country and he would be in my team right now.
Brad Haddin stays as keeper in my team and we also plonk him with the VC tag to take pressure of Clarke so that Clarke just churns out the runs. I've always like keepers as Vice Cap's. It doesn't overly undermine or pressure the real captain, the press don't focus on a keeper vice captain as much as a failing one dimensional batsman. The Keeper, especially one as experienced as Haddin is a logical choice, the responsibility doesn't add much in the way of extra pressure to the keeper as usually the keeper talks all day, speaks with the captain often and forever remains the bridesmaid in a position of natural respect. These attributes are the keepers natural lot in life. I'm really not sold on the Clarke - Ponting captaincy dynamic... not sure what's doing but it doesn't seem natural and Punter seems to look to Hads or Huss for support anyway. Either way I don't think this affects Clarke's chances to be the next captain, it's just something that for me seems the best for the team and for Clarke and Ponting right now.
For the spin bowler, there are only two serious options. Either go back to Nathan Hauritz or fire Steve O'Keefe into the breach and stick with the kid as a member of the twelve until the conclusion of the Ashes series scheduled for Englands shores. No arguments, just do it and have faith in him. No more spinner revolving door. Which ever way they go, that would be the brief I'd give selectors. We need certainty in the spin department and someone who at the very least has a solid average at First Class level, and that someone is not Michael Beers. This "Beersy" bloke gets selected for Australia for the Boxing day test and at the same time gets dropped by Western Australia. This selection of Michael Beers proves to me that the entire selection panel is the problem. They invest 18 months in Hauritz, he shows form last summer, gets belted in India (who hasn't) and is given the boot for the Ashes for Doherty and you all know the story from there.
If Ricky Ponting can't work with economical Hauritz well O'Keefe (with a shield average of 15 per wicket and an economy rate of 2.8) is the main man from the Sydney Test and onward.
Now back to bronzing the fast bowlers. We need to find and or develop a lead bowler. Mitch Johnson is a strike bowler but not a lead bowler. With Peter Siddle's solid into the wind trundling he obviously deserves a spot but he hasn't grown on me either. Yeah he shows courage, but I'm not sure about his ability, maybe I'll give him that he's still very young and should only get better the longer he plays.
Ben Hilfenhaus will probably be in court facing burglary charges at summer end, and good riddance. How he got his hands on a Cricket Australia contract is one of the great con jobs of the 21st century.
I have a rap on Ryan Harris but now he is injured and to what extent puts his place in the team up in the air. Hopefully he'll be right and fit because he looks to be the best bowler in the country by light years. It's plain he will not be in Sydney and that's for dead set sure but hopefully he's right for the test after that. I think with him in the team, Mitch Johnson can chill and possibly be really who we want him to be. Anyway Doug Bollinger appears to be coming back into form if his last Shield match is a guide and his face has been plastered on more KFC ads than the Colonel. Of the others, there's not much. Trent Copeland appears economical, Mark Cameron looks sharpish - I've only seen him live once, but recent state selections suggest Copeland is ahead of him and probably Peter George. No one is there with out an out speed. Personally, I'd be going to Brett Lee cap in hand begging for forgiveness and a test cricket statement... 18 months of Brett Lee carnage at test level is the ticket, and by that time hopefully Mitchell Johnson has found some consistency, Ryan Harris avoided injury, Dougy regains form, and a new young group of tear-aways begin to rise from no where like a phoenix.
My best team I'd work toward is.
M Hussey
U Khawaja
D Hussey
M Clarke
R Ponting (c)
S Watson
B Haddin
S O'Keefe
M Johnson
R Harris
D Bollinger
My 14 man tour team to Bangladesh is the same above 11 plus Peter Siddle, Steve Smith (purely as a developmental bat), and Nathan Hauritz as the 2nd Bangers spinner. Fingers crossed they have success in Bangers, build some confidence and then a break until their October journey to South Africa. Like I said, I'd like to see Brett Lee in there too but I'm a realist, the selectors would never ask him back.
