Got any thoughts about players - Post Here

[footyfan1978]

Very random thought, but came across this video after reading something on big Tom Moody - my god Graeme Hick looked a stunning batsman to watch. I missed most of his career due to age, but it's very interesting to read of the mental torment he placed upon himself which meant that he never reached his potential in test cricket. Absolute run machine in first class though and also had a pretty successful ODI career with the bat finishing with a very high average for his era.

He was ok but at the elite level he was found to be a bit short of class against top quality bowling. Not a complete failure by any means but I think he reached his level and that was that. I think Craig McDermott and a few others found him out. I remember there was a nickname around for a little while of him as Graeme Hack. Very much a flat track or first class bully from memory. For some time I thought Matthew Hayden might end up the same but he turned the corner at his last chance and stunningly made the most of it. I also remember England captain declared when he was in the 90's once. Was a bit harsh but think he was batting a bit slow at the time. From memory had a very imposing first class record but at Test level he just was not able to take it to another level.

Tom Moody not a bad comparison as also never was a success at Test level but still did ok in some important one dayers like 1999 World Cup and was handy tall medium pace bowler. Kind of the role Mitch Marsh was given at start of this World Cup campaign.

 

[Seagrave_Holmes]

Pattinson injured again, starting to doubt if he will make it

 

[footyfan1978]

Pattinson injured again, starting to doubt if he will make it

Bruce Reid type result.
Hope not.

 

[Hellgood]

Even Cummins looks to be getting some sort of continuity, so I wouldn't get too disheartened about Pattinson just yet.

Frustrating no doubt though.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Mahmudullah is the one Bangladeshi (aside from the obvious candidates in Shakib and Mortaza) that I'm backing for a good WC.

Had to bump this.

 

[KiwiRoo]

Predicting Trent Boult will end up with a better test record than Mitchell Johnson

Not saying Johnson hasn't been good, just think Boult is turning out to be pretty special as a left arm quick

 

[southernswannies]

Predicting Trent Boult will end up with a better test record than Mitchell Johnson

Not saying Johnson hasn't been good, just think Boult is turning out to be pretty special as a left arm quick

Does anyone currently swing it more than him? Steyn?

It's ridiculous. Half his balls are like Wattos to Carberry at the G.

 

[KiwiRoo]

Swings it late at 140 k. Plus can go round the wicket and swing it too.

His highlight reel the last couple of years is ridiculous. Got a lot of very good batsmen out.
Only 22-23 too and getting quicker as his body matures

 

[footyfan1978]

Does anyone currently swing it more than him? Steyn?

It's ridiculous. Half his balls are like Wattos to Carberry at the G.

Southee swung it more against England.

 

[drummond2fevola]

I can't tell if Maxwell is a lad or a *******.

 

[the_interloper]

Michael Clarke is a w***er.

 

[Damon_3388]

Swings it late at 140 k. Plus can go round the wicket and swing it too.

His highlight reel the last couple of years is ridiculous. Got a lot of very good batsmen out.
Only 22-23 too and getting quicker as his body matures

Boult will actually turn 26 in July.

 

[ioppolo]

Maxwell's a campaigner, and I hate his stupid shots. Such a campaigner.

 

[KiwiRoo]

Boult will actually turn 26 in July.

MCGsobig Trent Boult has aged 2 years walking to the middle

 

[footyfan1978]

Knobs that stupidly hate on great entertainers like Maxwell and Clarke and make me enjoy their cricket journey more.
Maxwell in his home state at the MCG in World Cup final. Cannot wait. Not called the Big Show by others for nothing.
Well done on Clarke leading this side into another World Cup final. Just been astute captaincy all the way through.
He was in doubt to even make the World Cup. Seeing him run from a long way to try to take a difficult catch last night shows the work he has put in to get here from his horrid start to season with so many back related hamstrings issues. Was not sure he would make it but he has.
Great effort by Clarke. One more game to cap of a wonderful summer and pay tribute to their lost mate Phil Hughes.

 

[Beutbrute]

Loved the way Brendan McCullum handled himself and his team in the world cup final.

 

[footyfan1978]

Loved the way Brendan McCullum handled himself and his team in the world cup final.

Yeah. He did well. Get the feeling he was realistic and really knew they were up against it to win a World Cup and the only way he could win it was attack and back his own form and hope it holds up for long enough to give them a chance to steal a World Cup.
Ultimately he meet his match at the crease in the final and elite pace bowling that swinging in just too good for him.
Had a brilliant tournament to get them so far. It maybe the only World Cup final New Zealand ever make as it is hard for them to find eleven players good enough to play to this level as often as they did this summer.

It worked so well for so long. He would pull off his brutal attacks at start of innings and he has been in form a long time. A bit like Steve Smith so it was fair enough to go with that tactic. It got them to the final. Every time it worked it meant those after him played with a freedom that feed off the great start he gave them with super run rate. Australia had plans for him and just too good and knocked him over. He did not die wondering though. He made a world cup final by the attacking style. The problem was he was playing a team that attack too and there were not going to try to defend but knock him out and they did that in spectacular fashion. In a tournament so many assumed batting we will it, it was the power of strike bowlers that ended up deciding the title.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

I think you're being too generous. His play in the final, slashing at 3 in a row, was nothing short of reckless. There is a fine line between attacking and throwing your wicket away, which is what he did. Starc was always going to be the main threat and he should have treated him with more respect. His inability to adapt to the match situation/setting a target in a final cost his side their best chance of winning.

 

[Noobz0r]

Chancing his arm after two distinctly average wafts was moronic rather than brutal. His weathering of that first over would have set the tone that McCullum was serious and wanted to set a target, rather than make a good start. Instead he looked the fool.

 

[The_Reaper]

McCullum was very good this world cup but had a s**t final.

Should have kept a second slip for longer as well. When you only have 183 to defend you need early wickets.

 

[footyfan1978]

I think you're being too generous. His play in the final, slashing at 3 in a row, was nothing short of reckless. There is a fine line between attacking and throwing your wicket away, which is what he did. Starc was always going to be the main threat and he should have treated him with more respect. His inability to adapt to the match situation/setting a target in a final cost his side their best chance of winning.

I got nothing against the view, however I will say it is easy to say that from the armchair for any of us. Put yourself in his shoes. You know the reason you got there was because you dare to dream your little nation of 3 or 4 million could compete with the bigger cricketing nations and you probably know pound for pound they are better than you. So how are you going to win? What is your best chance. Well you have got there playing this way. You would not have got there if you did not play this recklessly for so long. Dare to dream you can do it one more time. The prize is worth it. Australia are an awesome side. You know they got so much talent in batting order you need a monster score to put pressure on them. Sure respecting the talent of the bowling might mean you survive an early bowling blitz but do you really think he felt 0 for 30 off 6 or 7 overs is best chance they got of winning ?
I honestly believe in his heart of hearts that he believed the one real chance of winning this cup was to go berserk and score something like 0 for 50 off 3 or 4 overs and get the Aussies on the back foot. Even losing a wicket early he would have accepted that because it would give them a chance to launch a possible score of well over 300. I really doubt he though anything less than 350 was going to stop the Aussies. McCullum more than anyone overseas knows how good many of those players were in green and gold. I personally believe he felt it had to be something really special like his onslaught against England or Dale Steyn to give them a chance of winning. If Australia knocked him over he plays with the spirit of cool, they were too good for me and accept. I admire he did it his way and not put off by others thinking he should have adjusted his game. He lived and died by the sword. I really respect his choice to have reckless approach and stay the course even if it meant it was his undoing in the end. It had big chance of backfiring which it did but boy he took his team for one hell of ride for this tournament. I think if he was able to pull it off it was best chance of Kiwis winning. I really do not believe 280 to 320 was enough. It had to be something incredible to win from him. Starc was just too good. In his own weird way I think he had his own type of respect and it was in the form of kill them before they kill me and nothing in between. No regrets at all I bet.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

I got nothing against the view, however I will say it is easy to say that from the armchair for any of us. Put yourself in his shoes. You know the reason you got there was because you dare to dream your little nation of 3 or 4 million could compete with the bigger cricketing nations and you probably know pound for pound they are better than you. So how are you going to win? What is your best chance. Well you have got there playing this way. You would not have got there if you did not play this recklessly for so long. Dare to dream you can do it one more time. The prize is worth it. Australia are an awesome side. You know they got so much talent in batting order you need a monster score to put pressure on them. Sure respecting the talent of the bowling might mean you survive an early bowling blitz but do you really think he felt 0 for 30 off 6 or 7 overs is best chance they got of winning ?
I honestly believe in his heart of hearts that he believed the one real chance of winning this cup was to go berserk and score something like 0 for 50 off 3 or 4 overs and get the Aussies on the back foot. Even losing a wicket early he would have accepted that because it would give them a chance to launch a possible score of well over 300. I really doubt he though anything less than 350 was going to stop the Aussies. McCullum more than anyone overseas knows how good many of those players were in green and gold. I personally believe he felt it had to be something really special like his onslaught against England or Dale Steyn to give them a chance of winning. If Australia knocked him over he plays with the spirit of cool, they were too good for me and accept. I admire he did it his way and not put off by others thinking he should have adjusted his game. He lived and died by the sword. I really respect his choice to have reckless approach and stay the course even if it meant it was his undoing in the end. It had big chance of backfiring which it did but boy he took his team for one hell of ride for this tournament. I think if he was able to pull it off it was best chance of Kiwis winning. I really do not believe 280 to 320 was enough. It had to be something incredible to win from him. Starc was just too good. In his own weird way I think he had his own type of respect and it was in the form of kill them before they kill me and nothing in between. No regrets at all I bet.

He was trying to knock Starc off his line early to set up the innings but he could have been just a little patient and taken a pop at Hazlewood to get his eye in second over, then had a go at Starc.

It's his game plan but it really was SUCH a high risk roll of the dice for a final.

 

[KiwiRoo]

I think you're being too generous. His play in the final, slashing at 3 in a row, was nothing short of reckless. There is a fine line between attacking and throwing your wicket away, which is what he did. Starc was always going to be the main threat and he should have treated him with more respect. His inability to adapt to the match situation/setting a target in a final cost his side their best chance of winning.

I agree. He's scored a triple century and a double century in tests, so not like he cant bat properly.
He could have taken an over or 2 to settle the nerves and then reassessed.
Waste of a top order wicket

 

[imadodgyumpire]

Yeah, he was going to keep Starc out and have a go at Hazelwood? Maybe he could've waited til the opening spells were done, take the shine off the ball, and belted Johnson around?

Ok, McCullum has a few sighters in the first over, then goes for it in Starc's second. Great! He's gone for 12 off 5 balls Some of you with the outdated tactics?

Guptill and Williamson played "Mr Sensible", what good did that do them?

As far as the "set the tone" BS is concerned. I supposed that's why Taylor was steady throughout his innings and Elliott played the best knock of the match, scoring a 100+ partnership?

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Your eyes must be sore.