4 axed for 3rd test

[legend166]

Whatever the rights or wrongs of this situation, don't look to the regular cricket writers for any real insights beyond the official line. They know where their bread is buttered in terms of interviews and access to the players.

Yeah, much better to trust anonymous sources on BigFooty and chain emails.

 

[Partridge]

The next test could get ugly.

Unlike the last one?

 

[peternorth]

Whatever the rights or wrongs of this situation, don't look to the regular cricket writers for any real insights beyond the official line. They know where their bread is buttered in terms of interviews and access to the players.

id like to think crash craddock is someone who people should listen/read

 

[Partridge]

Can you imagine the response if someone told Lillee, Thommo or Warnie they had to do an essay?

There's a few different issues wrapped up in one giant clusterfeck here:

1. How lazy are the 4 players? Firstly, yes it's a pathetic, childish and ridiculous request. But these guys are getting paid a ton of cash, they have plenty of free time, doing what management wants is not difficult. You just do it and tell yourselves in private "he's a complete w***er".

2. There's obviously a bucketload of personality clashes within the team, and between team and management. Otherwise why would a guy not even in the side not be arsed to do something a 12 year old could do effortlessly? That speaks volumes.

3. Australian cricket administration has become like England in the 1980s and 1990s. Seriously, it's now about conformance and less and less about performance. If the selectors don't know what each player brings to the team they shouldn't be in that position. If they desperately need to know, how about a net session instead of a powerpoint presentation?

4. Disciplining players is not a bad thing, and it's not a bad thing to be tough at the selection table. But surely it must be based on sound cricketing reasons (or being on the piss repeatedly etc.); not the willingness to send a text message to someone they clearly have no respect for.

 

[peternorth]

3. Australian cricket administration has become like England in the 1980s and 1990s. Seriously, it's now about conformance and less and less about performance. If the selectors don't know what each player brings to the team they shouldn't be in that position. If they desperately need to know, how about a net session instead of a powerpoint presentation?

firstly, love the use of italics to differentiate between the two rhyming words.

conformity - hasnt Oz cricket always been like this in the form of a boys club?

 

[King Elvis]

I think we can all agree that Cricket Australia and our First XI are, currently, a ****ing disaster.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/cricke...stralian-cricket/story-fndpt0dy-1226595910548

Apparent list of 'issues.'

Smacks of a player group that doesn't respect the Coach or the Captain - who have instigated this seemingly over the top reaction to try and reassert their dominance.

Arthur, dont rate him, at all - G Smith has gone up massively in my books. Clarke - those issues don't do anything to change my thinking that he struggles to focus on both his own form/performances and those of the team. Ask Cowan, Lyon or Hughes how much time Ponting spent with them in the nets and going through their performances and the game - I wonder whether Clarke does the same thing?

 

[western royboy]

It is a truly sad day when I am in agreeance with Phil Rothfield on a Cricket of all issues. He is getting the same info from players that I have.

 

[damochandler]

arthur has lost the players like he did with the south africans. he's really only got one supporter in the team and that's clarke. if they lose 5-0 in the ashes and that's odds on right now, he'll be shown the door

 

[western royboy]

arthur has lost the players like he did with the south africans. he's really only got one supporter in the team and that's clarke. if they lose 5-0 in the ashes and that's odds on right now, he'll be shown the door

If I was a Director of CA or James Sutherland, the alarm bells would be ringing loud enough already to suggest there needs to be some form of review of leadership positions prior to the Ashes. It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[Partridge]

firstly, love the use of italics to differentiate between the two rhyming words.

conformity - hasnt Oz cricket always been like this in the form of a boys club?

To an extent yes. But they've mostly put the performance of the team above anything else. It's not just Australia either; England have been notorious for not selecting clearly more talented players because of perceived opinions on temperament or personality. At least with Pietersen they realised while he might be a moron off-field, he's talented enough to straighten out the differences and get him back in the team. Which so far has seemed to work.

 

[Xsess]

Reports coming out that players required to fill out daily "wellness" reports outlining everything down to how much sleep they got, players getting hauled over the coals for wearing wrong uniform when they step out to training or in transit, now this dossier on why the team is so shit resulting in four players getting suspended? WTF. How is any of this bullshit even relevent to cricket? Whatever happened to go out there and grind your opponent into the dust. Who are these moron sport scientists who have infiltrated Australian sport and think they are bigger than the players. What exactly does this twat Pat Howard do? Is his contribution so critical to the team success that he is right to have a big winge to the media that the players aren't following his every pronouncement as gospel?

Time to throw them all out and return to the model of appointing proven ex players into offield positions. Shane Warne was right all these blokes need to do is drive the bus to the ground.

 

[TheBigPavallova]

hmmm...well-written post but I still disagree Admiral

I don't think poor form in India is to do with skills - I actually think it's about confidence, patience and mental preparation

therefore, no-one is seeking to make them better players in the space of a week, just to put them in a headspace that allows them to 'play better' in that timeframe

do you follow me?

IMO your on the right track to the G, but the wrong Richmond Tram.


It smacks of Unhappy Players and has done for over a year. and getting worse.

IMO we've had poor captains, since Steve Waugh. Gilly was OK, but all downhill since him.

Selfcentred players have reigned since, & IMO are now trying to make the Aussie culture into something it isn't, because it suits the current captain who is up himself.
Bling boy is wrecking the joint & doesn't realise what he's doing.

Best batsmen doesn't mean best captain.


Punter felt ashamed to wear the dirt of battle on his jumper, & now the pretty boy has been given the mantle to wreck the Australian test culture all by himself.

Waugh wanted to keep his old Baggy Green, grime & dirt, wrinkled & tattered as a badge of Honour.

Ponting wanted clean shirts.

Michael (look at me) Clarke wants pretty girls, silverware, royal prince alberts, flashy cars, & big boats, & for everyone to fall into his 'line' & do as he does.

They seem to have coerced all Cricket Australia into this bling culture as the way of our land.

Not since Melbourne sacked they're Spiritual Leader way back in the 60's has such a dismal & stupid mistake been made by people in power.

Australian cricket it seems, is to fall as did the Windies & the Romans.

 

[Tyberious Funk]

Reports coming out that players required to fill out daily "wellness" reports outlining everything down to how much sleep they got, players getting hauled over the coals for wearing wrong uniform when they step out to training or in transit, now this dossier on why the team is so shit resulting in four players getting suspended? WTF. How is any of this bullshit even relevent to cricket? Whatever happened to go out there and grind your opponent into the dust. Who are these moron sport scientists who have infiltrated Australian sport and think they are bigger than the players. What exactly does this twat Pat Howard do? Is his contribution so critical to the team success that he is right to have a big winge to the media that the players aren't following his every pronouncement as gospel?

Time to throw them all out and return to the model of appointing proven ex players into offield positions. Shane Warne was right all these blokes need to do is drive the bus to the ground.

Easy to focus on the uniform thing, but some of the transgressions include showing up late for team meetings and training sessions, missing medical and physio appointments and being late for the team bus. These are unacceptable. In particular, I find missing medical appointments troublesome... CA must spend a fortune to make sure the players have an entourage of medicos to try and keep them on the field, and the some of the buggers don't even bother showing up! As for the "wellness" reports, they might sound like a mindless wank, but given the amount of injuries we've had can you blame CA for trying to gather as much data as possible?

 

[damochandler]

maybe they didn't want to go to the physios because every nick cut or sore. could result in them missing the next 10 tests for player management

 

[Whowants2know]

Is Shane Watson the male version of Jana Pittman????

spit the dummy when thing dont go my way!!!

 

[Xsess]

Easy to focus on the uniform thing, but some of the transgressions include showing up late for team meetings and training sessions, missing medical and physio appointments and being late for the team bus. These are unacceptable. In particular, I find missing medical appointments troublesome... CA must spend a fortune to make sure the players have an entourage of medicos to try and keep them on the field, and the some of the buggers don't even bother showing up! As for the "wellness" reports, they might sound like a mindless wank, but given the amount of injuries we've had can you blame CA for trying to gather as much data as possible?

Smacks of micro management by a bunch of faceless morons full of their own self importance trying to justify their own existance. Now because their stupid power play has caused a backlash at home and made us a laughing stock internationally, they are having a big public sook and blaming the players - "they didnt wear the right uniforms or tell us how much sleep they got"?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

If Clarke ever gets injured CA will bring in George Bailey as his stand-in.

Correct. Bailey should be in the side now. Not only did his form warrant being picked ahead of most of the all-rounders, his leadership would be invaluable to Clarke, as Bailey is a better leader of men. Would help overcome Clarke's weaknesses - unlike Watson who has no leadership ability & should be immediately stripped of the VC permanently.

 

[King Elvis]

If I was a Director of CA or James Sutherland, the alarm bells would be ringing loud enough already to suggest there needs to be some form of review of leadership positions prior to the Ashes. It will be interesting to see what happens.

Sutherland is arguably the biggest problem.

 

[King Elvis]

Easy to focus on the uniform thing, but some of the transgressions include showing up late for team meetings and training sessions, missing medical and physio appointments and being late for the team bus. These are unacceptable. In particular, I find missing medical appointments troublesome... CA must spend a fortune to make sure the players have an entourage of medicos to try and keep them on the field, and the some of the buggers don't even bother showing up! As for the "wellness" reports, they might sound like a mindless wank, but given the amount of injuries we've had can you blame CA for trying to gather as much data as possible?

Based on how often our players are breaking down, maybe a couple of them figured out that it might actually be safer to stay away from our medical staff?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

No doubt there have been some serious f*ck ups on both sides, which have led to this mess - should never have got to this stage!

Management, including Howard, Arthur & Clarke must take some blame for letting these smaller issues (ie. missing/late for training, phsysio, team bus etc) slide til now without any decent warnings & then attempt to solve with a sledgehammer (apparently for at least 1 player, this was his 1st mistake & he is going to now miss a test … as opposed to other players who have continually stuffed up in the past & will play). Should have disciplined them by giving them extra training sessions - early in the morning, til they got the message. Suspension from a game should then be a last resort.

Can’t say I agree with all of Management’s philosophy/approach, but as a professional player, you should be trying to do the right thing all the time - particularly when the opposition is pumping you, should be doing everything to rectify matters. Reckon there are too many egos, thinking they can ride off the back of T20 $’s & don’t need to fully respect the baggy green (mind you the selectors aren’t respecting it either!)

Watson is a soft & a sook. Don’t agree with Howard making it public (what did we not already not know) as now we have a tit for tat spat. Should be stripped of VC & earn his way back into the team as his performances have been crap. Seems to be sooking because he isn’t opening. Hasn’t got a leadership bone in his body.

Clarke has done everything right on field - decent tactician & his batting has been awesome leading from the front… but still to be determined whether he is a leader of men (or school boys). Ie. Does he have the ability to bring the best out of the team & manage all these egos? Would bring in Bailey to help.

Will be a weak test XI for the next test, but the Australian public want to see some spirit & determination from the baggy green. Worse than losing, is losing without giving 100%, which is what we have seen in the 1st 2 tests.

 

[Wicked Lester]

1. How lazy are the 4 players?

Lazy? I'm not sure that's the right word.

If I read Mickey Arthur's original statement correctly, he conceded that Watson is one of the hardest trainers and perhaps the most professional in the side in terms of physical preparation. If so, they're hardly the characteristics of a 'lazy' cricketer.


Similarly, Mitchell Johnson (and I've been a big critic over the years) doesn't strike me as 'lazy'.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Lazy? I'm not sure that's the right word.

If I read Mickey Arthur's original statement correctly, he conceded that Watson is one of the hardest trainers and perhaps the most professional in the side in terms of physical preparation. If so, they're hardly the characteristics of a 'lazy' cricketer.


Similarly, Mitchell Johnson (and I've been a big critic over the years) doesn't strike me as 'lazy'.

Yes, don't confuse lazy with low mental capacity or stupidity

 

[The_Reaper]

Sutherland is arguably the biggest problem.

Arguably?

 

[Wicked Lester]

IMO we've had poor captains, since Steve Waugh. Gilly was OK, but all downhill since him.

Selfcentred players have reigned since,

I kind of get where you were going, but sorry I can't let this go.

By every account I've ever read or heard (including talking with former players and officials) Ponting is regarded as THE most selfless team oriented player of his generation.

Whatever you may have thought of his on field tactics, his teammates would walk over hot coals for him and he for them.

 

[Tyberious Funk]

Smacks of micro management by a bunch of faceless morons full of their own self importance trying to justify their own existance. Now because their stupid power play has caused a backlash at home and made us a laughing stock internationally, they are having a big public sook and blaming the players - "they didnt wear the right uniforms or tell us how much sleep they got"?

Again, you are focusing on the uniforms.

Do you think it is acceptable for players to miss physio sessions? Do you think it is acceptable for players to be late to training sessions or team meetings? Do you think it is acceptable for players to hold up the team bus because they have slept in?

This is hardly the behaviour of elite sportsmen. And it's not exactly micro management to expect players to do some pretty basic tasks. Things like turning up to training sessions is fundamentally a part of their job. I find it particularly extraordinary in the case of a guy like Khawaja who is on the fringe of the team, and already struggling with a reputation for being lazy. Surely he'd want to make every effort to impress Arthur and Clarke?

At the very least, this whole affair has highlighted how innordinately stupid some of our players are.