4 axed for 3rd test

[King Elvis]

I just cannot believe that the Coach or Captain would let such a minor issue escalate into something this significant - unless it was something they expected.

 

[00Stinger]

The sad reality is that other than Patterson the rest won't be missed. Watson is a primadona who thinks he is way better than he is, we will really miss his 7 & 13 runs an innings. Him carrying on retyrning home and mumbling he might retire, **** off then. He hasn' t made a 100 for 2 & 1/2 years, can't bowl and thinks he is a top batsmen despite having an average under 38.

The team has been a ****ing joke this season. So you would think they would be doing everything in their powers to try an improve. Yet they are too lazy to write down a few things that were asked by their coach. If they can't be stuffed doing this, then don't play. I bet you they won't forget to do this stuff again.

 

[Xtreme]

God, I am so sick of this sort of shit. It's bullshit. Clarke is probably the best captain we've had since Taylor. And the shit about Clarke on the catwalk, wake up. It's not 1968 anymore. Every player in the Australian team with a decent profile and half decent looks makes some cash on the sides with endorsements.

He will be joining his old mate Ricky in being another Australian captain to fail at winning the Ashes series in England, fantastic captain he is .

 

[King Elvis]

Watson is a dual AB Medallist.

 

[western royboy]

That's a pretty nebulous criteria to try and measure. Border failed for several years to 'get the best out of his players', with the side notorious for poor form and collapsing under pressure. A bunch of players disliked him, which in no small part contributed to several of them jumping ship to go play the rebel tours.

Incidentally it wasn't until the ACB backed him by bringing in Simpson and giving the two of them full support to revamp the team at their own discretion, ruffle feathers inside the team and out, and rebuild the team from the ground up with a culture of their own design that they eventually started to see some improvements. Sound familiar? Remains to be seen if Clarke and Arthurs succeed as spectacularly as Border (doubtful) but it's no doubt they're following the same blueprint.

Look we are clearly on different sides of the fence, there are similarities with the Border era but I can't see Border or Simpson pulling a stunt like this, in fact I heard him say so himself on Fox this morning. The difference I see is that players might not necessarily have liked Border, but even those most harshly done by under his reign such as Mo Matthews have nothing but the highest respect for him. I don't think the same applies here.

For further reading try Mike Brearley's "The Art of Captaincy", as the clubhouse leader in Cricket Captaincy Michael Clarke could do well by having a read of it on the sly.

 

[00Stinger]

Watson is a dual AB Medallist.

That is mainly because of his 1day and 20/20 form, nothing to do with his test form. Fact is, whilst Watson is a very good 1day & 20/20 cricketer, he is an ordinary test player.

 

[Caesar]

I just cannot believe that the Coach or Captain would let such a minor issue escalate into something this significant - unless it was something they expected.

If that link Phone posted is anything to go by, it's something they've been actively pushing since at least last August. If they've been harping on about hard work and equal responsibility for over six months, and players are still not completing basic assigned coaching tasks, then what are they supposed to do? Especially when one of the players is the vice-captain and is supposed to actually be setting an example. You can only encourage things behind closed doors for so long.

Personally, if it had to come to this I'm glad it's happened during this tour. We didn't have a hope of winning anyway, and it's better that it happens now rather than during the Ashes.

 

[Father Jack]

Which players that were in the team have actually gone forwards since Clarke took over? Which position has Australia improved in?

 

[00Stinger]

Which players that were in the team have actually gone forwards since Clarke took over? Which position has Australia improved in?

You can only work with what you have got, and poor old Clark ain't got much to work with.

I would say other than Siddle, no one who has been in the team for a couple of years has improved.

 

[damochandler]

from what i gather from this press conference. the team is a shambles and this frivolous thing is a front for something else

 

[Caesar]

Look we are clearly on different sides of the fence, there are similarities with the Border era but I can't see Border or Simpson pulling a stunt like this, in fact I heard him say so himself on Fox this morning.

Which is easy to say when you're outside the tent and not in full possession of the facts. IIRC Chappelli had some pretty scathing things to say about some of Border's decisions early in the piece as well.

The difference I see is that players might not necessarily have liked Border, but even those most harshly done by under his reign such as Mo Matthews have nothing but the highest respect for him. I don't think the same applies here.

Hindsight is 20-20. Border's respect was earned through results. Plenty of people didn't respect him when his personal dislike of Murray Bennett torpedoed his Test career, but that's before the side started winning. Now 30 years later hardly anyone remembers who Murray Bennett was, and Border's penchant for favouritism is just regarded as being a good judge of players.

If this period of turbulence results in Clarke building a team on his own terms that wins matches then he will be plenty respected.

 

[Smoooothy]

Watson is a dual AB Medallist.

watson won the dual AB medals in mediocre years. it's like saying woewoedin won a brownlow..

 

[western royboy]

Which is easy to say when you're outside the tent and not in full possession of the facts. IIRC Chappelli had some pretty scathing things to say about some of Border's decisions early in the piece as well.


Hindsight is 20-20. Border's respect was earned through results. Plenty of people didn't respect him when his personal dislike of Murray Bennett torpedoed his Test career, but that's before the side started winning. Now 30 years later hardly anyone remembers who Murray Bennett was, and Border's penchant for favouritism is just regarded as being a good judge of players.

If this period of turbulence results in Clarke building a team on his own terms that wins matches then he will be plenty respected.

Yes he will but it's an all in call and it can only go one of to ways. Plenty of great players have been ordinary captains. I am not arguing that not completeing the requested questionairre did not require some disciplinary action, clearly it should have but there are too many holes in the limited information that we have been provided to get to the drastic action of standing four players down from a Test Match.

This is a unequivocal disaster on a number of fronts, this tour has been a massive **** up on so many levels, it needs its own Argus review.

 

[NSWCROW]

Yeah i'm with management on this.

Doesn't matter if it was a sheet of paper they had to fill out or go out and field 200 grounders....

If you're not part of the solution..............

 

[Xsess]

God, I am so sick of this sort of shit. It's bullshit. Clarke is probably the best captain we've had since Taylor. And the shit about Clarke on the catwalk, wake up. It's not 1968 anymore. Every player in the Australian team with a decent profile and half decent looks makes some cash on the sides with endorsements.

Australia's metrosexual cricket captain, old ball batsmen extraordinaire, selector and part time model clearly has a petulent streak and a problem with robust men. Symo, Huss, Katich and now Watson (that we know of). Its quite a list. Not to mention the many good players grubbing around in domestic cricket, because they didn't get golden boys nod.

 

[Suckling2Gunston]

Yeah i'm with management on this.

Doesn't matter if it was a sheet of paper they had to fill out or go out and field 200 grounders....

If you're not part of the solution..............

Well clearly Clarke is part of the problem, if not the entire problem. So...

 

[Caesar]

Yes he will but it's an all in call and it can only go one of to ways. Plenty of great players have been ordinary captains.

As has been the case with every total rebuild of a champion team since the beginning of sport. The line between ignominy and genius is a fine one.

I am not arguing that not completeing the requested questionairre did not require some disciplinary action, clearly it should have but there are too many holes in the limited information that we have been provided to get to the drastic action of standing four players down from a Test Match.

That doesn't even make any sense. If your information is limited, of course there is going to be holes. Seems to me that in the absence of full information you're just picking a truth that suits you.

The action sounds totally plausible and justifiable to me. Of course there could be more to the story than we're being told - that's always the case - but in the absence of further information I'm not going to go around saying the decision is out and out wrong.

 

[western royboy]

As has been the case with every total rebuild of a champion team since the beginning of sport. The line between ignominy and genius is a fine one.


That doesn't even make any sense. If your information is limited, of course there is going to be holes. Seems to me that in the absence of full information you're just picking a truth that suits you.

The action sounds totally plausible and justifiable to me. Of course there could be more to the story than we're being told - that's always the case - but in the absence of further information I'm not going to go around saying the decision is out and out wrong.

Clearly we disagree.

 

[carnthemlions]

Australia's metrosexual cricket captain, old ball batsmen extraordinaire, selector and part time model clearly has a petulent streak and a problem with robust men. Symo, Huss, Katich and now Watson (that we know of). Its quite a list. Not to mention the many good players grubbing around in domestic cricket, because they didn't get golden boys nod.

Yeah, just a terrible post.

 

[courtjester]

Australia's metrosexual cricket captain, old ball batsmen extraordinaire, selector and part time model clearly has a petulent streak and a problem with robust men. Symo, Huss, Katich and now Watson (that we know of). Its quite a list. Not to mention the many good players grubbing around in domestic cricket, because they didn't get golden boys nod.

Symonds- Preferred to get pissed and go fishing than do the team thing. Maybe ok at club 4ths level, completely inappropriate when you're an elite athlete with a large Cricket Australia contract
Hussey- Decided he wanted to retire. No one made him retire. Clarke didn't.
Katich- Probably the one out of the pack you could say was hard done by. Obviously both him and Clarke acted like tools that night, whatever happened.
Watson- Petulant entitled overrated pretty boy who thinks the Australian test team revolves around whatever role he decides he wants that particular day. **** off.


All Clarke's fault, eh?

 

[legend166]

I love how the only player who seems to be preparing correctly and performing is the one who is the problem.

I also love how people are still clinging to that hilariously implausible chain email just to justify their weird hatred of Clarke.

 

[i_need_a_pencil]

This team and administration is a joke.

I'm happy with neither parties in this. Over-reaction that should be dealt with internally, and a bunch of cocky players with bad attitudes.

Something here needs to give because I'm growing tired of the Australian Internationals honestly - and I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

[TassieEagle]

I love how the only player who seems to be preparing correctly and performing is the one who is the problem.

I also love how people are still clinging to that hilariously implausible chain email just to justify their weird hatred of Clarke.

I know, but clearly without this cancer that is Clarke we would be piling on 600 and winning by an inning instead of the other way around

 

[Belnakor]

Clarke must holding back all those batsman in the shield who are averaging over 50

 

[Admiral Byng]

I can understand why players on the fringes losing respect for management and coaching staff. The constant chopping and changing of the team, the resting of players for no good reason - all of it contributes to poor morale and lack of team culture. Then the management putting it all back on the players to come up with ways to solve the problem - I'd tell them to piss off too.