Cricket Discussion - Part 1

[raptalia]

Just watched Pat Howard at a presser in Hobart. What exactly is he responsible for??. Yes I know his job title say high performance but exactly what does that entail? The whole profrssional level set up ie anyone who has a contract to play at national and state level?? Or something else that is more specific?

Welcome to the club, that is a question I have been asking for the past twelve months ago. Exactly what Howard does is debatable but what is not in question is his influence behind the scenes. Nothing seems to happen without Howard's opinion being sought. He has a 'Teflon Persona' as all of the shit appears to stick to people like Steve Smith, Boof Lehmann, individual players and the selectors and none of the blame ever gets laid on Howard.

I posted this some months ago and in subsequent months I find I do not have to retract any of it...

Time for Pat Howard to go. He is the High Performance Manager in a side that still cannot handle the Sub Continent. Boof Lehmann may have a vision of us going forward and Howard may think the team is moving forward but the results in the Test series just past suggest otherwise.

The comments in the article below are interesting. Obviously Mr Howard does not like someone telling it how it is.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/1049335.html

Howard should go and if they must have a HPM at least replace him with someone who has played the game at the highest level. Why do you need a middle man between the players and Cricket Australia anyway? Surely the Coach should have a direct line to Sutherland? Is Cricket Australia so out of touch with the playing group that they need a highly paid go between?

PS The link to the article above probably explains what Howard does but whether what he has done has been of any benefit is another matter.

 

[philreich]

Welcome to the mid 1980's - this is as bad as Australian cricket has been since then. And with no quick fix on the horizon, I forecast 2-3 more years of pain before we see much improvement.

 

[raptalia]

People interstate say we South Australians have a complex about Test selection. If you look at this morning's press it is not hard to understand why. There is a syndicated article probably originating interstate in which Ben Horne sings the praises of 23 year old New South Welshman Kurtis Pattinson. Nothing against Pattinson who has a first class average of 42.56 from 32 matches and is a good prospect but what about Jake Lehmann who as an average of 49 from 18 matches ?

Maybe half way competent selectors would have these two guys penciled in and be prepared to give them a go before they reach 30 ? They might also look at Weatherald and Head but as they play in SA that is not likely.

Getting back to Pat Howard, if he was at all competent he would be insisting that the Australia A concept is expanded so that prospects like Lehmann, Pattinson, Head and Weatherald are given experience in the sub continent and in England against international competition. Howard should also be 'button holing' James Sutherland and bitching about the appalling preparation the Australians had leading into the Sri Lankan series and this current series. I note that former Australian captain Kim Hughes is questioning Cricket Australia's commitment to Test Cricket and he cites the poor scheduling in this series in evidence.

I guess we cannot have any sort of fix if those in charge cannot see the problems and know not how to fix them.

 

[LFC2010]

Mennie gets his wicket.

Still think Sayers should've got selected in front him.
South Africans proving you can make runs on this wicket as long as you respect the good bowling

 

[LukeSA]

Joe burns out, duck.

 

[Alberton Proud]

Joe the goose

 

[Rising Power]

People interstate say we South Australians have a complex about Test selection. If you look at this morning's press it is not hard to understand why. There is a syndicated article probably originating interstate in which Ben Horne sings the praises of 23 year old New South Welshman Kurtis Pattinson. Nothing against Pattinson who has a first class average of 42.56 from 32 matches and is a good prospect but what about Jake Lehmann who as an average of 49 from 18 matches ?

Maybe half way competent selectors would have these two guys penciled in and be prepared to give them a go before they reach 30 ? They might also look at Weatherald and Head but as they play in SA that is not likely.

Getting back to Pat Howard, if he was at all competent he would be insisting that the Australia A concept is expanded so that prospects like Lehmann, Pattinson, Head and Weatherald are given experience in the sub continent and in England against international competition. Howard should also be 'button holing' James Sutherland and bitching about the appalling preparation the Australians had leading into the Sri Lankan series and this current series. I note that former Australian captain Kim Hughes is questioning Cricket Australia's commitment to Test Cricket and he cites the poor scheduling in this series in evidence.

I guess we cannot have any sort of fix if those in charge cannot see the problems and know not how to fix them.

To give an indication of the young players CA are looking at, these 13 players played in the 2 Australia A matches v South Africa A in Queensland in August this year. I've also included the averages for the batsmen and all-rounders.

Cam Bancroft (WA) (Avg 37 in 44 FC matches...also a wk)
Matt Renshaw (Qld) (41 in 11)
Kurtis Patterson (NSW) (42 in 32)
Jake Lehmann (SA) (48 in 18)
Peter Handscomb* (Vic) (38 in 60...also a wk)
Marcus Stoinis (Vic via WA) (Bat avg 37, bowl avg 47 in 37 matches)
Glenn Maxwell (Vic) (Bat avg 41, bowl avg 39 in 44 matches)
Sam Whiteman+ (WA) (Bat 34 in 47)
Joe Mennie (SA via NSW)
Chris Tremain (Vic via NSW)
Dan Worrall (SA via Vic)
Scott Boland (Vic)
Mitchell Swepson (Qld)

The selectors are absolutely busting to blood Bancroft but his numbers have really fallen away since the Bangladesh tour was cancelled. Patterson and Lehmann are pretty well neck and neck but we'll obviously get the 'Adelaide Oval batting paradise' argument with the latter. Stoinis and Maxwell probably more suited to limited overs but who knows as they grow as players. Handscomb I've really come to like how he plays and can bat anywhere in the order - would love to see him at Test level in the next 12 months (obviously his average isn't great but he's getting better). Then there's Head etc as mentioned.

EDIT: Forgot there was another Australia A FC series after this in September vs India A. Patterson, Whiteman and Bancroft (one match each as wk) played in that along with Travis Dean (Vic, just made a ton), Joe Burns (Qld, 4), Nic Maddinson (NSW, yet to bat), Beau Webster (Tas, yet to bat) and Hilton Cartwright (WA all-rounder, 18). Other bowlers were Richardson, Sayers, Bird, Moody and Holland.

 

[Quadzilla]

Geez 6/150

Voges dismissal...bye bye Adam

 

[Rising Power]

Sack them all

 

[Quadzilla]

Cant blame Marshes this time

 

[LFC2010]

The Aussie Cricket team

 

[LukeSA]

Sucks that Ferguson couldn't get in the game more and i suppose his neck would be first on the chopping block for the next test.

 

[LFC2010]

Cant blame Marshes this time

Yes you can, Rod Marsh needs to go as selector. It's our current selection policy's destroying cricket in this country atm.

Langer has to go as the batting coach and get Gillespie in as our fast bowling coach, chief selector or what ever role he desires.

Give something to Lehmann to work with FFS!.

 

[1954]

8/151, this is beyond embarrassing.

 

[Grave Danger]

8/151, this is beyond embarrassing.

8/40 in a session is even beyonder.

 

[powermacs]

Looks like I won't be making from out the back of the members next week. What a bunch of spineless, over paid cowards. No fight. Pathetic.

 

[philreich]

I saw more fight from the Power in Canberra this year. Not really, but this has to be the worst Australian team for a helluva long time.

Just another damning statistic - not only did South Africa win by an innings and plenty: they also faced more overs than we did. Beyond a joke!!!

The crowd figure for day 1 in Adelaide will be very interesting.

 

[LFC2010]

That'd have to be quickest loss at home in a test match wouldn't it.

barely 7 sessions played for the match

 

[philreich]

Adam Voges' Test average against teams other than NZ and the Windies is an unflattering 20.5. With the series lost, SURELY he doesn't play in Adelaide.

 

[mic59]

Since it was 242 v 0/158 in Perth Australia scored a total of 40/693 to 20/906. 20 extra wickets lost and 213 fewer runs scored. Adam Voges with 30 runs in 4 innings must be on thin ice for the third test.

 

[JimmyBeerCans]

Nothing against Fergy but it's time to stop picking batsmen over 30, Give Voges the boot & blood someone like Travis Head ffs.

 

[philreich]

Nothing against Fergy but it's time to stop picking batsmen over 30, Give Voges the boot & blood someone like Travis Head ffs.

Pick someone in form? Are you serious?

 

[Rising Power]

CA are making a mess of the schedule and it's impacting the form of the national team. Scrap the tournament style Matador Cup and go back to the old format of Shield match, 1-2 rest days and the one dayer or vice versa. Could have had 3-4 rounds of Shield matches in by now and/or at least 1-2 State team/genuine Australia A warm-up matches against the visiting team...not this CA XI & SA 2nd XI crap...great for the players involved but we should be testing our next XI/fringe players - not 3rd stringers - against the international competition to get a handle on who is up for the challenge.

 

[philreich]

CA are making a mess of the schedule and it's impacting the form of the national team. Scrap the tournament style Matador Cup and go back to the old format of Shield match, 1-2 rest days and the one dayer or vice versa. Could have had 3-4 rounds of Shield matches in by now and/or at least 1-2 State team/genuine Australia A warm-up matches against the visiting team...not this CA XI & SA 2nd XI crap...great for the players involved but we should be testing our next XI/fringe players - not 3rd stringers - against the international competition to get a handle on who is up for the challenge.

And whose brainwave was it to schedule the Chappell/Hadlee ODI's against NZ between the 3rd Test against South Africa, and the First Test against Pakistan? The last game is just 6 days before the Gabba Test.

 

[Quadzilla]

Hayne for Adelaide test

It's been his dream since forever