Opinion Cricket thread

[Star]

The next crop do look a cut above the current.

Another fallout from Sandpaper-gate is Paine as Captain keeps Carey out (I'd play him as a batsman personally)

Then there are the kids Jack Edwards, Will Sutherland, Will Pucosvki, Jason Sangha, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope and even Steve Waugh's young bloke, Austin

As much as I agree with forcing them to break the door down, we have guys like Mitch Marsh averaging 30 in the Shield getting a prolonged opportunity at it. I can't see the pain in blooding one or two now

 

[kangaspurs]

Remember when batters had to peel off multiple 1,000 run Shield seasons to get picked in the test team?

Pucosvki has less than 600 FC runs in his whole career. Shouldn't even be considered before 2020-21.

I know what you mean, mate, but we're a long way from the halcyon days of Australian cricket. It's a different time. The guy with the most runs in the Shield atm is Matty Wade and very few players are averaging more than 50, one of whom is Pucovski (and his average is 100+).

The team needs to go through a serious transition with more talent needing to be exposed to test cricket imo. We can't just wait for Smith and Warner to return and hope that's going to be a panacea to the present woes. There's no telling what form or mental state they'll be in, so they need talent around them. Finch absolutely is not a long-term test cricketer and as much I like Pete Handscomb I doubt his technique will hold up over the journey either.

Don't get me wrong, I don't actually think he will be selected, and it's obviously not a disaster if he's not, but it would be a commendable, daring risk from the selection committee, and would generate some real excitement.

 

[kangaspurs]

The next crop do look a cut above the current.

Another fallout from Sandpaper-gate is Paine as Captain keeps Carey out (I'd play him as a batsman personally)

Then there are the kids Jack Edwards, Will Sutherland, Will Pucosvki, Jason Sangha, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope and even Steve Waugh's young bloke, Austin

As much as I agree with forcing them to break the door down, we have guys like Mitch Marsh averaging 30 in the Shield getting a prolonged opportunity at it. I can't see the pain in blooding one or two now

Not sure about bringing out Merlo this early.

He'll only get better with age.

 

[Star]

Not sure about bringing out Merlo this early.

He'll only get better with age.

I'm yet to see a decent Australian one so I look forward to what is brought to the table!

 

[big_e]

I know what you mean, mate, but we're a long way from the halcyon days of Australian cricket. It's a different time. The guy with the most runs in the Shield atm is Matty Wade and very few players are averaging more than 50, one of whom is Pucovski (and his average is 100+).

The team needs to go through a serious transition with more talent needing to be exposed to test cricket imo. We can't just wait for Smith and Warner to return and hope that's going to be a panacea to the present woes. There's no telling what form or mental state they'll be in, so they need talent around them. Finch absolutely is not a long-term test cricketer and as much I like Pete Handscomb I doubt his technique will hold up over the journey either.

Don't get me wrong, I don't actually think he will be selected, and it's obviously not a disaster if he's not, but it would be a commendable, daring risk from the selection committee, and would generate some real excitement.

If you look back at the last time we got ourselves out of a hole like this, we did it with solid cricketers, not potential stars to generate excitement. Mark Taylor had played first-class cricket for four years before playing for Australia, David Boon the same, Geoff Marsh about eight years, Dean Jones three years. Steve Waugh was one year but he was the outlier.

Once you get that consistency back, some reliability, then you can give the young, exciting guys a chance around them. Marcus Harris, with 4,000 FC runs, is a good selection. Travis Head, with 5,000 FC runs, is a good selection. Handscomb, 6,000 FC runs, good selection. None of them are world-beaters, but all will settle the side for the time being until someone emerges with a FC average in the high 40s over a couple of seasons and takes their place.

 

[KiwiRoo]

I know what you mean, mate, but we're a long way from the halcyon days of Australian cricket. It's a different time. The guy with the most runs in the Shield atm is Matty Wade and very few players are averaging more than 50, one of whom is Pucovski (and his average is 100+).

The team needs to go through a serious transition with more talent needing to be exposed to test cricket imo. We can't just wait for Smith and Warner to return and hope that's going to be a panacea to the present woes. There's no telling what form or mental state they'll be in, so they need talent around them. Finch absolutely is not a long-term test cricketer and as much I like Pete Handscomb I doubt his technique will hold up over the journey either.

Don't get me wrong, I don't actually think he will be selected, and it's obviously not a disaster if he's not, but it would be a commendable, daring risk from the selection committee, and would generate some real excitement.

they said the same thing about Steve Smith too.
Its a case of identifying those who have the mental fortitude and sticking with them imo

I also feel a bit sorry for young batsmen at the moment as it looks to me that a lot more result pitches are being prepared around the world ( and about time too !)
Which will make it a difficult to establish yourself

 

[KiwiRoo]

I'm yet to see a decent Australian one so I look forward to what is brought to the table!

Im with you Star.. forget the starter wines you need a big full bodied Aussie red.....a Craig McDermott wine

 

[Snake_Baker]

The game will be over by 5 o'clock tomorrow.

 

[Unity-28]

The game will be over by 5 o'clock tomorrow.

that is horrible. im all for the bowlers having a pitch that rewards good bowling, but that is way to far the bowlers way....

 

[WesternRoo]

If you look back at the last time we got ourselves out of a hole like this, we did it with solid cricketers, not potential stars to generate excitement. Mark Taylor had played first-class cricket for four years before playing for Australia, David Boon the same, Geoff Marsh about eight years, Dean Jones three years. Steve Waugh was one year but he was the outlier.

Once you get that consistency back, some reliability, then you can give the young, exciting guys a chance around them. Marcus Harris, with 4,000 FC runs, is a good selection. Travis Head, with 5,000 FC runs, is a good selection. Handscomb, 6,000 FC runs, good selection. None of them are world-beaters, but all will settle the side for the time being until someone emerges with a FC average in the high 40s over a couple of seasons and takes their place.

Some reasonable points here.

The biggest issue is we moved away from the cricket coach with the ill fitting tracksuit for the sports science / inter sport professional types.

The disaster of Pat Howard personifies this and the hurt is starting to be felt now.

By doing this we pretty much ignored and destroyed club cricket and based our pathway to first class and international cricket around promoting the chosen few from the under 19’s (which largely had sketchy or limited statistical basis but in potential , fitness or gut feel).

The system that served us well for generations was make runs in club cricket , get your opportunity , make runs in shield, get your opportunity. Of course there was politics with this but it generally worked.

Now guys are in state squads because they are in a pathway because guys like Chappell and Howard put them there. Ed Cowan being left out of a shield game last year is an example of this rubbish.

Cricketers mature later. Spitting them out in their mid 20’s or not considering red hot club form from a guy of any age leads to the mess we are in now.

How Greg Chappell hasn’t gotten the boot with the rest of them is beyond me.

 

[WesternRoo]

The next crop do look a cut above the current.

Another fallout from Sandpaper-gate is Paine as Captain keeps Carey out (I'd play him as a batsman personally)

Then there are the kids Jack Edwards, Will Sutherland, Will Pucosvki, Jason Sangha, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope and even Steve Waugh's young bloke, Austin

As much as I agree with forcing them to break the door down, we have guys like Mitch Marsh averaging 30 in the Shield getting a prolonged opportunity at it. I can't see the pain in blooding one or two now

Honestly, we are at that point.

I’d wait for Smith and Warner to return however. Just maintain the status quo for this summer with this nonsensical situation we created for ourselves.

We destroyed a winning culture for this unaccountable weak dribble. What did we have to rebuild? There was one incident that quite frankly no one really cared about. Bancroft should have been suspended and Smith told to not let it happen again. That’s it.

We should have won that Adelaide test. Instead we are talking about honourable losses and elite honesty. Kohli doesn’t care about elite honesty he cares about winning.

Imagine if we suspended Higgins and Cunnington for 12 months because LDU was caught eye gauging someone and they new about it/put him up to it.

That’s basically what happened

Imagine if we then heard Scott and say JMac then talking about elite honesty and winning back trust and using this to mitigate loss after loss

 

[KiwiRoo]

The game will be over by 5 o'clock tomorrow.

Been raining in the west Snake ? Never seen a track that green in Aussie in my life. Im guessing it will get another mow but still should suit the bowlers

 

[SpiderBurton22]

Been raining in the west Snake ? Never seen a track that green in Aussie in my life. Im guessing it will get another mow but still should suit the bowlers

It would have had a mow after the pics were taken yesterday and probably another mow this morning. Hopefully it's hard as a rock underneath the grass covering and bounces like a mother ****er.

 

[SpiderBurton22]

Honestly, we are at that point.

I’d wait for Smith and Warner to return however. Just maintain the status quo for this summer with this nonsensical situation we created for ourselves.

We destroyed a winning culture for this unaccountable weak dribble. What did we have to rebuild? There was one incident that quite frankly no one really cared about. Bancroft should have been suspended and Smith told to not let it happen again. That’s it.

We should have won that Adelaide test. Instead we are talking about honourable losses and elite honesty. Kohli doesn’t care about elite honesty he cares about winning.

Imagine if we suspended Higgins and Cunnington for 12 months because LDU was caught eye gauging someone and they new about it/put him up to it.

That’s basically what happened

Imagine if we then heard Scott and say JMac then talking about elite honesty and winning back trust and using this to mitigate loss after loss

I agree with your first post but not this one. You talk about destroying a winning culture but that's not true. We have been an average team for awhile now. Sure, we win at home but overseas we just suck.

Smith was stiff because he just turned a blind eye. Bancroft was stupid, a newbie trying to impress the cool kids at school but Warner is a cancer and I'd be happy not to see him play for Australia again.

 

[Snake_Baker]

I'm happy to see the so called "world beaters" subjected to any surface that doesn't resemble plasticine.

 

[KiwiRoo]

I'm happy to see the so called "world beaters" subjected to any surface that doesn't resemble plasticine.

Im all for tracks prepared that remember that cricket is not all about batting

 

[KiwiRoo]

It would have had a mow after the pics were taken yesterday and probably another mow this morning. Hopefully it's hard as a rock underneath the grass covering and bounces like a mother ******.

me too.. the old Perth pitch was fantastic to watch cricket on

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

me too.. the old Perth pitch was fantastic to watch cricket on

1980's West Indian team likes this.

 

[KiwiRoo]

1980's West Indian team likes this.

hehehe..yep I remember that !
Pretty sure most of the batsmen were wearing adult nappies in those days

 

[Arthur Cloke]

I can still remember when Zaheer Abass toured Australia. The reason I remember it, is I’d just bought a new Malvern Star road bike with Shimano Gears. I’ve just recently upgraded to a Cannondale. I was going to go just for the 10 speed model, but then when I told the salesman I’d just had another significant pay increase to take me into the next tax bracket ($18k - $37k), he convinced me that I needed 18 speeds. And he’s right. I do.

 

[kangaspurs]

It would have had a mow after the pics were taken yesterday and probably another mow this morning. Hopefully it's hard as a rock underneath the grass covering and bounces like a mother ******.

The curator himself said that it should be very hard and fast. I think he might have even taken the risk of comparing it to the WACA pitch of old.

It'll help too that it's expected to be ~38 degrees in Perth today, with an apparent on field temp in the mid 40s. Might have a fair bit in it in the first session and a half or so, but I expect it will be very good to bat on once in on days two and three.

 

[WesternRoo]

I agree with your first post but not this one. You talk about destroying a winning culture but that's not true. We have been an average team for awhile now. Sure, we win at home but overseas we just suck.

Smith was stiff because he just turned a blind eye. Bancroft was stupid, a newbie trying to impress the cool kids at school but Warner is a cancer and I'd be happy not to see him play for Australia again.

We won the first test in SA. We had just whitewashed England.

Warner is a top 5 bat in the world and will be an immediate inclusion.

Those suggesting otherwise because he is a shit bloke should stick to watching BBL.

 

[Arthur Cloke]

We won the first test in SA. We had just whitewashed England.

Warner is a top 5 bat in the world and will be an immediate inclusion.

Those suggesting otherwise because he is a shit bloke should stick to watching BBL.

Fair to assume Warner wouldn’t get a game at NMFC if he is in fact a “shit bloke”.........

 

[SpiderBurton22]

We won the first test in SA. We had just whitewashed England.

Warner is a top 5 bat in the world and will be an immediate inclusion.


Those suggesting otherwise because he is a shit bloke should stick to watching BBL.

We'd also come off losing to India, drawing against Bangaldesh, losing to Sth Africa at home and losing to Sri Lanka. We did beat those giant killers away from home in Pakistan though. So my point stands that we were a bog average team for a while before we cheated with sandpaper and that our so called "winning culture" was not destroyed by a couple of suspensions as it had already been slowly dying.

 

[WesternRoo]

We'd also come off losing to India, drawing against Bangaldesh, losing to Sth Africa at home and losing to Sri Lanka. We did beat those giant killers away from home in Pakistan though. So my point stands that we were a bog average team for a while before we cheated with sandpaper and that our so called "winning culture" was not destroyed by a couple of suspensions as it had already been slowly dying.

I can’t disagree we have been poor away from home for an extended period.

But this path we are now taking is just rudderless and sickening and is hiding a much broader issue.