Neil Harvey........

[The Passenger]

anyone else think he has an absolute huge chip on his shoulder???

He obviousbly has a major disliking for Steve Waugh, and feels extremely insecure about the 1948 team in terms of their place in Australia's cricket history after the current teams fantastic achievements in recent years.

During the upcoming summer, no doubt, as over the past two summers, we will be hearing more from Harvey (who I regard as a very fine cricketer) and how he think's this team is overrated, wouldn't hold a candle to the 1948 team and so on and so forth.

Just watching England play South Africa on Fox Sports, there was an Inside Cricket special on the 1948 Invincbled and there was an interview with him - I'm not sure from how long ago but I think it was during last summer where he was claiming there were many flaws in the current team, and if he were the selector there would "be quite a few changes, starting with a new captain".

I don't know about you, but when a team has hardly been beaten in the last 4-5 years, it would be wiser to let things go on the same way as they have been..........or has a new selection policy been adopted where players get dropped for perfomring

Anyone else agree that cricket would be far better served, not to mention he'd be doing himself a lot of favours too, if he didn't constantly take every single opportunity he can too diminish the current teams achievements. His own record (I think he feels very threatened by Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Allan Border about threatening his position as the best middle order batsmen behind Braddles and Chappelli Australia has produced), and the record of the 1948 team will speak for themselves, and his words aren't helping them in any way shape or form.

 

[Wicked Lester]

There is probably some truth in what you say, though Harvey is generally more questioning of the current team's attitude than their ability and I guess he's not Robinson Crusoe there. Perhaps he just feels he is the guardian of the memory of the Invincibles?

I've heard him speak and he can come across a little bitter.

I assume you mean 'Braddles and Chappell, G - not Chappelli (who was nevertheless a fine number three).

Personally I don't think Harvey should worry - he got the nod in the team of the century in the middle order along with Braddles and Greg Chappell. He was a number three bat of the highest order - his place in history is assured.

 

[EagleBlue]

No doubt he is a very bitter man !!! His constant sniping of Allan Border when he was busting his gut trying to drag what was for most of his career at ratsh1t team up from the canvass was nothing short of disgraceful

 

[P76]

Like Wicked, I have heard the great man speak and noted 2 things. 1, he is not a very good speaker, and suffered in comparison to Sam Loxton, who was also chatting that night, and 2, yes, he does have a very large chip on his shoulder.

The thing I ask myself is why does he? As has been said here, everyone who knows anything about cricket would acknowledge his greatness, and for all the hoo-haa about the current team, the Invincibles do not really need defending, I think their status as one of, if not the, finest teams ever will never be in doubt.

I just think Harvs is a bit of a grumpy old man, and I think it might have to do with him never getting the captaincy - I seem to remember he got stuck into Ian Craig as well the night I was there.

 

[JUBJUB]

Originally posted by Black Thunder
anyone else think he has an absolute huge chip on his shoulder???

I think every newsroom/newspaper in Aus has him on their speed dial.When ever there is a major cricket story in Aus [i.e Warne pill popping],the newsrooms/newspapers seem to get a quote from Neil "Dial-a-quote" Harvey.

 

[Dipper]

I find this quite interesting, we even get the odd Neil Harvey attack on the current Aussie side reported over here.

Of course we have our own list of former cricketers who like to put the boot in (the '...in our day...' mob), number 1 would be Fred Trueman with honourable metnions to Alec Bedser & Geoff Boycott.

But really they have it so easy, there's juss so much ammunition for them, I would have thought it must be a pretty thankless task trying to continuosly talk down the achievements of this current Australian side.

 

[The Passenger]

Originally posted by DIPPER
But really they have it so easy, there's juss so much ammunition for them, I would have thought it must be a pretty thankless task trying to continuosly talk down the achievements of this current Australian side.

and thats what makes it so hard to fathom from Neil Harvey.

As has been mentioned by me and others in here, anyone who knows anything about Australian cricket knows the name of Neil Harvey and his great record, and the record of the invincibles.

It seems as if he fears the record has been diminished in recent years, but it never will - the only thing that will diminish his own record and that of the invincibles is the man himself with his constant bagging of the current team.

 

[dr nick]

yeah, i've noticed this over recent years as well. i think it is an issue of him feeling as though the team he used to play in is under threat of not being referred to as the golden era of australian cricket.

the way he bags this nations efforts on the cricket pitch is staggering, ranging from we dont have worthy opposition to the quality of the pitches and everything else he can grab.

 

[skilts]

My brother played District cricket with Harvey at Fitzroy. He had no time for him at all. Reckons Harvey was up himself, and a snob.

Then again, I have no time for my brother, so he could be a chucking farmer.

 

[P76]

Been chatting to my dad - hopeless cricketer, but did attend Collingwood Tech in the 40's with Harvey - apparently a bit snobby at school too (which didn't get you far in Fitzroy in those days), so it seems your brother might be right Skilts.

 

[wagstaff]

For all Neil Harvey's talk about poor behaviour standards, let's not forget that he was one of the trio of selectors who sacked Bill Lawry as Australian captain in 1971.

Harvey nor the others didn't even have the courtesy to tell Lawry personally that he'd been sacked, he was told by one of his teammates who'd heard the news before Bill did!

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I have been listening to, and reading columns written by Neil Harvey since I started watching cricket in the 1960s. To say he has a chip on his shoulder is an understatement.
He lives in the past all the time, never giving the contemporary cricketer any credit for their ability, and always quick to remind everyone that no Australian team could match it with the 1948 side.
The media have always known Harvey is good for a BS comment and go running to him all the time for some controversy ... and he never lets them down.

 

[P76]

Originally posted by wagstaff
For all Neil Harvey's talk about poor behaviour standards, let's not forget that he was one of the trio of selectors who sacked Bill Lawry as Australian captain in 1971.

Harvey nor the others didn't even have the courtesy to tell Lawry personally that he'd been sacked, he was told by one of his teammates who'd heard the news before Bill did!

Wish someone would ask him why - it would be fascinating to hear the self justifications / blame that would follow.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Originally posted by P76
Wish someone would ask him why - it would be fascinating to hear the self justifications / blame that would follow.

Well, Bill Lawry was only 900 runs short of Harvey and he didn't want him catching up. I also recall Harvey calling for the dropping of Greg Chappell and Mark Waugh around the time they were poised to overtake Harvey in the runs aggregate lists.
Funny that.