Phil Hughes skips Big Bash to focus on technique

[The_Reaper]

it's a bit ironic however that if he hadn't been dropped during the ashes australia's best performed cricketer since the the 2009 ashes might still be sitting on about a dozen tests, or however many he had at that time.


admittedly, you'd imagine watson would've got a chance somewhere over the last two years given khawaja, marsh, smith, cowan have all been given a shot.

Watson would have come in the moment North was dropped

 

[King Elvis]

We could've dropped Johnson, save a few wasted years there.. Novel idea though, dropping the player who wasn't performing, instead of the kid who was.

 

[Thommo 42]

You're 100% right. Only difference is Warner seems like a hardnut mentally and Hughes always seemed confused.

Warner seems like as much as he's committed to developing into a great test cricket player, he'd tell people to get ****ed if they told him to relax and stop playing so aggressively. It's Warners way or the highway. Warner has a an eye like Sehwag and I don't think Hughes is quite in that realm of natural ball pick up.

Plus he bowls and fields like Symonds.

Sorry off-topic.

Agree, Warner seems extremely strong mentally.

Then again, imagine if he was dropped after 1 test in the West Indies and told he has technical issues?

That would essentially be similar to what happened to Hughes. That would test Warner just like it tested Hughes, and sometimes just saying 'up yours, I don't have an issue' will do you more harm than good. We all know Cricket Australia can hold a serious grudge.

it's a bit ironic however that if he hadn't been dropped during the ashes australia's best performed cricketer since the the 2009 ashes might still be sitting on about a dozen tests, or however many he had at that time.

Watson could/should have replaced Hussey in that Ashes Series. Would have been ideal, as he would have been batting 4/5 where he belongs too.

Hussey was in the middle of a slump of epic proportions that lasted well beyond that series right until the beginning of the 10/11 Ashes

 

[King Elvis]

Hughes isn't mentally weak - he's so desperate and driven to perform that he's been willing to throw away everything he knows to try and rebuild himself as the player Nielsen/Hilditch told him he needed to be.

Warner doesn't appear mentally weak, but Hughes sure as hell isn't either.

 

[Nankervis brothers]

Hughes, pre being stuffed, was miles ahead of Warner. He was basically miles ahead of anybody.

He wasn't confused until the national coaching setup convinced him his technique - which had seen him break records and dominate every level he played at - was fatally flawed.

**** you Nielsen and **** you Hilditch.

Worse than that - that glaring weakness used to be a massive strength.

Well put, I agree with this entirely.

As i stated in another thread about Marsh, it just amazes me to think Hughes was first dropped after 4 tests, with 2 centuries to his name and an average at the time in the 50's (and an overall F/C average in the high 50's). All over a perceived technical weakness with the short ball which was more myth than reality. The damage that must have done to his confidence, let alone all the over coaching that followed - complete ****ing mess IMO. Seems to have really impinged on his natural game, which was awesome to watch in full flight.

His saving grace is that he is only 23. So he is still young in cricket terms. If he puts together a couple more consistent years with NSW he will probably get another chance. I hope so, as i personally feel he has been royally dicked by the Australian cricket fraternity in general.

 

[BluesMan]

He did change his technique after 2009 and created a glaring weakness that didn't exist before.

The weakness was already there, but the bowlers didnt exploit it as much, having not much info about him. He didnt create a weakness. I dont believe he changed much tbh. Still went away to leg stump. But this technique may work for him.

 

[King Elvis]

So when did the bowlers exploit it?

Considering his Ashes dismissals were varied, and included a claimed non-catch, in two Tests?