Where Australian Cricket all started going wrong.

[Phone]

probably because haddin had been the back up for the 5 years before and during that time the older keepers like Berry had gone and the younger keepers like paine hadn't stepped up (and to an extent still haven't, at least in FC i feel that way). the only other keeper was Manou. nuff said. now currently we have the situation when the best keeper to take from over Haddin in ODers is Wade. he might not be the best keeper but neither is Paine and he's by far the best bat. and in tests it's probably Hartley, yet we've made Paine the one for both forms and all but stamped him as a future captain because...well actually i don't know why. Unlike Haddin and before him, Gilly, he has no right to be the uncontested back-up. That's the bigger problem in Australian kids. Stamping unproven kids with future captain and even future international players tags. See: The Australia A squads.


but i still think giving white a baggygreen as a spinner was the moment.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

probably because haddin had been the back up for the 5 years before and during that time the older keepers like Berry had gone and the younger keepers like paine hadn't stepped up (and to an extent still haven't, at least in FC i feel that way). the only other keeper was Manou. nuff said. now currently we have the situation when the best keeper to take from over Haddin in ODers is Wade. he might not be the best keeper but neither is Paine and he's by far the best bat. and in tests it's probably Hartley, yet we've made Paine the one for both forms and all but stamped him as a future captain because...well actually i don't know why. Unlike Haddin and before him, Gilly, he has no right to be the uncontested back-up. That's the bigger problem in Australian kids. Stamping unproven kids with future captain and even future international players tags. See: The Australia A squads.


but i still think giving white a baggygreen as a spinner was the moment.

The full speed ahead of anointing skippers is pissing me off no end. Why make it so hard for everyone to change tack later buy doing all this anointing?

I was very annoyed about the Aus A squads but I'm resigned now. You never know, one of the youngsters might put on an unexpected star show.

 

[Wallaby]

probably because haddin had been the back up for the 5 years before and during that time the older keepers like Berry had gone and the younger keepers like paine hadn't stepped up (and to an extent still haven't, at least in FC i feel that way). the only other keeper was Manou. nuff said. now currently we have the situation when the best keeper to take from over Haddin in ODers is Wade. he might not be the best keeper but neither is Paine and he's by far the best bat. and in tests it's probably Hartley, yet we've made Paine the one for both forms and all but stamped him as a future captain because...well actually i don't know why. Unlike Haddin and before him, Gilly, he has no right to be the uncontested back-up. That's the bigger problem in Australian kids. Stamping unproven kids with future captain and even future international players tags. See: The Australia A squads.


but i still think giving white a baggygreen as a spinner was the moment.

Gilchrist was NEVER the 'uncontested' back up to Healy. There was a lot of discussion as to who it would be, and although Gilchrist got the nod because of his batting in the ODIs he really didn't take off until he went to opening (which was about his 20th game). His keeping was really poor. I remember having a lot of discussion with a mate after the 99 WC which we won, along the lines of 'we have to find a better keeper - this bloke hasn't improved his keeping and his batting isn't good enough'.

As soon as he started in tests, his batting went up a notch - his keeping took a little while.

There is such a difference between first-class and Test cricket, any player making his debut is not ready and has a lot to learn.

 

[Bomber Bears]

Healy was told to retire because they wanted Gilchrist in the side. It was a fairly uncontested back up spot.

 

[Kingpin]

First sign to me was when CA didn't back Symonds when Harbajan called him a monkey in Sydney. They crawled to India for their money instead, not to mention appeasing India threat of going home if Harbajan's 3 game suspension wasn't overturned. Symonds was never mentally the same, basically saying fck 'em, as we saw, and I believe the players and CA's relationship became fractured because of it. CA must've lost so much respect in the players eyes. Coincidence or not, Aussie cricket gone downhill slowly from there. Problems (Hilditch, coaching etc....) after just complicated it all further.

This

 

[Wallaby]

Healy was told to retire because they wanted Gilchrist in the side. It was a fairly uncontested back up spot.

Healy was told to retire because he'd lost it. His keeping deteriorated suddenly, and his last 20 test innings yielded 170 runs at an average of 8.5. That's why there was all the fuss about not giving him the First test at the Gabba 'To say Goodbye' - there was no argument about dropping him.

 

[Cleavy]

Healy was told to retire because he'd lost it. His keeping deteriorated suddenly, and his last 20 test innings yielded 170 runs at an average of 8.5. That's why there was all the fuss about not giving him the First test at the Gabba 'To say Goodbye' - there was no argument about dropping him.

His case of the dropsies cost us a win in that Windies series in 1999 where Lara was plundering runs