Worst test team ever???

[footballfreak]

After witnessing this 4th test I can't remember a time when the australian cricket team have been this BAD So it begs the question is this the worst australian test team you've ever witnessed????

I do regard the our test team that we had assembled in 07 to regain the Ashes in australia as the best team we've ever had 5-0. I just can't believe that in 4 years our standards have slipped so dramatically. Yes we've lost legends and champions in the game in hayden, langer, warne, mcgrath, Gilchrist, Lee & Symonds. Our batsmen have failed dramatically. and our bowlers are struggling to even take 10 wickets.

Who to blame? Finger has to be pointed at the men off the field. Our selectors and the coach. Skills have gone down. And the lack of faith in a spinner as well as refusing to drop underperforming batsmen are the problem.

I do believe that Ponting tactically on the field was been assisted by the brilliant minds of Warne and Glichrist during our successful era. This series has shown the flaws in his captaincy and the lack of leadership that is even being shown on that cricket pitch.

Issues after this test series. Changes in the test team, Ponting's captaincy,The Spinner and where to play Watson.

 

[Johnson#26]

1998 in India. Gavin Robertson, Paul Wilson, Kasper and Blewett the strike bowlers. Kasper's a gun, though.

 

[aneale]

After witnessing this 4th test I can't remember a time when the australian cricket team have been this BAD So it begs the question is this the worst australian test team you've ever witnessed????

I do regard the our test team that we had assembled in 07 to regain the Ashes in australia as the best team we've ever had 5-0. I just can't believe that in 4 years our standards have slipped so dramatically. Yes we've lost legends and champions in the game in hayden, langer, warne, mcgrath, Gilchrist, Lee & Symonds. Our batsmen have failed dramatically. and our bowlers are struggling to even take 10 wickets.

Who to blame? Finger has to be pointed at the men off the field. Our selectors and the coach. Skills have gone down. And the lack of faith in a spinner as well as refusing to drop underperforming batsmen are the problem.

I do believe that Ponting tactically on the field was been assisted by the brilliant minds of Warne and Glichrist during our successful era. This series has shown the flaws in his captaincy and the lack of leadership that is even being shown on that cricket pitch.

Issues after this test series. Changes in the test team, Ponting's captaincy,The Spinner and where to play Watson.

Good lord no. How old are you? There was a period where our only batsmen was Allen Border, if he didn't score a hundred in each innings we were ****ed. Who can forget the sight of Greg Ritchie opening the batting in the WI with the awe inspiring attack of Carl Rackemann, John Maguire and Tom Hogan supporting Henry.

One game Flipper would be keeper and bat at 7, then he'd be opening with Roger Woolley keeping, you reckon the current Steve Smith is out of his depth, you should have seen the first Steve Smith. Then he;d get dropped and Graeme Wood would come in, we took 6 openers to the WI in 84.

None of them (apart from Border) could catch it was a disgrace.

84/85/86/87 should be stricken from the record, the fielding got to laughable levels at one point. I still remember the picture in the Tiser of Flipper facepalming himself with one of his gloves after Craig McDermott dropped something an U12 would have swallowed and that was after the likes of Ritchie and Boon slaughtered regulation edges they should have swallowed.

Beaten by NZ at home! NZ! Robbie Kerr, Dave Gilbert, Chris Matthews, Ray Bright, Simon O'Donnell, it was a veritable parade of ordinary. Every time the opposition went out to bat it seemed like 3 of them made hundreds. No wonder the ACB created the cricket academy in 87.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Good lord no. How old are you? There was a period where our only batsmen was Allen Border, if he didn't score a hundred in each innings we were ****ed. Who can forget the sight of Greg Ritchie opening the batting in the WI with the awe inspiring attack of Carl Rackemann, John Maguire and Tom Hogan supporting Henry.

One game Flipper would be keeper and bat at 7, then he'd be opening with Roger Woolley keeping, you reckon the current Steve Smith is out of his depth, you should have seen the first Steve Smith. Then he;d get dropped and Graeme Wood would come in, we took 6 openers to the WI in 84.

None of them (apart from Border) could catch it was a disgrace.

84/85/86/87 should be stricken from the record, the fielding got to laughable levels at one point. I still remember the picture in the Tiser of Flipper facepalming himself with one of his gloves after Craig McDermott dropped something an U12 would have swallowed and that was after the likes of Ritchie and Boon slaughtered regulation edges they should have swallowed.

Beaten by NZ at home! NZ! Robbie Kerr, Dave Gilbert, Chris Matthews, Ray Bright, Simon O'Donnell, it was a veritable parade of ordinary. Every time the opposition went out to bat it seemed like 3 of them made hundreds. No wonder the ACB created the cricket academy in 87.

I must be old too, the mid-80's were pretty vile.

But I always felt that any team that had Gary Cosier in it must have been the worst team by default. It was like someone's clumsy, slow grandad was trying to play international cricket.

Border stood out almost as soon as he arrived for his arm as well. Proper baseball style throw on him (like the Chappells).

Then there was Hilditch and Wood opening together. The thought of them still gives me the creeps.

 

[Spook]

After witnessing this 4th test I can't remember a time when the australian cricket team have been this BAD So it begs the question is this the worst australian test team you've ever witnessed????

I do regard the our test team that we had assembled in 07 to regain the Ashes in australia as the best team we've ever had 5-0. I just can't believe that in 4 years our standards have slipped so dramatically. Yes we've lost legends and champions in the game in hayden, langer, warne, mcgrath, Gilchrist, Lee & Symonds. Our batsmen have failed dramatically. and our bowlers are struggling to even take 10 wickets.

Who to blame? Finger has to be pointed at the men off the field. Our selectors and the coach. Skills have gone down. And the lack of faith in a spinner as well as refusing to drop underperforming batsmen are the problem.

I do believe that Ponting tactically on the field was been assisted by the brilliant minds of Warne and Glichrist during our successful era. This series has shown the flaws in his captaincy and the lack of leadership that is even being shown on that cricket pitch.

Issues after this test series. Changes in the test team, Ponting's captaincy,The Spinner and where to play Watson.

So why didn't you have the same opinion a whole 1 week ago then???? Exactly the same team.

Grow up child.

 

[melbournemartin]

From Wikipedia: "England lost only four Ashes Tests in the 1880s out of 23 played, and they won all the seven series contested."

We must have had a whole team of Xavier Dohertys back then

 

[skipper kelly]

The worst team ever doesn't win a Test match and have a chance at drawing a series.

 

[krisholio14]

Have a look at the teams selected during the 78/79 series v England and Pakistan.

Any one of them is easily worse than this current Australian side.

 

[Wallaby]

The correct answer is 'The Sky is falling! Panic!'.

The current side contains 3 players with a test batting average over 50.
A Bowler who was the No 1 cricketer in the world 18 months ago.
The 2nd best keeper-batsman we've ever had.

 

[Jascave]

Have a look at the teams selected during the 78/79 series v England and Pakistan.

Any one of them is easily worse than this current Australian side.

Although, in all fairness, that series against England and Pakistan in 1978-79 was played during the time of World Series Cricket, where Australia lost their best players including G & I Chappell, Lillee, Marsh, Walters etc-players with a lot of Test match experience gone. At least one good thing coming from that summer was the Test debut of a certain player called Allan Border.

 

[sherb]

After witnessing this 4th test I can't remember a time when the australian cricket team have been this BAD So it begs the question is this the worst australian test team you've ever witnessed????

So unless your memory goes back to the 1870s, how can you possibly imply (as you have in your thread title) that this is the "Worst test team ever?".

Aneale's post highlights that you probably weren't even around for the worst of the 80's, let alone anything prior to that.

 

[Partridge]

Good lord no. How old are you? There was a period where our only batsmen was Allen Border, if he didn't score a hundred in each innings we were ****ed. Who can forget the sight of Greg Ritchie opening the batting in the WI with the awe inspiring attack of Carl Rackemann, John Maguire and Tom Hogan supporting Henry.

One game Flipper would be keeper and bat at 7, then he'd be opening with Roger Woolley keeping, you reckon the current Steve Smith is out of his depth, you should have seen the first Steve Smith. Then he;d get dropped and Graeme Wood would come in, we took 6 openers to the WI in 84.

None of them (apart from Border) could catch it was a disgrace.

Quite right, compared to the mid-80s team this one is superb. Don't forget also they skipped touring the West Indies in 1987, no doubt fearful of the absolute slaughter that would have ensued.

In fairness though, the 1980s teams weren't helped by some pretty poor administration - the handing of Kim Hughes v Lillee/Marsh while captain, and the rebel tours to South Africa. It destroyed not only the talent available, but also any team spirit. No wonder it took until the early '90s to recover.

 

[Simmonds2Hislop]

Yes it is. However I was born in 1989 and started watching cricket in the late 90's.

 

[Macca19]

Worst side for 15 years maybe but definitely not the worst side of all time.

 

[grizzlym]

The Herald Sun had some sort of poll over the last test about our worst team ever. Must say that the batting line-ups in the sides they selected look stronger - on paper at least - than the one we fielded in Melbourne.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/th...-1225955841235

 

[Partridge]

The Herald Sun had some sort of poll over the last test about our worst team ever. Must say that the batting line-ups in the sides they selected look stronger - on paper at least - than the one we fielded in Melbourne.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/th...-1225955841235

Bit of an overreaction I think to call this side the worst ever. For starters the series stands at 2-1. Australia could still draw it.

People love to overhype things.

 

[Wallaby]

The Herald Sun had some sort of poll over the last test about our worst team ever. Must say that the batting line-ups in the sides they selected look stronger - on paper at least - than the one we fielded in Melbourne.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/th...-1225955841235

You're kidding, right? Graeme Wood averaged 31 in his test career. John Dyson 26. Greg Ritchie 35. Kim Hughes 37. Hilditch 31. Wayne Phillips was supposed to be a 'Batsmen who could keep' - test average 32.

Those sides were very weak.

 

[mattymac]

yeah nah the worst i can recall was when hadlee slayed us. geoff lawson and dave gilbert trundling in, hilditch opening the batting. twas a nightmare.

although this current team is doing its best to imitate a team of talentless hacks

 

[grizzlym]

You're kidding, right? Graeme Wood averaged 31 in his test career. John Dyson 26. Greg Ritchie 35. Kim Hughes 37. Hilditch 31. Wayne Phillips was supposed to be a 'Batsmen who could keep' - test average 32.

Those sides were very weak.

On paper being the operative phrase!

 

[Partridge]

You're kidding, right? Graeme Wood averaged 31 in his test career. John Dyson 26. Greg Ritchie 35. Kim Hughes 37. Hilditch 31. Wayne Phillips was supposed to be a 'Batsmen who could keep' - test average 32.

Those sides were very weak.

Phillips was a much better batsman when he wasn't keeping, but much like Alec Stewart they made him a keeper (although he really wasn't), with the result his batting suffered.

Anyone who could make a hundred against that 1983/84 West Indies side could play.

 

[brmi]

The correct answer is 'The Sky is falling! Panic!'.

The current side contains 3 players with a test batting average over 50.
A Bowler who was the No 1 cricketer in the world 18 months ago.
The 2nd best keeper-batsman we've ever had.

His batting only just makes up for his pathetic keeping. Not a great keeper by anyone's standards.

 

[aneale]

You're kidding, right? Graeme Wood averaged 31 in his test career. John Dyson 26. Greg Ritchie 35. Kim Hughes 37. Hilditch 31. Wayne Phillips was supposed to be a 'Batsmen who could keep' - test average 32.

Those sides were very weak.

no he was an opening batsmen who had experience has a back-up keeper at junior level and Club level, not that he pulled the gloves on for SA. They forced him into keeping due to the tragic state of Shield keepers post Rod Marsh.

He was ridiculously talented in the same vein as Mark Waugh, one of the best timers of a cricket ball you would ever see. I saw every ball of his 159 on debut against Pakistan, his second batting at 8 in Bridgetown against Marshall, Holding and Garner pretty much ended his career as it convinced the selectors he should be a keeper/batsmen, something he could never maintain given the test before he opened as well as kept. The poor bastard would stand out in the sun scrambling for every rubbish wide ball and lousy throw from substandard fielding as WI after WI tore our crap attack apart, then they expected him to open. he played every test in the West Indies in 1984, opened in 3, kept in 4 and also batted 8 in one test and 7 in another.

That series was a debacle, the openers for each test

1) Smith & Wessels
2) Wessels & Phillips
3) Smith & Wood
4) Phillips & Ritchie
5) Phillips & Smith

Shambles.

 

[Doodlesweaver]

His batting only just makes up for his pathetic keeping. Not a great keeper by anyone's standards.

He's not even a great keeper by Gilly's standards and he was hardly brilliant.

Got some fight in him with the bat, but reckless as well. You always expect him to get out wafting with his feet planted in concrete. For a man with good footwork, he doesn't bother with it that often.

The mid-80's were really dire. I'd forgotten or put out of my mind the line-up shuffling that used to go on.

But I remember the emergence of AB. Out of dark times for the cricket team can come real gems and those times show up the players with proper fight in them.

 

[krisholio14]

Although, in all fairness, that series against England and Pakistan in 1978-79 was played during the time of World Series Cricket, where Australia lost their best players including G & I Chappell, Lillee, Marsh, Walters etc-players with a lot of Test match experience gone. At least one good thing coming from that summer was the Test debut of a certain player called Allan Border.

By the same token, the mid 80's period was severely hampered by the South African rebel tours.

Along with that, it wasn't as though the Australian side was traveling superbly before WSC. The 1977 tourists to England were flogged.

If you go back and have a look at that 1978/79 summer, the sides they picked were horrible for the most part, but then have a look at some of the players who were playing Shield cricket (and playing well), and did not get selected - like Terry Alderman and Geoff Lawson for example.

Still, even during both of these periods, the one thing you have to admire about Australian sides is that even when they sucked, they still found ways to win games in live series (unless they were playing the West Indies) in both tests and ODI's.

If you want to see a terrible test line up for one of the experienced nations, check this one....

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63488.html

In that period, England were flogged 10-0 by the West Indies in a 10 test home and away series. Not even the worst Australian sides were hammered that badly.

 

[aneale]

By the same token, the mid 80's period was severely hampered by the South African rebel tours.

Yes and no, Mike Haysman was the only real talent lost to those tours. he had grown impatient for his shot and took the chance, he was a bit of a cricket tragedy, jumped to the rebel tours when he was probably 1 more good Shield season from playing in tests and then moved to SAF too early for their revival,

But the rest, Hughes (had burnt his bridges) J Dyson, T Hogan, J Maguire, C Rackemann, S Rixon, R McCurdy, S Smith, K Wessels, G Yallop they were all their through the bad times anyway.