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  • pjfan31
    pjfan31 Posts: 7,335
    vedder_soup wrote:
    Suck it up Sachin! you have got to wait a little while longer... perhaps till next week when i can see you score it! :lol:


    Thats what I was thinking...

    I will settle for a Ricky Ponting hundred or a Dave Warner off 50 balls...
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  • pjfan31
    pjfan31 Posts: 7,335
    Cop that India....

    Can't wait for Pattinson to play in the Ashes...

    A great time for Aussie cricket... who to drop, who to put in? They've all showed something this summer...
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  • your move now
    your move now Posts: 1,165
    lose marsh...

    the ashes are 18 months away, you don't think you're getting ahead of yourself?
    I don't mean to offend anyone, a lot of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt... that said for most of you I'm a stranger on a computer on the other side of the world, don't give me that sort of power!
  • pjfan31
    pjfan31 Posts: 7,335
    Ever since the last ball of the last ashes test I've been waiting...
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  • Thoughts_Arrive
    Thoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    Get rid of Clarke, never stands up when we are in trouble.
    Adelaide 17/11/2009, Melbourne 20/11/2009, Sydney 22/11/2009, Melbourne (Big Day Out Festival) 24/01/2014
  • your move now
    your move now Posts: 1,165
    who knows why they made him captain... although it goes to show that our problems had nothing to do with Ricky's captaincy. and the way he got rid of katich was completely unprofessional and who is going to pay any attention to a captain that you can't respect
    I don't mean to offend anyone, a lot of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt... that said for most of you I'm a stranger on a computer on the other side of the world, don't give me that sort of power!
  • pjfan31
    pjfan31 Posts: 7,335
    Nobody was more annoyed how punter was treated than me.... But Clarke is doing a good job... His bowling changes have been spot on... His field placements have been good, even for Lyon... He has scored 3 centuries since being captain... lean in his last 2 tests...


    What I am excited about is the people who aren't in the team at the moment

    Cummins
    Watson
    Harris
    Kawaja
    Hughes
    Christian
    Bollinger
    Copeland
    Starc
    Hazlewood

    All these guys are going to be putting on some serious pressure to get a spot in the team... Which is really exciting...
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  • your move now
    your move now Posts: 1,165
    Love Kawaja... much rather have him than Marsh - and Watson should be back. Good to see some real competition for places in the team for the first time in years.

    We may have to agree to disagree on Clarkes captaincy I think
    I don't mean to offend anyone, a lot of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt... that said for most of you I'm a stranger on a computer on the other side of the world, don't give me that sort of power!
  • pjfan31
    pjfan31 Posts: 7,335
    What don't you like about him?

    I think he is the only Aussie in the top 10 of runs scored this year?

    Has captained the team to a series win in Sri Lanka (a team ranked higher than us at the time)

    Captained the team to a drawn series against South Africa in South Africa ( A team ranked higher than us)

    A drawn series agains NZ.. admittedly a poor result...

    He sets attacking fields particularly to Lyon

    He rotates the bowlers well

    I don't like how he was a pin up boy, I am very jealous that he was rooting bingle... I also don't like how the whole Simon Katich incident was played out.... Kato is a champ and a nice guy too. But coincidence or not (probably not) it looks like Australian cricket is moving forward.


    As for Kawaja, I like him too... looks like he has the goods. So does Marsh.... He is a really technically sound batsman.. shame he missed out in Melbourne..

    Thing about Aussies and the media etc is we're very quick to bash someone.. I think Hughes came under pressure way to early which built pressure on him, and it was probably the perceived pressure that got to him in the end. I think what was being written about Hussey was a joke..

    And Ricky Ponting is a champion... Shane Warne had his critics at times... Mcgrath was criticised, Steve Waugh had his critics and look how highly we regard these guys... My point is I wish we would just throw some support behind what we've got... Unless your name is Marcus North cause that guy is hopeless :lol:
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  • your move now
    your move now Posts: 1,165
    First of all I think clarke is a very routine captain, I think he likes to do things according to a plan and is not one to take risks or do anything where if it doesn't come off will cause serious criticism... great captains like Steve Waugh or Mark Taylor did those things, even AB, who inherited a team in worse shape than a lot of people saw ours as being had things turn around under him without being cowardly about it.
    I like a captain who will sometimes elect to bowl; sometimes it IS the right decision it's just that everybody is so accustommed to electing to bat and when you don't and you fail the captain is attacked. If you're afraid of that then you aren't making your decisions for the right reasons. I agree that he seems to rotate the bowlers well but with a Watson out and a young bowling force who aren't carrying injuries it's a lot easier, whilst he can be bold with his choices for field placings at time I find they are unimaginative and would be interested to see what he would do on a day where we can't take a wicket at all.
    We've both mentioned the Katich thing so no reason to go more into that, but the cause of that fight is indicitive of his entire attitude. Also like I said I don't think he is particularly well respected within the team, and a captain should be. Ponting still is despite the lack of respect shown to him in the media and the public at times.
    I don't think his runscoring is relevent to his captaincy. There have been plenty of great batsmen around the world who were never made to be captain.

    I know it seems I'm really anti Marsh but I just don't see room for him, I think Kawaja and he are almost at a par on ability at the moment but I think Marsh has plateaued whereas I think Kawaja has lot that we haven't seen yet.Everyone has their critcs and people they don'tlike, I think with the current team though with the exception of Ponting I am pretty unbiased. At the same time everyone has times when they deserve their criticism. Of course we should support what we have but I would say only to an extent because we should always be looking for an improvement and that won't happen if we are to satisfied. You have to move or others will and you will become substandard.


    Also... I always liked Marcus North, it's a pity 'he wasn't able to crack the team til about two to three years after his peak batting period
    I don't mean to offend anyone, a lot of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt... that said for most of you I'm a stranger on a computer on the other side of the world, don't give me that sort of power!
  • pjfan31
    pjfan31 Posts: 7,335
    Well he won the toss in Hobart and elected to bowl... and look where that got us :lol::lol:

    I would also like to see a strong captains knock from him. As in, if Aussies are 2/10, to grind it out rather than turn it into 3/15 as he is guilty of. Kind of what Steve Waugh would do.

    I really like the look of Usman, and even watching him tonight at the big bash, he has class... It was a shame for him that in his 6 or so tests he didnt make a big score... a solid 30 isn't going to keep you in the side when you're trying get your name in there. Marsh has scored a hundred and a big 50 in his 4 tests. I think he will be afforded more opportunity. His problem isn't his form or technique, it is that he is always injured which is a shame. But Kawaja is knocking on the door big time and will have a great career for Australia.. he is only young.

    Meanwhile I was at the cricket tonight, and Chris Gayle is a star. Worth the price of admission...
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  • your move now
    your move now Posts: 1,165
    Yes and I'm afraid that having a disaster when choosing to bowl first might scare Clarke off ever doing it again! i'm not entirely convinced in his self belief - the captains knock relates to that...

    Also would like to see more from someone like Usman, in the longer form of the game because twenty20 form doesn't really hold up for me. By the same token despite his performance against India when everyone else crumbled I see Warner as a one day and twenty20 specialist - his first innings in Melbourne showed that he really lacks patience - I know he's young but even still if he is going to have a test career he really needs to calm down and realise that the game has to be played differently especially as an opener. The other problem Usman has is that it's not unusual for a guy to only get one real shot in the test team and if you blow it then it's gone. There's a lot of batting talent around so I don't know if another chance is going to happen for him.

    Chris Gayle is the last of the West Indian greats.... and he's one of those brilliant guys who is always exciting at the Twenty 20 but is also capable of going the distance when necessary.
    I don't mean to offend anyone, a lot of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt... that said for most of you I'm a stranger on a computer on the other side of the world, don't give me that sort of power!
  • vedder_soup
    vedder_soup Posts: 5,861
    Went to the T20 last night. Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades.
    Good night, except Sydney lost! should have been a walk in the park!!

    Gayle hit a great 75, Kawaja got a few runs and took 2 great catches.

    The beer was expensive and mid strength :twisted: :lol:
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  • pjfan31
    pjfan31 Posts: 7,335
    vedder_soup wrote:
    Went to the T20 last night. Sydney Thunder v Melbourne Renegades.
    Good night, except Sydney lost! should have been a walk in the park!!

    Gayle hit a great 75, Kawaja got a few runs and took 2 great catches.

    The beer was expensive and mid strength :twisted: :lol:


    I was there too... Kawaja took that second catch right in front of me... hardest thing to do is dive forward like that...

    Lucky I didn't drink last night then.. hate mid-strength
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  • pjfan31
    pjfan31 Posts: 7,335
    your move now wrote:
    Yes and I'm afraid that having a disaster when choosing to bowl first might scare Clarke off ever doing it again! i'm not entirely convinced in his self belief - the captains knock relates to that...

    Also would like to see more from someone like Usman, in the longer form of the game because twenty20 form doesn't really hold up for me. By the same token despite his performance against India when everyone else crumbled I see Warner as a one day and twenty20 specialist - his first innings in Melbourne showed that he really lacks patience - I know he's young but even still if he is going to have a test career he really needs to calm down and realise that the game has to be played differently especially as an opener. The other problem Usman has is that it's not unusual for a guy to only get one real shot in the test team and if you blow it then it's gone. There's a lot of batting talent around so I don't know if another chance is going to happen for him.

    Chris Gayle is the last of the West Indian greats.... and he's one of those brilliant guys who is always exciting at the Twenty 20 but is also capable of going the distance when necessary.


    They bowled well against NZ in that first innings... it was their batting that didn't hold up. And I agree about Warner, however one could say the same thing about Sehwag. Similar type of players, but Warner is far from being in the same class as Sehwag. It will be interesting to see how he goes after several tests.

    I for one have always liked an opening combination where one can play his shots and the other can take the shine off the new ball, and grind away. Australia (in my time of following cricket) have always tried for something like that

    Taylor/Slater
    Hayden/Langer
    Hayden/Katich
    Watson/Katich
    Warner/Cowan

    I don't mind that as an opening combination, while it may not be a long standing combination I think still a good one...

    Now Justin Langer was the ideal opening batsman. Loved that little guy... one man who was so gritty, deserves a lot of credit in the great Aussie side of the 2000s
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  • Hawk Jam
    Hawk Jam Melbourne, Australia Posts: 121
    I refuse to support Australian cricket since the shafting that Brad Hodge copped over the years, an official outrage.
  • pjfan31
    pjfan31 Posts: 7,335
    Hawk Jam wrote:
    I refuse to support Australian cricket since the shafting that Brad Hodge copped over the years, an official outrage.


    Yes, very rough... poor prick...
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  • Thoughts_Arrive
    Thoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    Clarke only makes centuries when there is no pressure.
    I want to see him step up like how Ponting and Hussey did the other day.
    An injury is your downfall in this Aussie team, once your replaced, your replacement always does well therefore makes it hard for the selectors to drop him.
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  • your move now
    your move now Posts: 1,165
    Certainly true that an injury can make it hard but for certain players eceptions seem to be made, come because they're just that good (steve waugh) and some because they are selectors pets (brett lee).

    Hodge had it rough no question but he certainly wasn't the first or the worst done by. Matthew Elliot is one who always sticks in my mind. And the other one for different reasons is Michael Slater who when he was dropped was a little out of form but hardly the only one or even the worst one (Ricky Ponting) in India 2001 and its since been made clear that he was dropped for personal reasons not because of his form. And the worst one I've seen is on that same ashes tour when Fleming and Colin Miller didn't get a test match on the tour and came back to find themselves to dropped from the Victorian squad... now that is unreasonable.
    I don't mean to offend anyone, a lot of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt... that said for most of you I'm a stranger on a computer on the other side of the world, don't give me that sort of power!
  • Thoughts_Arrive
    Thoughts_Arrive Melbourne, Australia Posts: 15,165
    http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/crick ... 6234040237
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