A World Cup is the culmination of four years of preparation for all countries. The fulcrum of ODI cricket, plans are cleverly set, players given experience, and chances taken. All of that work for two months of cricket, which can end in a flash.
Australia are the number one ODI team in the world. In the years since the World Cup's last edition (which, incidentally, they won. And the two before that) they've crushed all before them, and were expected to do so again this time around.
Australian teams are expected to win World Cups. Anything less than this is regarded as failure. An indifferent 3rd position in the groups, followed by a fairly toothless defeat in the quarter finals is not what these 15 men were flown out to achieve.
After the horrendous flogging the selectors received in the wake of the Ashes, Australian test cricket is likely to get a vast makeover in the coming months. And this ODI side, who had been single handedly maintaining the honour of Australian cricket in the wake of the decline of the test outfit, have been shown to not be the all-conquering megaside that they'd been touted as being.
Shaun Tait can't bowl two balls in the same spot, and can't bowl more than two overs in a row without needing a sit down and a nap. Mitchell Johnson's radar is more wonky than Heather Mills playing Twister. Steve Smith is neither an international batsman or a bowler, yet he is told to be both. Jason Krejza (who admittedly is Australia's seventh choice spinner) hasn't looked like he should have been anywhere near a World Cup. And Ricky Ponting's ever-increasing strops this World Cup hardly inspire confidence that he should be a leader of these men.
Whenever cricket teams fail abjectly, fingers are pointed, and heads roll. While Australia do actually have a pretty good ODI side, they just haven't performed anywhere near the level required at this World Cup, and given the apocalyptic feel around Australian cricket at the moment, we could be seeing an end of an era.
White, Haddin, Ponting, Lee and the Husseys are all on the wrong side of 30, and could be put out to pasture. While I'm not advocating a vast and rapid change, the fact that Ferguson, Paine, Marsh and Khawaja are all ready to fill the batting breach (plus a whole host of young fast bowlers) mean that rapid wholesale change can be eased by the fact that ready made replacements are knocking on the door.
The all conquering Australian side who won three successive World Cups have gone, their reign of terror very much a thing of the past. The four year World Cup cycle has also finished, but a new one starts straight away. Whether this Australian team gets a fresh cycle remains to be seen.
Showing posts with label Shaun Marsh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shaun Marsh. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Punter's Last Stand
Ricky Ponting's been Australian captain ever since I can remember. As someone who only started taking an interest in cricket circa 2003/4, Ponting was well established as one of the world's best batsmen, and had his feet firmly under the table as captain of the world's best team. Ricky hasn't made an international hundred in over a year, and the all-conquering side that he led is long gone. With yet another Ashes defeat over the past few months, and a potential quarter-final exit to India ahead, we could be seeing the final days of Ricky Ponting as Australian captain.
Ricky's time as Aussie skipper has been spoken about to death. He had some incredible years, including countless records, two World Cups, an Ashes whitewash, and general dominance over the cricketing galaxy. Ponting himself was piling on the runs, the driving force behind the most forceful side in recent cricketing history. But the players of that side have mostly hung up their boots, and even Ponting's runs have seemingly disappeared.
There are two sides to the issue - Ponting as a captain and Ponting as a batsman. While he has overseen some remarkable success, he has also seen a remarkable slump in Aussie fortunes, losing Ponting's third Ashes as well as going into the series having lost seven consecutive matches in all formats. The decline has been mirrored by Ponting's personal failures, and there have been growing calls for him to be dropped regardless of his success or failure as captain, as he simply isn't justifying his position in the side as a batsman.
Australia have many options, both as potential batting replacements, and as captain. Michael Clarke has been groomed as captain ever since he first kissed the baggy green, and while he may not have the support of the Aussie public, he certainly has the backing of the selectors. He would be ready to step up immediately, as proved by the success he's had when assuming the role when Ponting's missed out through injury. And as a batsman, Ponting may not be missed thanks to the real strength in depth that Australia boast. In tests, Usman Khawaja showed that he is able to bat at number three thanks to his (albeit brief) stay at the crease in the final Ashes test, and the continued rise of Callum Ferguson, Shaun Marsh and even Phil Hughes suggest there will be no issue either in ODIs.
Even at the age of 38 Ponting's refused to talk about retirement, but a loss to India tomorrow may take the decision out of his hands. You feel that only taking the World Cup back to Australia for yet another time could save him, but even that may be too late. The odds are stacking up against Ponting, and while he clearly has the mental fortitude for the occasion, does he have the strength left in his little goblin legs for one last push? Ponting's captaincy and international future is on the line, and even he may not have enough to save himself. Exile at an English county may beckon, and tomorrow could see the end of an era, with the end of Ricky Ponting.
Ricky's time as Aussie skipper has been spoken about to death. He had some incredible years, including countless records, two World Cups, an Ashes whitewash, and general dominance over the cricketing galaxy. Ponting himself was piling on the runs, the driving force behind the most forceful side in recent cricketing history. But the players of that side have mostly hung up their boots, and even Ponting's runs have seemingly disappeared.
There are two sides to the issue - Ponting as a captain and Ponting as a batsman. While he has overseen some remarkable success, he has also seen a remarkable slump in Aussie fortunes, losing Ponting's third Ashes as well as going into the series having lost seven consecutive matches in all formats. The decline has been mirrored by Ponting's personal failures, and there have been growing calls for him to be dropped regardless of his success or failure as captain, as he simply isn't justifying his position in the side as a batsman.
Australia have many options, both as potential batting replacements, and as captain. Michael Clarke has been groomed as captain ever since he first kissed the baggy green, and while he may not have the support of the Aussie public, he certainly has the backing of the selectors. He would be ready to step up immediately, as proved by the success he's had when assuming the role when Ponting's missed out through injury. And as a batsman, Ponting may not be missed thanks to the real strength in depth that Australia boast. In tests, Usman Khawaja showed that he is able to bat at number three thanks to his (albeit brief) stay at the crease in the final Ashes test, and the continued rise of Callum Ferguson, Shaun Marsh and even Phil Hughes suggest there will be no issue either in ODIs.
Even at the age of 38 Ponting's refused to talk about retirement, but a loss to India tomorrow may take the decision out of his hands. You feel that only taking the World Cup back to Australia for yet another time could save him, but even that may be too late. The odds are stacking up against Ponting, and while he clearly has the mental fortitude for the occasion, does he have the strength left in his little goblin legs for one last push? Ponting's captaincy and international future is on the line, and even he may not have enough to save himself. Exile at an English county may beckon, and tomorrow could see the end of an era, with the end of Ricky Ponting.
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Wright or Wrong?
Yesterday, amongst other things I was doing at Lord's, I watched a bit of cricket. I saw Hussey and Marsh win the game for Australia. I saw Collingwood have a really good go at winning it for England. And I saw the wickets of Wright and Bresnan.
Both are useful bits-and-pieces batsmen. Both hung around with Collingwood in 50+ partnerships. But neither could be counted on to make a Collingwood / Pietersen or Morgan-esque winning contribution on their own. But for Yardy's inexplicable rise to number three, Wright is meant to be England's number 6. A position in the team who needs to make runs. Wright will not make runs. Sure, he'll hit a handy 20 or 30 while keeping someone company, but when the back's against the wall (like it was when he was batting yesterday) he needed to stand up and make an unbeaten 70 or 80. But he didn't.
Wright doesn't get to bowl much - he's only really used as a 'sixth' bowler. Wright isn't good enough to get into the team by virtue of either his batting or bowling. So at number 6, England are playing a specialist "we'll only bowl him if we have to, and he's not going to make many runs" all-rounder. Which begs the question what he's doing in the team. If he's there fulfilling the role as a batsman who can bowl, he's not good enough as a batsman when Collingwood or even Ravi Bopara could do the job much better.
Also at Lord's yesterday; hanging around and looking generally bored (which he has done for the past month) was Steve Finn. Presumably England will want to play him in ODIs at some point, which means he'll either come in like-for-like for a bowler, or for an "all-rounder". England will want to play their new strategy of two spinners (Swann and Yardy), so they're safe. And Broad and Anderson are fairly secure in the side. If Wright is replaced by a proper batsman, Bresnan's place is under fire.
England will be gearing up over the next 12 months for the World Cup next spring, and they'll want to get the balance of the team right. Patently at the moment, the balance is all over the place. England don't need six bowlers (seen in the World T20 when Australia got to the final with four and Watson), so Wright must go. Finn will play at some stage, and the tail of Swann and Broad is plenty strong without Tim Bresnan. So Bresnan must go as well. Wright and Bresnan were big parts of England winning the World T20, as we "got away" with playing only five proper batsmen. We also "got away" with it in the first three ODIs of the series (just). However, the imbalance was exposed by a Shaun Tait-inspired Australia for the final two games, and changes must be made. England are a handy ODI side, but against top quality bowling the batting line up is paper thin. Changes must be made if England are to make it two World Cups in a row.
My England World Cup team
Strauss (c)
Kieswetter
Pietersen
Collingwood
Morgan
Bopara
Yardy
Swann
Broad
Anderson
Finn
Wright
Bresnan
Rashid
Denly
Both are useful bits-and-pieces batsmen. Both hung around with Collingwood in 50+ partnerships. But neither could be counted on to make a Collingwood / Pietersen or Morgan-esque winning contribution on their own. But for Yardy's inexplicable rise to number three, Wright is meant to be England's number 6. A position in the team who needs to make runs. Wright will not make runs. Sure, he'll hit a handy 20 or 30 while keeping someone company, but when the back's against the wall (like it was when he was batting yesterday) he needed to stand up and make an unbeaten 70 or 80. But he didn't.
Wright doesn't get to bowl much - he's only really used as a 'sixth' bowler. Wright isn't good enough to get into the team by virtue of either his batting or bowling. So at number 6, England are playing a specialist "we'll only bowl him if we have to, and he's not going to make many runs" all-rounder. Which begs the question what he's doing in the team. If he's there fulfilling the role as a batsman who can bowl, he's not good enough as a batsman when Collingwood or even Ravi Bopara could do the job much better.
Also at Lord's yesterday; hanging around and looking generally bored (which he has done for the past month) was Steve Finn. Presumably England will want to play him in ODIs at some point, which means he'll either come in like-for-like for a bowler, or for an "all-rounder". England will want to play their new strategy of two spinners (Swann and Yardy), so they're safe. And Broad and Anderson are fairly secure in the side. If Wright is replaced by a proper batsman, Bresnan's place is under fire.
England will be gearing up over the next 12 months for the World Cup next spring, and they'll want to get the balance of the team right. Patently at the moment, the balance is all over the place. England don't need six bowlers (seen in the World T20 when Australia got to the final with four and Watson), so Wright must go. Finn will play at some stage, and the tail of Swann and Broad is plenty strong without Tim Bresnan. So Bresnan must go as well. Wright and Bresnan were big parts of England winning the World T20, as we "got away" with playing only five proper batsmen. We also "got away" with it in the first three ODIs of the series (just). However, the imbalance was exposed by a Shaun Tait-inspired Australia for the final two games, and changes must be made. England are a handy ODI side, but against top quality bowling the batting line up is paper thin. Changes must be made if England are to make it two World Cups in a row.
My England World Cup team
Strauss (c)
Kieswetter
Pietersen
Collingwood
Morgan
Bopara
Yardy
Swann
Broad
Anderson
Finn
Wright
Bresnan
Rashid
Denly
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