Rhino Richards

The radio said repeatedly that Bollinger was declared fit for the game and that he has been replaced by Khawaja at the Test to allow Bollinger to play a shield game.

Its lucky he didn't win the toss. Ponting would have to get a big tick for bringing Siddle into the attack at 4/197. Could be one of the decisions that might influence the series. Up to then, Siddle aside and Hilfy's first over the bowling was nothing to write home about and I am not sure how you can knock the field when the bowlers generally bowled poorly. And I am glad you know more about tactics than a professional with 20 years first class experience. Its reassuring. And when a Captain has the oppposition out for 260 and his side 0/25 on the first day of the 1st Test in an Ashes Series, its fair to say he has won this round of the fight. Particularly when his opposite went for a 3rd ball duck. Telling blow. Ponting will have tougher days in the office and may deserve fair criticism for it. However he has landed a telling blow on England today (even with an ordinary Johnson) and should be given recognition for it Tomorrow is Round 2 and we will see what happens but if Australia can still be there are stumps then this is going to be a most difficult game for England. Any recognition for the selectors for backing Siddle over Bollinger? Hmmmm. Brave call for which they will never get due credit for.

He didn't. He sustained it in a meaningless friendly a week out from the Test. And as a contracted ACB player he has no choice but to play as required. I would have rather he got injured if at all actually in the preparation for something important. But not in mistimed, forgettable giggle game and on a green strip.

As expected they brought Khawaja in as an emergency. Fair enough. As for blooding young players I dont think they could have blooded Ferguson who was recovering from an ACL. They have already started blooding Khawaja by taking him to England when Australia played Pakistan. However what were Cricket Australia thinking when they decided to hold a Sunday night "jolly" 5 days before the 1st Test on a wet track. Reserve keepr Tim Paine is nursing a broken finger thanks to a fsst friendly from Dirk Nannes. Why was someone risked over a game so trivial? If Haddin were to tread on ball, pinch a muscle or buckle a finger, wehre would we be placed? Even worse Tim Paine loses valuable cricket time behind the stumps.

So how are the selectors to blame for point 5 given that always been your argument (which is carp anyway)? As you have been asked often and avoided which selections should have been made that would have changed the outcomes in point 5?

The Ashes tickets aren't selling as well as when or are we not selling them at all. If you actually do the research this Ashes tour is not a sell out like the last tour for a variety of reasons. 1. Ashes 2006-2007 had a magnificent build up following the fantastic 2005 Ashes tour. Australia finally had a challenger 2. At that time Australia was chock full of stars at their peak or about to leave the game at their highs.... Hayden, Langer, Warne, McGrath and Gilly. 3. Australia in four years has diminished as a Test playing nation as the unprecedented retirement of greats have left a talent void that is not easily replaced. The domestic competition has been threadbare with states like Qld, WA and SA barely competitive at times. 4. The emergence of 20/20 has turned the game for many stakeholders on its head. Its all bang and fizz but the game results are even more forgettable than ODI. For a nation that does like the enduring nature of Tests, the latest "innovation" has confused many people as to what the game is. 5. This Ashes series follows 12 months of meaningless cricket which has been racked by corruption, incompetence and instransigence at the global level. Out of the global game only Aust, England, South Africa and NZ have any integrity in their national structures. India now controls 75 to 80% of the global cricket game. The game's direction has splintered at the global level. Other nations are either chronically corrupt/ incompetent or both. Cricket Australia has floundered in some areas but the problems are often bigger than Australia. 6. The game is riddled with corruption at all levels internationally and it has damaged the cricket brand to the Australian consumer. 7. While there have been some close results, the quality of cricket has diminished globally. So there is an education for you to supplement the meagre 4 Corners insights that does you greater justice than the broad brush whinging you dress as opinion. You really need to move beyond the "things are bad so what I say must be right". Its the epitome of the self saucing ignorance that is a flagship of your paltry and uninformed contributions on this site.

I'm not the one making the grandiose claims about it heroboy. There are a number of reasons behind the fall in numbers from the past Ashes series in 2006-7. However that series was subject to special conditions leading up to its commencement. Last years cricket was also poorly attend. There will be a number of attributing factors including Australian team performance. Rather jump on a self indulgent soapbox putting some plausible and thoughtful ideas on how we can change things. You have not done that so far. Too busy bleating like a cut lamb.

If we lose the first test and he is not amongst the runs, I reckon he's out. The selectors have sent a definite shot across the bow to him. The century does not alter the shaking ground he is on.

Pity you shoot blanks. You dont know what attitude is behind the poor ticket sales this year. Your opinion is a perpetual whinge because when you aksed to substantiate you rely on generalisations, the views of family members ( ), continually avoiding questions and diverting the topic to somehow create a veneer of credibility. More like self saucing ignorance.

I dont care so long as he and other batsman makes runs when it counts. Its easy runs on a flat deck on a good day with no Siddle, McKay etc when you are 200 runs ahead. But if it bats him into form I dont mind. I wonder if the selectors had ruled him out of the final XI.

Greg Chappell??

Hussey will need the salt tablets if he gets to 50! For Australia A, given the England tail have rallied, there is no excuse for the top six to bat out the next day and half and put there names forward. There is no doubt there will stacks of opportunity this summer for those that make runs and take wickets when it counts the most...

On a more high brow note.... England tops 500, their tails wags, Bell nearly get a double ton......Not a good show at all by Australia A aspirants. (But its the selectors fault...no Cricket Australia's ) For a hit out with Test players and aspirants, the NSW v Tasmania game was a waste and a farce (400 runs and 40 wickets in under 3 days. Hardly good preparation there. WA belts Victoria....Mitchell Johnson on fire 121 not out and 5 for against the best in the Shield Comp....At least some good news!!!

Over the past twelve months, which spinner and which batsman should replace? No grey matter required to swing the axe. A bit of thought who the replacement is. And BTW, the wasted 12 months is certainly not being proven in Tasmania. hardly any Australia A player knocking the door down It would be wasted money. You have already said you wont be watching so why clog the discussion with your mindless whinging? And you repeatedly shown to lightweight in both substance and knowledge and on that basis your accusation at others of being "soft" should be really be turned on you.

For all your windbagging, you have not put up one plausible change to the Test squad in the past 12 months. No one is arguing things are not good. But your persistent sheep bleating without any thoughtful or sensible alternative makes your posts have all grunt of a talkback crank. And while you are at lets blame the Government as well. Lets get some big fish.

We have had that proven in spades again. Now if only Australia A had won the toss and batted ....

And given there was more less than an hour to go to stumps anyway how many overs would Sth Africa have bowled in that time with 4 quicks and one second string spinner? They would struggle Think man...dont just parrot others. You just get found out...again and again. It would seem that the 4 Corners is your only viable source of information. You are surely jesting that you were aghast at a Pakistan official who blatantly lied down the camera. It could well have been an Indian official. You really have no perception of the problems of sub continent cricket beyond your stated racial generalisations.The problem has always been at the top and you didnt realise it! FFS. Hilditch's ivory tower must be an adjoining one to yours. Did you get on talkback after the I/V and rant there?

There was under an hour to go to stumps. It was a maximum 13 overs to go. Nobody improves by being plain dumb. Its pity both captains took the decision to call a draw early. It really does make a farce of your cricket judgement. Antyway back on planet earth... The Tassie pitch was a corker to bowl on. Green top overcast skies and perfect English conditions. They let Australia off the hook midway. Could be expanded to a triple album..... Is it anywhere near your galaxy? For someone who only just found out about the extent of cricket corruption on 4 Corners a couple of weeks I doubt whether your well informed on any aspect of cricket on or off the field to make any rational or informed judgement on the professional life of a cricketer..

False bravado has never been a good camouflage for rank stupidity. I wonder how 10 other hopeful cricketers would feel with a ignorant ra ra merchant as a captain, particularly one that spouts garbage like you always bat when you win the toss. A smarter leader would recognise that its victory enough to have survived against a world class attack on a difficult wicket for 130 overs with a long tail than risk it all on a reckless slog for an unlikely and improbable victory.

Ugh Ugh. Never let the facts or a profouind lack of knowledge invade a rant. They were indeed on the home straight but its a bit like the Melbourne Cup, they were on the first time around the track with a long way to go. I think even Steve Price would switch to commercial and cut the line saying "We've got one" if you plied your logic there.

Difficult wicket. The scoreboard flattered them given the dropped catches. The South African attack is very competent with Steyn and Kallis. The strategy is high risk and particularly given the necessarily psychological about face to try to survive 130 overs with a score of 450+ starting the previous day. After the current pair and Akmal they had a long inexperienced tail who lost 5-12 in the first innings in short time Its equivalent to punting your house on a long shot at the races. They were more at risk of losing than winning from the position they were in. Do try to think about things more. Its becoming embarrassing Basil.

Its not 20/20 cricket. They had to score at over 8 an over. The two sixes reflect that the sting had gone out of the game from both sides late in the piece. And again the facts elude you as both captains agreed to call a draw. The Pakistanis are susceptible to be called "cheats" for any change of behaviour. And had they gone kamakazi at the end talkback "know alls" like you would be at them for tossing a game. You really dont have much to back up some really naive comments do you Basil?

Great effort by NZ in India. I dont think the gap between No 1 and No 6 has been as close as this in 40 years. Is Jacques Kallis the greatest all rounder since Gary Sobers? I cant think of a player with a more imposing one day record. The only thing that detracts from Gayle's wonderful achievement is the likelihood the Sri Lankas have produced another South Asian pancake pitch. The other thought is that with Murali gone they dont have any bowlers. How many years did you say you have been watching cricket? Pakistan were chasing 450 on a 4th innings pitch where there was turn and bounce and the Springboks dropped 4 crucial catches which flattered the scoreboard. On an uneven wicket where they had scored at 3.4 an over, they should suddenly start swinging the bat at around 8.5 an over to go an win. It would be exactly that sort of behaviour that would suggest they were on take. Here is what Cricinfo wrote in their Bulletin (and yes what would they know as they were actually there?? ) It soon became clear that a draw would be regarded as a victory in itself, however, as both Younis and Misbah settled into stubborn defence. With the match meandering towards a draw, Younis helped himself to two more sixes off Botha before both captains decided to call the game off minutes into the final hour. So given the herculean effort to survive for 100+ overs on a difficult 5 day pitch and that both Captain called the game a draw, its the Pakistanis who are at fault. As always you are entitled to your opinion WYL. But FMD you do say thoroughly ridiculous comments that reflect neither an understanding of the matter or even a basic awareness of the facts you comment on. And like always you get exposed for the empty noise you repeatedly type. This long thread almost contains enough of your blinding gaffes to put out a double CD of hits (or was that misses ).

Has not done enough. Now if he had hit 3 centuries.... AMac is an interesting one. Not in the 17. Selectors dont rate him for No 6. I would not necessarily pick AMac for bowling in Bris.

There was a quite bizarre argument put forward comparing Smith to Warne. Smith is not a shield grade bowler yet. Promising but not there yet. I think the fact is we dont have a frontline spinner atm and left field suggestions tend to pop up. North and Hussey (expecially) must be on their last chance. No runs in Brisbane if they get the chance will spell the end for either or both. Bloody SA bowlers bowling Cook and Strauss into form. FMD.