Rhino Richards

There is no doubt fraud at the high levels of cricket administration in the sub continent. Many of the senior appointments have had chronic conflicts of interest where the interest of cricket are aligned to their own commercial interests. At the country level, Africa and the sub continent are filled with Government lackeys, opportunities and in a couple of cases, crooks. The ICC member reaction to Australia's appointment to the ICC Chair was systematic of where the problems are. i suggest Malcolm Speed knows alot more than he is telling...for good reason.

Its all about the culture of taking money to create outcomes. Whether it is one ball or one match it demeans your country, your opponent the spectators and all involved with cricket. Its a malignant cancer that has been knowingly allowed to flourish by the PCB and the ICC. The offending players should be punished. But the problem extends higher up. In total, the last six Pakistan captains have either been caught red handed or have heavy and reasonable suspicion of being on the take. The PCB is rotten from the top down. And its the same clowns in the ICC that railroaded Australia's appointment to the ICC Chair that have overseen this disaster.

Cute. Do you think so? Just confirmation about what we all suspected was happening. I am not sure ICC has the will or the integrity to do anything about it. The ICC is controlled (owned) by India who use Sri Lanka, Pakistan and B'desh voting blick for its purposes. I just cant see Indians seeking/wanting to delve in and change Paki cricket politics. And meanwhile 20 million Pakistanis sit around with no home, impoverished and awaiting AID..... I cant see the Pakistani Govt getting distracting over reforming a corrupt arm given the problems they have.

Its worse for North if you measure the last 12 months. His spot is the most dicey. Its all part of the concern for the Ashes coming up. Within the Test team for the first time in over 20 years we do not have any elite performing players. It would be interesting to see Clarke's averages since England. Suffered a bad bingle and his batting has suffered. I think only Watson and Katich may have respectable numbers.

Australia 88 & 136/2 (41.0 ov) Pakistan 258 Australia trail by 34 runs with 8 wickets remaining Stumps - Day 2 I reckon Pakistan can still conjure a loss in this Test. It will be credit to their professsionalism and their bookmaker. Just remarkable. What a sham of a outfit they are.

You have to laugh!! B)

Cricket has been overshadowed by other sporting events. Pakistan would have to one of the greatest jokes as a sporting organisations that in the last 12 months: - Throws a Test match and investigates the keeper for some unseemingly butter fingers but the keeper maintains his spot. - Openly criticises an incumbent test captain (Yousuf) during a Test match and series. - Appoints a replacement captain for the one day series who gets suspended for blatant and dumb ball tampering - Appoints Afridi to the captaincy despite the ball tampering and the fact that he has not plated Tests for 4 years. - In his two innings that is critical to the team and getting runs, Afridi bats like a beach cricketer being called for last over. Amazing. Then resigns immediately giving reasons of stress and lack of mental preparation. - Every batsman par Salmon Butt bats like a reckless millionaire. Oh I just remembered Zimbabwe are worse and so are FIFA! Good win by Australia in difficult conditions early. Bob Massie would have taken all 20 wickets on the first 2 days.

The tom tom drums are beating Ugh! Watson and Warner going cheaply would have done us alot of good too. In 20/20 how much can a pitch impact a game in 3 hours? Unlees they kick the ball back in after every six hit in 20/20 I'm afraid he will be lost. He wont work it out that he has been stitched up a treat on this argument.

On the face of it you are right. However your last sentence says it all. Would they be trying to give Bolly a break before the Paki test in England and next season's big Ashes summer? Bolly has been at it hard for some months now.

It was too easy. He wasnt breaking up with his gf too was he????? B)

Great stuff Two Sheds. I always like an MFC victory but anything MFC could do would pale into insignificance to the victory you have achieved. Good luck and enjoy your future. Brilliant news.

If he was from NSW then he would be in. You're probably right there Nasher about the selector's radar. If he does not get another Test by the end of next summer while maintain good Shield form then he never will

You wouldn't say that if he was Tasmanian!! I like Smith but Hughes has to bide his time. It will come Its clear that Ponting does back his players, Clarke, North and Hauritz when it gets tough.

He has had one good knock on a flat deck with an ordinary attack that was already one down. He knows the requirement. Next time he will take his opportunities when they come. Good to see its competitive for some spots in the team. If Hussey goes I would prefer Smith or White to Hughes and move Clarke up.

Their "quick" bowlers are pedestrian without Bond and O'Brien. Even their own commentators think so.,,and that's a big admission for them. The conditions were fine. The batsman got themselves out not the bowlers.

You do. When you get a soft attack bowling at 125kmh you cash in. He did. And you Mr Hussey?????

I reckon Smith is ready notwithstanding White's claims. I cant think of a better test to debut him in. As for the Vics I forgot how much firepower they have out. Yikes. Its gonna be closer than I thought but Vics for mine.

I am not sure why Dermie needed to way in at all. I guess this low level schlock is what he does best. Given his personal history I dont why he should be saying anything or need to be some moral bastion. I dont care about either of them. I dont hold either in particular high stead at all. Dermie is a ditz as well... I am not sure Mrs Fev is so much a victim out of this but a quieter participant in the same pool of life as the others. Given Fevs notoriety and past behaviour she should be hardly blushing at this episode. If she was so appalled she would have left him after the B'low. Now back to the cricket.....Australia 2-0.

I have no sympathy for Lara. IMO she is a ditz and has been very poorly advised by Markson to speak to the WDay. She should not have had the shameful photo released and the AFL and the police should be exploring this further. I am not sure who is telling the truth and I dont care but Brereton's effort to weigh in was unnecessary and self serving from a boofhead who trolls the same smelly cesspool as Fevola. Of all people to make comments about infidelity!! My understanding is that Clarke and Bingle have been on the rocks for some time. This incident only hastened the inevitable. He should have done it sooner. He should put it behind him and get on with spanking the Kiwis. I trust he chooses more aptly for his partners in the future.

Agree with that. Absolutely. Some of the santimonious outcry on this issue in the media has been self serving and a tad hypocrtical. Not as tough as Lara Bingle. He has had it sooo easy compared to her. The AFL/media treatment and public humiliation of her is part of the appalling lowgrade morals of a free press. Agree Cant think of a position more hypocritical statement than an Australian cricketer saying dont sledge me over a personal incident? Hussey is the sort of person to keep away from the media. I am not for open slather on sledging either.

I reckon Steve Smith is a gun. I love it when the selectors unearth a player destined for bigger things.

I was thinking the same. If Clarke has ambitions of captaining Australia then he needs to straightened out any bingles off the field. She might look good off the arm but she really comes across as a celebrity dipstick. 1. Has an affair with Fevola - Ugh 2. Loses a prestige car stolen which mysteriously turns up in a nearby sidestreet and no police charges are laid. - Perfectly natural. 3. Has a bare shower scene photo released to the public (back to point 1) sells her story to a cheap woman's rag for $200k and then pleads being emotionally wrung out that her fiancee has to come back to Australia.-Puhleease!! Michael Clarke should have the guts and dump the baggage and get real about his future.

Agree. Watson was the ACB Cricketer and 1 day cricketer of the Year. Katich was the Test Player of the Year Award. Go figure

Absolutely agree. Just another hollow tournament. Shane Warne might be right that ODI may be restricted to once every four years. I think ODIs series of more than 3 games in Australia are too many and TV and live spectators are voting with their feet (or remotes). Agree. Australia has a commitment to play the major nations at Test Cricket on an agreed rotating basis. It was not too long ago when India was rarely touring Australia because of supposed lack of interest. Fancy that. It all goes in cycles. FWIW, I think the scheduling for this summer with two 3 match Test Series was right. A couple of T20s ...fine. But too many ODIs against tired beaten oppositions should be a lesson. Next year will be a big summer against the Poms. ACB are rightly promoting it now.

We have played two of the bottom teams in the competition. The West Indies actually show for the first time in about 15 years that they are putting together some reasonable cricketers behind Gayle. Go on them. Cricket needs the calypso nature. Pakistan despite having a couple of promising youngster, Mohammed Asif and Yousuf as a batsman were a rabble from the 3rd day of the Sydney Test onwards. I could not think of a more uninteresting outfit to see. Batsman who cant build an innings, cant run between wickets, cant field at all and a keeper that cant catch. And that just the problems on the field. Australians love their cricket. They love competition and a fight to win. Despite a couple of spirited sessions, Australia has not been fully challenged. But that should not take anything away from some of the great performers this summer. Spectators are not that stupid (well the ones that dont run on the ground). The Pakistan ODI games were very predictable with some ordinary performances from a team that had lost what little mojo they started the tour with. I sometimes think ODI has suffered from too many meaningless and forgetable ODI games over so many years. The format is predictable and tired. T20 has only magnified the shortcomings. A triangle series would not help. Could you think of anything more boring than WI vs Pakis? As a lover of Test cricket, I still see a place for ODI and T20. However all 3 forms must be carefully managed to ensure no spectator fatigue. Personally I think T20 is a great way to attract supporters of Test cricket in the longer term who would not otherwise have made the transition directly.