dee-luded

Lets hope it returns,,,,, & Lets hope it becomes harmonious again. * to me its time for Alan Border to come back & do a "Bobby Simpson", & become the TEST Team overseer. not play but be the Test Team manager. a bit like a soccer manager. we just don't have the tools for a proper captain atmo. ... and the coach is wrong not understanding Australian ways. You can't make a Cattle Dog a Hyena.

thats the problem, he's aspirational, rather than inspirational. self verses support. he's a player, not a skipper. & certainly Not one for rebuilding a team with lost cricketing souls.

Yep, maybe, he's too good for himself, & everyone else as well. If its true, that he dissed Hussey, on Husseys retirement night, for packers boat, then something is Wrong.

Admin wouldn't do that Biff... what, make the team in their own image? I said before, that something smells crook around Tallarook. http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/10595-anyone-for-cricket/page-163#entry705108 and IMO, they got the wrong man. both ways.

Not so sure Macca, if we mew that the Huss was going to pull the pin this year it would have been better for the team if Ponting went 12 months before. to stagger the change over. the team has lost so many greats in 4 years or so. IMO the batsmen that have come in, have all had issues of one sort or another, which has stopped them from finding their feet & form... These players need time at the crease together, & it would have been better done in Australian conditions. Form, momentum & confidence is the main thing lacking. I think we just need to be persistent to a large degree & let the side settle, after they rejig the lineup to suit the conditions & to the players strengths. The panic of spin on doctored wickets, is the rot which has stolen the players composure.

I don't think Warner is a true opener in all conditions. I'd like to see Warner settle at 3. Cowan & Watto opening. Clarke at 4. I don't think individually they are poor, but collectively they are not a team. Add to this massively doctored wickets and the cracks in our batting appear. I think they pulled Lyons to save him for England. to protect him in a way. This side is without faith in one another. IMO they lack unity, that is, ultimate belief in the direction of the team. They're are problems somewhere, at a time when they aren't settled. #spelling

Re Watson, that opinion was formed with little study of the game, as since watto has been playing I've shown little interest other than on specific players. So it was based on Watto's individual play & care for the team & cap. fantastic efforts a couple of years back. But, I have no Idea about his tactical ways. So from that perspective you may be well right. But to me he looks like a team player & a players player first & foremost, & from where I come from, the self indulgence that has crept into modern sport sickens me. I don't mind individuals using a measure of self indulgence to get the best for the team, like Warnie throwing a bouncer down, or Lillee coming off 4 steps now & then, but a captain being about himself is Just Not ON. The difference I see in this attitude of blood & guts fight for the Baggy Green, is say Hussey would be proud to wear the dirt & mud on his creams as it showed his willingness to do all for the Aussies. A great attitude & un-pretentious. Punter, unfortunately wanted to stay 'permanent pressed', & didn't want any dirt under his fingernail. Sad, to me, & I am a punter fan since before he was test capped. Not the way I want the Aussie team to develop. So, I'm watchful on Clarke.

Starc's comments aren't the problem, or weren't. Its the fact he chose to make public comment to a journo without the CA's permission. He went outside the (IMO) normal criteria of minding your place. This concerned me about his attitude & thinking, that he's more important than he is atmo. getting ahead of himself. putting himself first ahead of the team. He seems to have pulled his head in, publicly at least.. So I hope he can just focus on getting better & being effective in helping the Team win The Ashes.

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Hes a fantastic talent,,, but I'm concerned still very immature & could easily get way ahead of himself. He already looks to be making comments on the team & selections seemingly outside of team instructions, 'off his own bat' as it were. this concerns me that he may think he's bigger than the team, & the game. #Edit: Hughes, he's surprised, nicely... changed his technique & style but seems to still have the eye. & discipline to carry it off. I hope so. Watson is a Fav' of mine, & I think will be a captain one day. Cowan who I liked a couple of years ago because of his dour ways of keeping his wicket intact has gone backwards. I don't understand why. He looks the one to slide out of the side for Watson IMO. I'd like to see a shot maker like Khawaja in the top to middle order. to start with. ('indifference') I wonder if we are caught in the transition between generations. the older generation of the Cricket heydays of the Baby boomers, & the flamboyant superstars, up against the "wham bam thankyou mam" of the younger generations wanting everything NOW! and a disposable everything.

I agree, I think starc is the one to trouble them (england) if he can keep his mind right. His movement & height would trouble any top batsmen. Swing & seam will be deadly if he can handle their ball. I'm really worried about our batting.

I watched the last bit in bed, but Roger looks like the boxer who has lost his anger & venom. Comfy street has eked away his tenacity. he looks content with things & time to move on to another chapter. I didn't want to believe it, that Rog is softening but the truth is he has come back to the fold maybe 20%. Others have lifted a little IMO, but nowhere near 20%. IMO Nadal has dropped off from 2 yrs back, so to the Joker who IMO peaked the last 2 yrs, & now we see Murray catching the falling stars. Murray has improved a lot but is not as good as Joker 18 months ago, & not nearly as good as Roger 4 yrs ago. Even Tsonga is catching them. roger lacked imagination. No sharply angled shots cross court & no variation on ground stroke speed to upset Murrays rhythm. Rog just hit the ball back up court into the hitting area. Not hitting lines or corners. Just corridor tennis.

That was the first time I've seen the joker look intimidated, & often, against the Swiss player. the joker comes out of that game against his swiss opponent with a real hard workout under his belt to set him up for the run to final. Watching Fed v Murray atmo, fed looks like he's getting stale. family may be enough these days? Fed not looking the same as 4 yrs back.... looking blunt, slow around the court & missing to many shots. I thought, back 2 matches, he looked sharper than last year, but he's dropped off again.

Roger looks sharper to me than his last couple of Melbourne slams. Murray is still murray underneath... Roger is still roger underneath. eats pressure.

Yep, I saw some vision of him missing a fly ball, perched under it, flop. It looked to me like classic behavior of poor eyes. I've gone thru it as well. And his batting, said to be avoiding the bat. Agreed. ------------- (43) what are you talking about? Did you think I'm having a go at him? Your defending him, like he needs defending, against what? I know its age catching up with him, thats what I was saying rhino? but more specific re his problem is he can't see the ball well enough for the top level. very frustrating fore some, aging... may explain some of his bad behavior this season. & his skin looks like 300 Yrs... more like madam 2swords...

I see what your saying, but I think Healy has had a big change of mind after Sri Lanka. Against Sth Africa with pace he was OK, not great but his batting was very good. Then against Sri Lanka & we used spin on slower tracks Wade was exposed standing up at the stumps. Healy changed his mind as Tim Paine is back playing & Brad Haddin is getting runs. IMO Haddin is better than Wade, keeping wise.

Watch warne closely next game... I think you may notice the signs of someone losing their eyesight. he appears to me like his sight has deteriorated. this won't effect his bowling as much IMO, but his batting definately,,, & fielding very definately.

IMO his problem is exactly as he's complained of, lack on continuity with test cricket. His batting was just brilliant a couple of years ago & from that was started being talked up as a future captain. His frame, IMO, is too tight/musclebound to bowl long stints without physical stress. and he gets injured.

Watto could be back as opener? Ed Cowan's position in the Australian Test team is on shaky ground after the selectors revealed they'll consider moving Shane Watson back to opener. Injury-prone vice-captain Watson has given up his allrounder status, declaring he wants to be considered as a batsman only. Watson was only moved down from the top of the order to help manage his workload, but now he won't bowl there's nothing stopping him from slotting back into his best position at opener against India next month and England in July. Australian coach Mickey Arthur acknowledged that was a genuine possibility while also revealing in the aftermath of the series win over Sri Lanka that Brad Haddin would definitely go on the Ashes tour as a back-up wicketkeeper. "If he (Watson) is not bowling it's worth the consideration," said Arthur. "It will certainly be worth the chat. "I still maintain that I felt No.4 was a really good fit but that was (with) Shane Watson bowling some overs as well. "Watto wants to come back as a batsman. He feels every time he bats and then gets injured bowling, he loses a bit of momentum with his batting. "Maybe he does (open again), maybe he doesn't, but it's probably too early to even discuss it." Despite a century to begin the summer against South Africa in Brisbane, Cowan is now on thin ice, averaging just 32.81 from 13 Tests. The Tasmanian looked out of sorts in his two innings against Sri Lanka in Sydney and has missed too many opportunities to cash in on good pitches. On the other hand, Watson averages 43.67 as an opener, far better than he fares elsewhere in the order. http://news.theage.c...0107-2ccm4.html

Keep the bowlers fresh & uninjured. Pups goin' well.

No it wasn't one day Inter, I saw the Perth test. It was I thought a NSW bowler.. I thought the performance was lacklustre. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/hi/english/static/cricket/statistics/scorecards/2012/11/87822/html/scorecard.stm I think it was Hastings. #edit incorrect phrasing gave the wrong impression.

No, I think it was Harris I saw in Perth. he didn't look much but that was the first time I've seen him. he looked 1 dimensional without much penetration. I'd expect fire & brimstone from a bowler like that. Siddle has that position. Cummins Pattinson & Starc have height & bounce. Cummins can't get onto the field. Johnson also gets bounce. He's got to get his Rhythm going.

LoL.... who bro? I wish I was still in touch with my old kiwi mates. seeennnsational.

Yes, but the worst thing to do is to reduce our bowling pool. If we keep all bowlers in to the pool of potentials, we keep a healthier & more respectful pool. this is the culture to keep healthy, that if someone gets ahead of themselves, they will be replaced. experience is a must keep, as long as its the healthy variety. Not like the MFC senior experience on the past 10 yrs, excepting Jnr. once the culture has gone rotten, & the carts driving from the front, there's a lot of work to undo it.