Cricket Part III

If I’d been farked over, sans lube, as often as him I’d make his behaviour look angelic.
And Langer is a flog.

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Seem to have ruffled a few feathers here - sorry chaps.

Langer is a statesman of the game, Maxwell is a mickey-mouse specialist whose unappealing personality is only surpassed by his terrible batting technique

Howzat? -we all know where we stand on the issue now :slight_smile:

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he took a fair leaf out of the afl play book by deflecting on that question tho.

Yeah, nah.

He was a very good player.

He has so far been a very unsuccessful coach.

And statesman is not a word I’d use for a guy who doesn’t have the nads to make the phone call himself when guys get dropped, but can find time to take potshots at them through the media.

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Yep, statesmen is one of the last words I’d use to describe Langer

That is quite funny. But I wouldn’t hold it against him, it’s freaking 20/20 and the entire premise is largely ridiculous.

More broadly, I’m not sure where the idea of an unappealing personality comes from. Hes a nice bloke.

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Very good post.

He’s too mouthy and/or introverted for most people in this thread.

The coaches don’t like him, ergo there must be some huge character flaw.

I guess if anyone would know about corruption it would be the ICC

Just watched a few overs of the BB and my predominant feeling is “Why”.

Why is Renshaw - who we want as the stoic Test opener - playing in this?

Why is Burns bothering playing if he bats at 7 or 8 , barely gets a hit and isn’t suited to the format at all?

Why is the most injury prone fast bowler we have - and let’s face it, there’s some competition! - diving through the air on a stupid 2nd run?

Why are we impressed with a formerly promising leggie in Boyce now being adept at bowling nothing but flat wrong-uns?

Why have I become a miserable cricketing Scrooge? Bah, humbug.

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For 3 reasons, and 3 reasons only.

Money, … Money, … & Money

And Patto has injured himself diving for a catch

Sure about that? He bowled again afterwards.

It has been fascinating watching and listening to all the controversy with the Test team. Firstly, I think it is a good sign that supporters and experts demand better. That is Australia’s strength and has been since the '87 World Cup. Secondly, I am aghast that the Shield (the envy of domestic competitions around the world) is now not seen as good enough to produce world class cricketers. Is this a myth? Reality? Somewhere in between?

Next, at this stage, Australia can not afford to have players like Maxwell in the outer. I get and appreciate blooding youngsters but to do that and put immediate pressure on them is not fair.

Finally, I am only a nuffy but as Smith and Warner get closer to a return, Australia must surround them with batsmen who can last out a test match. It is an indictment that no Aussie batsman got a 100 in the India series. Yes, the Indian bowlers bowled well, but the number of poor shots played by batsmen in their 30s-40s was unacceptable.

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How many dominant batsman have come out of the Sheffield Shield in the last decade? How many current batsman are averaging ~50 across their respective First Class careers?

It’s reality, the sooner we face it it the better.

good call by you

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It’s expectations more than anything.

Look at this:

These 6 guys were all running around Shield in essentially the same time - fighting for a couple of spots, after Langer/Hayden/Ponting/SR Waugh.

140 years of history of Test cricket.
These guys don’t come around that often.
Having 6 of them at once certainly doesn’t.

People need to realise that there won’t always be an embarrassment of riches that we had in the late 90s and 00s. It is an aberration.

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It’s also related to how players are developed now & the amount of long form cricket they don’t get

Was no 20/20 then. Players probably played a lot more Sheffield shield games. And test cricket was seen as the most important.

India’s development pathways (stopping talented kids once identified from playing 20/20 to focus on long form) & fact their FC, one day and 20/20 seasons don’t cross over is why they’ve overtaken us

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Test cricket is still seen as most important.