Cricket Part III

Who is Darsh?

Langer faced some of the best bowling attacks in the world throughout his career - Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, Ambrose, Walsh. Donald, Pollock et al. So I call bull$hit to that claim. 23 Test centuries at ~45 for an opener in an age where pitches actually had life in them and wern’t just highways for batting is absolutely outstanding.

He made 7 of his centuries including a double ton batting at number 3. I guess Hayden elevated him there too ?

Look, stats in cricket are vast - but people who watched Langer play understand why he is held in such high esteem amongst Australia’s modern batsmen. Tough, uncompromising - and often one of the few batsman who delivered in losing series (such as leading run scorer in the '05 Ashes). He stood up when some of his more flashy but fragile team mates could not (Martyn, M.Waugh come to mind).

Being a tier behind behind Matthew Hayden (and Ponting) who happened to be contemporaries of JL is not really much of a criticism considering they are two of the best to have played the game.

Legend :slight_smile:

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Even if we take that as read, why should it automatically translate over to coaching?

Plenty of genuine, unquestionable legends go on to be bad coaches - and vice versa. It’s a whole new ball game.

He needs to earn respect by building a good side, not by picking his WA side of 3-4 years ago.

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Don’t disagree Langer was a great player. He was my favourite for years. However his coaching stint thus far has not gone well due to the on field results. Separately he has to take responsibility for many of the mixed messages and straight out confusing selections.

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darsh

A supposedly hilarious and derogatory mispronunciation of the last name “Marsh.”

In the Ski Trip episode of South Park, Tad calls Stan Marsh “Stan Darsh” as an insult

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Yep, look - I fully agree RE: Coaching - team has been abysmal - happy for Langer to cop some flak over that - although it’s pretty early days and he had a good record with WA. To be clear, I;m not wanting to conflate his playing career with his coaching resume thus far.

My experience playing cricket is that coaching is a pretty small part of the overall picture compared to the cattle you have to work with.

Now let’s set this straight.
Not one. Not two. Not three. But zero shields, in almost 6 years in charge of WA.
In a 6 team comp.
Victoria have won 3 in the same period.

“Good” is perhaps over-egging it, just a touch?
Passable, I’ll accept. They finished second twice. (And I think he did OK in BBL)

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:smile: yeah fair enough - I’ll limit my egging to his playing career.

Vics won three on the trot didn’t they?

:slight_smile: You clearly have a different definition of legend to me.

On the facing Akram, Donald, Ambrose throughout his career, I don’t think the stats hold up. Those guys were mostly washed up in ~2000. Langer played 30ish tests in the 90s for an average of 36. Those guys retired and he had a better time of it against Shoaib Akhtar and Ian Bishop. (He played 70ish tests in the 00s)

Not surprising really.

I’m not suggesting he was a dud by any stretch, just that legend is pushing it IMO. Very very good for sure, but not everyone can be a “legend” of the game. From that early 00s I’d have Warne, McGrath and probably Ponting as legends. It’s a pretty high bar in my mind.

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They should win it nearly every year

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Fair enough - yep I reckon we do have a different definition.

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Well considering we Vics rarely get national selections and NSW has the 2 best batsman and literally the entire test attack, its hardly a fair competition.

Langer’s coaching won’t be judged until the ashes. His most important job will be stitching the team together when Smith and Warner return, unfortunately that happens to coincide with the Ashes.

His limited overs record was better than his 1st class one, as far as coaching goes at least.

Nothing unfortunate about it.
It was a choice.
Made twice.

Why?

Massive population base and the second highest junior numbers in the land to go with NSW fielding their second 11 basically. I know times change but I used to love the SS scheduling which allowed test players to play every round and it was a true state v state comp. Was great as a kid sitting at AO watchtthe best players go at it and hoping for an autograph from Hookes, Marsh, Lillee etc and then having the pleasure of doing likewise when my son was young. One game at AO NSW trotted out Slater, Taylor, both Waugh’s, McGill, Brett Lee, McGrath and probably a couple others who I’ve missed. Now I go to the SS and see either kids or guys not good enough representing the state and a schedule that has sacrificed test cricket for a T20

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It will be interesting how CA work through the current bind. Something needs to be done to get our first class system back to where it once was in regards to producing quality test players.

The Big Bash has clearly impacted on the Shield significantly. Whilst it can be debated if our current batch of technically fragile batsmen is a result of the Big Bash, there is no debating that the scheduling of the Big Bash has robbed the Shield of its importance and momentum.

My solution would be to push the Big Bash back later in the season. But I’m sure the dollars CA are raking in will men’s this won’t happen.

Other than the fixture they also need to look at the wickets. Ideally all the wickets used for Shield matches should be prepared as if it’s a test wicket. This should therefore mean the bowlers know how to take wickets on a test pitch and batsmen can make runs. Presently I feel that Shield wickets are too in favour of the bowlers to ensure results.

Also we need to maximise the number of Shield games the test players can play. Resting of test players needs to be outlawed as well.

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Yep, absolutely absurd that we have a test series starting in just over a week and have had no SS games for months. We are handing out baggy greens to guys who bat well in T20’s FFS. They have to play the BBL over school holidays to maximise attendance but they should be running the SS at the same time and telling blokes that if you want to play tests you must make yourself available for SS

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CA loves $$ as much as the AFL, so that will drive everything…

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Same as the wade situation mate, they’ve rubbed someone up the wrong way.
Wades old man ran footy down here a few years ago and told everyone to get ■■■■■■ so maybe it’s genetic.