so, when the Ashes is done and dusted and we cement our place at #5 in the test rankings with a humiliating defeat on home soil to a better organised and structured England team that has played with a sense of purpose not just survival, what will need to happen to lift cricket in Australia and what shake up of Cricket Australia must eventuate to avoid further seasons in the abyss. (how was that for a run-on sentence!?)
All of us here at DTW have lamented the lack of foresight from first ACB (during the 80's retirements) and CA (during the 2000's retirements), so what can we suggest as a vision for the future and to change the culture of, "we're great, and always will be....D'oh! What just happened?
suggestions:
CA bow and grovel before St D.K and beg for his return as head bowling coach.
"......................" St S.K and beg him to come and be spin bowling coach and give tactical seminars to ALL state and national captains coaches and VC's.
Revamp the academy and tour it around the country- intensively. Including smaller scale grass roots visits to clubs on training nights. Yes there are a lot of clubs in the country, but this is where young people start so it should be for CA if they want to implement long term change.
organise genuine kids clinics that double as talent scouting ops. i say genuine because the one i took my boy to that was touted as such didn't even look at the little kids- even though it was stated they would, and only concentrated on the 15 and 16 year olds.
expand the CA contract system (much like SL have) to incorporate more and younger players... and guarantee that with performance, opportunities to represent will happen.
Performance based contracts for current squad; it removes doubt and speculation- if your numbers don't hold up, one of the other contracted young 'uns is ready.
What else?
How should batting be handled in the future?
There's only so much money to go around, Stoph! While I fully agree with more support to juniors and grass-roots cricket I don't think it's feasible to get around as you describe. With the top level I don't think there needs to be such an emphasis on having several coaches, advisers, conditioning trainers and more. These guys are professional sportsmen who, generally, know what they need to do to improve and succeed. Perhaps a more bottom-up approach would work where there's less top-heavy roles.
ReplyDeleteI actually think the academy system in Aus is the best in the world; it's just that guys like Cosgrove who come out of them don't get opportunities and are handled very poorly. Where do you go once you've been there? To a state/grade side and so it's essentially just a different way of getting to the same place; if different at all.
Unlike India I think someone is watching the under 17s and 19s here; rather than CA seeing all of this they could use those on the ground better to get info and feedback from. I reckon I saw the best cricketer of 2023 last year at Milo in2 cricket we ran at our club. He's 6 years old and can bat and bowl better than most kids 3 or 4 years older than him. Coaches and mentors of the juniors could receive training and provided with the opportunity of linking with CA rather than CA having cronies periodically touring the country. This kid will hopefully stick with cricket and move through under 10s and so on but then have to go to the plains to play district cricket to have a chance of being noticed. If he does well and gets a run in the A grade then coaches at that level speak with state dudes. He may make a representative side and play on Adelaide Oval with someone like Greg Chappell there watching. I don't have a problem with this process. He may not have a great game on the day and go back to the A grade and continue to work hard etc. In Aus you get opportunities few other countries afford their cricketers (unless the cricketers families' have a lot of money).
There's no lack of talent in Aus in my view. One major issue though is that spin has gone back our of fashion. Hopefully guys like Doherty, Smith and O'Keefe can resurrect this at the state level but the problem is far deeper than that. It's odd because the offspinner is my side is integral to my bowling plans. He's not even that great! He can't turn the ball but bowls long spells and we plan how we're going to get the batsman out. Perhaps spinners are seen as guys who bowl a bit before or after a break these days.
To me the national side is being hampered by short-term thinking by the administration. It used to be that a young fella got a series to have a go and you quickly got a picture of what you could expect. I don't think any batting, bowling, keeping, fine leg or other coach would do anything at all to the national side in the current environment. Give guys like Ferguson and Kawajahaja a series to play and see how they go. There's a reason they're smashing it at state level (the best domestic comp in the world) - it's because they're @$%&ing good! Let them show the world on the big stage how good they are. Stop dragging around old players, just waiting for them to retire. So what if they only got their chance at 30? Most cricketers don't get the chance at all! Take a punt like we did in 1986 (which brought a World Cup in 1987 and the Ashes in 1989) - remember what people said of Aus then? They all thought we were shit. Boy did we show them how 'shit' we were.
Does T20 or limited overs games wreck potential stars of Test cricket?
ReplyDeleteif this is or might be the case then CA need to make the decision: Which form is it most important to be best at.
One dayer's and T20's do not resemble Test cricket and vice versa.
We have a great wealth of players in the country and the exposure of more players to international competition can only be a good thing, so why not widen the scope of selection to give more players a chance to show their wares and to gain invaluable experience?
eg:Playing Clark in a T20 is a waste.
If I were in charge then up and coming players would be representing Australia in the shorter forms of the game just to give them the experience of representing Australia....and hang the results!
We might not win as many games but does North Melbourne or Collingwood care if it wins the NAB cup??? no, they use that competition to both give their players experience at the top level as well as finding out how they perform.
Test cricket is the pinnacle and should be treated as such.
I think the answer could be more Australia A test matches against B sides from all over the world. Why can't every series have a B series?
ReplyDeleteSecond tier players get to play against their equivalent from the touring country.
It's more test cricket to advertise the format and they could be played before tests at the same venue. Both sides get the advantage of seeing a young up and comer on the ground stake his claim against foreign competition.
It's radical but I think it could work.
It may be radical but it's logical. Great ideas from you both I reckon.
ReplyDeleteHarris grabs 5 for Qld and cements place for Brisbane.
Vic, again, find a way to climb out of a hole (though they're rarely in one). Big test for Siddle now against good NSW batsmen.
Eng fielding their likely first 11 against SA and have lost Strauss and Trott. If Cook makes a liar out of me and makes runs I'll be devastated. Eng are obviously taking these tour matches very seriously. George has got both the wickets but I think it may be too soon for a baggy green. He started to find his way in India though.
This bloody work keeping me from heading down to Adel oval. I'm hoping if I can get enough work done today I'll saunter in tomorrow with my books to 'work'. Really want to see Ferguson bat!
Fair play on the needed money, but if CA want a premium product...
ReplyDeletecan't write much at the mo, feel s like i've got 2 cantaloupes covered in wiz fiz jamned up my nose!
Touring clinics from CA needs to be done via the state body.
spinners at most levels are thought of as "file in" bowlers, and while i got first change duties last year (big rip has some pay-offs!) i didn't get given as many overs as the other change even though my figs beat my partners in every game.
gotta sleep- feel munted
Nielsen is having a sook at the nay-sayers on his CA blog.
ReplyDeletehttp://cricket.com.au/nielsenblog-display/22415
of course i gave him a spray, but expect it to be moderated out.
i think i may be misrepresenting myself a bit; i like Sids, Huss, Jono, (North has done way to little to go in this group), and want them in the side, but if they fail to correct their failings they've got to go.
in short:
Siddle needs to correct length
Jono, his line
Huss, obviously needs runs
and Ponting needs to decide what his goals are- continue on as one of the greatest batsman in the modern game, or captain.
rest time again
Yeah I don't think Siddle should be picked. To often when I've seen him bowl he lacks penetration, leaks alot of runs and doesn't really look like getting a batsman out. At least Johnson grabs poles. If it were 15 years ago Johnson would have been told after the Ashes in England to play some shield cricket, get some consistency and he'd be back in the baggy green. These days you either keep getting picked no matter what or the polar opposite - always having to watch the knife hanging over your head (eg Hughes).
ReplyDeleteNorth has to go, for good. Hasn't done enough when it's been needed.
Hussey has served well but so what if he scores a ton or two? How long can he play for? Say 'thanks but goodbye' and give a young fella his start.
I'm wondering if Ponting is being selfish. He's not a great captain so what would you lose there if he retired. He obviously is still a great batsman but there are others worthy of a chance.
If I were trying to balance staying safe with new blood I'd make this Katich's and Ponting's last series, give Johnson two tests to get consistency (and if he doesn't give Starc/Bollinger/George/Whoever a chance), say see ya to North permanently, pick Hilf and Harris for the whole series and give Hussey two tests to prove his worth (making it his last series too) and if he fails give a young'en a go. This way someone like Ferguson or Kawajawajaqza gets a series and the other has a good chance of playing a few tests too.
Spin is the real problem for mine. Hauritz is not in good form at all. I'd probably give someone else a debut and take a risk.
Siddle for me is a good pick. He will be good in Brisbane where there should be some good movement off the pitch. He bangs it in and will benefit from the juicy Gabba pitch. His brand of bowling will suit the pitch up there.
ReplyDeleteI think the general public have underestimated the value of the home town advantage, especially for the bowlers.
I think we have a good chance in Brisbane and Perth of winning. If we can go 1-0 from those two and salvage a draw in Melbourne (Adelaide for me is a lock for a draw) it all comes down to Sydney.
I don't think Katich will get up for the first test which opens the door for Hughes. If he can put a score together and Katich comes back in it then puts pressure on either North or Hussey.
If Katich comes up I think it spells doom for any significant changes until at least the new year and by then it could all be over.