I don't know if you guys have been listening to the radio today but there has been a LOT of talk about one S.K Warne making a comeback. Of course it is just conjecture but it does raise the questions....
If Warne did put his hand up could the selectors ignore him?
Should he be picked if he does put his hand up?
Would he perform better than the spinner that would be selected otherwise?
Should he put his hand up?
All interesting questions. Picking him is a very short term solution if it was successful but really who cares? The Poms go back empty handed and we have two more years to develop a team that can keep the urn on foreign soil. How much of a learning experience would it be for the likes of Doherty or Smith to be twelfth man to a side that has Warne. How valuable would he be to Ponting when he is out of ideas after the first hour?
I for one hate the man as a person but I think even retired he remains one of Australia's best bowlers.
The rest might just have energised him enough to go on for a few more years and if we have to throw the captaincy at him to do it I think it is worth it.
Apart from the absurdity of the subject matter, has anyone else stopped to consider the immacuate timing of the hubbub which is the "Bring Warnie Back" campaign? The former great - well I guess if you are a great you are never former - flies out to England to promote his new chat show ... oh, that's what it is. So far, it seemed to be an exercise in mutual ego stroking judging by the interview with The Head With Millions.
ReplyDelete"Oh Wanrie you were the best."
"Don't know about that James. You could hold you own." ... and so on and so on, the flattery went on unabatted. It was the sort of television you watch with an obligatory bucket on your lap.
Just before Warne leaves, the publicity machine goes into overdrive from all of The Head With Millions publication and then we have a website and a fund raising campaign to bring Warne back ... when suddenly, he arrives at Heathrow to promote his show and is swamped by reporters.
Yes, right.
As to the subject ... the bloke could probably pull it off but only, apparently, if he is captain. Again, we could do not worse but it will hardly take Australia forward in the rebuilding process we need to undergo. We've been in transition before. Its a natural part of the process. It's just that this time, it comes after such a long period of dominance that was half about Australia being strong and half about the rest of the world being weak. Playing for Australia isn't a negotiatable contract. You either play or you don't. Four years ago, Wanre chose to stop playing for his country and chase Indian $millions in his waning years and good luck to him in that endeavour.
Before someone quotes Bob Simpson to me, despite being the Chairman of Selector's father in law, he was too old last comeback so he's definitely too old to come back again. Diferent senario. We still have good cricketers and there is no internal division which has rent us in two.
There are others, much closer still to the game who would give better service ... Brad Hodge and Brett Lee being two of them. Despite that, I wouldn't invite them either.
There are 66 players running around trying to play their best cricket in every round of the Sheffielf Shield. It's to there we should look and see past this inglorious period of transition to a new golden age. The very best of our legends of cricket - the Bradman's, the Millers, the Lillees, the Chappells, the Borders - emerged at times when Australia was rebuilding. If we lose faith in this process, we will be a long time at five, six or seven in the world rankings.
Its time for the old guard to move into the commentary box and the new to learn their lessons in the only classroom which will prove or disprove their worth.
England are too good for us. Its not the end of the world!
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ReplyDeleteRomance Lango, where is yours? I was just trying to be fanciful and you have to go and throw reason in my face...
ReplyDeleteI reckon that Warne would be absolutely AWESOME for at least 4 or 5 overs, then probably shite cos he isn't match fit
ReplyDeleteIt is for these reasons that we MUST bring Warne back.......Just to see those 4 overs.
i find it interesting that all of the Poms i spoke to over the 2 days we were at Adelaide said English cricket would have a rectal implosion if Warne played again!
ReplyDeletenow i'm of the belief that he is past it at that level, and that this England side is so finely tuned that it wouldn't matter if Warne was there or not, but clearly he affected the English confidence from the team down to the supporters.
I'm not sure whether to write something serious about it or not! Yes he was magical but he really hasn't bowled much in 4 years - IPL 4 over spells don't count much and he's getting more ineffective each year he goes to India. I think it would hurt his legacy like Schumacher's return to F1.
ReplyDeleteOn the pro side - the precedent is certainly there from an English point of view through Cowdrey, Hammond and others. Not sure how often Aus have brought out a retiree. It'd create some hype though wouldn't it! I wonder whether he could bowl 20 overs in a day still. I tell you what, if he could get into the nets and go for 90 minutes I'd bloody pick him. He could even make his elusive ton!
has anyon else read this?
ReplyDeletehttp://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8180815
in short- a bunch of banana-bender buisnessmen (where else but qld?) want to lure Warne back with a million $'s... has he played a few bad hands of poker lately, because i'm pretty sure he still has a few sponies in the bank.
here is the site:
http://www.bringbackwarne.com/donate.php
as Lango said, we had Simo's return, but that was due to vastly different situation.
i'm with you Lefty, i think it would damage his rep; unless he did it, refused to take money and then won the series! not going to happen unless he captains.
...and imagine if he got out on another no-ball 99! wouldn't the Poms love that.
"REFERAL PLEASE UMP!"
I have to say, if we are still in it after Perth and Warne can bowl an hour long spell in the nets, I would take him.
ReplyDeleteNot just for his bowling. His cricket brain is unrivalled in the Australian team. They don't even have to take the captaincy off Ponting, officially...