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Australia and their approach to T20s

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Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I don't think that there's any doubt that Oz has a depth of cricketing talent that is the envy of many countries yet we struggle to win meaningless matches let alone a WC in this format

To put it bluntly, whatever we are doing simply isn't working and we are ranked where we should be

I believe that this WC should be a wake-up call and the time is right for a complete overhaul of our approach to this format

Without pointing fingers or making excuses (too late for either IMO), I believe that the following approach has merit

1. Appoint a selection panel to oversee this format with preference given to guys with experience in this format e.g. MHussey

2. Negotiate a schedule with other countries that allows for the playing of regular series that do not compete with the domestic schedule

Cant be that hard to do as each match only takes a few hours and a 3-game series could be completed in a week

As an example, during the Oz summer you could set aside 2 weeks from the domestic schedule (allowing for travel) for away series against either NZ or SA.

Both of these countries share similar seasons so there is no/little need for practice matches as everyone is playing regularly

3. Have (1) above select a core group of players to participate in these series from outside the test squad so as not to disrupt their preparation and complement them with others

Off the top of my head, that'd be:

Watto as captain - seemed to perform that role last night anyway
Finch
SMarsh
Lynn
Head
Maxwell
Faulkner
NCN
Hastings
Tye
Zampa
etc etc

Couldn't be that difficult to establish a core group of players gaining 20-30 matches of experience each year in all conditions and it would spare us from entering the next WC without having a clue as to what our best XI is
 
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Burgey

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I think Watto has retired as of last night mate, but what you're saying has merit in that there needs to be a more systematic approach to T20. The lesser nations have had their fun with it, it's time Australia got it sorted out and put them in their place at this level as well as in the two more meaningful formats.

Sadly, for all its vacuity, I think T20 is here to stay, and in a couple of decades' time we don't want these blow-in nations who can't hold a candle to us in the real stuff to be able to take long term consolation in the lesser form of the game. CA needs to get it sorted out reasonably quickly, so we can have true national heroes of the calibre of Shahid Afridi, Darren Sammy and that Indian seamer with the action which you'd try to coach out of a four year old.
 
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Spikey

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Honestly I don't think they did too much wrong this time. They didn't pick brad hogg this time at least. It's just that they went from having Starc, MJ and Cummins pencilled in, to none of them being around, which ****ed things up pretty bad. And there was the Arun Finch thing, which they were all over the place with.

I've seen the separate selection/coaching panel things advocated, and you know it probably wouldn't hurt, but it's just better judgements that are needed, and I don't see why the incumbents aren't capable of that. I do wonder though, how the dynamic of the selection panel picking the squad and then only one selector + the coach picking the actual team works for T20's.

Clearly some sort of annual tri-series/tournament should be implemented, although I'm not really sure where it can fit in. And it would probably have to be hosted outside of Australia.
 

Hurricane

Hall of Fame Member
I Don't think Australia needs to overhaul anything. They lost because Warner and Maxwell didn't really do their jobs. You need some designators "hitters"

When you look through the Australian line up names like Warner and Maxwell jump out at you as to men to do that job and they had mixed results when the chips were down.

Being a designated hitter means being prepared to bat in an unappealing manner - but who cares if you are in the team to tonk it then do your job. Who cares how you look. Maxwell seemed self conscious at times. BE THE FILTHY SLOGGER YOU WERE BORN TO BE GLEN.
 

Compton

International Debutant
Australia lost to India in India because they can't bowl worth a **** (when you're missing Starc, Johnson and Cummins that makes sense) and Smith and Warner both got out cheaply (Warner being an idiot, and Smith being given out for missing the ball).

Smith not bowling out Zampa made little sense too, but his captaincy in this format is a disaster.

Yesterday in general was hardly a disaster.
 

vcs

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Any team would miss Starc. No need to panic, unpredictable format and they lost out in a close game.

But yeah, it's weird that there's been 6 editions of this thing without Australia winning. They'll probably do better in non-subcontinent conditions.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Food for thought

Aside from NZ, the other 3 semi-finalists haven't got a decent long-form seamer between them and the Kiwis aren't playing one of them

The 2 best short-form openers in the world are Australian - one played 2 matches, the other didn't play as an opener

Our captain has a poor T20 record

Etc, etc

Anyway, forget this tourney

Oz don't have a clue as to what is their best team in this format because it isn't seen as a priority
 
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Crazy Sam

International 12th Man
It's pretty hard to care about this tournament in the same way we care about others (test series, ODI World Cup, even the BBL). Australia played 1 x T20I in 2015 so it's fair to see where it ranks in terms of priorities, as much as the team may say they want to be #1. That's not a negative either, just how it is when you are cramming extra Ashes series, day night tests etc into it all. If Australia cared about it more they would've set aside the time taken by the NZ tour to prepare for it.

If Australia want to improve in T20I's, they need a) for the First XI to play more T20I's together and not field 3rd tier T20 players; and b) for the national players to play more BBL so they are actually a part of the development system of Australian T20 players.

I agree that the lack of our better pace bowling options was always going to be a problem.
 

Daemon

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Is there really that much of a problem? Besides the fact that there's too many openers, all of Australia's batsmen are some of the best in the world. Slightly dumb things like Smith's captaincy and the whole Finch thing just make it seem a lot worse. Starc getting injured was pretty much the biggest blow to any side in any tournament ever as well.
 

Tom Flint

International Regular
Is there really that much of a problem? Besides the fact that there's too many openers, all of Australia's batsmen are some of the best in the world. Slightly dumb things like Smith's captaincy and the whole Finch thing just make it seem a lot worse. Starc getting injured was pretty much the biggest blow to any side in any tournament ever as well.
Apart from malinga being ruled out for sri lanka
 

Niall

International Coach
Apart from malinga being ruled out for sri lanka
Yes and no, Lanka not great shakes at the moment so they can't afford to miss anyone, but Malinga not the player he was he has broke down quite a bit over the last few years.

The loss of Starc was huge, it would be like Ashwin or Champion Bravo going down for their respective nations, some players you simply can't replace.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
I was shocked by how poor Steve Smith is as a T20 captain.

He seems to be one of those risk-averse captains who believes spinners are one over away from being carted for 30. Zampa is going for 6s in international T20s, you're playing in India on conducive pitches, yet he bowls 3 overs in their biggest two pool matches v NZ and India?

No point taking him forward as skipper in that format unless they're admitting they really don't care too much for success in T20.

His body language is also piss poor. Tea potting boundary balls in the field like they're not a hazard of the occupation. Sooking at every opportunity. It might work in Tests with a disciplined side, especially bowling-wise, but it won't in T20s and probably ODIs. Plus his batting is pretty average in 20-over cricket.
 

the big bambino

International Captain
1. Watto's retired.
2. Who cares.

T20 makes money. That's what its there for. Its basically the advertising jingle that interrupts the cricket season. I think Australia should innovate the other way. Completely take the piss out the format; its a marketer's toy. Keep a place or 2 aside for a lucky fan or fans to rep their country if their names are drawn out of a barrel. Lucky winners get their names on the big screen. Lead the boys when singing the team song. I'd start watching. Would love to see Joe Flog face Amir for example.
 

Shady Slim

International Coach
australia had a lot of problems this world cup.

now out of the fifteen players that went over they didn't pick the best eleven. as i was saying all series, ncn spudded it up while hastings, who mind you is the second best bowler in the squad barring watson, sat on the bench for all the games barring one. james faulkner and steve smith should have been dropped before their pakistan heroics. mind you their pakistan heroics were pretty downhill skiing, especially smith.

maybe smith shouldn't have been dropped but definitely should have been dropped as captain. abhorrent captaincy.

now on to the squad itself. they shouldn't have discarded lynn after a few failures against india: if smith or warner weren't great that series they'd get so many more chances it isn't funny. it seems like what the selectors do is lock nine spots up and say "everyone else has to fight for the two that are left". especially considering the fluid and faced paced nature of t20 form has to be the priority in selection, not name. now i don't care if that means picking doug bollinger or travis head over coulter nile or steve smith, if they are in form they deserve the spot.

our squad for the tournament should have been

finch (c)
warner
khawaja
watto
paine+/maxwell
maxwell/mmarsh
mmarsh/nevill+
hastings
holland
zampa
bollinger

lynn/head

with lynn or head replacing watto going forward

for me this format of the game is much more interesting than the one dayers because even on a road a t20 doesn't have enough time in it to get boring as a odi does.

they have to realise that in such a fluid game every position should be picked on form and not name.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Australia's top players not being available for the Big Bash presents a problem because your emerging talent doesn't get to play against the best players.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Australia's top players not being available for the Big Bash presents a problem because your emerging talent doesn't get to play against the best players.
The standard of the BBL is very good

In any event, the problem is not our emerging players e.g. Smith & Warner were amongst the biggest busts of the tourney
 

91Jmay

International Coach
Smith will need to learn quick how vital spinners are in this format. Been covered but Zampa who has been one of best bowlers in the competition only bowling two is absolutely shocking
 

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