• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

What happened to Australia?

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
Not so much to do with the play or success but to do with what the players look like and their attitude. Growing up, Australian cricketers looked and acted like men against boys. Physically intimidating and possessing of fabled mental toughness, they looked a different breed to the boyish Englishmen.

What happened in Australia? Genuine question, has there been a pussification of the nation?

This generation seems very different in both look and outlook to the previous couple. It doesn’t appear to be just about ability.

Waugh had the, oft described, 'gunslinger eyes', Boon and Border wouldn't back down from a tidal wave, Merv Hughes scared batsmen so much that they ignored the fact he bowled at 75 mph, Langer looked like a man ready to go over the top to bayonet the Hun, Hayden was built like the Hulk, Warne had the career building arrogance that overwhelmed weaker opponents, McGrath shot pigs for fun, and Dean Jones was willing to watch himself waste away to an early death in the pursuit of runs. I could go on.

Now there are fragile fast bowlers that retire or flounce (Tait and Johnson), Clarke looks like a 12 yr old boy or an anorexic lesbian, Watson is scared of ghosts, Bollinger has his own image issues, Hughes looks like a trainee school teacher and the straw that broke the donkeys back was watching Smith come out to bat today.

He looked like Billy Bunter without the glasses. Possibly the least intimidating thing I’ve seen on a cricket field in quite a while.

Certainly the players are not as good as before but they have lost their edge especially when playing against guys like Tremlett who Brumby correctly describes as looking like a big, intimidating unit.

I’m not having a go at Australia as I have long admired their attitude, determination and how that is all packaged together. Now it seems the only reason to share a drink with them would be to see their glamorous other halves.

Are there greater changes at work in Australian life and *sniggers* culture to have made such a change in attitude, aggression and, dare I say it, manliness? What happened?

My comments are as an outsider looking in and I am genuinely interested if forces are at play or whether this isn't what it may appear.
 
Last edited:

Bloody Hell

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Michael Clarke, bringing the emo culture into the Australian FIrst XI....can't wait till he's captian. 8-)8-)8-)
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
No one was complaining about Clarke's emo culture in 2008 when he was gunning it.

I hate Clarkeeeeeeeey, but let's not analyse players on their looks FFS.
 

vcs

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Last time I checked, it was still there somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere.... :dry:

:ph34r:
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
No one was complaining about Clarke's emo culture in 2008 when he was gunning it.

I hate Clarkeeeeeeeey, but let's not analyse players on their looks FFS.
Looks, attitude and presence play a huge role in success.

I have watched England teams with an unhealthy proportion of nice looking boys present zero intimidation to the 'scary' West Indians and the 'tough looking' Aussies. Looks cannot be downplayed. Even if it doesnt effect your own game (though some mongrel goes a long way) it impacts how others deal with you and play against you.
 
Last edited:

G.I.Joe

International Coach
No one was complaining about Clarke's emo culture in 2008 when he was gunning it.

I hate Clarkeeeeeeeey, but let's not analyse players on their looks FFS.
AWTA.z

"Boost is the secret of my energy"
 

Jacknife

International Captain
I think, playing in a losing team with no confidence does that to you and the fact when you look around the changing room does not fill you with that inner belief, especially for guys like Ponting.
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Haha, is this the 'muscular cricket' theory all over again?

And hasn't anyone heard KP or Tendulkar talk before?
 

Ruckus

International Captain
Looks, attitude and presence play a huge role in success.
Maybe the latter two, but you've got to be kidding me that looks play much of a role in success. You can't say Glenn Mcgrath has an intimidating appearance...

The attitude is the same as ever imo. Smith actually looks to have a very determined, no no-nonsense approach to cricket. Hughes has been described by Langer as a fighter. Then there are plenty of others out there who have an intimidating physical presence. Ryan Harris is an obvious example that comes to mind.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Looks, attitude and presence play a huge role in success.

I have watched England teams with an unhealthy proportion of nice looking boys present zero intimidation to the 'scary' West Indians and the 'tough looking' Aussies. Looks cannot be downplayed. Even if it doesnt effect your own game (though some mongrel goes a long way) it impacts how others deal with you and play against you.
Yeah I bet Sachin and Dravid looked mean and tough when they first started. Would have had players shaking in their boots.

That Anil Kumble in his scientist glasses too :ph34r:

Gilly too, what a tough nut. Those ears!
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
haha, I think it's this generation all over the world isn't it?

When I was in the UK a few years back everyone had Beckham's haircut and there was a fair bit of metrosexual in most young blokes.

South Korea is it to the extreme, tight jeans and a lot of blokes who could easily be girls. They'd spend an equal amount of time in front of the mirror I'd say.

It's the fashion everywhere. Even big blokes like Tremlett aren't overly frightening. And the rest of the English team largely look like they should be extras at Hogwarts, there's nothing intimidating about them. I think it's a bit over-played, we're not losing now because of how we look. We're losing because of how we play. I don't think the two are that closely related.
 
Last edited:

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah I bet Sachin and Dravid looked mean and tough when they first started. Would have had players shaking in their boots.

That Anil Kumble in his scientist glasses too :ph34r:
Honestly, it has possibly played a role in India not been as successful as it could have been and it certainly hurt when they played against WI. You talk to certain Indians and, maybe not now and they may not have been the only ones, they were intimidated by the West Indies and it wasnt just the speed they bowled.

As for Gilchrist, he intimidates. His weather beaten looks give him the appearance like he has had a harder life than most, tougher than you and would not budge an inch.

Whether people agree with me that it makes a difference, noone is addressing the actual question posed which was why do the Australians seem so different in looks, outlook, aggression and toughness?

EDIT- RE: above post. Fair point, fashion is clearly part of it and that does transend national boundaries. But this current generation seems different in outlook and attitute and Im not sure fashion addresses that.
 
Last edited:

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Honestly, it ha spossibly played a role in India not been as successful as it could have been and it certainly hurt when they played against WI. You talk to certain Indians and, maybe not now and they may not have been the only ones, they were intimidated by the West Indies and it wasnt just the speed they bowled.

As for Gilchrist, he intimidates. His weather beaten looks give him the appearance like he has had a harder life than most, tougher than you and would not budge an inch.

Whether people agree with me that it makes a difference, noone is addressing the actual question posed which was why do the Australians seem so different in looks, outlook, aggression and toughness?
Different to who though? The earlier Australians or the other teams?

If it's the earlier Australian teams then I think, as I said, that it's generational. Every Western country has a lot more metrosexual blokes getting around now (in fact, it's only a recent term isn't it?), it makes sense young guys around the cricket team will adopt the current trends in fashion and looks. Don't think it really affects Watson or Clarke's play (the latter is out of form, but he looked the same when he was scoring heaps of runs).

Ponting is failing and he looks pretty weather-beaten :happy:

If it's other teams, I don't see a hell of a lot of difference. As I said, the English team isn't full of rugged-looking blokes. S.A's older guys (like Kallis) possibly look a bit tougher.

As for different attitudes, I think that's reflected in how different generations deal with different issues. The old way was to tough it out, now you go to a psychologist and wallow in the abject misery of being a sports star :happy:
 
Last edited:

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
Different to who though? The earlier Australians or the other teams?

If it's the earlier Australian teams then I think, as I said, that it's generational. Every Western country has a lot more metrosexual blokes getting around now (in fact, it's only a recent term isn't it?), it makes sense young guys around the cricket team will adopt the current trends in fashion and looks. Don't think it really affects Watson or Clarke's play (the latter is out of form, but he looked the same when he was scoring heaps of runs).

Ponting is failing and he looks pretty weather-beaten :happy:

If it's other teams, I don't see a hell of a lot of difference. As I said, the English team isn't full of rugged-looking blokes. S.A's older guys (like Kallis) possibly look a bit tougher.
It isnt just about looks. The differences I asked about were in attitude and aggression. Believe me, this England team and the past 5 or more years has become increasingly steely, professional, aggressive and less intimidated.

The English did have, for wants of a better word, wet lettuces for a long time that allowed themselves to be beaten down by their tougher opponents. That is not the case now.

Trademark Australian attributes seem to be missing from this team.
 
Last edited:

Top