What has been the single biggest contributing factor to Australia's demise?

[dhillon28]

Although some of the options overlap, what is the single biggest reason in your opinion?

Would just like to clarify, Option 1 refers to pre occupation by the players. Option 2- not backing krezja, hauritz and now lyon, poor team selections like steve smith, doherty, beer. Option 4- old selection comittee means those who presided over great teams of the early 2000s

[8ankitj]

I don't know but I still voted for the option that refers to the thing I hate most in present day cricket - the t20 tournaments.

[Senile Sentry]

Lack of players who can even hold a candle to the men of 95-2007

[social]

Australia is no. 3 in the world, would've been no. 1 if we had beaten SA and were unlucky not to at least draw with them

We have beaten SL home and away

We have beaten WI away

We drew with SA away and NZ at home

Having said that, we are weaker than at any stage since the nadir of the mid-80s and that's hardly surprising given that the team has lost some of the greatest players in history from our lineup

As such, given that we are still competitive, shouldnt the question be "What has been the single biggest contributing factor to the decline in world cricketing standards?"

[Mr_Ronan]

Well Australia remained the no. 1 team in the world for almost 3 years even after Warne, McGrath AND Langer retired, so it can't be that option because no team since has managed to hold the no. 1 ranking for even a year.

[doesitmatter]

another reason is cramped schedules have taken the practice matches out of the game. Prior generation, players used to play lot of practice matches and get acclimatized to the conditions/country they are travelling too..Those are gone now.. Nowadays the teams land, play an inconsequential match and the series starts and get thrashed .This may not be the reason for demise but it makes the teams look far more worse than they are but the bottom-line is there is no talent in cricket except for a few..Just take the case of Fast bowling..i can think of only Steyn...There is dearth of talented players nowadays across the board..one reason is structured coaching programs which curtails the natural talent who knows?.

[ganeshran]

Originally Posted by doesitmatter

another reason is cramped schedules have taken the practice matches out of the game..Prior generation, players used to play lot of practice matches and get acclimatized to the conditions/country they are travelling too..Those are gone now.. Nowadays the teams land, play an inconsequential match and the series starts and get thrashed but the bottom-line is there is no talent in cricket except for a few..Just take the case of Fast bowling..i can think of only Steyn..Hope Hamish is the new batting star..

Not exactly the reason for Aus demise..cricket in general..may be

[Viscount Tom]

Players not learning enough from some of the truly class acts who were on the Australian domestic circuit up until about 2008 is a big factor I feel, whatever his struggles at test cricket a batsman like Bevan was still a very good player at FC level and he'd walk into it at the moment.

[BoyBrumby]

Failure to properly utilise resources, IMHO.

Australian test side with Katich, Hodge & Rogers >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Australian test side without Katich, Hodge & Rogers.

Contrast with the rapid reintegration of Pietersen.

Sometimes the best players just are the biggest ****s.

[Howe_zat]

Originally Posted by Mr_Ronan

Well Australia remained the no. 1 team in the world for almost 3 years even after Warne, McGrath AND Langer retired, so it can't be that option because no team since has managed to hold the no. 1 ranking for even a year.

That's pretty misleading, for one thing you've stretched 2 and a half years to "nearly three", and that's mainly because it took so long to erode away the gap Aus had at the top after 06/07. The first tour to good opposition after Warne & McGrath retired (the India tour in 2008), Australia were distinctly second best and beaten.

[Burgey]

Lack of good batting cattle.

/thread.

[flibbertyjibber]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Lack of good batting cattle.

/thread.

This.

Bowling is fine it is the batting that is the major problem.

[Monk]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Lack of good batting cattle.

/thread.

Same. An option is needed "The players we have now aren't as good as the ones we used to have". Easy.

[L Trumper]

They are not that bad. Far worse during Ashes 10/11 , team got lot better since then especially bowling. Batting stocks are still really low. Since Clarke's take over they only lost one hard fought series against SA. This is the first time they are really struggling. Lot of this talk is exaggerated.

[Monk]

Originally Posted by L Trumper

They are not that bad. Far worse during Ashes 10/11 , team got lot better since then especially bowling. Batting stocks are still really low. Since Clarke's take over they only lost one hard fought series against SA. This is the first time they are really struggling. Lot of this talk is exaggerated.

India is a hard place to win tests/series in. But we are really struggling batting wise. This is the most fragile we've looked since the Border era.