**Official** New Zealand in Australia

[JBH001]

Here is the link to the article: From baggy green to baggy greed - Cricket - Fox Sports

In the next 11 months, Australia are scheduled to play 21 Tests, 45 one-day internationals and up to 10 Twenty20 fixtures, prompting Cricket Australia to explore a rotation policy across the three spheres of the game.

There is the South African Test series this month, a Test series against Pakistan and then the Ashes in England in July.

Cricket Australia confirmed player welfare was a concern and has been monitoring individuals.

One possible solution is to rotate Test players, a prospect never before explored in the 131-year history of the sport.

CA said the number of matches being played was further complicated by the postponed tours of Pakistan and the Champions Trophy being rescheduled this year.

"James Sutherland has talked about this a lot, most recently in Canberra last Thursday morning," a Cricket Australia spokesman said. "While the players did have quite a break before we started this current phase, now the phase has started it is very busy.

"That is a concern. One of the consequences is that we are very concerned about managing player welfare as professionally as we can."

Edit/ Just want to point out that I dont think the article good in terms of its title or direction. It is however, useful, in talking of player workload and possible rotation by CA.

Edit 2/ Just realised there is a thread on this in CC. Sorry for the duplication.

 

[Smudge]

We?

Susubrain's location was once Otago...

Any comment from John Key yet?

Apparently he's released a statement saying it's appropriate that the Aussies were wearing yellow.

Please note, editors - that release has now been recalled as Mr Key just realised the Aussies wear green now...

 

[Magrat Garlick]

This is not going to become a "we think we will lose anyway, so we will pretend that we just didnt care and played a less than strongest possible XI", is it?

Makes sense, really. Give the terrace element an excuse.

 

[Bahnz]

I would've like to have seen Vettori rise above with the whole Haddin controversy, but at the same time I can understand his reaction. Ponting's belligerance comes across as rather unadvised given that it was pretty clear that Haddin would've been at least uncertain about whether the ball removed the bails. Ponting's statement that "he was absolutely certain that it was out at the time" comes across as slightly suspicious given that it was a bowled dismissal. That's the kind of comment you make when it was a close lbw or caught behind or something. A bowled dismissal is something that is just so obviously out that you'd never make a comment like that unless something was a little suspicious in his mind to begin with.

I'd like to see Haddin himself come out and respond to this. If he says point blank that he was certain it was out then, well I won't necessarily be satisfied because I don't believe he could've been certain about that, but I'll drop it anyway.

 

[social]

If they are resting Ponting and Hussey then they are spitting in CA's face, insulting the NZers and the paying public - it's half a team in the first place, they're losing every game and they get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to play a friggin' pasttime

Stuff'em if this is the case

 

[howardj]

If this is rotation, I guess (considering the schedule) its difficult to blame CA and the players for going ahead with it.

:

Aussie cricketers resting at this stage of the year (and of the Series) is like a butcher going on sabbattical leading up to Thanksgiving; a retailer shutting up shop prior to Christmas; a Treasurer pissing off to the Bahamas before a Budget.

Not on.

 

[Top_Cat]

Said this before on here, but the worst "claimed catch" ever is Roger Harper off Michael Bevan in the ODI where Bevan made 70 odd and won it by 1 wicket with a last ball four. Ended up lying down with his body between the ball and the umpire on the pitch, and picked it up off the ground and claimed the catch, in full view of Bevan. Was amazing stuff.

edit: Found it, haha. This video, about 4:25-4:50 or so. Amusing stuff.

The worst. Have seen all the others mentioned and still rate it the highest (or lowest).

Steve Waugh claiming Lara in Barbados 95 was just as bad.

Dear God, so not. Even if Waugh didn't take the catch (and I reckon he did), he clearly thought he had. Harper's was pathetic.

Aussie cricketers resting at this stage of the year (and of the Series) is like a butcher going on sabbattical leading up to Thanksgiving; a retailer shutting up shop prior to Christmas; a Treasurer pissing off to the Bahamas before a Budget.

Not on.

Personally, the Aussie team are in disarray. There's all sorts of signs which act as a barometer for the communication, judgement and morale of a team and stuff like the captain and vice getting run-out on the second run are little signs the team is suffering. That Ponting is demanding broken record style that Symonds be included for the SA tour, well, you have to think the rest of the players must be wondering where his head is at.

Ponting demands Symonds inclusion - Cricket - Fox Sports

 

[Burgey]

I don't think Ponting should rest, and I suspect he probably doesn't want to either.

The selectors are probably listening to the biomechanists/ sports psychs/ other bull****ters who are saying he'll get burnt out. Personally, I'd rather see him out there amongst it.

 

[Burgey]

Adam Croswaithe's right up there with the best of them. Bounced a good foot in front of him.

Oooh yeah - last year's T20 final v WA. That was diabolical - as bad as Clarke's v NZ when he was at square leg or Dhoni's off Pietersen in England.

Didn't see the Haddin one last night so can't comment and CBF going back through all the pages - was it given or not?

 

[Polo23]

Didn't see the Haddin one last night so can't comment and CBF going back through all the pages - was it given or not?

Yes, out bowled (and almost cost NZ the game) when Haddin CLEARLY removed the bails with his gloves.

 

[James]

Yes, out bowled (and almost cost NZ the game) when Haddin CLEARLY removed the bails with his gloves.

I wouldn't say CLEARLY personally. You couldn't tell either way for sure, and that's where the benefit should have gone to the batsman I reckon.

 

[Top_Cat]

I don't think Ponting should rest, and I suspect he probably doesn't want to either.

The selectors are probably listening to the biomechanists/ sports psychs/ other bull****ters who are saying he'll get burnt out. Personally, I'd rather see him out there amongst it.

I dunno, he looked pretty anxious last night. Reckon he'd be glad to have the rest. Question is, should he?

Call it a gut feeling but I haven't seen this Aussie team very upset and angry about the fact they're regularly losing. Maybe they haven't hit rock-bottom yet and still have a few excuses left to defend themselves with (injuries, etc.) but they don't seem to have the fire in them right now, just looking more exasperated than anything.

I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. The team is full of either those who weren't good enough to get in when competing directly with the guys who did have the anger (both Husseys, Hopes), or who have been well-known throughout their careers as 'cruisers' (Clarke, Haddin, Tait, Marsh, Johnson). Only Ponting and Bracken can claim to have put in consistent world-class performances against top opposition long-term, I reckon. The team, as a whole, lacks fight. Only when they go through some genuinely hard times, I reckon, will we see some fight if they have it in them. I guess what I'm saying is that the worst is yet to come.

 

[Jono]

I would've like to have seen Vettori rise above with the whole Haddin controversy, but at the same time I can understand his reaction.

When did he react and what was it/did he say?

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I wouldn't say CLEARLY personally. You couldn't tell either way for sure, and that's where the benefit should have gone to the batsman I reckon.

Either way, it was CLEARLY a no ball. Poor umpiring, irrespective of whether Haddin knew about it or not.

 

[Burgey]

I dunno, he looked pretty anxious last night. Reckon he'd be glad to have the rest. Question is, should he?

Call it a gut feeling but I haven't seen this Aussie team very upset and angry about the fact they're regularly losing. Maybe they haven't hit rock-bottom yet and still have a few excuses left to defend themselves with (injuries, etc.) but they don't seem to have the fire in them right now, just looking more exasperated than anything.

I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. The team is full of either those who weren't good enough to get in when competing directly with the guys who did have the anger (both Husseys, Hopes), or who have been well-known throughout their careers as 'cruisers' (Clarke, Haddin, Tait, Marsh, Johnson). Only Ponting and Bracken can claim to have put in consistent world-class performances against top opposition long-term, I reckon. The team, as a whole, lacks fight. Only when they go through some genuinely hard times, I reckon, will we see some fight if they have it in them. I guess what I'm saying is that the worst is yet to come.

Interesting points.

I wonder, now they've lost the test series at home to SA, whether perversely it may take some pressure off Ponting, rather than trying to stand on the burning deck when all around him have fled. Certainly he seemed, watching at least, to be far more at ease in Sydney than in either Perth or Melbourne.

I say that generally of course, and don't mean the nerve racking last hour and a half, which would have sent anyone bonkers.

As I see it, Ponting as a captain can go two ways now - he can dig in, be largely negative in a time where the team is less experienced and try to lead by example with the bat a la AB; or he can develop a bit of flair, and not be afraid to try a few more things now that he's not the defender of a record which was established by teams far better than the one he now leads.

I'm hoping for the latter.

 

[Top_Cat]

Interesting points.

I wonder, now they've lost the test series at home to SA, whether perversely it may take some pressure off Ponting, rather than trying to stand on the burning deck when all around him have fled. Certainly he seemed, watching at least, to be far more at ease in Sydney than in either Perth or Melbourne.

I say that generally of course, and don't mean the nerve racking last hour and a half, which would have sent anyone bonkers.

As I see it, Ponting as a captain can go two ways now - he can dig in, be largely negative in a time where the team is less experienced and try to lead by example with the bat; or he can develop a bit of flair, and not be afraid to try a few more things now that he's not the defender of a record which was established by teams far better than the one he now leads.

I'm hoping for the latter.

That's a great point, actually. The record of such an over-achieving team would be a burden to the new team. Now it's essentially over, maybe they can relax and play their own game.

 

[Julian87]

I wouldn't say CLEARLY personally. You couldn't tell either way for sure, and that's where the benefit should have gone to the batsman I reckon.

Agree 100% with this. It wasn't as terrible and clear that some are saying it was, but benefit should have goneto the batsman.

 

[Flem274*]

Well it doesn't help when your best are rested. I don't rate Warner, White and some of their mates that much, but throwing them in the deep end atm with few experienced guys to help them settle in and rely on them to do the bulk of the scoring is a stupid policy.

If there is no Ponting or Mussey, I expect our seamers to have some (more) fun.

Now rest Bracken k?

 

[TazzX]

Just another horrible australian cricket moment

Mark Nicholas said it all, recently described by the Dominion Post as the greatest Australian jockstrap sniffer going around at the moment: “Well, well, well, well,” he said. Translated, that meant: “It looks like there’s something rotten with what happened here and I am not sure whether I should zero in on it or not.” An ad break quickly followed.

 

[Bahnz]

When did he react and what was it/did he say?

"I think you saw from Haddin's reaction that he knew something was wrong so he probably should have made more noise about it," Vettori said.

"It is (disappointing) because I thought that was the partnership that was going to win the game, so it put us under a bit more pressure. We've just got to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Nothing much, but it probably would've been smarter to have just remained diplomatic about the whole thing. Ponting was not impressed, though he admittedly hadn't seen the dismissal. Really, he should pull his head in as well. He has made a bit of a habit of going a bit over the top in his media conferences.

"I think he'd better make sure he's 100 per cent right before he comes out and makes those sort of statements. It's a bit much, he's basically claiming (Haddin's) a cheat, isn't he? That's a bit strong unless they're 100 per cent certain," Ponting said.

"We'll wait and see. If (a replay) does show anything that Brad is in the clear, I'll certainly be letting Daniel know about it.

"It's probably worth Haddin having a chat to him as well. He's basically had a bit of a crack at Haddin's makeup."