England let Aussies off hook (96)
- 14 Sep 07, 05:33 PM
So England were going to gain some revenge for the Ashes and knock Australia out of World Twenty20 were they? Well, at least dreams are cheap!
The reality is that Australia are back to their ruthless, disciplined and bullying best, and dominated the game from the first ball to the premature end.
I'm at a loss to explain why England chose to bat first. After their defeat by Zimbabwe - in which their batting was little more than complacent slogging - Australia were the team under pressure.
They had to win to stay in the tournament, and had their batting been put the test from the start, they might have collapsed.
Instead, their seamers gave their English counterparts an object lesson in bowling in these conditions, backed up by brilliant fielding – a lesson England then foolishly chose to ignore.
They were at least 40-50 runs short of setting a challenging total, and it was no surprise when they were seen off with more than quarter of the available overs to spare.
England's bowling is a real concern. James Anderson and Stuart Broad bowled far too short against Zimbabwe. Anderson was dropped, but Broad continued in the same vein today.
You simply can't give left-handers like Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist width at the best of times, but on a slow pitch, when it's vital you bowl a good length and straight, it is simply giving runs away.
There's also a growing question mark over the wisdom of choosing ‘specialists’ from county cricket. This may be Twenty20, but it's still international cricket against international players, and class will out in the end.
Darren Maddy, James Kirtley and Chris Schofield have hardly pulled any trees up despite having played more of this type of cricket than anyone else in the tournament.
We are all learning about Twenty20 and this performance might have given England's selectors food for thought.
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Bit harsh on Kirtley....know he went for 17 but he only got the one over, and also his best bowling is at the end of the innings, slower balls etc. Also Schofield changed the game along with Dimi last game and got one of the two wickets today!! Let them play and sure we´ll see improvement, even if it was a dire result against the Aussies!!
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Why has Ian Bell been left out? Englands most inform batsman during the One Day series and they leave him out for the WC. Wright out.... Bell in.
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Quite agree Jonathan. The top order were outclassed by the extra pace and bounce of the Aussie international bowlers and could not get the ball away often enough. More food for thought for Collie but he has already made a great leap forward for our shorter game.
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Why has Ian Bell been left out? Englands most inform batsman during the One Day series and they leave him out for the WC. Wright out.... Bell in.
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Good summary; why the obvious toss option is regularly missed by an international team with all the support staff is a mystery. In limited overs the inclination is always to field, so there should be excellent reasons to bat first.
The best team is the best team, whether limited overs or test matches. Bell is an amazing omission and technically the English batsman of the year?
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are england through ?
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Because (once again) we fans in the U.S. don't get the live radio commentary, it's a bit hard to judge. But judging from the scorecards, it looks to me like Schofiled has been our best bowler so far.
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bit harsh on schofield i think, as along with freddie he has been our best bowler and out of the so specialists that we have picked he has been the only one who has done any good. apart from that id agree with you. our top order has been rubbish. put kp up to 3 for the enxt game and bring in a different batter.
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The classiest batsman in 20/20 cricket we left at home - Rob Key. So I agree with Aggers - its still International cricket and we need International class to cope with it. Rob Key was hugely succesful this year in the 20/20 aginst some very good bowlers indeed - eg Mushy etc etc.
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I think that is a bit unfair on Chris Schofield.
His figures for the Zimbabwe game were excellent and he took a wicket today and he and Dimi made the big difference yesterday .
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I think Aussies, NZ, or South Africa has a good chances to win the championship....
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Erm, what has Chris Schofield done to get that insult? He was brilliant yesterday, and was our best bowler today, only really getting hit in his last over. Bit harsh on our batting too, most teams so far have used the "hit and hope" method. It's remarkable how harsh criticism becomes over one loss to the world's best.
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With respect to Aggers, it's hard to listen to any serious analysis of a competition which is essentially a 'beer and popcorn' circus for the casual fan. The format is so contrived as to take away any meaningful competition between batter and bowler, ie: The essence of the game.
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Australia's first three world-class batsmen - Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting
England's first three county-class pinch-hitters - Prior, Maddy, Wright......
And we expect to beat the Aussies.......
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is it just me who thinks that Prior should not open the batting? He doesn't score enough runs in this form of the game or the normal one dayers and his strike rate is not that good either. He should bat at 7 or 8 with Solanki opening and Wright dropped and Pietersen at 3
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harsh on Schofield - he was one of the only bowlers today who offered any semblence of control, took a wicket and only went for runs once the aussies were near their target anyway.
Maddy has to go, Solanki to come in. Wright deserves another chance, let him open, with Prior moving down to 7 and shah or KP at 3.
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Yep, spot on. Class shows and England showed they are sorely lacking in it. Maybe next time certain players will keep their big mouths shut.
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A lot of truth in what you write, Aggers. There's a huge difference in playing in the international arena compared with the county circuit. However, I agree with other posters that you've been too harsh on Schofield and it's not all doom and gloom.
Good to see Freddie beginning to get scores in double figures again - hopefully that's a return to form for him.
The worry for me is that just about every time someone (in this case KP) from the England side swaggers about how they're going to hammer somebody or other, you can guarantee they make a mess of it. I wish they'd appoint a press officer to front to the sharks in the media and save their energies for the game they're playing.........
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Who ended up humiliated, eh KP? Didn't you blokes learn anything from the Ashes and the World Cup?
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Aggers you say that anderson and broad bowled far too short today yet this type of bowling was able to kepp the indian batsman quiet in the recent ODI series. This just further reinforces the fact that subcontinental teams cant play the short ball
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I am so pleased to Schofield being defended so well !
I agree about Solanki , though I am sad to see Maddy not firing .
As for Prior , I don't want to reopen the debate but .... is he good enough ?
Jon Batty , Tim Ambrose , Geraint Jones , they keep better and bat equally as well if not better than Prior .
Moving him down the order seems the way to go
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I think there is little doubt that Kevin Pietersen is quickly taking over the mantle of the Worlds Stupidest International Cricketer from Andre Nel.
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six straight full tosses might be the best stategy - the english players are lost on the best option- less than 7 runs an over wins ??
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What do James Kirtley, Maddy and Schofield haev in common? I'm sorry but they are just bog-standard county cricketers with no hope of ever being of international class. This may seem harsh but England would have been better off picking recognised international players who can play against the best. And please, can the England selectors stop playing Prior as an openor! How many more times does he have to get a nothing score before the selectors realise his limitations!!!
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I think there is little doubt that Kevin Pietersen is quickly taking over the mantle of the Worlds Stupidest International Cricketer from Andre Nel.
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six straight full tosses might be the best stategy - the english players are lost on the best option- less than 7 runs an over wins ??
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Australia lost to Zimbabwe due to rustiness - not due to a decline in talent - same happened last yera when thye lost one test to Bangladesh - since then they were on roll
Ruva Bulky
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I'm not sure why you are critical of Chris Schofield's inclusion, he seems to be our best bowler.
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England had there Chances should have capitalised the Upset that Zimbabwe had created to Knock the Old Rivals Off!
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I'm still at a shock to explain why English cricket "expert" commentators give the impression that a nudge and a nurdle for one etc is as good if not better than pounding seven bells out of the ball.
Today it was Nasser Hussein who, in a freudian slip, referred to Matt Hayden's "slogging". Mate, he just put a size 13 up our asses and took us to the cleaners. If only we had rubbish "sloggers" like him.
And what's the point of Shah? The bloke came in, there were 3 or 4 overs to go, and he leaves a couple, fair play, then he sets about his business of nurdling it, tickling it, and nudging it into the gaps for a single every other ball. Get a wriggle on mate, it's not day 2 at your county with 3 men and a dog watching. Hit the thing! To be fair, virtually the first ball he did have a go at he was out. At least he's not a Hayden/Gayle-esque "slogger" god forbid!
Prior should be down the order somewhere, kicking into gear at crunch time with Masca to follow.
I've heard rumours Flintoff could open with Maddy, maybe could help at the top, Gayle didn't need to have magical dancing feet to score a breathtaking century.
We could have done with Ian Bell and Mal Loye to give our batting some impetus, let Shah and Solanki watch on tv back home.
I don't have a problem with the T20 specialists coming in, and besides, Schofield was prob. our best bowler against Zim, Maddy has played at the highest level before and Wright no doubt will in the future. It's not like they're club hackers and they do have experience of the format. Give 'em a chance at least. Besides, most of our team are the same blokes as our ODI & Test outfits.
It's not like we were kicking up a storm at the WIndies World Cup. In fact we were God awful with all our "international class" people there. I don't think bringing in Alastair Cook et al for the T20 and being 32-2 after 10 overs will stand us in any better stead.
It might help if our national psychology (exhibited today by Hussein, previously by Atherton and virtually every cricket correspondant I hear or, especially, read) didn't include as given the notion that big hitter and boundaries mean you're crap, and tickling the ball "into the gaps" for a run twice an over makes you some kinda maestro genius.
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Aggers, I think it is too soon to write Maddy and Schofield off . The Aussies were firing on all cylinders today and in the past we have seen some of the best suffer when that happens!
Strongly agree with the observations by fellow-bloggers that Bell should be in the line up, given the form he is in. + he is a good fielder.
.....And could someone please ask KP to shut up and let his bat (and his catching?) do the talking.
HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR POPULARITY IN THE "FAVOURITE COMMENTATORS" POLL Yourself and Boycs have been absolutely tremendous and deserve all the accolade. "Lennon and Mc Cartney of commentating".... way to go!!!!!!!
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England had there Chances should have capitalised the Upset that Zimbabwe had created to Knock the Old Rivals Off!
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I'm still at a shock to explain why English cricket "expert" commentators give the impression that a nudge and a nurdle for one etc is as good if not better than pounding seven bells out of the ball.
Today it was Nasser Hussein who, in a freudian slip, referred to Matt Hayden's "slogging". Mate, he just put a size 13 up our asses and took us to the cleaners. If only we had rubbish "sloggers" like him.
And what's the point of Shah? The bloke came in, there were 3 or 4 overs to go, and he leaves a couple, fair play, then he sets about his business of nurdling it, tickling it, and nudging it into the gaps for a single every other ball. Get a wriggle on mate, it's not day 2 at your county with 3 men and a dog watching. Hit the thing! To be fair, virtually the first ball he did have a go at he was out. At least he's not a Hayden/Gayle-esque "slogger" god forbid!
Prior should be down the order somewhere, kicking into gear at crunch time with Masca to follow.
I've heard rumours Flintoff could open with Maddy, maybe could help at the top, Gayle didn't need to have magical dancing feet to score a breathtaking century.
We could have done with Ian Bell and Mal Loye to give our batting some impetus, let Shah and Solanki watch on tv back home.
I don't have a problem with the T20 specialists coming in, and besides, Schofield was prob. our best bowler against Zim, Maddy has played at the highest level before and Wright no doubt will in the future. It's not like they're club hackers and they do have experience of the format. Give 'em a chance at least. Besides, most of our team are the same blokes as our ODI & Test outfits.
It's not like we were kicking up a storm at the WIndies World Cup. In fact we were God awful with all our "international class" people there. I don't think bringing in Alastair Cook et al for the T20 and being 32-2 after 10 overs will stand us in any better stead.
It might help if our national psychology (exhibited today by Hussein, previously by Atherton and virtually every cricket correspondant I hear or, especially, read) didn't include as given the notion that big hitter and boundaries mean you're crap, and tickling the ball "into the gaps" for a run twice an over makes you some kinda maestro genius.
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Aggers, I think it is too soon to write Maddy and Schofield off . The Aussies were firing on all cylinders today and in the past we have seen some of the best suffer when that happens!
Strongly agree with the observations by fellow-bloggers that Bell should be in the line up, given the form he is in. + he is a good fielder.
.....And could someone please ask KP to shut up and let his bat (and his catching?) do the talking.
HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR POPULARITY IN THE "FAVOURITE COMMENTATORS" POLL Yourself and Boycs have been absolutely tremendous and deserve all the accolade. "Lennon and Mc Cartney of commentating".... way to go!!!!!!!
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Petersen shoul think before he opens his mouth. Australia is not the world champions for nothing.
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England, please stop all the doom and gloom! After a great one-day series, one loss to a great team smarting from a humiliating loss is no time to hit the panic button.
Collingwood as captain is a great choice. He is very reminscent of Steve Waugh in his mental toughness. He is the man to lead England to bigger and better things in the one-day game.
My criticism of the England team this summer is the focus on sledging and big media talk without backing it up with results. The stuff Prior has been saying in the media is ridiculous and the sledging as well - it's all well and good if you are a world beater, but his keeping has been diabolical and his batting is just not good enough to make up for it. And KP with his "humiliation" sound bite - talk about taking one foot out of the mouth to put the other one in!
But as some of the other bloggers have said, this is Twenty20 - let's not get too worried about the 'TV dinner' of international cricket.
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Petersen should think before he opens his mouth. Australia are the world champions because they deserve to be.
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Fools - did anyone really think The Aussies would buckle under pressure or we would take advantage of this opportunity !!
Shame on you ........
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A word of advice to KP, which he should understand considering where he was born: "Never poke a Leopard with a stick"
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Fools - did anyone really think The Aussies would buckle under pressure or we would take advantage of this opportunity !!
Shame on you ........
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For all the good the current pair are, we might as well have Steeleye Span's lead singer opening the batting. Oh, we have.
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schofield hasn't had that much experience in twenty20, aggers. hodge has far more than him. but anyway, that is a moot point. the fact of the matter is, aside from his poor last over where england seemed to want the game done and dusted, he's bowled very well so far.
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For all the good the current pair are, we might as well have Steeleye Span's lead singer opening the batting. Oh, we have.
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This shows the difference between the county cricketers and international cricket. Compare to so called english specialists Australian players hardly played any t20. To excel at the international level you need international experience not county experience. The reality is that England's top order is very inexperience. Specially compare to top order players of the other teams like graeme Smith, Gibbs. Jaysuriya, Sangakara, Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting etc.
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Agger,
Wheren't you the one of them in bringing wisdom up to the light, that England should select 20-20 sepcialists? i am of the belief that they should selct the best 11 cricket player in the country... period
Anyway, You still remain one of my favorite cricket writer
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Agger,
Wheren't you the one of them in bringing wisdom up to the light, that England should select 20-20 sepcialists? I am of the belief that they should selct the best 11 cricket player in the country... period
Anyway, You still remain one of my favorite cricket writer
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Australia completley destroyed England however Jonathen Agnew states that England let Aussies off the hook!
There are only a handful of IDIOTs in the world and I am not surprised that Jonathen Agnew is one of the them.
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Thank you Kevin Pietersen - if your brain was a big as your mouth you'd be a genius
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Kevin Pietersen - poor shot selection on the crease, even poorer 'pot-shot' selection off it. Doesn't he ever learn?
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Australia completley destroyed England however Jonathen Agnew states that England let Aussies off the hook!
There are only a handful of IDIOTs in the world and I am not surprised that Jonathen Agnew is one of the them.
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Australia completley destroyed England however Jonathen Agnew states that England let Aussies off the hook!
There are only a handful of IDIOTs in the world and I am not surprised that Jonathen Agnew is one of them.
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Why oh why is Peter Moores persisting with Matt Prior at the top of the order? Duncan Fletcher tried him there in the one-day series in Pakistan and India in 2005/6 - he failed then, and he's failing again. Can we please stop this obsession with having a wicketkeeper-opener. Unless you are Gilchrist or Sangakkara, it won't work.
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Australia completley destroyed England however Jonathen Agnew states that England let Aussies off the hook!
There are only a handful of IDIOTs in the world and I am not surprised that Jonathen Agnew is one of the them.
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Thank you Kevin Pietersen - if your brain was as big as your mouth you'd be a genius
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Maybe just maybe Kevin "Bloody" Pietersen will start to keep his mouth shut and focus on putting his efforts into performing in the middle. It seems like every time he opens his mouth and starts to put the boots into other teams he walks away with that same boot firmly entrenched in his mouth. Seems to me like a great cricketer but a fool of a man. Taunting a wounded beast like Australia is like poking a stick at a tiger. Wouldn't the best chance at beating them being to lull them into a false sense of security?
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Aussies were under pressure, batting first would have let them to hit huge score. Media under estimated aussies after their poor performance against Zimbabwe. ODI or 2020 it’s all about performance on that day. We didn’t perform well.
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As always, spot on Aggers! But no Bell? You have got to be kidding! England have to show more bottle, fight and class, like the Aussies, if they are to have any hope of making it to the final. Selection questions need to be asked.
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Never seen anything so stupid as the Bowl Out in cricket...It is a joke.
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Hahahahahahahahahah, still the poms cant find a game to win at. the comment about the top 3 is spot on, your 3 numbnuts from county cricket v hados, gilly and punter. no further arguement needed.
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Like some other comments have mentioned, why is Ian Bell out of the team. Fellas like Luke Wright or Maddy are no match for Bell. He is a good batsman and an exceptional fielder. I think selectors should get their priorities sorted out here.
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Let's face it.....those Aussies beat us at everything. Apart from Ashes 05, the only time we win is when we are playing dead rubbers. The selectors take these 'dead rubber' wins as though it proves that they have got it right for the next series. Stop constantly blaming the players....it is a failed strategy of thinking hope will beat ruthless skill. The Aussies keep on flogging us at everything even though they have a fraction of our population
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Watching England v/s Australia match I had a feeling that England played as if they were going to lose the match. They did. Your two points that England should have put the Aussies in after winning the toss and the team selection are spot on.
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Will someone PLEASE tell KP to do his talking ON the pitch and NOT off it. He should learn, VERY quickly, not to say things ahead of a crucial game with Australia when they have just been beaten by Zimbabwe. Honestly - who had the family brain cell that day. KP do us all a favour. You have great talent with a bat in your hand. Use it, leave talking to when you walk out!! It just might help!!
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James Anderson is not up to the task. Historically he is an expensive bowler with no control and sprays it all over the place as a rule. The side lacks quality players, and contains too many lesser known players who lack the experience for the big occasion...
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maybe that result will shut up chicken Pietersen mouthing of about humiliating the aussies he isnt even english and could not even get on the south africa team to whom were he should be
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Putting Australia in would have been an even bigger mistake. Whenever England have to chase - even a modest target - the panick sets in. England always play their best when they bat first.
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Schofield, a failure?
The best economy rate in the side. As many wickets as Flintoff, Broad, Anderson, Kirtley and Collingwood combined?
Please select more failures!
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I am a huge cricket fan...and I think when England play Australia (or any other team), whether tests, 50 over matches, 20/20, I firmly believe their supporters should keep their fingers crossed, they tails between their legs and hope for the best (though unlikely to be favourable).
For years, I have been listening to loads of arrogant comments from the media, English fans and and even players and seasonal fans (when England play a team they do not like).
Have they ever thought of trying another tacktic? Another approach might just do the trick and help win Cricket, Rugby, Tennis and every other sports.
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I had to laugh when I heard Bighead Boycott refer to Hayden as a front foot bully, and bemoan that he never had to face the likes of Garner and Marshall. He faced the likes of Ambrose and Walsh and did alright, didn't he? Sour grapes perhaps, Geoffrey?
Anyway, what was Boycott doing when he was Hayden's age? Oh that's right... commentating!
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I think we would all agree that Bell should have been there. He is the in form batsman and proved in the ODI series against India, that he has a great strike rate too. A great fielder as well and is a real pleasure to watch when on form!
And England should just learn to keep their mouths shut, especially against the aussies. Big mistake made there, KP never learns!!
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I think the best the that can happen to the England team is if a couple of players get injured and that would allow them to bring Ian Bell and Sidebottom into the team. Why on earth these two were excluded is beyond belief.
Bell's been by far the most consistent of Englands batsmen all summer. He outscored all of the Indians, even Sachin Tendulkar in the ODI's. So why is he not in the squad?
And as for Sidebottom, ok he may be relatively inexperienced but what he brings to the team is an alternative with his left arm seam. Just look at Australia, who were their best bowlers yesterday. Johnson and Bracken, both left arm seamers.
Sidebottom would give England some accuracy also.
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Aggers, spot on as usual - love to Shilpa and thank her for the last round of cake! (I lurk underneath the media centre opening your lift if that's a clue ...). Just to add my tuppence worth, Prior is a LONG way from international class in any form of the game and shouldn't be there - full stop. Wright needs a few chances as the manner he plays will always have him self destructing from time to time, Schofield has impressed but hasn't done anything earth shattering, Kirtley hasn't really had a go, but can't be much worse than Anderson at this form of the game, 'Ace' Shah needs a bit more time to get into the groove - witness his ODI hundred, stick him in at 4 or 5 and give him that time ...
and please thank Chappelli for his great insights as well, if he wasn't an aussie he'd be a great ...
Cheers,
Your Kiwi lift attendant
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Totally agreed Aggers! To sort out that problem (the top order problem) why not bring Shah a chance on top of the order? Drop Prior o Maddy down then Freddie come at three i think pieterson is fine at four. Luke wright at this stage is rather misplaced and the nerves are wrecking him at three, one could even see it even against Zimbabwe were i was tipping him 4 a century. The bowling looks blund without Anderson, he's a grown up now so he should have learnt his lesson against zim and to drop him against the aussies will have long effects on his confidence. So bring back Mr Anderson please!
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Aggers I´m not sure what games you have been watching but it seems that many journalists are suddenly jumping on the bandwagonagainst the specialists having been on the bandwagon earlier this summer. Maddy has been reasonably solid and got off to a quick start against aussies and while kirtley has been poor schofiled has been fatastic and the pick of englands bowlers. With the exception of his final over against australia, when the game was well and truly lost, he has caused all batsmen problems with his changes and in pace and variations.
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Why did Kp have to say what he said like he did. Either say 'we are going to wipe the floor with them' or say 'let's see what happens' but 'we COULD humiliate them' and 'I'm not saying we are going to...' all sounds vague and also like KP not quite believing we'll win. He also has the ability to sound like he has believes he has great wisdom, of which I'm not convinced.
He should just concentrate on his batting and catching and let that be his personal ambassador not his mouth.
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Agree with all the others who suggest that KP should stop shooting his mouth off. Pity so many sportsmen like to talk the talk like Muhammed Ali but just can't walk the walk like The Greatest could.
Isn't it also interstesting that the three biggest Yappers in International Cricket today (Prior, Pietersen & Nel) have impeccable South African credentials? Unfortunately, two of them are now English players!! My advice to these two - put up or SHUT UP.
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I think Aggers is guilty of ignoring inconvenient facts because they don't fit his argument. In my view Schofield has "pulled up trees" for England since his inclusion by being Englands best bowler.
I don't think we have enough evidence to say whether or not the selection policy to include specialsts has or hasn't been a failure. Yes Maddy and Wright haven't got scores, but neither has Prior who has played every game for England this year. Anderson another non-specialist has proven to be totally inept in 20/20. The one real selection failure was not taking Bell, England's in form batsman. The selectors had the chance to remedy that when Bopara, a batsman, got injured, but inexplicably opted to replace him with Anderson.
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I think the age old problem with English cricket, which is consistency and cockiness, reared its head again. The beating of Zim in unconvincing fashion is hardly the sign of world beaters. Yet English commentators and broadcasters are quick to build England up after performances like that, which no doubt filters to the team.
England boasts a team of 20/20 specialist's who haven't come across the calibre of players who are in this tournament. At best England’s ODI record is bad and at worst...Well it's hopeless. I can't understand how people like Nasser Hussain and KP think that they can win a tournament of this nature with the players in the squad. Apart from KP, Collingwood and Shah there is a dearth of world class talent and to win world tournaments, your squad has to consist of 8 world class players at least.
Another concern for England today is that they are stuck in their ways. The top teams in limited over cricket are innovators i.e. Australia, Sri-Lanka, South Africa. The English team at the moment revert to tactics which are draconian and until they start to re-think their whole strategy, will fail to match up to any of the top nations in the world.
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Dear Mr. Agnew,
I am afraid that like some of the previous people to comment here, I have to disagree with you on the point that 'England let Australia off the hook'. As far as I can understand, the England Team's one strategy to try to win limited over or twenty-twenty games is to attempt to apply constant pressure (the sledging by players such as Pietersen, etc, is presumably part of this) and to hope that the opposition crumble under that pressure.
Whilst this strategy recently worked in 'home conditions' for England against a team of touring Indian players who on paper ought to have outclassed England, in terms of sheer ability and one-day experience, the Australians eat pressure for breakfast. Also for lunch, dinner, and probably around the barbie for a late-night supper, as well. The only way to beat the Australians is if they're not really trying to win (probably because they're still half-asleep from travel, as Zimbabwe recently managed to catch them out with a spirited performance) or by being 150% better than them.
England did not 'let Australia off the hook'. They (England) tried to apply pressure, the Australians lapped it up, and then proceeded to crush England, when the England players failed to have the skills to back the pressure-creation attempt up.
Glen McGrath made no comments about how he expected the test series to go, before England's last ashes tour of Australia, but focussed entirely on getting his job done, as I expect did the rest of the Australian side, and the result was a 5-0 slaughter. (Helped slightly by Flintoff's not taking them seriously enough at Adelaide, and handing them a generous declaration instead of ruthlessly batting them out of the game.) If England are going to beat Australia, they need to pick players who can play at international level, train like fury, and save the 'clever remarks' until afterwards, for when (and if) they beat them.
C. Evans.
By the way: What is it with England and wicket-keepers? First Geraint Jones loses it. Now Prior seems to be showing signs of the same. Maybe Alec Stewart set a standard which no-one else in the modern game in England is going to be able to match at international level (although I hear promising things about Onions) so shouldn't England just bite the bullet and pick a keeper purely on the basis of perfection behind the stumps? Australia may have Adam Gilchrist, but Adam Gilchrist is a talent virtually unique, in the same way that Jonty Rhodes was an unmatchable fielder for South Africa, Shane Warne a legendary spin bowler, and Walsh, Ambrose, et al a sequence of West Indian pace bowlers whose likes are not going to be seen again for a while. Other countries not fortunate enough to have such outrageously talented individuals should concentrate on trying to get someone able to do the principle job consistently well, instead of futilely chasing after 'erratic geniuses' who perhaps one game in ten manage to equal a working-day performance by a Gilchrist or Warne and fails the rest of the time.
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the england team should be
maddy
flintoff
pietersen
collingwood
shah
wright
prior
mascheranas
broad
scochfield
anderson
we need flintoff to open even if he get out early he can`t be worse than prior and we need wright`s hitting in the last few overs if we beat s.a. then we can beat nz and ind quite easily
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Australia had a wake up call from Zimbabwe,poor England had to pay the price,what a beating that was.what happened to KP?golden rule always mouth off when you have won the game,not before.England got carried away..hope england come back...
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more english drivel....
once agian you get all excited about a few home soil wins against poor substandard teams and then you think you are world beaters!
KP should just have a "cup of shut up" and realise that australia may have one bad day, but england are just pathetic.
And just how bad would england be WITHOUT their import from South Africa?
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I don't understand, why do England consitantly bowl short, someone please drum it into their thick skulls they should bowl up at the batsmans toes 90% of the time. Not rocket science....
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The English lions needed a wake up call for the shortest version of the game. England has a competent team. Against mighty India the Englishmen did well in the test and ODI series. They have been playing the longer versions of the game in the form of test matches, ODIs and county cricket for a very long time in the ongoing season. A bit of disturbance can bring out the best from Paul and co. Congrats to the kangaroos.
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I know KP's comments have come back to bite him on the bum but honestly to suggest that he needs to put up or shut up is stupid KP consistantly lets his back answer his critics.
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So we are 20/20 experts and we pick 20/20 " specialists"- interesting to see that all the other teams pick their " best players" for international confrontation irrespective of 20/20 experience and still can teach England a lesson. We lost heavily in the Champions trophy which led to a bitter winter- we played like pansies in the World Cup= and the inaugural 20/20 world cup which is by far more exciting than the caribbean fiasco, will be as important as any other world cricket festival in the years to come- and we will always be second best. So what was the logic of picking Maddy, Snape Kirtley and Schofield?? What became of Bell, our most brutally aggressive player against India( Bopara's thumb was unlucky!)- why not Alex Gidman who has led Gloucester and can be a destructive batsman who is a useful slow medium pacer- why not give chances to blood guys like Joe Denly who have no fear of reputations- and why was poor Luke Wright who is geuninely one for the future , asked to open ahead of KP and Prior, whose reputation is now seriously at stake? Didnt Warne suggest Mustard for the top spot- and Warney is 9/10 right !!
Woe betide England again- the players arent to blame entirely for this fiasco= it is the management once more who have been cocksure in their bravado to suggest this feeble selecton policy- look at Bangladesh!- their young batsmen show no fear and will possibly give our team a tough fight= England dont deserve to win this competition- the other teams bar Kenya and West Indies, have shown a willingness to make a match of it- i commented this time last year on Aggers' column about the champions trophy effort by England- and this 20/20 Cup will again be their downfall on the international stage!!
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Maybe England should adapt their tatics after the last game and employ some blockers preferably with ginger hair. It should make the running between the wickets a little more interesting for the opposition
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Too bad Kevin "Moaner" Pietersen was running illegally across the pitch, otherwise he might not have collided with Pollock, then England would have at least, maybe, possibly have made 140 runs, and not 135.
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This was an appauling, incompetent display by England. I'm not usually moved to comment on the T20 format.
Here, for what they're worth, are my recommendations.
1. Flintoff & Pietersen to open innings. (It's only because Freddie is bowling so well that he becomes 'expendable' at the top; a pinch-hitter.)
2. Prior - whose England future in any form of the game does not look promising to me - should bat in the typical w/k's slot. Any lower than that and you'd have to question his place in the side. Prior cannot hit straight back over the bowler. He seems to slap balls square of the wicket and lacks any improvisational craft.
3. Either Shah or Collingwood. Both of these players pace their innings well as befits the 'rythym' of the game. Consequently, either of these batters can come in at 4 or 5 and respond to the pace of the game.
The moral so far is experience and power at the top half of the innings.
I think that Luke Wright will probably come good at some point. He has to learn to play a few singles (just 2 or 3 to get a feel for the conditions). T20 has shown that openers do have a bit of time to get settled.
Jeremy Snape looked hopelessly out of his depth and placed doubts over the relevance of a sports psychology degree.
As far as England are concerned the 'T20 specialist' theory is not working.
Having said that it is to the selectors' credit that they are prepared to (appear to) bow to press pressure by, say, playing Pietersen at 3. Imagine Duncan Fletcher doing that??
Look at Australia. So far as I can tell the vast majority of their side would be considered for ODI & Test formats.
The selectors don't have time on their hands. T20 games are few and far between.
I'm not convinced that picking 'form' players from domestic tournaments is the way forward.
This is where I agreed with DF and his 'eye' for international talent.
Anyway, it is difficult to see how England can progress in this competition without wholesale tactical and personnel changes.
As for tactics: stop dancing at the crease and hit straight. (Imagine Hayden giving it the 'twinkle toes'! It's never going to happen.)
I could go on but have lost the will. Besides, I can hear someone coming.................
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As usual Jonathan, you are spot on. I also agree with Glynne Williams that players should not be allowed to talk about matches and 'what they are really going to do this time' BEFORE the match is played. KP's crowing about 'Ashes revenge' was just asking for trouble, and I am surprised the Aussies didn't go for the victory in 9.3 overs and send the hapless half-wits home!
PS
This should also go for England footballers and rugby players too.
I'm not a fan of Nike, but their motto sums it up... Just DO It.
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England must open with their best batsman. It's absolutely vital in 20/20 that you get off to the best possible start. We do not learn by our mistakes in 50/50 because we score so slow at the beginning of the innings.
Let Flintoff open and allow him to hit over the top in the ffirst 6 overs. This is what he does best and he is wasted down the order. If Pietersen is in top form then he should partner him, but as he is not Vikram Solanki or Maddy.
If Prior must play (god knows why) he must bat down the order. Lujke Wright is just not International standard and should be dropped immediately. If he was not a Sussex player he would not be mnear the side.
Get it right quick England!
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Once again, I have to question England's selection policy and tactical approach.
1. I totally agree with Geoff Boycott - You need your best players against the world's best in bowling & batting. The selectors must be more resolute - It is clear that Maddy, Wright, Prior (batting at one), Snape, Schofield, Kirtley will be found wanting against the very best. Whilst they admittadly have some success in the domestic game, they have all failed at various times when they have stepped up.
2. By putting in second rate players at 1,2,3 in the batting order we have failed to gain early momentum in the first 6 overs. I hoped Luke Wright might have emerged, sadly he has been found wanting, but he is still very young, so time yet when he has learnt his trade properly.
3. Watching England bat against SA in particular, the techniques displayed was poor. At what point will Prior realise that it is impossible to time the ball with his head & body moving the way it does. Good players keep their shape (the best example being Hayden who is seriously good). But Prio, Shah, Flintoff are moving that much, that it is inevitable that they will miss one as has been proven.
4. So, I hope that we learn, but I suspect that we won't. Look at the Aussie side - Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting, Clarke, Symonds, Hodge, Hussey, Clarke, Lee, Bracken, Johnson (this is mainly their test squad minus a couple of injuries) - why, because these happen to be the best players, simple.
5. On a general point, I cannot see how Prior is in front of Read - I see far better club keepers I really do, and Read is a very capable batter at 7/8 - he hits it out of the park regularly
6. Pieterson is a loose cannon and should be told swiftly to shut his mouth, he does himself and his team no favours whatsoever - his comments lack depth and they are naieve. Talf of him as a future captain is silly. Problem is that the management may be reticent to take on our highest profile cricketer.
Let's hope we can pick the pieces up & play smart cricket. My team and batting order (with what they have out there would be :-
Flintoff (wild card)
Solanki (limited options)
Pieterson
Shah
Collingwood
Wright (wild card)
Prior (only option)
Mascaranus (exception that proves the rule)
Snape (where is Panasaar ?)
Broad
Anderson
My 20/20 best team would look something like :-
Vaughan (1st 6 overs)
Bell (at 4 if Cook plays)
Pieterson
Bopara (possibly Cook, but he would open)
Collingwood
Flintoff (floater in the batting order)
Read
Mascaranus
Broad
Anderson
Panasaar
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thy r crap end of
get used2 it
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... off the hook' - the big question is 'were they ever in the hook?'
what an inapt heading from a so call cricket guru. when will the mighty english man ever learn
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... off the hook' - the big question is 'were they ever in the hook?'
what an inapt heading from a so call cricket guru. when will the mighty english man ever learn
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Australia are acknowledged as the best cricket team in the world, why?. It's the same reason why the West Indians were under Frank Worral. The players are proud to be representing their country. They work hard at supporting each other as a team and they work to a plan. Whilst their technique is not of the Bradman or Hutton standard they do work at technique. Foot movement is critically important in a batsman and something being used between the ears is equally important in a bowler and a captain. Finally. English cricket will stay in the doldrums for as long as counties are allowed unlimited imports just the same as English soccer. England if not already there are in danger of becoming a second class nation in international sport.
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