posted Dec 18, 2006

pattojm62 you need to shut your trap and learn about cricket. the current aussie team boasts the world's greatest fast bowler still playing, the world's greatest batsman and the world's greatest spin bowler, maybe the world's greatest bowler, in fact perhaps even the world's greatest cricketer. and they are all still going strong - unlike your lot. michael holding: he's a bowling hero and i saw him live in the 70's and love him to death, but his comments (if reported correctly by you - i doubt it) are typical media fodder rubbish. along with Aggers comments a few days ago about Australia's need for 5 bowlers.

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posted Dec 18, 2006

tony greeeeg,
i reckon you must be the actual tony greig, the aussie hating commentator. one of the highlights of yesterdays win was watching the post match coverage of the most biased commentator in history sitting there looking like he just lost his last dollar.
this aussie side in on a 'good' one is it? how bout the fact that they currently own EVERY title that they are eligble for?
the poms are second rate in every department compared to the aussies.
keep coming up with your excuses poms, and you talk about next time, and how you were your own worst enemies. grow up and admit that you were soundly beaten by a better side.
so do the aussies get fancy awards from the queen now?
normality has been restored - we're on top and the poms are the lauging stock of international cricket - where they belong

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posted Dec 18, 2006

yeah, too right mason. where's the bus? where's trafalgar square? where's the obe's? normal service resumed - that's what i call it.

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posted Dec 18, 2006

I think Pranav has hit the nail on the head. After Australia lost in 2005 to us, they did the logical thing which was to get rid of the out-of form players without any sentiment. They replaced Katich & Gillespie with Hussey & Clark, who are head and shoulders above them.

Personally, I reckon England should have done this before they selected the test squad for the Ashes series, replacing the likes of Giles, Anderson & GoJo with beter players who had matches under their belt and were in form.

For the 1st test it should have been: Strauss, Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff, Read, Hoggard, Broad, Harmison, Panesar. Those players had form/runs/wickets (delete as applicable) under their belt before the squad was selected and if a good squad was chosen, I reckon we could have been doing pretty well by now. But, unfortunately the poxey management i.e. DF himself! failed to jump to the fact that a few players were out of form and just selected them purely on the basis that they were his favourites! Well, it doesn't work like that, because if you have players in form in the XI, then you stand a chance of winning a match and if you don't, you don't! It's as simple as that!

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posted Dec 19, 2006

pattojm62 resorts to the typical defence of the perpetual loser in sport. If your team is beaten to a pulp (as England have been again) hark back to a golden past where you can say "ah yes, but this or that team would have beaten them". Get real mate, you lost big time, face the facts and move on.

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posted Dec 19, 2006

Mason, why don't you grow up and try, just try, to become good winners for once? Maybe the rest of the world might just admire you a little bit for all you achieve, instead of resenting every little thing about you. The celebrations in 2005 were a glorious outpouring of many emotions and reflected a truly brilliant series between two good teams, played in a wonderful spirit. Since then, in your obsessional desire to win back the Ashes, the Australian team and the nation have reverted to type. Like I said, and I stick by it, good team, with some great players. Not great though, as it gave England too many chances to be described as that. The only issue is that England did not have the wit or the will to take those chances.

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posted Dec 19, 2006

Ricky Pontings Australian team is a great team, with two or three of the world best players, in Warne/McGrath and perhaps Gilchrist. However, I would not rank this particular side as the most ruthless ever.

My team of choice, would be the Australian side of a few years ago, when Steve Waugh was captain. Steve Waugh was Mr Ruthless himself. His never-say-die attitude and sheer bloody-mindedness was awesome to behold. He would never refuse the chance of making the opposition follow on, but would grind them slowly into the dirt. On the rare occasions that the Aussies were in trouble, he would somehow manage to turn things around. Who can forget those matches against South Africa in the World Cup. Ricky Ponting has taken on Steve Waugh’s legacy but has nowhere near the capability of his predecessor. Once taken outside of his comfort zone he still looks uncomfortable and at times naïve. Nevertheless, in his players he certainly has the tools to do the job.

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posted Jan 4, 2007

In their prime this team is a far better balanced team than the Windies team of 80s, most would agree with that and the best every leg break bowler and the the best every wk bat ensure that.

I know that the Steve W team of the 90s was also a great team (the greatest?) But I’m not sure if either of them could be as good as the 48 australian team, are there any who saw them that could comment?

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posted Jan 17, 2007

The best team won.

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posted Jun 21, 2007

Tony Greeeg,

Hilarious, you criticise Austrlia for an obsesion to win. These guys are professionals paid a lot of money to win. Could you imagine a trader at CSFB saying to his manager at the end of a financial year "I could've made more money for the bank but I didn't because I didn't want to be obsesional" What a cheap cop out for players who under perform!

As for 550 at Adelaide showing Australia's bowlers are average. England scored 500 once in 10 innings, and that was on a flat pitch where Australia did the same, hardly the stuff to hang your hat on.

As for Perth, Australia made 244 correct, and took a 30 run lead into the 2nd innings. 2 efforts in 40 innings, both of which were matched or bettered. I think you've killed your own point.

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