Excellent Peter English article on cricinfo.

Unless you're Hass, Nerky, or Crocka, I suppose.

Link

I especially like the concluding 2 pars:

In 1992-93 Australia almost beat West Indies at home, giving up a 1-0 lead with a one-run loss in Adelaide before, exhausted and overwhelmed, they succumbed in Perth. Those players were fighters - Taylor, Boon, Steve Waugh, Healy, Warne et al - and their toughness allowed the next breed to turn into aggressive believers in any situation.

In 1995 they were responsible for beating West Indies and earning the world champion crown that has slipped so suddenly from Ponting's forehead. To erase the hurt of this defeat, for players and Australian followers, a more steely approach will be required. No more batting like millionaires, which most are, no more bowling like domestic representatives, and no more prayers for match-winning miracles.

And horrie will like the latter stages of this one: Link.

Fair.

What a great run we had.

Cricket is a big story, an epic. Her tides are decades long. We'll be back.

Right now Captain Jack is in Davy Jones's Locker, and Han Solo is encased in carbonite, but there's a reason they make epics as trilogies.

Nathan Hauritz has done little to prove he is a Test-quality spinner.


Perhaps a little harsh.

His bowling looks ordinary, in the traditional non-pejorative sense, but in each of his three tests he has achieved adequate figures for a spinner.

Zat wrote:And horrie will like the latter stages of this one: Link.

yep i did...my criticisms made about hilditch are mild compared to what the media is going on about...one HSun journo wrote today that he had rung AH on his mobile at least 50 times and left messages 12 times...AH responses to dat = 0...the journo referred to the ACB forcing AH to face te music..

the more I reflect on this series and the Indian series the more it is clear that the old guard - not the young players - have let the team down

Now he might eventually develop into a good leg spinning batting all rounder (as benaud did later in his career), but Cam White is the first to say he is not a quality spinner...As leader of the Vics he knows that any pitch that will likely take spin needs a front line spinner - he has been the first to insist on having a specialist in the team.

the NSP placed him in a difficult position selecting him as the front line spinner - I hope the NSP does not affect his future development as a cricketer and leader...

chopping and changing between krazy and horrorhead can hardly have done either's confidence much good..

the persistence with tried and regularly failing bat like millionaires veterans has been bizarre....

Also consider this for a moment...jason gillespie - a near great Aus bowler was dispensed with swiftly when his form left him, yet the self promoting Bunk Lee with a far inferior career has been persisted with over a career!!

In a bizarre sidelight to the past week, "Princess Alice" - Hacken hit the airwaves yesterday bitterly complaining about his non selection..maybe he has watched and learned from Bunk, slee and Maxwell to bleat and hollar LOOK AT ME