Australia: Official Ashes Post Mortem Thread

[Hass]

Losing the Ashes is obviously an absolute &%$# disaster and needs some serious discussion about what went wrong and where we go from here.

I knew the loss was coming, but I'm still in a state of shock. Hopefully I'll be able to contribute something myself once my brain starts working again.

[Eric Air Emu]

It's not fair this should be our post-mortem thread.

Only the lack of spinner (or the selectors not seeing fit to pick a perfectly adequate one) is a particular problem and of course letting a moron have the captaincy has been a rare bit of generosity from the Aussie side over the last few years. Otherwise unlucky you'd have to say...

[Hass]

It's not fair this should be our post-mortem thread.

Only the lack of spinner (or the selectors not seeing fit to pick a perfectly adequate one) is a particular problem and of course letting a moron have the captaincy has been a rare bit of generosity from the Aussie side over the last few years. Otherwise unlucky you'd have to say...

Well Tom, it's true that England have bigger problems than Australia going ahead. But managing to lose a series that you appeared to dominate requires some serious analysis. Had we won more than one toss or had the rain stayed away at Cardiff we'd still have the Ashes. But we Aussies don't like relying on luck because sometimes it rams you up the arse with a red-hot poker.

This is the most painful loss I've experienced since the 1992/3 series v the W'Indies. In 2005 I grudgingly enjoyed being able to congratulate England on outplaying us. That wasn't really the case this time, and I have no desire to lose a series like this again.

[Eric Air Emu]

I'd tend to think a series where you get properly beaten requires far more analysis- when the difference is only a few rain clouds and perhaps a toss of a coin there's not much that needs to be fixed. Still dive in- it's very therapeutic we have do to it all the time.

[Guest]

Your skipper is not the best tactician. And you picked the wrong bowlers. It's no use relying on four when one is awry like MJ earlier on. The failure to pick Gump from the outset remains utterly baffling. Horrors should have played at the Oval.

Then you'd have retained the Ashes, I think.

[Henry]

I think Aus have to bite the bullet and sack Ponting as skipper. I can't see him guiding Aus towards improvement. He has taken the team as far as he can. He still has 2 years left in him as a batsman, though. I'd give the reigns to Katich or Hussey.

[beamer]

If Australia's selectors do put it all down to luck - weather, tosses, pitches, umpiring decisions etc. then they will be ignoring the weaknesses their team clearly has. They don't have the legends and matchwinners to fall back on these days, they are still a decent enough side but they can be got at and put under pressure, which hasn't been the case for as long as I can remember.

[taipan]

Lets luck out of it

[taipan]

Lets leave luck out of it

[Henry]

They need to stop playing and talking as if they are still the best team in the world. They need to take their medicine, knuckle down, and just get on with it. It's why I think Katich or Hussey would be good skippers- They are both quite similar to Allan Border in their approach to the game- No nonsene, get on with it, work hard kind of cricketers.

[PeterCS]

Select a new NSP.

[taipan]

They need to stop playing and talking as if they are still the best team in the world. They need to take their medicine, knuckle down, and just get on with it. It's why I think Katich or Hussey would be good skippers- They are both quite similar to Allan Border in their approach to the game- No nonsene, get on with it, work hard kind of cricketers.

Hussey probably just played his last test.

[Henry]

Nah, they wont drop him. He's still easily one of their best six batsmen. I think Brad Haddin is in trouble, though.

[Henry]

Australians who have likely played their last test- Haddin, Clark, Lee.

[taipan]

Clark definitely.

Lee probably.

Haddin will survive.

[Henry]

Haddin's glove work is seriously poor though. Manou showed him up big time at Edgbaston, imo. And his batting is extremely stupid in crucial moments. Someone has to get the axe............

[Guest]

Really hope Hussey will survive. Awesome player and a top bloke as well.

[Henry]

Like i said- On form he's easily one of the six best batsmen in Australia. they wont axe him just as he's found his test form again.

[taipan]

In a non-pressure innings?

He's gone.

[Hass]

Well, I'll dive in.

Australia's first mistake was picking a squad that didn't include a specialist reserve batsman or an attacking spinner.

These were both flaws that many forummers pointed out before the start of the series, but I think it came back to haunt us. We needed to have a middle order player to bring in for Hussey, who was hopelessly out of form until today. We could have dropped him after Lord's instead of Hughes. I think Hughes had a great innings in him, but we'll never know.

The next big mistake was not playing Stuart Clark from the start. We were told by those "in the know" that he was a shadow of his former self in the nets. His performance at Headingley showed that to be complete bunk.

Johnson lost it completely at the start of the series. That was unfortunate. But having Clark down the other end would have lessened the problem.

We chose Hauritz as our lone spinner. He played above himself in the first three tests, but no better than North did at The Oval. Who would have made a difference? How about Jason Krejza. I think he'd have taken a swag of wickets at The Oval. He might have gone for a lot of runs, but if you get the other side out you stop them scoring any more.

He should be the spinner Australia pick for pitches with a bit of assistance for the tweakers.

Ponting.

He has improved as a captain. He is much better than he was in 2005, but he still shows absolutely no imgination when we are on the back foot. He had no idea at the end of the match in Cardiff and his performance yesterday was infuriating. It's as though he sets a plan at the start of the day and sticks to it no matter what. He fails to rotate his bowlers properly and is still completely risk-averse.

As painful a decision as it would be, I think Australia need to bite the bullet and sack Ponting as skipper. It will be awkward still having him in the team, but everyone will soon get over it once his replacement shows his talent.

That replacement can only be Katich. He is proven as a captain. His place in the team is secure these days and he is one tough cookie. He might only have two years left in him, but that is better than nothing. Clarke hasn't shown me anything to suggest he will be any better than Ponting.

We have a relatively easy home summer coming up against the W'Indies and Pakistan - I hope that doesn't let us mask the flaws we have. Those flaws will be exposed again against tougher opposition.

[holcs]

Interesting that everyone is having a dart at the batters. 5 of the top 6 scored 100's, and Watson averaged close to 50 I expect.

Look at your bowlers if you want to know where you need to go with a post-mortem.

Johnson was average, despite Headingly, Siddle was ok, Clarke bar one spell and didn't play much... Your only consistent threat was Hilf.

Oh and your selections for the Tests was baffling to say the least!

[taipan]

Interesting that everyone is having a dart at the batters. 5 of the top 6 scored 100's, and Watson averaged close to 50 I expect.

Look at your bowlers if you want to know where you need to go with a post-mortem.

Johnson was average, despite Headingly, Siddle was ok, Clarke bar one spell and didn't play much... Your only consistent threat was Hilf.

Oh and your selections for the Tests was baffling to say the least!

Sage, but to rebuild the batting Hussey will get the chop.

[Henry]

The Aus side for the next test they play could look something like-

Katich(c)
Hughes
Ponting
Clarke
M.Hussey
North
Manou+
Johnson
Krejza
Siddle
Hilfenhaus

[Henry]

I'm pretty sure the entire Aus selection panel will fall on their swords in the next few months.

[beamer]

As painful a decision as it would be, I think Australia need to bite the bullet and sack Ponting as skipper. It will be awkward still having him in the team, but everyone will soon get over it once his replacement shows his talent.

That replacement can only be Katich. He is proven as a captain. His place in the team is secure these days and he is one tough cookie. He might only have two years left in him, but that is better than nothing. Clarke hasn't shown me anything to suggest he will be any better than Ponting.

Appointing another 34-year-old as captain isn't exactly moving on though is it? Not a very Australian thing to do, considering they have had four captains over the last 25 years who have all been for the long term and each has defined their own era.

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