Hussey: we're better than fifth in the world!!

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/icc-rankings-not-true-reflection-of-form-hussey/699478/

Australian batsman Mike Hussey has rejected the ICC's Test rankings, which place his team at fifth, saying that the Aussies are "definitely better than that and the system is not a true reflection of their form."

"I don't think we're the fifth-best team in the world. I don't think that's a true reflection of our team, we're definitely better than that," Hussey said.

I think our team is getting better all the time," Hussey said.

It's possible that the Aussies are better than for example SL but he must also remember that we were vulnerable at times against lower ranked teams such as the Windies and Pakistan at home and drew with the latter in England.

Hussey said this morning that he's been unlucky in the last four innings or so but conveniently forgets that Pakistan dropping four times probably saved his career. He was also dropped during his last innings in England last year which rescued him from a slump.

Didn't they just fail to win a series against the team who is No 6?

Mr Snicket is clearly delusional and requires treatment....that the NSP continues to select him fuels these delusions and is prolly an abuse of his human rights..

on radio this morning he also said SRT had shown it is possible for him to play for a number of years yet

Good to see the Aussie players still living in denial with the ashes just round the corner.

Has Hussey also said he's a better batsman than his average of 36 in his last 25 test matches?

In December 2007 a ICC Test ranking of 110 to Oz would have seen them ranked number 1 in the world (Oz's ranking was 143 and the Jaapanese , Bannies and Lankans had 109 and the soap dodgers 107) ...

Losing 3 Tests in a row has seen Oz's ranking drop by 9 ...119 would have us in equal second place

We've won one series in India since 1970 ...and only a handful of Tests ...and got caught out by some good bowling against Pakistan and still nearly won the game ... and that is enough for a 9 point drop!!!!! ...

You can see why Hussey doesnt think much of the rankings ...

You can't lose four out of your last five series against the better teams, draw a series against one of the poorer teams and expect to be any higher than where you are in the rankings, surely.

Where would Aust be if they had won a 3rd test against Pak?

And where would they be if they had LOST a 3rd test against Pak?

You go first.

well I have no idea. But which of the top four teams are Aus honestly better than at the moment?

I think the rankings have our team right...we are a mid ranking mediocre team similar to england

India and Saf clearly.

England will be decided this summer.

SL - hard to say they are given that they haven't beaten us in a decade.

JGK wrote:India and Saf clearly.

England will be decided this summer.

SL - hard to say they are given that they haven't beaten us in a decade.

I assume you mean India and South Africa are clearly better than Aus?

Aus haven't toured Sri Lanka since early 2004. Surely they're due to go there next year?

would not say India is clearly better....they still have never won a series here

In Aus, India and Australia are about equal. In India, the Indians are clearly better.

based on the last series here or how you think they would go today?

JGK wrote:Didn't they just fail to win a series against the team who is No 6?

And that side is no. 6 by quite a distance, and were trying to lose.

Both. Although India have gone forwards and Australia have gone backwards since their last series in Aus.

skully wrote:

JGK wrote:Didn't they just fail to win a series against the team who is No 6?

And that side is no. 6 by quite a distance, and were trying to lose.

the dubbers seem to have lost their winning touch

Henry wrote:Both. Although India have gone forwards and Australia have gone backwards since their last series in Aus.

hmmn...on Poms v Oz you were the better team in a close contest on engish soil...but from memory england struggled a bit here last time,,,as I wrote ealier both teams are similarly mediocre - england do not look to be as bad as they were last time and Australia is certainly not as good

Pretty sure that the Aussies tour SL next September.

As Tim Lane indicated tonight, Pakistan had to try pretty hard to lose last summer which demonstrates Australia's fall from grace.

We weren't even convincing against the Windies at times, especially in Adelaide and the Perth test got a bit close for comfort and ended with a poor umpiring decision against the visitors. Barath, who's hardly been heard of since for various reasons, made a debut ton in Brisbane. A Windies team of that calibre would have been slaughtered by the Aussies five or six years ago.

We lost a test against Pakistan in England and struggled at times in the other.

Certainly the ICC rankings systems seems a bit flawed but Hussey and co. weren't complaining about it when we sat at the top of the tree.

Perhaps a mystery might be why India is so far ahead given that it's only drawn with SA twice in the last three years or so on home soil and lost to them away. They haven't beaten SA or oz away even though they came closer than the results suggest.

I also heard Hussey make comments on the success of ageing batsmen. Perhaps he forgets that Hayden spent the last few years under pressure from the media about his spot and was cruelly exposed by Steyn during his last series. While Hussey's average was never going to remain at the lofty levels he established, his fall from consistent performances has been alarming.

Have India lost a series at home since Aus beat them in 2004? I don't think they have. And apart from in South Africa, they've been pretty good away from home for about 8 years now.

FWIW Trev, I believe the current standings reflect the current status of the top 5 sides fairly accurately.

I think India and South Africa are clearly 1 and 2 and their upcoming series should be a beauty.

skully wrote:FWIW Trev, I believe the current standings reflect the current status of the top 5 sides fairly accurately.

I think India and South Africa are clearly 1 and 2 and their upcoming series should be a beauty.

No disputing that but eleven points seems a fair gap considering that India lost its last series in SA but could only draw the last two against them at home. During that time SA has won in England, Pakistan, the Caribbean, Australia and Bangladesh and beaten Windies, NZ, Bangers, Pakistan at home with a loss to Australia, the scoreline being 1-2. Their draw with the poms seems to have cost them. They must regret twice not being able to take that last wicket, with Steyn's injury proving costly.

Their series with India at home will tell a lot, as will the Ashes with Australia and England sorting out who deserves to emerge from the lower middle rung. A five test series is as definitive as you can get. There are too many test series being played with only two tests atm.