Breaking news for next test

JGK wrote:

Henry wrote:Arthur said he was surprised that Shane Watson didn't complete the task, but basically said that Uzzy is a repeat offender who needs to improve his attitude quick-smart.

Ussie probably thinks its a load of utter bullshit .ike most people would.

I guarantee you that Shane Warne would have done the task. I'd like to see a nobody like Arthur's try to drop Warne.

I agree. If Arthur was doing his job, he would have sat each player down individually and asked them face to face what should be done.

There will have to be a whole new subject at the Academy from now on.

Cornflakes-packet MBA stuff from 'Uncle' Arthur, who shows that he has the management skills appropriate to his Christian name: When stuck for ideas, go back to the old stand-by of waving the big dstick. That way you get to look good and feel good.

Fred Nerk wrote:Cornflakes-packet MBA stuff from 'Uncle' Arthur, who shows that he has the management skills appropriate to his Christian name: When stuck for ideas, go back to the old stand-by of waving the big dstick. That way you get to look good and feel good.

Except Fred, most are now taking the Mickey...

lardbucket wrote:WA's recovery, Australia's decline, and Arthur's move from WA to Australian coaching ... coincidental?

NLWL's move from Oz to Woz

The alacrity with which Watto scarpered, still stuffing his cases as his taxi pulled away from outside the hotel entrance, suggests his VC days and maybe his Test player days are done....without suggesting he cares about it too much.

Any new word on 'Michael Jordan's' ankle? If he doesn't come up, Horrie's mate Haddit could be the new 2IC, and that would really set the cats among Pandora's can of worms....

Fred Nerk wrote:The alacrity with which Watto scarpered, still stuffing his cases as his taxi pulled away from outside the hotel entrance, suggests his VC days and maybe his Test player days are done....without suggesting he cares about it too much.

Any new word on 'Michael Jordan's' ankle? If he doesn't come up, Horrie's mate Haddit could be the new 2IC, and that would really set the cats among Pandora's can of worms....

Was the bolded part already in the news? If not, very impressive guess FN.

Linky: A SHATTERED Shane Watson is considering retiring from cricket

Looks like Twatto may quit test cricket. He wont be missed.

The question is- Will Arthur and Clarke forgive him enough after his sudden departure from India in order for him to return to the ODI and T20 side, where he remains a serious threat?

But the team was rocked by a second ruction late last night, with vice-captain Watson deciding to leave India to be with wife Lee, who is heavily pregnant and due to give birth.

All very well for blonde bombshells to stick together in lean times - but aren't Watto and Bung taking things a bit far?

Before Watson, the last time I remember someone walking out of a tour was Sidhu in the mid 90s, on a tour to England. Any other examples?

Henry wrote:....

The question is- Will Arthur and Clarke forgive him enough after his sudden departure from India in order for him to return to the ODI and T20 side, where he remains a serious threat?

IMO it depends on Watson from here on. He talked his way into this, he now needs to talk his way out. I think he can, if he wants to. I doubt if the coach/ captain think that his utility to the team is not worth it any more.

If he mouths the right word, I'm sure he'll be back and we'll hear words like "moving on", "in the past" emanating from the Aussie dressing room.

furriner wrote:Before Watson, the last time I remember someone walking out of a tour was Sidhu in the mid 90s, on a tour to England. Any other examples?

Henry wrote:....

The question is- Will Arthur and Clarke forgive him enough after his sudden departure from India in order for him to return to the ODI and T20 side, where he remains a serious threat?

IMO it depends on Watson from here on. He talked his way into this, he now needs to talk his way out. I think he can, if he wants to. I doubt if the coach/ captain think that his utility to the team is not worth it any more.

If he mouths the right word, I'm sure he'll be back and we'll hear words like "moving on", "in the past" emanating from the Aussie dressing room.

The Pak wickie? Haider?

LOL @ Vaughan:
"What is going on with Aussie Cricket?? Didn't realiseyou had to do a Essay to get a selection these days..!!!!!Bowl better, Bat better, Catch better, communicate better...Just bloody play better.... I am now available for Selection of Australia..!!!!!," Vaughan tweeted, making a mockery of the Aussie team management's decision.

As if to add insult to the injury, Vaughan further tweeted, "What I am confused by is that the coach of Australia asked the players for only 3 things to improve the team??"

Martyn: "To many wrong people are picked for jobs who give a fancy presentation!!,"

Remember Greg Chappell giving a powerful PPT presentation of his vision India when he applied for coach's job in 2005 impressing BCCI whose interviewers included the liks of Shastri and Gavaskar after Wright quit. We all know where the team went with him a coach. PPTs are overhyped, overfat, overpaid corporates. Just get a coach or players who can play right or guide right FFS......

taipan wrote:

furriner wrote:Before Watson, the last time I remember someone walking out of a tour was Sidhu in the mid 90s, on a tour to England. Any other examples?

Henry wrote:....

The question is- Will Arthur and Clarke forgive him enough after his sudden departure from India in order for him to return to the ODI and T20 side, where he remains a serious threat?

IMO it depends on Watson from here on. He talked his way into this, he now needs to talk his way out. I think he can, if he wants to. I doubt if the coach/ captain think that his utility to the team is not worth it any more.

If he mouths the right word, I'm sure he'll be back and we'll hear words like "moving on", "in the past" emanating from the Aussie dressing room.

The Pak wickie? Haider?

That's right, Zulqarnain Haider pulled a spectacular run in (IIRC) Dubai.

afridi 'retired' after captaining pakistan in one test in england

WACA umpires are given self assessment forms which are voluntary to submit to the umpires co-ordinator after each game .

Some umpires fill them in and submit them

Some fill them in and file them

Some do a self assessment without filling in any forms

Some do nothing

I know of a few umpires who think they are the biggest load of wank ever invented and refuse to fill them in for WACA grade cricket ...they are also on the National Panel (they do WNCL, U19, U 17 and Futures League) where Cricket Australia has a compulsory self assessment form for them to fill out ....they do it without complaint because they know they can be replaced in a heartbeat

Its about time our National XI felt the same way

I have no problem with the tough measure taken with selection

BBC Sport website:

But Hoggard, 36, believes it should not be a "disciplinary matter".

The Leicestershire captain, who took 248 Test wickets for England, added: "When you are a sportsman, you play sport for a reason. Academic studies are not that important and you are not excellent at school.

"They have not been out until four in the morning, they have not been jumping off ferries or putting hands through doors.

"I know Shane Watson and he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Getting him to write things out and put them in front of the coach is not going to be his strong point."

Coming from Hoggy, that is some stinging comment.

This looking like India in England in their 4-0 whitewash. Can't find 11 fit or committed enough players to play a test.....

Where does Pup stand in all this then? Presumably he was part of the decision-making process which thought up this facile plan in the first place - which does not reflect well on him anyway.

Did he approve of Arthur's decision to ban the offending players? If he didn't, he has little option but to resign as captain at the earliest available opportunity as his authority has been undermined.

If he did sanction the punishment - how can he look those four players in the eye again? Whichever way you look at it, his authority seems to have been punctured -perhaps fatally.

What odds on Mickey Arthur still being coach for the Ashes?

Basil wrote:Where does Pup stand in all this then? Presumably he was part of the decision-making process which thought up this facile plan in the first place - which does not reflect well on him anyway.

Did he approve of Arthur's decision to ban the offending players? If he didn't, he has little option but to resign as captain at the earliest available opportunity as his authority has been undermined.

If he did sanction the punishment - how can he look those four players in the eye again? Whichever way you look at it, his authority seems to have been punctured -perhaps fatally.

What odds on Mickey Arthur still being coach for the Ashes?

Pup has endorsed it. Rattled out that this was an Aus side known for discipline, responsibility etc etc blah, blah and how the 4 by not writing undermined the coach, Aus itself and let down the team..blah blah blah.....

Probably partner with coach in it. After Katichgate this is reflecting very badly on him.

Clarke's backing of dropping the 4 players - LINK!

I wonder of Punter is actually happy he retired before this tour itself?

The two sides of the coin? On one side this looks excessive step and the 4 look like victims. On the other side there are 13 other guys in the team who did what was asked and took the written test.....who either found the time to commit to do the homework or look like idiots for doing it? If the 4 had been let off would the other 13 be as obedient?

Instead of asking them to write maybe the coach should have had an honest assessment discussion asking all to speak up instead!

embee wrote:WACA umpires are given self assessment forms which are voluntary to submit to the umpires co-ordinator after each game .

Some umpires fill them in and submit them

Some fill them in and file them

Some do a self assessment without filling in any forms

Some do nothing

I know of a few umpires who think they are the biggest load of wank ever invented and refuse to fill them in for WACA grade cricket ...they are also on the National Panel (they do WNCL, U19, U 17 and Futures League) where Cricket Australia has a compulsory self assessment form for them to fill out ....they do it without complaint because they know they can be replaced in a heartbeat

Its about time our National XI felt the same way

I have no problem with the tough measure taken with selection

Top post.

I mean, it's not the most brilliant of ideas and it's hardly going help greatly but if the captain and coach felt it imperative then their charges should have done as told. They had four days to do it. It must have been seen as a protest by the management and has been treated that way. I'm sure Clarke would have been in on the bans. In the end though, stupid and unnecessary

Brass Monkey wrote:I mean, it's not the most brilliant of ideas and it's hardly going help greatly but if the captain and coach felt it imperative then their charges should have done as told. They had four days to do it. It must have been seen as a protest by the management and has been treated that way. I'm sure Clarke would have been in on the bans. In the end though, stupid and unnecessary

Sounds like Clarke was in on the decision making.

It's Clarke we need outlawed, Monkehh.

Harassing La Bingle with a series of sordid texts, in a sub-Warnehh-type way, maybe? Can that be set up, stitched up? Have you got the hacking power, the contacts?

Basil wrote:Where does Pup stand in all this then? Presumably he was part of the decision-making process which thought up this facile plan in the first place - which does not reflect well on him anyway.

Did he approve of Arthur's decision to ban the offending players? If he didn't, he has little option but to resign as captain at the earliest available opportunity as his authority has been undermined.

If he did sanction the punishment - how can he look those four players in the eye again? Whichever way you look at it, his authority seems to have been punctured -perhaps fatally.

What odds on Mickey Arthur still being coach for the Ashes?

My guess is that Clarke has been struggling to stamp his authority on the team. Perhaps there's something there that makes people not like him, respect him or be comfortable with him. Or perhaps they just don't want to work as hard as him and like Allan Border many years ago he has to make hard choices.

Either way I would think that he is fully behind the punishment. And for the reason, Arthur's job is safe.

FWIW, I agree with the punishment.