Clarke Can't Have It Both Ways

It what has become another disgrace in Australia's recent cricket history, Michael Clarke has decided that it is everyone else's fault.  Here I was following the cricket on-line and Australia cruising at 2/120 when I had to get my head into work.  I was surprised when I was able to later check the score and see that Australia had found a way to lose the game, but I was not shocked.  This is something that Michael Clarke and the selectors could have avoided but decided to stick their heads up their ass and continue with faith that all was ok with the Australian batting lineup.

Clarke has now come out after the game and stated that some tough decisions will need to be made before the selection of the Boxing day test and in his words "Since I've taken over the captaincy, I've made it very clear that my one vote on selection will not be personal, it'll be whatever I think is best for the team." Well Clarke has been given the selection he thinks is best for the team and yet again it failed.  The only out the selectors and Clarke has is to make wholesale changes to a batting lineup that couldn't make runs after eating a dodgy curry in Mumbai.

Clarke is now saying that the players he has publicly stated he wants in the team and deserved to be in the team may no longer be good enough to be in his team.  When Clarke next talks to the media he needs to publicly admit that he got it wrong, make an apology for his teams performance and start realising it is an honour to play for Australia not a right because the captain likes you.

Clarke's favourite opener Hughes must definitely never get another look at a baggy green until he has scored a mountain of runs at state level and even then be told he is not good enough. Will Clarke admit he got this selection wrong is something to be seen though.  And then we has Khawaja, a player with talent that is yet to convert but also being put under extra pressure of being made a first drop who may as well pad up before a ball is bowled and wait on the boundary, ready.  I have said in the past he has potential yet I will not be surprised if he gets dropped as one of the few changes.

And then we get in the problem no one will admit to and just mentioning that he should be dropped will start debate and that is Ponting.  Again Ponting has failed and looked awful in his dismissal, he is out of form and only holding back an opportunity for a talented player in form to play for his country.  The only question is whether Clarke has the ability to put the axe to Ponting.  Ponting has been a great player in the past but at the moment he is an obstacle in a team trying to rebuild.  Sometimes the foundations need to be removed completely before rebuilding.

Another experienced player who is lucky if he can last more than a few overs at the moment is Hussey.  Not long ago he was the form player but that now seems a long time ago and looks like it is a long way off.  He might have taken a crucial wicket but that is not what he is in the team for.  Time to cut this player loose too.

After Hughes my next selection to be dropped is Haddin.  His ability to get out to poor shots and to balls that he could leave or hit anywhere but to a fielder is too consistent.  Clarke might like this guy too much and for me that is the only reason he must be getting selected.  There are plenty of excellent glovemen around the  country and all of them can bat, not quite sure why Australia keep sticking with one who is not doing enough with the bat or gloves.

With all the changes I think need to be made one could ask who do you bring in, and that is fair enough.  I would keep Warner after his debut century that should have been crowned as a match winning century.  With Marsh and Watson returning from injury Australia could have a very solid 1, 2, 3.  An opening partnership of a dynamic Warner with the patience of Marsh being backed up at first drop for a technically correct and explosive player like Watson is a combination that can put on consistent good starts for a middle order. Clarke should be coming in at 4 with Christian and Khawaja filling 5 & 6.  For all the changes you only have one player on debut and a lot more class and ability.

The wicket-keeper would be Wade who is more than capable of showing Haddin how to play a tough innings when required. As for the bowlers the only change that needs to be made is that of Starc.  He still has a lot of work to do on his game and should be doing it at state level.  He bowls too many loose balls and  even though he can bowl a great ball he does not put any pressure on the batsmen.

The selection of the team for the Boxing day test will cause plenty of debate but the worst thing the selectors can do is think that generally things are ok and only minimal changes need to be done.  This is not a batting line up that has only just started to fail, they have been on a downward slide for a long time now.  Only question is whether or not the selectors and Clarke are strong enough to admit they got it wrong and are prepared to make the hard decisions.

Weekend Wrap

For those who like reading the weekend wrap here it is again.  There was quite a lot of sport over the weekend and with that there is always talking points, be they positive or not.

Great shot of Suarez heading the winner

Suarez Fires For Liverpool

I was very glad that I stayed up to watch this game.  Suarez was a man on a mission and deserved the goal to give Liverpool a 1-0 victory at Anfield.  His skills on the field are a treat to watch and was unlucky not to score more.  Also of note was an unlucky Maxi Rodriguez who on another day could have easily walked off a hat-trick hero.  The game was of frantic pace for much of the game and Liverpool looked much more determined to ensure victory.  With Carroll being kept on the bench and not getting on at all, it will be interesting to see if on his return Liverpool don;t go back to form of old. If Liverpool can keep up this standard of performance and Suarez continues on with this form they should start making progress on those above them on the table.

I should also note it is now at least eight weeks since the allegations of racism were made against Saurez by Patrice Evra and yet nothing has been done.  Surely if this allegation was serious it would have been at least heard at some level by now.  The FA is starting to look very ordinary indeed in this matter.  Maybe the season will be over before we hear any more on this issue.

Ever seen a more depressed looking batsmen?

Australian Top Order Not Top Class

Just when you think Australia are starting to find some sort of Test cricket form in come the batsmen to change your thinking.  I have written plenty on my thoughts about the batsmen in this team but I will once again state that Phil Hughes must surely be dropped after this test match.  Even if he goes on to get a score in the second innings it is too late.  Especially when early in the second innings he edges one down the legside only for the umpire to say not out and the foolish Kiwis not referring the decision.  Mu money is on Hughes getting around about fifty runs, Clarke saying he still wants him in the team for the Boxing day test, and then the Indians showing why he should have been dropped.

Kookaburras Win Fourth Consecutive Champions Trophy

Hockey does not get enough coverage from my point of view.  And when you have a team as good as the kookaburras it is a shame.  Although I didn't see the game it is worth reporting that they beat Spain in a close 1-0 victory in a game that had a few moments where Spain were more worried about complaining then playing the game.  

How Stupid Are Sportsmen

For my last article I have to make a comment about one of the biggest idiots in sport.  Golden State Warriors guard, Charlie Webb, turned up to a hearing for his drink driving case drunk. How clueless was this guy? Looks like making the big money of the NBA does not require an IQ.  Either way he will go down as one of the stupidest basketballers for this year.

It is a bit of a short weekend wrap but as always if you want me to cover something I have missed or know there is an event coming up where you want my opinion let me know.  I am always happy to receive feedback and suggestions.  

Keep reading and pass the word.

Batting Disgrace - What's to Blame?

Yet again Australia has hit a new low in Test cricket and our batsmen are to blame. After dismissing New Zealand for a lowly 150 in the first innings, Australia were in a good position. The bowlers had done the job and now it was time for the batsmen to do theirs.  And this is where the problem was.  Put our batsmen on a good deck and generally they can put on a good score.  Put them on a pitch and in conditions where it is favourable to the bowlers and it all falls apart.  Watching the way wickets fell was embarrassing and all too familiar. All out for 136. Look at the batsmen one by one and it is easy to start seeing where the problems are.

Dead Man Walking

Hughes - Surely now the selectors (Captain included) must be ready to admit that this guy is not of standard and way out of form.  He is the most depressed looking cricketer I have seen and looks about as solid in batting as Chris Martin does at number 11.  Regardless of the second innings he must be sent back to Shield cricket.
Warner - Yes this guy can hit a ball and score runs quick and has had some brilliant innings in the short formats of the game.  This is the problem, here is a batsmen who has been picked on his ability to play on lifeless pitches, opening in Test cricket is very rarely ever going to be on a dead pitch.  He has talent but why have selectors gone away from picking batsmen who have scored a bag of runs in Shield cricket.
Khawaja - Definitely has talent and ever since I saw his first test innings I liked what I saw.  Only problem is I think they are playing him in the wrong spot.  Patience needs to be held with him in the same way patience was held with Steve Waugh.  Put him down at 5 or 6 and take a bit of pressure off him.  Putting him at 1st drop at the moment with Hughes and Warner and he may as well open the batting.
Ponting - His time has come, tap him on the shoulder and tell him this is his last test match. He may have scored some runs at the Gabba but his continual ability to be dismissed LBW the same way almost every innings shows he is not able to change his game.  His footwork is slow and he is on the back foot too much. And to start walking before the umpire puts his finger up for an LBW decision is a sign he knows how bad it is.
Clarke - Actually in some form with the bat but still getting out to poor shots or in the last case a poor leave.  I never like seeing a batsmen bowled shouldering arms, especially when the ball is moving about.  Looked poor and was poor.
Hussey - He might be Mr Cricket but of late he is not reliable.  Only a few tests ago he was our form batsmen but can't seem to take a trick of late.  On his day he can be great but I have a feeling this will be his last summer of cricket if he does not get a big score soon.
Haddin - Yet again gets caught out at mid off playing a foolish shot when quick runs were not needed.  Time to find a keeper who can bat a bit but has excellent glovework, as yet again Haddin is not taking balls cleanly.  Glovework aside though, Haddin rarely puts in an innings when his team really needs it.
Tail End - At the start of the Gabba test many comments were made about the length of the tail, yet it is the tail putting the top order to shame.

Why is it that Australia cannot bat on a bowler friendly pitch?  Once selected for Australia you will very rarely see a player play 4 day cricket for his state.  When not playing tests they are playing one-dayers & twenty20 games which are in general on pitches where the batsmen know that they can play their shots and throw there wicket away chasing runs.  When they do have a chance to play shield games a rest is usually taken due to the hectic schedule they claim to have.  Our test cricketers do not get back to play enough games on a variety of pitches around the country and against a variety of bowlers.  All the net sessions in the world will never replicate a green top wicket.

They say Twenty20 will ruin test cricket and it may well do but it is the selection process and Australia's cricketing setup that will enhance the prospect.  Australian batsmen have lost focus on what test cricket is about. A test is won over 5 days, it is a battle of attrition. It is not a game reliant on big scores scored at 4-5 runs per over.  Bowlers do not need to take a wicket every ball.  Test cricket is about building and maintaining pressure over a long period of time. Test cricket is about having our best team, not picking players the captain likes or maintaining a player because of past records.  It is not a right to wear the baggy green, it is an honour and privilege, just because a player is contracted does not mean he should be selected.

Poor Form Nomination

It has been awhile since I felt a poor form nomination was warranted but today I have felt that the Football Association is deserving of this nomination.  Only a few days ago I was none too pleased with the performance of Kevin Friend in Liverpool's loss to Fulham in a game where many questionable decisions affected the outcome of the game.  Out of this game two charges have been laid by the FA.  The first is to Luis Suarez for his alleged gesture to Fulham fans at the end of the game and the other is to Liverpool for the reaction of the players after the red card was shown to Jay Spearing for an incident that still has me scratching my head.

Out of this game it is fair enough that the FA wants to look into those incidents but surely the FA should be more concerned with the performance of Kevin Friend in what could be described as a biased performance or if not biased a very poor standard that would not be accepted in at any level.  Sportsman are told to play to the whistle and respect the refs decision, but when the ref is making decisions that have even the commentators questioning the reason then who in their right mind would expect a player on the field charged with emotion and adrenaline to stay calm and say, "fair enough, we will cop that on the chin".  As a coach I would not want to ever see my players be emotionless lambs on the field. 

And then you have the home crowd constantly chanting cheat to a player from the opposition and yet the only thing they see wrong is the reaction from the player receiving the taunts.  Should not Fulham be reprimanded for the fans performance.  Respect works both ways.  If a crowd shows no respect to a player then they should not expect any respect either.  Fans will say they pay their good money to go and yell abuse at players and that is fair enough, but if you cannot handle the fall out then keep quiet.

So the Football Association gets my poor form nomination for their inability to control all things in their game.

Ref Affects Outcome

Why is it that a ref affects the outcome of a game directly through poor decisions yet little is written about it in the media.  Rising early to watch Liverpool away to Fulham I was looking forward to Liverpool closing the gap on the top 4 in the EPL.  At half time with a nil all scoreline, the game was in the balance although Liverpool had dominated the game in possession but unable to convert that into goals.

With the start of the second half in stepped the ref, Kevin Friend, to put his stamp on the game and show to all that his ability at this level is not good for the game.  The first instance of his questionable thinking was when Fulham's Dempsey reacted to a tackle by Bellamy.  Dempsey all but head butted Bellamy whilst showing his angst.  In what was an unacceptable reaction that should have seen red from the Friend, instead saw both players being shown a yellow card. A yellow for Dempsey was the least he deserved but for Bellamy to receive the same for doing nothing but stand there whilst an opponent tries to do all but head butt or kiss him is remarkable.

Then in the 59th minute Liverpools Adam is taken down in the box by Senderos, in a tackle designed to stop a goal scoring opportunity.  Friend blows the whistle but says the tackled occurred a grass width ouside the box, awards the free kick and a yellow card.  Interesting call to say the least and for what I saw he was easily infleunced by the player pointing to the mark where his slide tackle started.  Add to that if the tackle was in the box, a red card would have been a deserved colour.

It was in the 72 minute that it all became obvious that Liverpool were never meant to win this game when Spearing was shown a straight red for what Friend deemed to be a serious foul.  Spearing was first to the ball and after kicking the ball clipped a Fulham player who was coming in late.  Tags up or not, it was not a deliberate hit or a tackle attempt.  Yellow at best and for me one of the worst red card decisions I have seen for awhile.  Now the ref has changed the game and the eventual result of the game.  If Friend cannot give a red for a foul that only had a purpose to stop a goal scoring opportunity then a red for an incident where a player kicks a ball and then in the follow through collects a player late on the scene makes you wonder what this ref had as a motive.

Liverpool may not have taken their chances and deserved a win but they did not deserve to lose in this manner. All that will happen out of this is that the players and coaching staff will say little to avoid fines, the media will do their normal job of finding more negative things to write about Liverpool and it is only through us amateurs that the real thoughts get written about the game.  Yes I am biased towards Liverpool but that does not mean that the ref does not deserve the criticism.  If a player has a game as bad he would be sitting on the bench in most cases, so surely this ref deserves the same.

Aussies Still Have Worries

Australia has had a comfortable victory over New Zealand in the first Test of the cricket season at home this summer.  Although many questions are still hanging over the Aussies, the Kiwis must be wondering how bad they really are.  For the first two days they looked competitive against an Australian team that only a few weeks ago had many daggers pointed at their back and were a disgrace to the baggy cap.

Even though Australia won easily there should still be changes made before the next test.  With Watson and Marsh due back in the next couple of tests and Bailey being picked in the squad for Hobart it must be time for Hughes to be sent back to NSW to find out how to play a short ball or a ball outside off stump.  His ability to pick out the slip cordon and gully on a regular basis before getting his eye in shows great talent.  If only he was able to put that talent to letting those balls go and he might be classed as a decent cricketer.  If Hughes is picked in the next test then it will show that the selectors still have not improved. It might be looking like Mr Cricket, Mike Hussey, could be facing an axious few weeks if he fails again in Hobart.  With Australia looking to rebuild, surely he is the next to be scrutinized with Ponting, 

Then we get to the bowlers.  Pattinson was better than I ever expected and deserves a run for the rest of the summer.  Australia was still lacking one other good strike bowler though and for me Starc is not quite there yet and will most likely make way for a returning fit Harris or Cummings.  As a bonus though after all the chopping and changing of spin bowlers it looks like Lyons has stepped up and taken his chance.  As long as the selectors stick with him and don't react on one bad game he is sure to stay a regular.  He as the good ability to not only get wickets but to also keep an end tidy whilst being a threat.

At the end it was still only a win over New Zealand, so good performances should be considered but a poor performance deserves more criticism.  Australia have a short time to prepare for India, and India will not be an easy target.

Arthur Beetson The Legend

Athrur Beetson: 1945 - 2011

In hearing about the passing of Artie Beetson was a shock and is something that still seems surreal.  Since hearing of the passing of Beetson it has made me think about my memories of this legend of sport.  Although I am too young to remember his career, I still have some memories of what I heard my father say and combined with footage I have watched, Beetson is a player that is at the top of the pedestal when it comes to legends/immortals of Rugby League.

The thing that sticks out most for me is the affect Beetson had on representative football and the creation of State of Origin.  I still have memories of hearing my father say how great it was to see Beetson finally playing for his state and proudly walking out onto Lang Park to send a message to the southerners that without the greats from Queensland they were not the team they thought they were.  It always hurt Queensland to see NSW teams come up with players like Beetson in their side.  With Beetson able to play for Queensland it was always going to go down in folklore how this great man came home to play for his state.

Beetson started his career with Redlciffe in 1964 before being lured south to play for the Balmain Tigers in 1966-1970 and later going on to play for Eastern Suburbs, 1971-1978,  for most of his career before finishing with Parramatta Eels, 1979-1980.  Whilst playing in Sydeny Beetson represented NSW from 1966-1977 (18 matches)  During this time Beetson went on to play for Australia from 1966-1977 (28 matches) and was to become the first indigenous captain of an Australian national team.  It was not until 1980 when his career was amost over that Beetson was able to play for his home state in the first Origin match.

After his playing career Beetson went on to become a successful coach at club and representative level but for me it is his playing career that will always be remembered.  I have never heard anyone speak negatively about Beetson and probably never will.  Named as an Immortal, Beetson will be forever remembered and it will be a memory of thoughts that put a tingle at the back of your neck everytime you see footage of his career or hear stories in the pub.  There are not enough words to describe the effect he has had on the game of Rugby League but there will be plenty of stories doing the rounds from many greats of the game whose lives have been influenced.