Tag Archives: Ashes

Ashes Countdown 2013/14: Australia “A” v England Day 1

November 6, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

Not for the last time this series one suspects, England have completely dominated Australia on Day 1 at Bellerive Oval in Hobart. Finishing on 0/318 with Carberry 153* and Cook 154* there are, simply, no positives to come out of the day for Australia.

If Sutherland, Howard and Invers wanted to play England’s batsmen into form in this game then that goal has certainly been achieved in the case of England’s openers. A woefully inadequate bowling line up, Cutting and Copeland aside, has been shown up as just a terrible choice particularly in light of the pitch prepared by the groundsman in Hobart. The edict from Sutherland that pitches should be more batsman friendly this year has bitten the Australia “A” bowlers on the backside here, remembering that Bellerive once possessed the greenest wicket in the land, with Cook and Carberry never troubled today in what might have been a centre wicket practice but for the Australian crests on the shirts of the fielding team.

Henriques was selected, it would appear, to be the third seam bowler however he only gave himself (or, which is more likely the case, was told) only 9 overs of the 93 bowled today. The other fast bowlers were forced to shoulder heavy loads on, I repeat, a wicket providing no assistance to them. That just does not make sense to me, either from a captaincy or a bowling management stand point.

Cricket Australia have gotten it wrong again right from the beginning and, as I wrote this morning, the shambolic preparation for what might be Australia’s most important test series of the decade continues on unabated.

I hope tomorrow is a better day for the Australians in Hobart. If it is not then records could tumble and England’s spirits could only be lifted higher. Additionally, given past form of Inverarity, reputation of the Australian bowlers could be heavily impacted as well by another day like today. Indeed, the only people not at risk of a terrible result this game and this summer will continue to be Sutherland, Howard and Inverarity which continues to be a travesty.

Ashes 2013/14 Countdown: Watson injury confirmed and Australia’s terrible preparation continues!

November 6, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Alex Kountouris, the Australian physiotherapist, has confirmed that Shane Watson has a low grade strain to his left hamstring. The injury was sustained during the last ODI in India.

Cricket Australia, based on Kountouris’ comments, will be giving Watson all the time he needs to prove his fitness.

The preparation for Australia for the first Ashes test just gets worse doesn’t it with this news? That preparation has included:

1. The travesty of the ODI series in India being agreed to by Cricket Australia before one of the most important series of the decade (in my opinion).
2. The shocking schedule that has been put in place by Cricket Australia that sees the test team named after some players have had only one opportunity to play first class cricket before the side is named.
3. The ongoing injury concerns surrounding Michael Clarke and the fast bowling ranks.

Now we have one of Australia’s most important players (forget what the haters say about him: the fact is he is) in serious doubt to play in what will be a vital test match for Australia to win if it is get the Ashes Urn back.

I would like to hope things will improve from here but one senses, looking at the score presently at Bellerive Oval, that is may not.

CA name the Australia A XI … they should just name the 1st test team now too!

October 29, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , Leave a comment

Cricket Australia has announced the following line up under the banner of “Australia A” to take on an English XI at Bellerive Oval between 6 and 9 November:

Moises Henriques (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Trent Copeland, Ben Cutting, Alex Doolan, Callum Ferguson, Jon Holland, Usman Khawaja, Michael Klinger, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine

I have no real cavil with this team as selected. Indeed I like the batting line up that has been selected noting the failure to inclusion Aaron Finch for the first class fixture which I believe is the right move.

That said, it is the names that are missing from the Australia A team sheet that gives an eye to who will be in the first test match squad for the game at the Gabba.

It is understood that Cricket Australia will announce the line up for the 1st test at the Gabba on 12 November. Frankly though, why do they not just name the team now? The logic here is simple: there are 3 first class games between now and 21 November. One of those matches starts after 12 November so form in that match will not count for anything. Players currently in India with the Australian team will not return in time to play in the first Shield game which starts this Wednesday. And, finally and most compellingly, George Bailey has not been selected in the Australia A team. Nor has Fawad Ahmed.

All of this suggests to me that Cricket Australia already knows who it will select for the 1st test. This is because, absent such a decision already having been made I feel absolutely certain George Bailey would be in the Australia A line up. I am even more certain that Fawad Ahmed would be in the line up.

If Cricket Australia have already made up their minds: why continue with the charade of the Sheffield Shield rounds being a selection trial that they obviously are not? Why not just name the team for the first test now and be done with it?

The first test team will be as follows regardless of Sheffield Shield form:

Clarke (c), Warner, Rogers, Watson, Bailey, Smith, Haddin, Johnson, Harris, Siddle, Lyon, Ahmed (12th man)

Indeed: David Warner could score 4 ducks in four innings of the two Sheffield Shield games before the first test team is names and he will still be selected. That is how sure I am CA already know the team they will select. I hope I am wrong but the predictability of Cricket Australia at the moment tells me that, absent an injury, I am a short price favourite to resoundingly right.

Ashes Countdown Day 49: Now the Captain is hurt!

October 3, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Michael Clarke has been quoted today, when asked about his prospects of playing in the first test at the Gabba on 21 November 2013:

"There is certainly no guarantee at this stage," Clarke said. "It’s hard for me to say that because I’m trying my best not to look at it like that. I’m always positive. If you ask me I’ll say "Oh, I’ll be fit in a week’s time’. But if you ask [Australian physio] Alex [Kountouris], who knows me very well, I’d imagine he’d certainly say that there’s doubt that I won’t be right.

"Where I sit right now is I don’t know when I’ll be back playing cricket. We have no idea how long it’s going to take."

Well isn’t this magnificent?!?

Off the back of Australia’s drubbing in England this year we face the prospect of losing our premier batsman and captain for the first test. Actually, read the quote from Clarke again for moment: this problem could last longer than just until the first test. Simply: he does not know when the injury is going to be good enough to play again.

Therein lies another problem: Clarke’s preparation, even if he is fit, is going to be horribly underdone. This, obviously, is not a good thing for Clarke or the Australian team particularly given the already truncated preparation many of Australia’s players are going to have because of the ridiculous scheduling decisions made by Cricket Australia for this summer of domestic cricket.

I hope Clarke is fit and I hope he is fit in time to play in at least one of the first class games scheduled before the Ashes start. If he is not than Australia will be further on the back foot than it already is because of poor scheduling.

Ashes 2013/14 Countdown Day 62: DRS madness!!!

September 20, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , 2 Comments

The ICC announced yesterday that their solution to issues surrounding the use of the Decision Review System that came to a ahead in the Northern Hemisphere portion of the Ashes is to implement a trial during the upcoming Southern Hemisphere return series that sees two (2) additional reviews given to each team (assuming that team has exhausted its review allocation) after an innings reaches the 80 mark.

This is nothing more than a bandaid for a broader problem isn’t it? The issues that arose with the DRS in England were not that there weren’t enough reviews but a mix of poor technology, poor umpiring and limited understanding of what the laws actually say about the review process.

What happens in the coming series, for example, when there is a technology failure or when, after 57 overs and two failed reviews there is another “Broadesque” clanger? The same vitriol and negativity about the process would seem the obvious answer.

There is no quick fix for the problems that the Decision Review System has because the system is hamstrung by limitations in technology and, now, negative perception.

Instead of applying a bandaid, it is incumbent on the ICC to stand up and make the only decision really available which is to scrap the whole thing and go back to the onfield umpires being the sole arbiters of whether a batsman is in or out. Either that or institute a system whereby the system is used in real time to review every system.

One final thought: is the premier series of test cricket in the game really the right forum to test a “new” theory of how to fix the DRS? Seems like a recipe only for more disaster to me!

Ashes 2013/14 Countdown Day 75: First Class Schedule announced

September 7, 2013 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , 2 Comments

I have been calling for some time for Cricket Australia announce its first class schedule for the 2013/14 season principally because I am more than a bit concerned about Australia’s preparation for the first test at the Gabba kicking off on 21 November.

I wrote earlier today on my current worries about the Australian teams preparation. Now that Cricket Australia has announced the schedule, I have to say my worries have not been sated.

Based on the schedule released, there will be 3 rounds of Sheffield Shield cricket before the first test. Those rounds will take place on:

30 October – 2 November
6 November – 9 November
13 November – 16 November

I have two problems with this schedule:

1. There are not enough first class games. The domestic season starts on 29 September in Australia with the Ryobi Cup 4 week tournament during which there will be no first class cricket. I can not understand why Cricket Australia would not make more games available for players who might be involved in the test match to gain form in the long form of the game.

2. The players participating in the India ODI tour will only get one first class game before the first test. If you are in the ODI squad going to India and you are a test player or you are on the fringe of the test team then you will only, realistically be able to play in the final round of the Sheffield Shield before the first test given that the last game of the India tour is on 2 November and they will need to travel back to Australia and get over jet lag.

I remain of the view that Cricket Australia should be doing everything possible to prepare the Australian team for the home ashes series. This first class schedule coupled with the Indian ODI tour is a long way from doing that!