The Australian cricket non-official thread!

Dare I say that's a good result for cricket. Bangladesh sure have come a long way in the last few years!

Surely there'll be two changes for the next Test: Khawaja and Hazlewood out, Cartwright and O'Keefe in. I'd also bat Agar above Wade. Probably the last tour on the subcontinent for both Khawja and Wade.

I've heard a rumour that Lyon and Wade have traded terse words. Very terse words indeed.

So I wonder who they keep. The man pushing to become possibly the 4th highest ever wicket taker or poor Matty Wade.

And yes...I am on record as one who is not a Wade fan. But some of what I saw of his keeping...I wouldn't wish it on my enemy, esp in the glare of the cricket eye and twitter feed world we live in now.

The Mad Hatter said:

I've heard a rumour that Lyon and Wade have traded terse words. Very terse words indeed.

So I wonder who they keep. The man pushing to become possibly the 4th highest ever wicket taker or poor Matty Wade.

And yes...I am on record as one who is not a Wade fan. But some of what I saw of his keeping...I wouldn't wish it on my enemy, esp in the glare of the cricket eye and twitter feed world we live in now.

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Pretty easy decision for me. Shame there's not another wickie knocking the door down though.

WI beating England made me smile too.

What a lead into the ashes - Bangladesh beating Australia and England losing to West Indies at home!

I know I sound like a broken record about the fella...

.....but...

Wade got out in single figures AND conceded 30 byes.

That's the difference between winning and losing, sadly.

Scotty_WCE said:

Pretty easy decision for me. Shame there's not another wickie knocking the door down though.

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I reckon this bloke's knocking on the door pretty hard...

Keatoboy said:

I reckon this bloke's knocking on the door pretty hard...

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Definitely a good 'keeper, but at this stage not quite up to scratch with the bat (average of 26 and no tons in 18 FC matches). Would need a good start to the Sheffield Shield season to be in calculations you'd think.

So sanity prevails, and Cartwright comes in for Khawaja for the Second Test, with SOK replacing Hazlewood. Will be interesting to see how the three-man spin attack works!

Lyon's really hit some form lately, hasn't he? Six wickets in the second innings last match and a seven-for now. Great to see.

Warner can't get back to back tons on the sub-continent, now can he?!

R.I.P Bob Holland

http://www.cricket.com.au/news/bob-...ncer-aged-70-former-test-cricketer/2017-09-17

What a wonderful contribution to the game of cricket by Bob "Dutchy" Holland. He played a central role in three of Australia's rare victories in the barren 1980's....I think he is in one of those "classic Test finishes" VHS tapes, the 1985 Test against West Indies where he and Murray Bennett shared 15 of 20 wickets at the SCG!!

I greatly respect players who contribute an enormous amount to the game in retirement and Bob Holland - a Test debutant at 38!! - certainly did that.

From the days when selectors mixed and matched their test teams over a whole summer. Not praying for a top 12 to stay fit so they can jam 5 Ashes tests in to 6 weeks.

From the days too, when Sheffield Shield meant something and so did First Class cricket. In form players would be rewarded. And they still played grade / club cricket. When they didn't get $$$$ for endorsements and retainers and central contracts. It was perform or perish. And you took your chances if and when they came, cherishing a single test if you were lucky to be selected.

Don't get me wrong, cricket is still great. But how blokes like Bob Holland contributed to Australian cricket isn't the same as it is now.

He was also a gentleman on the field, not one for sledging, primping, preening or grandstanding.

It's a bugger cancer bowled him out, like it does to so many others. But respect. 11 Tests, 1 baggy green more than many others. His place in the pages of cricketing lore assured.

RIP Bob Holland
Test Cap 326

Does anyone else think this ODI series in India is a waste of time?

We have an ashes series coming up, the boys should be playing domestic 4 day games

Brendan_B said:

Does anyone else think this ODI series in India is a waste of time?

We have an ashes series coming up, the boys should be playing domestic 4 day games

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Yes I do think it is pretty pointless, however the Shield season never starts until sometime in October. But I think the players resting up would certainly be preferable to what is a fairly meaningless ODI tour in the overall scheme of things.

Brendan_B said:

Does anyone else think this ODI series in India is a waste of time?

We have an ashes series coming up, the boys should be playing domestic 4 day games

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I think it's fair to say EVERYONE that is a fan thinks its a waste of time. They are only there for the $ that any series v India brings in.
I went to a cricket Australia seminar last summer and they had revenue figures available and the only tour that makes money for them was the Indian tour. They sell the broadcast rights back to the Indian tv networks and they pay a motza. That is also why they brought back the tri series when India last toured. They didn't care the India v Sri Lanka games had small crowds and didn't rate as well as the Australian games, because they can still sell those games and make a truck load for them.
We then need to reciprocate and send the Aussie team there as part of the contract For them to come out here. It is simply about the revenue, and the $$$$$$$$$$$.

I guess the only thing is that there are players in the ODI squad who in all likelihood will never play Test cricket - and while ODI cricket is still a format at international level, those players might quite rightly ask "where and when else will I get a chance to represent my country?".

There probably isn't a "window" as such for ODI cricket since the death of the traditional Tri-series ("World Series Cup", for you youngsters), which I loved! It sort of just fits where it can, unfortunately. It's quite amazing that a format that almost became the lifeblood of the sport has now become a third-rate viewing and scheduling preference - outside the Champion's Trophy and World Cup tournaments.

The old WSC was great. It was never the same after the 15 year PBL deal ended.

All the merchandise, branding, even the teams wearing similar style jerseys, all disappeared. Of course, 1995 was when every sport became about the $$$ in this country and every one else followed suit.

Then the calendar got crammed : all tests in late Nov / Dec / first week of Jan, followed by a bloc of ODIs. Then T20s came along.

The triangular series was always great. I feel like Grandpa Simpson whinging but it was good fun. Tests spread out sprinkled with ODIs.



Check this out for a bit of fun:

http://www.anthonycosta.com.au/content/top-8-australian-one-day-cricket-uniforms-80s-90s

EDIT : You know you're getting old when the jersey you wore as a teenager becomes the 'retro' / 'heritage' jersey (at 500 times the price!!!).

I think the problem with this series is just the timing. Obviously, there's a ton of money in it for CA but surely it would be preferable to have all our players in Australia playing on Australian pitches - even if it's just in the JLT Cup - for a few months before the biggest series in cricket. In the overall scheme of things it probably won't make a massive difference, but it's just another series without a whole lot of context.