DOWNFALL OF AUSTRALIAN CRICKET

DOWN FALL OF AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM:

There is something grossly wrong over the selection policy in this country. They select players past their prime at the age of 29 or 30 yrs. Mike Hussey was selected when he was 29, where as Sachin and many Indian & subcontinent cricket players represent their country at a very early age for which they last long and contribute to the team. Virat Koheli was India’s under 19captain and has played against many present players in international cricket. How many under 19 players are in Australian team? A team with only one wicket keeper the next is aged 35+playing domestic cricket. The costliest player of IPL does not get a chance to play for OZ team where as MI has taken him in their team, what a paradox. Players do not know how to play off spin which is India’s strength, then why to include so many left handers? Spinners should be groomed and coached by experts. It’s better to pick new players because they know if they fail then coming back is difficult. The 1st test was won due to Bhubaneswar Kumar not due to Dhoni. When no10 walked in the lead was hardly 20 odd runs but he gave support to his captain and Clarke went out of ideas and the match was lost there. Same about Henrique, he scored two 50 on a cultivation land.

Australian players are fragile like dried leaves may be they do lots of physical exercise or take performance enhancing food. Ask the physiotherapist to go on leave because with so much of cricket one does not need physical exercise; body needs rest to rewind the lost energy. Playing Watson as batsman only is like asking Ashwini to play as a batsman and not to bowl. I do not think this present Australian team can even win a single test match unless some Indian players get injured or do not play. Most of them (OZ players) are unfit or injured but by the time IPL starts everyone will be fit, its money factor man, nothing else. Players are not committed for their own country and their focus is somewhere else. So to summarize, team selection, domestic pitch , improper coaching of spinners, wrong bowling coach, no commitment, wrong planning and irresponsible batting has resulted this miserable tour of this present OZ team. Send Australia’s under 19 team to tour India to play against any state or clubs to gain some experience about how to play spinners and long innings under hot sun and turning tracks.

Sanjoy Kumar Satpathy