Ashes 2009.

[norbs]

So it begins again this week. Fark, between the cricket and the Tour de France, I am going to struggle.

To be honest, I am not all that interested in the cricket this time around. I got called a "stinking filthy pommy loving carnt" at the work the other day because I had the hide to say I thought Ponting was a shit captain, and I thought England could win.

Good to see Thommo agrees.

I thought Ricky [Ponting] was crap when he was first captain in 2004 and nothing much has improved since then. I'm not the only one who thinks that ...everyone at home thinks he's shit at the captaincy.
Former Australia fast bowler Jeff Thomson as forthright as ever
Jun 30, 2009

How Australia will go with out a dedicated spinner worries me. Having said that, the poms haven't exactly been setting the world on fire. I expect to see Nige's bi-yearly cricketing knowledge erupt again. If Flintoff plays well, I reckon England 2-1.

/me runs for cover.

[nutty]

Ive never liked Ponting as a captain either, and generally his batting has been subpar when Australia struggles (like the pressure is getting to him)

I cant beleve warne said he would come back and play and they rejected him =(

[Exar Kun]

I think it'll be very close. On paper this time round the teams are pretty evenly matched - you might say the English have a better bowling line up for the conditions although in the tour match it appears Lee was able to get the ball to move around a bit. Hauritz seems a lost cause at the moment. Clarke and Katich seem better options for spin and both can actually bat. Hopefully Hughes finds his county form again.

If the Aussies fire then it should be a good series, otherwise the poms will probably take it.

And yeah, I agree - Ponting is a crap captain. Actually, maybe not crap, just uninspired. A pity Warne was such a dick - he would have made a brilliant captain I believe.

[Bauer]

Im not going to disagree with Norbs cos I think as a captain he could have done better with the captaincy. He is still the best player since Bradman in my book once his score hits double figures. He chokes too often early in his innings to be placed on that same mantle as the Don and you never had that same 'peek through your fingers until he gets a run' feeling with Tendulkar or Lara.

Still, I dont think anyone else would have done better as a captain.

Clarke? too young at the time. And like a car accident, he is always in a bingle
Warne? lol dont think so
Gilchrist? all ears but really a follower than a leader
Hayden? not his style

was there a better option?

[Jiminee]

The biggest threat to Australia is the Australian selectors, if they pick the right team and guys get through uninjured they should cruise it but I don't have much confidence in Mr Hildritch and Co.
Of course they wont know they picked the wrong team till day 3 and even then have shown a general reluctance to make the necessary changes through a test series recently.
I'm scared!

[Montey]

Ponting sucks as Captain!

Australia will lose the series convincingly (3-1).

[DexterPunk]

ive seen him make mistakes, but i disagree that he sucks... he would captain the team better than any of you Theres certainly been better captains, but hes had is great moments too. When Aust isnt whipping everyones arses, and batsmen are struggling with form, and we have no real strike bowlers or decent spinner its amazing how quickly everyone seems to blame Ricky.

...i overheard something in the news last night about Phil Hughes missing out on a spot? surely that can't be right. Being a news headline (which is all i heard) i imagine they were exadurating/guessing.

[nutty]

Warne? lol dont think so

Dont get me wrong, Warne was the player I grew up following.. but he SHOULD have been given the job.
The off field stuff cost him, but as far as a cricketing mind, he was top knotch.. you dont get that many wickets without a fantastic understanding of the game

[Exar Kun]

...i overheard something in the news last night about Phil Hughes missing out on a spot? surely that can't be right. Being a news headline (which is all i heard) i imagine they were exadurating/guessing.

There's no one on tour to replace him so nope, he isn't missing out.

I mostly agree with Nutty on Warne - he has a brilliant cricketing mind and I think he would have been an excellent captain... on field. Still, the guy's a dick and he only really has himself to blame for not getting the top spot. I do love that in an era of elite sportsman, we could have a fag smoking, beer drinking, baked bean eating champion of the world.

[DexterPunk]

Dave Hughes, although i dont like him that much brought up a great point not long back when he went on a rant about how aussie culture has changed and about Symonds getting the boot.... saying that back in the day, Boony would down 54 beers on the way to london... now a player goes out for a night and its all over the news, and hes sent home. I know Symonds has been a bit wild of late, but i can't help feel theres an element of truth in that.

[norbs]

ive seen him make mistakes, but i disagree that he sucks... he would captain the team better than any of you Theres certainly been better captains, but hes had is great moments too. When Aust isnt whipping everyones arses, and batsmen are struggling with form, and we have no real strike bowlers or decent spinner its amazing how quickly everyone seems to blame Ricky.

...i overheard something in the news last night about Phil Hughes missing out on a spot? surely that can't be right. Being a news headline (which is all i heard) i imagine they were exadurating/guessing.

Ponting is the most unimaginative captain Australia has had in a long time. He might not have the personnel that Border, Taylor and Waugh had, but it isn't like he has had a team of hacks either. I have captained quite a few teams that I played in, starting at under 12's soccer, and the advise I got when I started would help Ponting out. As a captain, you should never look like you are beaten. How often have I seen Ponting standing in the slips or at cover, arms folded, looking like he has lost his lollipop. You're probably right Dex, he probably does captain the team better than me, but it wont stop me saying he is a poor captain.

Warne missed out because he was a loose canon. If Ponting hadn't had sorted himself out after the Kings Cross incident, he would have missed out as well.

Ponting was the 1st captain since Border in 1985 to lose the Ashes on English soil. He says the 5-0 series win out here made up for that. I don't think so. He needs to win on English soil, and win well, to make up for it. The next couple of months we will see how they go.

As for Stud's question about who else could have done it, I would have made Boof Lehmann skipper. Even in the short term, it would have given Ponting time to learn more about leadership. I reckon Boof would have helped Ponting more than Steve Waugh did. Don't worry, I have been called a fucking idiot for suggesting it,

[DexterPunk]

he stands in the field with arms folded even when hes not shitty... ive seen you mention this a few times and i don't believe it's him pouting, rather a bit of frustration, and deep in thought as to his next plan of action.


..... anyway, i agree mostly that hes not great (as a captatin), and i think Clark would be a better captain even now... i just think, like in many sports, everyones too quick to jump on the captain, or coach, to lay the blame when things arn't going as well as they should.

[norbs]

he stands in the field with arms folded even when hes not shitty... ive seen you mention this a few times and i don't believe it's him pouting, rather a bit of frustration, and deep in thought as to his next plan of action.


..... anyway, i agree mostly that hes not great (as a captatin), and i think Clark would be a better captain even now... i just think, like in many sports, everyones too quick to jump on the captain, or coach, to lay the blame when things arn't going as well as they should.

Your main strike bowler rolls his ankle an hour before the test. You win the toss. Do you bat or bowl?

[DexterPunk]

whats your point?

ive seen him make mistakes

[norbs]

whats your point?

ive seen him make mistakes

Oops. Was on a phone conference at the time and didn't finish my post.

After that previous post I posted a couple of the good things he had done, and claimed he was responsible for. My point was you can't have it both ways with regards to blaming coaches and captains.

But yes, we agree, he isn't a great captain.

[Johnny X]

Well, from a pommie point of view I'm not sure whether we are up for it or not. I don't think Freddie is going to be the force that peeps reckon, just no clue to his fitness and he missed a recent game after missing the bus. Seems he still prefers the bar to being out in the middle.

We have also had our summer, a couple of sunny days last week, so we can prolly expect rain for the next month or two so my prediction is a drawn series with a total of about 5 days play

Gl all

[VTRacing]

I would just like to draw attention to something that everyone else seems to have missed:

Clarke? too young at the time. And like a car accident,he is always in a bingle
Warne? lol dont think so
Gilchrist? all ears but really a follower than a leader
Hayden? not his style

was there a better option?

I lol'd.

[Exar Kun]

Didn't miss. I lol'd too.

And now Lee is out for a bit. Dear oh dear - not that I really rate him but he seemed to have found some form again in that last game.

[Vilante]

Yup, I missed it - funny as - lol

Wish I was always in that Bingle, where the bloody hell are ya? I'm up to my ears in model!!

[Nigel]

I expect to see Nige's bi-yearly cricketing knowledge erupt again. If Flintoff plays well, I reckon England 2-1.

/me runs for cover.

Yep.

[norbs]

When did Stuart Clark root Ponting's missus?

[Bauer]

When did Stuart Clark root Ponting's missus?

If he did it would be about the same time he got his guide dog and phone with big arse Braille numbers on it Id bet

[Johnny X]

Not a bad first day for us Poms, Ponting lost the toss and England batted

Scorecard

[Exar Kun]

Looks pretty even - Poms maybe a little in front. I didn't end up watching any of it last night, too knackered from work at the moment. Might have to catch some play on Friday night.

[Vilante]

Yeah I thought it was pretty even, but I only saw an hour and then the highlights so not sure what the wicket's like. The Poms didn't run away with it so it's a good start.