TOPIC:

I wish Chappell would give it a rest om the Smith. Would he prefer Warner as captain?

A couple of observations from what was a dark day for Australia

The score of 85 was the lowest in 32 years at home. It beat by 1 the 84 that Kim Hughes Australians were skittled for by the West Indies in 1984 at the WACA. The difference was that Hughes team had four world class quicks at their throats on the fastest wicket in the world. Whilst Philander and Co are good bowlers they are not world beaters.

I know that this has been mentioned before but why do we need a cast of thousands on hand to witness new players getting their caps. We see the coaches, Physios, water boys, tea lady, chaplain and the fortune teller when it should be just the team and whoever is presenting the new boy with his cap.

Can somebody pay Rod Marsh to stay away from training sessions and games? Every time I see vision of him, he looks like he has just attended a funeral. Must have a negative effect on players. How about giving him an early exit and appoint someone like Ricky Ponting or Steve Waugh as a chairman of selectors who would have far more rapport with current day players.

Did I hear right that Graham Hick was appointed as Australian batting coach? I remember that he was known for over analysis of his batting technique. Is he imposing the same regime on the batsmen as many of the Aussies appear to be second guessing themselves and not playing naturally?

Finally,South Africa are 86 in front of Australia’s 85, so do you think they might declare overnight and go for the innings win before lunch?

BH: I agree with you over the changes in Anglo-Australian cricket, particularly around selection philosophies in the two countries. England are short of three players -- one opener, one middle order batsman, plus a spinner. The young opener from Lancashire looks to be very good; I think if they can get Rashid bowlling well, they should go very close to retaining the little urn in Australia.

I remember the 82-3 series well, England missing players whom had gone to SA. England nearlly retained the Ashes, KJ Hughes saving Australia in the Sydney test, which was a great effort for such an undermanned team.

I have seen Willis interviewed about that tour and he claimed that he only had five players of any real repute.

He did not name them. I will name the five:

Randall
Botham
Gower
Taylor
Willis

He was being very harsh -- Fowler played well; Cowans tried hard and Hemmings made 95 in Sydney. I wish the current Australian side would show the same heart as that Engalnd side did thirty years ago.

If I was being harsh on Willis, I would remind the former captain of England that he won the toss in Adelaide and bowlled -- for some reason.

Good memory AR. I reckon Big Bob may have been a little bit harsh as Lamb was a decent batsman as well as the 5 other guys you mentioned tho he was probably right re Chris Tavare!
Norman Cowans had a decent series in 82/83 but didnt really go on with it afterwards.

Mike all of these current day imposters are millionaires they couldnt give a flying fark whether we win or lose they will still take home their 7 figures salaries from their various teams in the different comps across the cricket world.
I have seen 3 of the lowest scores in the 150 year history of Test Cricket by Australia in the last 5 years alone and yet no one will take responsibility for these batting disasters.
It is about time Cricket Australia brought in performance based contracts!

BH: I forgot Lamb was on the tour; I am sure he would have been in the big captain's five players as well. He used to do some commentary, I suspect the Brits had to get rid of him; the man, as you said, pulled no punches. I remember he had a right go at R B Richardson on the commentary here for being a 'flat track bully'.

He was a different cat was ol Bob Willis AR. Added Dylan to his middle names for his love of Bob Dylan.
But he was a bloody good bowler who is often forgotten with his heroics in the 81 Botham Ashes Series as he took 8/40odd in that Headingly Test second innings to make a mockery of our batting line up and took over 300 Test wickets when they were against quality opponents rather than the mostly second rate sides of today.

Just the mention of that Headingly test brings me out in a cold sweat. The famous 500 to 1 bet in a two horse race that Marsh and Lillee couldn't resist. England followed on and were 90 odd behind with only 3 second innings wickets left. Team management had booked them out of their hotel. Then Botham played one of the great all time innings and belted a tiring attack all over the park. Even after all that though we still only needed 130 on the last day and were 1 for 56 and cruising. Then Willis went crazy in what must have been close to his best ever bowling performance. At the time I think it was only the 2nd or 3rd time that a team had been beaten after enforcing the follow on in tests although there was another occasion in India in the 1990's when Laxman and Dravid batted for a day and a half against Steve Waughs Australians
The follow on has drifted out of the game a bit. Cant remember the last time a captain enforced it.

Obviously australia are chasing their tail in this test....thus the series is gone....interesting to note there have been multiple collapses over the past few series....with this current lot of 12 - 14 players.....time for the selectors to look elsewhere and take a plunge.....look at the Poms...they pick a 19 yr old kid called Hameed to open on his maiden tour, to India of all places and here he is facing delivery after delivery making runs in the toughest of all toughest environments....fark take a plunge guys....Heazlett, Nair, Renshaw, wildermuth, Cartright.....what have we got to lose?

One thing this stint as Chairman of Selectors has shown Freeze is thank fark RWM was overlooked for the Australian Captaincy way back in the early 80s despite the backlash at the time. Unimaginative selections Test after Test going for old experienced safe choices like Voges, Ferguson, Siddle, Holland et al rather than thinking long term and overlooking a bloke like Bird who has a good Test record and would have loved bowling on his home deck at Bellerive his home ground.

What has happened to Cummins: I thought he was suppose to be the great Anglo-Saxon hope so to speak? Is he injurred?