Not even a surprising decision by a third umpire prepared to ignore the evidence provided by Hot Spot, and so the review system, could take the gloss off a superb chase by the West Indies or a deserved victory by Australia. The West Indians can be proud of their performance. In times past they were granted five-match series but their stocks have fallen and they stand near the bottom of the rankings.

On the face of it, a 2-0 defeat has not significantly improved their reputation but the result conceals a substantial improvement reflected in sharper fielding, improved running between wickets and more committed lower-order batting. Lazy habits had taken hold and the basics had been neglected. Now a healthier culture has developed. The players looked like cricketers and performed with their hearts and heads. As much could be told from Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge’s audacious and ill-starred last-wicket thrust.

Twice in the series the touring team came back from cricketing death. Further humiliations were feared after their heavy defeat at the Gabba. Instead, the visitors stirred sufficiently to shake up the hosts in Adelaide.

Heavy defeat was likewise expected after the tourists fell 208 behind in the first innings in Perth. Instead, the West Indies skittled Australia for a paltry total and chased with such grit that at one stage their chances of taking the spoils were put at 3-1. In the end they fell short but they went down fighting.

Numerous members of a hitherto mostly anonymous outfit made their marks. Hardly any of them had previously toured Australia. Roach’s sizzling pace, Sulieman Benn’s stilted legs and climbing tweakers, Adrian Barath’s daring strokeplay and bright fielding, Dwayne Bravo’s skills and gusto, Narsingh Deonarine’s pluck, Travis Dowlin’s grit and Denesh Ramdin’s promise all attracted high praise. The West Indies can build around these players. Australia have lost some lustre but remain hard to conquer. These blokes had a good crack at it.

Chris Gayle deserves credit for the awakening of his side. Plain and simple, he saved the series. Beforehand his leadership had been questioned, not least hereabouts. The criticisms Read more…

Administrator Australia, West Indies Adelaide, Adrian Barath, Australia, Blogs.CMDN.com, Brisbane, Cardiff, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Denesh Ramdin, Dwayne Bravo, England, Fidel Edwards, Gabba, Gavin Tonge, India, Jerome Taylor, Marcus North, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Narsingh Deonarine, New Zealand, Pakistan, Perth, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ricky Ponting, Simon Katich, South Africa, Sri Lanka, WACA

EXCUSE me. Over here.

EXCUSE me. Over here.

Sorry to intrude, but while some of you have been attending to the weighty matters on the gossip pages, something significant has been happening in the frivolous world of Test cricket.

While you were away — distracted, understandably, by bling and beauty — there has been a significant shift in the long-established pecking order of Australian batting.

A change has come over the landscape out in the middle where men earn their whites through sweat, application and repeated effort.

Over the past three seasons of Test cricket one Michael Clarke has quietly established himself as Australia’s leading batsman.

For the best part of forever Ricky Ponting has sat atop the pile, his character announced by the fact that his batting improved in the early years after he took on the top job.

Ponting is one of the great batsmen of all time, but his raw numbers are in decline and he has not averaged above 50 in the past six Test series.

The captain has slipped out of the International Cricket Council top 10 rankings for the first time in seven years and is now ranked 12th in the world.

Alternatively Clarke has risen to fourth spot and is the leading Australian on the table.

Yes, the ICC rankings are a little skew-whiff.

Simon Katich, who has been a tick behind Clarke over the past 18 months for the Australians, does not even appear in the top 20 (Michael Hussey is, by the way, in freefall having Read more…

Administrator CMDN.com Ashes, Australia, Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Gabba, ICC, IPL, Katich, Mark Taylor, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Ricky Ponting, Simon Katich

Australia have lost three of their past five Test series. Amid all the backslapping, it is a point worth pondering. Ricky Ponting’s side has slipped to fourth place in the rankings. Along the way, captain and selectors have blundered, with the wrong teams chosen, pitches misread and puzzling tactics pursued at critical moments.

Admittedly, it has not all been bad. Australia performed admirably throughout a long stint overseas. The one-day side surpassed itself. But Test cricket is the real deal, and in that arena Australia have fallen back. All the more reason to keep a close eye on the side appearing next week at the Gabba.

Australian cricket needs to face facts. Apologists and insiders point out Australian batsmen scored more runs and the bowlers took more wickets than their Ashes counterparts, and conclude they were short-changed to lose the series. Defeat is blamed on two poor sessions. It is gibberish, a mere smokescreen. Test series are played over 25 days, and produce a legitimate result. That is their entire purpose. England were the better side in Birmingham and twice in London. The result was fair. Andrew Strauss and company deserved to win. No good will come of supposing otherwise. Bleating is a poor substitute for action.

Consider the mistakes made in England by the self-same panel that yesterday named its latest line-up. Phillip Hughes was prematurely dropped. One more match was needed, one more chance to find out how far a quick eye might take a young player. Now he is betwixt and between. The selectors were lucky Shane Watson served so well as an emergency opener. And the selection at The Oval was a debacle. Somehow those responsible convinced themselves the track was rock hard and white. In fact it was exhausted and yellow. One inspired spell, two run-outs and the Ashes were gone.

Yesterday Andrew Hilditch confirmed the selectors took responsibility for the team, and not merely the 12. It’s a mistake. Nor does it reflect reality. For transparency’s sake, they ought Read more…

Administrator Australia Andrew Hilditch, Australia, Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Gabba, Michael Clarke, Nathan Hauritz, Ricky Ponting, South Africa, The Oval

It seemed destined to be a hopeless mismatch. An unknown debutant named Clint McKay was running in to bowl at Sachin Tendulkar. With the game and the series hanging in the balance, the fans of Hyderabad were baying for Australian blood.

Tendulkar already had 175 to his name - a monumental innings to rank with anything he has produced in his long and glorious career. He needed only to clear the ropes twice, and victory would be sealed. Instead he flipped the ball unerringly into the hands of fine-leg. India flopped to a morale-shredding defeat.

Perhaps you weren’t watching Sky Sports at the time (around three o’clock last Thursday). Perhaps you have more productive things to do with your afternoons. But this was the defining moment of what has been a surprisingly compelling series. Above all, it illustrated why, despite Australia’s decline as a Test nation, their 50-over form remains all but invincible.

One-day internationals are all about collective responsibility. Each bowler is limited to 10 overs. Each batsman has to risk his wicket for the team. They embody that old cliché “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link”. And because the Australian state system produces more technically sound, mentally tough cricketers than any other in world cricket, Ricky Ponting can turn to someone like McKay in a clutch moment. Surely no other team in the world could have lost nine first-choice players to injury and still beaten the Indians on their home soil.

Tests are different. They are more like theatrical productions because certain people – usually the most proven performers – tend to dominate the stage for long periods of time. If your Hamlet is top-notch, it doesn’t really matter whether Rosencrantz and Guildenstern stumble over their lines: the show will still be a success.

When the Australians whitewashed England in the 2006-07 Ashes, they had a whole host of splendid old thespians trooping the boards. Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden – these men dominated opponents not only with their runs and their wickets, but with Read more…

Administrator IND vs AUS Ashes, Australia, Blogs.CMDN.com, Clint McKay, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Flintoff, Glenn McGrath, Hyderabad, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, The Oval

THEIR bromance was born out of a mutual love of speed, fast cars and shopping.

To Michael Clarke, he’s an idol who has become a best friend. Clarke describes their mateship as special. A fondness for designer threads and motorbikes aside, the binding factor between Warne and Clarke is their passion for the game and their determination to be the best cricketers possible.

“We both love our speed,” Clarke said. “Our cars, our motorbikes, and a bit of shopping here and there - but we also both love trying to be the best cricket players we can. I guess that’s how our relationship continued to grow.

“I had an idol who was willing to help me. I would have been stupid not to have listened to him. From there, we’ve built a friendship outside of cricket, which is very special to me. It’s something I’m very lucky to have.”

Clarke has consoled Warne in his darkest hour when his marriage fell to pieces. Warne was also there for Clarke when he was gutted by his axing from the Test team - and he is there for him now as he battles a back injury.

Clarke is aiming to play the last couple of games of the one-day series in India, but he has conceded it is “unlikely”. The 28-year-old has degeneration of the spine, first discovered when he had a scan when he was 17.

Last week, Warne caught up with the Australian vice-captain at Clarke’s Bondi penthouse to discuss the mental battle when dealing with injury. The inaction has been frustrating for Clarke. But Warne has been through it all. Dodgy shoulders and broken fingers kept him away from the game and his words obviously helped.

“He’s been very supportive,” Clarke said. “The hardest thing for me is to sit still. I find that very difficult. I feel lazy. I’ve done hardly anything for three weeks … I’m not used to Read more…

Administrator Australia Blogs.CMDN.com, Brad Haddin, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Michael Clarke, Shane Warne, Sri Lanka

ADAM Gilchrist agrees with Ricky Ponting that there is too much cricket being played, but warns it is spectators as well as players who risk burn-out.

The former Australia wicketkeeper is in India and has been giving his thoughts on the state of the game.

Ponting and coach Tim Nielsen had expressed their frustration at the Champions League schedule forcing three NSW players to fly in late for the first one-day international and the captain had also suggested a seven-match one-day series was too long.

“The scheduling has been a concern, especially in the last six weeks,” Gilchrist said. “I agree with Ricky, it is difficult to get the balance right. For the administrators, it is a difficult juggling act and something has to be done.

“We are playing too much cricket. We need to monitor it. I am concerned about the spectator fatigue. It must be difficult for them to keep up with all the variations of the game. And then the injuries mean the players have to perform a delicate balancing act, too.”

Injuries have felled half a dozen Australian players. Tim Paine’s broken finger adds him to a list that includes James Hopes, Brett Lee, Callum Ferguson, Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin. Gilchrist said the players also needed to manage their time better and needed to be aware that the IPL cannot take precedence over a longer career.

“The burn-out issue is there, but then the player has to be smart about management,” he said.

“The lucrative dollars are there, but you have to be successful for the national team to reap the rewards in tournaments like the IPL and the Champions League.

“Here, too, we need to monitor the youngsters. Ricky Ponting, for example, has managed things so well. He gave more time to the national team.” The Australian captain, like his vice-captain, Clarke, stayed out of the last IPL to concentrate on preparation for the Ashes Read more…

Administrator Views Adam Gilchrist, Australia, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Callum Ferguson, Champions League, India, IPL, James Hopes, Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Pakistan, Tim Nielsen, Twenty20

If the selectors want a team guaranteed to perform internationally, they need look no further than Katich and co, writes Will Swanton.

Just pick a NSW-only Test team and be done with it.

Pipe down, Victorians and assorted other non-Blues. NSW have proved themselves as the dominant provincial side in the world, let alone Australia, so the selectors might as well just flood the Test XI with Blues - 10 of them plus captain Ricky Ponting, who lives in Sydney anyway.

And before all those Victorians and assorted other non-Blues start moaning about NSW’s struggles in the Sheffield Shield, come for a meeting in the fair dinkum department - the only reason they don’t win the Shield every year is the unavailability of their premier players who are representing their country.

Cast ahead to the first Ashes Test against England next year. Australia lost the urn, NSW can win it back. A Blues-Only-Plus-Ricky-Ponting Test team isn’t remotely far-fetched.

Phillip Hughes, Phil Jaques, Simon Katich, Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz, Doug Bollinger and Stuart Clark. That’s a legitimate Test team. Every one of those players is already in possession of a baggy green cap. None of them could be considered bolters. Look through the list - every one of them has a realistic chance of making Ponting’s side. So why not all of them?

Of the Australian team that lost the Ashes, only Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle could feel aggrieved to be excluded. Johnson is the ICC Cricketer of the Year but even he admitted to being shocked after he misfired throughout most of the Ashes. He struggled against Read more…

Administrator Champions League T20 Ashes, Australia, Blogs.CMDN.com, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Doug Bollinger, ICC, Katich, Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, NSW, Peter Siddle, Phil Jaques, Phillip Hughes, Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson, Sheffield Shield, Simon Katich, Stuart Clark, Sydney, Victorians

Cricket is working hard to not lose its place in the sun.

THE faithful are sticking to a time-honoured line - ”cricket is the sound of summer” - but even in Jolimont there is recognition that, more than ever, the traditional staple faces an unprecedented challenge to make itself heard.

A scan of the sporting landscape in the months ahead does little to quell the suspicion there will be louder noises heard than willow striking leather.

Omnipresent football and racing’s spring carnival have already overshadowed Australia’s progression to the Champion’s Trophy final in South Africa, and the horses’ hooves will be thundering by the time Ricky Ponting and friends arrive in India later this month for seven one-day internationals, the form of the game that is struggling most to hold a capricious audience’s attention.

The promoters of Australia’s sprinkling of annual golf tournaments, who a year ago recruited John Daly in the hope of attracting some car-wreck style voyeurism, won’t need smoke and mirrors this time around. Having Tiger Woods on the bill for next month’s Masters at Kingston Heath guarantees an almighty moment in the sun.

The Australian Open has become such a crowd-pulling force that organisers need do little more than string a net between two poles to fill Melbourne Park, an enviable situation that’s not about to change in January, given the backdrop this time around. Think defending champion Serena Williams, post her US Open meltdown; Juan Martin Del Potro taking it up to Federer and Nadal; comeback queens Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin; Jelena Dokic and Bernard Tomic, Read more…

Administrator Views Ashes, Australia, Blogs.CMDN.com, Chappells, Cricket, Cricket Australia, Lillee, Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson, Oval

You can’t afford a single slip up in tournaments such as the Champions Trophy. Right from match one, you have to be spot on. India didn’t lose a match after the loss to Pakistan and yet they are out.

The tournament is far from over though, what with Australia taking on traditional rivals England in the first semifinal at the Centurion. The Aussies should go into the game with an advantage but the way they went about chasing the low target set by Pakistan, should boost England’s chances. The key for the Australians will be how Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey go, especially as they have lost Michael Clarke to an injury.

This was India’s problem too. It never helps when you lose key players before a tournament, more so a major one. That said, Yuvraj Singh’s injury was most unfortunate and is something no one can control.

What can be controlled is Ishant Sharma’s workload. He may be playing a lot but it is still important for him to get in a lot more overs. Most of the training time is taken up by gym work, which adds strength but you have to include a lot of sprinting as well to ensure that the rhythm is right. The challenge is to get the balance of cricketing skills, strength and cardiovascular training. The skills part is, naturally, most important and it is also necessary to realize that each person is made differently.

Which is why it is paramount that one understands the body quickly. Ishant is a young man but he would do well to understand what works best for him and apply that to his bowling and training. He’s also a thinking bowler and with the right guidance, he should soon be firing again.

Perhaps, he could have been tried with the new ball but in a short tournament such as this and after you have lost the first game, you don’t want to experiment. Also, the team Read more…

Administrator Champions Trophy, India Ashish Nehra, Blogs.CMDN.com, Centurion, Champions Trophy, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, England, Ishant Sharma, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, New Zealand, Pakistan, Ricky Ponting, RP Singh, Yuvraj Singh

In the middle of the one-day series that finished at the weekend, a fellow scribe, someone who is just about as far away from the archetype of the cynical hack as it is possible to be, a man whose sense of humour and of the absurd is never far away, looked at his blank laptop and said: “I love this game, I really do, but I just can’t take any more of it this season.”

On the same day I had given my godson a ticket for his first international match at Lord’s. He could not have been more excited. When I saw him at the end of the day his sense of wonder was undiminished. Only the result was a bummer, he said.

It is a difficult business for administrators to balance the cricket weariness of players and pundits against the enthusiasm of followers who might see, at best, one or two games a summer (and at the ECB’s prices, who can afford more?). Responding to the criticisms of the NatWest Series that completed the longest international summer in living memory, Giles Clarke, the chairman of the ECB, had a point when he said that the appetite for such matches remained strong.

Seventeen thousand turned up at Durham on Sunday to watch a game in which the only interest was a ghoulish one — whether England could avoid a 7-0 whitewash.

Against these excellent ticket sales, and the greed of the players (and players’ associations) who cannot see that turning out for every Tom, Dick and millionaire weakens fatally their case for burnout, administrators must realise that schedules, domestically and internationally, are stifling standards, which will, in turn, eventually diminish sales. When coaches must rest top players, or in the case of Tim Nielsen, of Australia, rest themselves, overkill is not so much a Read more…

Administrator Views Ashes, Blogs.CMDN.com, Brett Lee, Callum Ferguson, Champions Trophy, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Dean Jones, ECB, Giles Clarke, Leicestershire, Lord’s, Michael Clarke, NatWest Series, Powerplay, Shane Warne, Twenty20, World Cup