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Time For England to Learn From Australia
(Edited from the 1st Jan Blog)
9th January 2008
Update 3 Days is a Long Time in Blogging
OK I knew it was arguable but I was wrong to include the Australian behaviour as a positive. I think I meant it in contrast to England in that it is directed at winning - as many people are saying although not necessarily in a good way. I also don't consider what they do as outside the box but maybe that is from watching England too much. England do it but they do not win and seem more to unnerve themselves.
6th January 2008
The England cricket team and others often try to ape the mannerism and competitiveness of the Australians. However what they do often harks to an Australian past. They miss what makes Australia truly great now and give the appearance not the actuality of Australia.
With the use of Symonds at 6 shows that they can learn from England when Flintoff was worth his place. It is England are so desperate for an all rounder at 6 and a batter wickie at 7 we tried Bopara who is neither batter or bowler at 6 and Prior who is a poor keeper at 7. Whereas Australia passed on Moody and made Symonds improve for years before giving him a test place.
Gilchrist may not have been the best ever glovesman early but was never Prior bad. The point being they are not dogmatic whereas England are and use cliche about character (sledging, shouting and arguing), all rounders, batting keeper, gobshite keeper and fighting spirit without regard for results. Prior was dropped only after dropping 8 catches off Sidebottom alone. You cannot do that to your bowlers and expect them not to lose heart after a long toiling days in our current 4 man attack.
Equally on sledging England are now among the low lifes of world cricket (Harbhajan excepted). At least the general complaint that throwing sweets on the wicket went too far saw Prior turn down the buffoon act (one hopes it is an act he can turn off) - with his gob at least.
What the Australians have that England, Pakistan and India truly lack is the following:-
Differentiation between selection and captain, coach and players:
Peter Moores the England coach has a large say in selection and so does Michael Vaughan. They work closely. Whereas say John Buchanen was more like an advisor/coach to the players. The captain is selected after the team.
Indeed the assumption I make is that Australian players are made responsible for their own performance.
Internal Argument
Look at the way Buchanen and Ponting were sniped at by senior pros like Warne. In England you'd be considered a boat rocker. We constantly laugh at the Dutch football team - 3 players 4 opinions yet they must be the most consistent over achievers in world football!
If you are relying on a limited mindset from above and expect conformity no wonder problems of mindset and seige mentality in the face of constructive critique allows these things to rumble on.
Selection Based On Proof
It has been hinted at above but it is rare for a very young unproven player to break the Australian test side. They first break the one day squad. They also have 25 contracted players not a narrow squad ala England - despite having less injuries and changes.
Their selection is consistent not because that is an end in itself - in England that gives the likes of Craveney, Moores, Vaughan, Fletcher and Flintoff the excuse to stick with their narrow clique of mates. It is consistent because they pick the best players with a high degree of certainty and keep winning!
Indeed can you imagine an Australian selector ever referring to a player by the nickname that implies he is a club wielding caveman? Yet Moores, Vaughan and Craveney call Flintoff "Freddie".
Equally Australia would not have indulged the cuntery of Flintoff, Harmison, Prior, Collingwood and Fletcher for the last few years. They have at times behaved with a disgraceful self deceit that they are somehow entitled.
Arrogance
Warne accused Australia of this but for me arrogance is demanding high standards of yourself and expecting it of others. Pietersen is the most arrogant of the England players and the most successful over the last 2 years notwithstanding his poor showing in Sri Lanka.
This is not the arrogance of entitlement of the hard drinking core of the England team.
Behaviour
Indeed once Steve Waugh had proven himself Taylor's successor he started to insist on better behaviour and wearing the cap. Setting standards that reflect their status.
They understand play hard but fair the English are like savants trying to copy their masters without having the book that tells them why and how.
Competition
England players feel they can have tours off and just have to fit in to stay in the team. No Australian can expect to stay in the team without results and if they get dropped can expect years out of the reckoning. You prove yourself game after game.
After his recent dropping the found out Strauss went on about bad decisions, great balls and luck. Not the fact that he struggles to play the ball in front of square and makes almost all his runs cutting and glancing bad and wide balls.... Does a coach ever prick these sad bubbles of self delusion? Of course an Australian like Ponting, Hussey or Hayden who waited years for a first or 2nd chance would not need telling they would find out or face playing no more test cricket ever again.
Hungry and Remorseless
It is amazing that Australia are still trying to beat an Indian side that has rediscovered itself at present after winning 15 straight. England scraped a 2-1 home series win with Australia and in an alcohol supernova many of the players have spent half the time since injured or in awful form.
At present I see no one who is looking in the mirror enough and in the right critical manner to challenge Australia home and away. India have the talent but don't play enough or travel well enough at times. England want to wallow in isolated under dog triumphs that prove nothing.
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