Aussie Cricket
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I'll keep supporting them ONLY because of what Smith said below.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11748556
Cricket: Aussie captain Steve Smith 'embarrassed' to be at press conference
Steve Smith has showed class under pressure after fronting one of the most difficult press conferences of his career.
Speaking with honesty in the face of a disastrous day for Australian cricket, Smith admitted he is "angry" and "quite sick" after seeing his team collapse to lose to South Africa by an innings and 80 runs in Hobart.
"Yeah it's (humiliating). I'm embarrassed to be sitting here to be honest with you," Smith said.
"Too many times we've lost wickets in clumps. 8-32 today, 10-85 in the first innings and you're not winning any games of cricket when you're doing that.
"It's happening way too consistently for my liking.
"We're not being resilient, we're not willing to tough it out and get through tough periods.
"Right now it's not good enough.
"I am hurting.
"I need players that are willing to get in the contest and get in the battle and have some pride in playing for Australia and pride in the baggy green. That's what I need.
"At the moment it's not good enough and I'm quite sick of saying it to be honest with you. It's happened five Tests in a row."
Smith begged Australian fans to keep supporting his team despite losing a disastrous fifth Test in succession.
His call for calm came as former English captain Michael Vaughan declared the Australian team has simply hit rock bottom.
Smith admitted his team has to find a way to bat with resilience when conditions don't favour them.
"Stick with us," Smith said.
"We're doing our best trying to turn things around. We're working hard and we have to find ways to be successful and to be resilient.
"This series is gone now and we've been outplayed, but we have a lot to play for. We've lost our last five Tests. We're better than that.
"Whether it is seaming, swinging or spinning, we are having trouble.
"We didn't have that fight and resilience. That's what I asked for from the boys and we didn't have that fight and weren't resilient enough.
"We're not finding way to get these big partnerships together and they're able to dictate terms.
"It's a bit of a low point for myself and for Australian cricket. We've lost the first two Tests and that hasn't happened for a while."
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@canefan said in Aussie Cricket:
@akan004 Where has all their depth gone? The Sheffield Shield comp used to be held in a similar regard to State of Origin in its ability to produce hardened test ready players. Too much big bash?
Have no idea. Apparently the top batsmen in Shield cricket are only averaging in the late 30s to early 40s as opposed to 50s and 60s like they used to. Obviously something has changed in their development systems that has led to this, and it's a good lesson to be learned by NZ rugby to never ever drop their standards.
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He's taken 11 @24. That's not bad.
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Siddle and Voges are finished, I think. At the very least.
Unfortunate for Burns, but he's gone too - basic technical issues he appears unwilling to correct with the best. Still can't field in close.
Mennie only got one innings bowling so not sure if he will be retained.
Ferguson is a 31yo debutant, and a good player, but a stupid run-out is never going in your favour.
Smith, Warner, The Waj, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon are probably safe.
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@akan004 said in Aussie Cricket:
Feel sorry for Smith. He seems like a decent bloke compared to the absolute douchebags that have skippered Australia in the past. From all reports, it looks like it's going to be a lean couple of years for this team as there doesn't seem to be much depth in the domestic ranks . Certainly a far cry from twenty years ago where Australia could field a second eleven that was better than every other test team in world cricket. It's hard to fathom what has happened to their systems that has led to the current state of affairs.
Never feel sorry for a guy who can hit balls outside off through midwicket. They are the antichrist, as any bowler will tell you. He's just getting some karma.
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The stupidity of NZC producing flat wickets last year truely exposed. Pussies.
Still would have lost, I was very impressed with Aussie last year. There relentless bowling pressure on flat wickets was great. But to give their fragile batters a free pass was madness.
But .... Southee and Boult had gone to shit anyway ......
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@NTA said in Aussie Cricket:
Siddle and Voges are finished, I think. At the very least.
Unfortunate for Burns, but he's gone too - basic technical issues he appears unwilling to correct with the best. Still can't field in close.
Mennie only got one innings bowling so not sure if he will be retained.
Ferguson is a 31yo debutant, and a good player, but a stupid run-out is never going in your favour.
Smith, Warner, The Waj, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon are probably safe.
Voges has averaged 95.5 across his first 15 tests - and 14.8 across his next five.
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@Chris-B. said in Aussie Cricket:
@NTA said in Aussie Cricket:
Siddle and Voges are finished, I think. At the very least.
Unfortunate for Burns, but he's gone too - basic technical issues he appears unwilling to correct with the best. Still can't field in close.
Mennie only got one innings bowling so not sure if he will be retained.
Ferguson is a 31yo debutant, and a good player, but a stupid run-out is never going in your favour.
Smith, Warner, The Waj, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon are probably safe.
Voges has averaged 95.5 across his first 15 tests - and 14.8 across his next five.
If Voges did get dropped now when I'm perusing cricket stats with my boys ( as I did with my old man ) in years to come they'll ask about the guys with the awesome averages and I'll have to tell them that despite being third all time ( behind Bradman and Headley ) he got dropped for a shit run over a few tests.
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@MN5 said in Aussie Cricket:
If Voges did get dropped now when I'm perusing cricket stats with my boys ( as I did with my old man ) in years to come they'll ask about the guys with the awesome averages and I'll have to tell them that despite being third all time ( behind Bradman and Headley ) he got dropped for a shit run over a few tests.
I guess he hit the purplest of purple patches. Was never going to continue with a 95 average, but I'm surprised he's fallen off the cliff.
Looks like his purple patch lasted a bit longer than Andy Ganteaume's and Rodney Redmond's, but I suspect history is going to look at him more in their light than Bradman, Headley and even Graeme Pollock.
If he got dropped now, it would be hard to see him fighting his way back given his age.
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@Chris-B. said in Aussie Cricket:
@MN5 said in Aussie Cricket:
If Voges did get dropped now when I'm perusing cricket stats with my boys ( as I did with my old man ) in years to come they'll ask about the guys with the awesome averages and I'll have to tell them that despite being third all time ( behind Bradman and Headley ) he got dropped for a shit run over a few tests.
I guess he hit the purplest of purple patches. Was never going to continue with a 95 average, but I'm surprised he's fallen off the cliff.
Looks like his purple patch lasted a bit longer than Andy Ganteaume's and Rodney Redmond's, but I suspect history is going to look at him more in their light than Bradman, Headley and even Graeme Pollock.
If he got dropped now, it would be hard to see him fighting his way back given his age.
I hope they keep him on for another few tests, get the average down to something that reflects his ability.
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His first class average is 47 which is more representative of his ability. Bradman and others had incredible averages across all forms.
The pick players late in their career tactic Aus have used has definitely helped some their records (Hussey another example). Someone like Kane had a slow start to his career as he was picked very young but has been dominating in more recent times.
Credit to Voges though. He made the most of his oppotunites when he first made the team, can't fault him on that.
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@No-Quarter said in Aussie Cricket:
The pick players late in their career tactic Aus have used has definitely helped some their records (Hussey another example).
Yeah, it used to be becuase the team was stacked with talent, so you had to carve it up in the Sheffield Shield to get near the side. Was it Lehmann who had a ridiculous FC record and no test matches?
Nowadays, we could just see some youth come through. I'm not sure it will help though, pitches in Aus seem to have become far more homogenous and not as testing for players. Hence dominating at home, and struggling away from home (although now it is struggling home and away :D)
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Well can't fault Voges for plundering the shit out of a fucken terrible WI bowling attack then, ahem, ours but he is certainly a case of a record not being a true reflection of his ability. Pollock and Barry Richards obviously stand out as guys with great averages over short careers and he isn't going to be spoken of in the hushed tones that those blokes were. Put it this way: when the mythical "team of the 2010's" is named and the upper/middle order comprises of Smith, Root, KW and Kohli as I suspect it will my boys are gonna wonder why he isn't in the team instead of one of them which proves stats aren't everything.
Voges being dropped is a definite possibility though, no two ways about it and if he does then that's the end of his career for sure.
