Should Australia have their Test Status revoked?

[fab]

For being too good! What other option is there, since it doesn't look as though anyone can beat them in Tests anymore (and aren't likely to in the near future either).. "play badly or get kicked out!" exact opposite of BD. Heh.

But seriously, games with Australia have become boring coz you know who will win.

Chappell fears for the game

"No game can survive when you haven't got a contest, and it's no good getting the contest by bringing a good team back to the field. The one thing the West Indians did (in the '80s) was create an environment where we all knew if we were going to compete, we had to get better," Chappell said.

"Thankfully, Australian cricket 20-odd years ago made some decisions to improve themselves and produce players who could compete at that level. I don't see anyone doing that now.

"Cricket's had crises before and it's survived, and I'm sure it will survive this, but unfortunately, I think . . . the only way we're going to see regular contests is if Australia slips back to the field, and that's rather sad."

The Age

Edited on, December 21, 2004, 2:06 AM GMT, by fab.

[bourny3]

Dont worry Aussies will be crap soon. When Border was playing in the late 80s the aussies struggled to win a game. Now they are up again at the top but they will soon tumble down again. Most of the players will retire in 2-3 years time. Some maybe in 5 years but very soon. check out the ages
Hayden 33
Langer 34
Ponting 30
Martyn 33
Lehmann 35
Clarke 23
Gilchrist 33
Warne 34
Gillespie 28 or 29 i think
Kasprowicz 30
Mcgrath 34

[fab]

Well, I don't think Australia will be crap again because as Chappell mentioned, they are constantly trying to improve themselves and always try new things. That can't be said of other countries.

Edited on, December 21, 2004, 4:37 AM GMT, by fab.

[chyicarus]

I think because of Australia's extraordinary performance, we need to have some kind of a tier system and have more countries playing the longer version of the game.

[cricketfan]

India have shown the ability to compete with them. England is looking very good and may be able to compete well against Australia next year in Ashes. Moreover, Australia will lose McGrath and Shane Warne soon. Such players cannot be replaced that easily. Pakistan's poor performance against Australia is more a reflection on Pakistani inability to perform than Australian supremacy. Pakistan made Australia look better than they are.

[Ameer]

They are good but not unbeatable... Pakistan had them reeling on 70 odd for 5... and Pakistan is a mediocre team. India performed pretty well against them.
Don't expect their supremacy to keep going on forever... I say, it has 5 years more, maximum. Might even be much less then that. England seems to be the next team in it's place.

Edited on, December 21, 2004, 6:01 AM GMT, by Ameer.

[James90]

Gilchrist's only 30

[bourny3]

oh sorry they were only guesses im sure some of them are wrong.

[Beetle]

I think the difference between aus and other teams is decreasing ....slowly but surely....

[billah]

More & more, this novel suggestion by fab seems plausible, specially after Buchanan's recent comments about Australia's continuous progress. The Aussies are having no fun at this anymore, no fight.

[battye]

Originally posted by Habibul_fan
Gilchrist's only 30

Are you sure, I think he's 32 or 33?
Australia have excellent talent coming up, look at Micheal Clarke, Shane Watson, Brett Lee.. and Warne has said he wants to play at least 3 more years..

[Maruf]

Australia has the best quality domestic cricket in the world. And that helps them retaining the top position.

[cricketfan]

Australia were as average a team in mid 1980s as present days west Indies. The same first class setup was in existence even then. So it is incorrect to attribute their success to their domestic setup. In 1985, when Australia lost all the test and ODI series that they played, the excuse given by their captain was " Australia lose more matches because they play more matches"

[IanW]

Cricketfan,

Even in the early 1980s, Australia wasnt as bad as the West Indies is now.

Here's the team from the 1st test of the 1983-4 tour of the West Indies.

They would annilhate the modern West Indies side. OK, so the only batsman who might get a run today is AB, but the bowling isnt bad. Toss MacGill into it, and you might even call it a good attack.


SB Smith
KC Wessels
GM Ritchie
*KJ Hughes
AR Border
DW Hookes
+WB Phillips
GF Lawson
TG Hogan
TM Alderman
RM Hogg

[James90]

Geoff Dymock?

[Maruf]

Originally posted by cricketfan
Australia were as average a team in mid 1980s as present days west Indies. The same first class setup was in existence even then. So it is incorrect to attribute their success to their domestic setup.

Quality domestic cricket produces quality cricketers. And there should not be any argument about this. Good domestic cricket set up helps in the long run for sure.

[rafiq]

are they doing steroids like the East Germans did?

[Maximillian]

I recall getting up at 5AM every morning to hear the game...and Kin Huges in tears after the 3rd test..and Aus. winning the 5th test in Sydney.

Lawson was really a hard working horse. Lillie I believe had retired in the series just before, against Pakistan. He bowled 55 overs in his last innings, taking 6 wicks.

And of course there was "Border" in the making. Scoring a century even when no one else could.

I think I remember the commentator as well - Dennis Commety (sp ?).

A good team on paper, but they got badly beaten by WI - but then again, who didn't. They beat Pakistan, but hey, Pakistan never won in Down-Under. Perhaps had Imran bowled back then. He came to bat I believe during the 4rth test of the 83-84 series, and ofcourse he could not ball, but scored 71 and 81 or something like that.

[tiger_man]

Originally posted by fab
For being too good! What other option is there, since it doesn't look as though anyone can beat them in Tests anymore (and aren't likely to in the near future either).. "play badly or get kicked out!" exact opposite of BD. Heh.

But seriously, games with Australia have become boring coz you know who will win.

Chappell fears for the game

"No game can survive when you haven't got a contest, and it's no good getting the contest by bringing a good team back to the field. The one thing the West Indians did (in the '80s) was create an environment where we all knew if we were going to compete, we had to get better," Chappell said.

"Thankfully, Australian cricket 20-odd years ago made some decisions to improve themselves and produce players who could compete at that level. I don't see anyone doing that now.

"Cricket's had crises before and it's survived, and I'm sure it will survive this, but unfortunately, I think . . . the only way we're going to see regular contests is if Australia slips back to the field, and that's rather sad."

The Age

Edited on, December 21, 2004, 2:06 AM GMT, by fab.

dude...dont mind me saying this but you really got some weird thoughts.....if you dump a team for being too good, first they are gonna sue icc and definitely win, and second, you are simply promoting crappy teams to play cricket, and thus degrading the sports as whole

[tiger_man]

Originally posted by bourny3
Dont worry Aussies will be crap soon. When Border was playing in the late 80s the aussies struggled to win a game. Now they are up again at the top but they will soon tumble down again. Most of the players will retire in 2-3 years time. Some maybe in 5 years but very soon. check out the ages
Hayden 33
Langer 34
Ponting 30
Martyn 33
Lehmann 35
Clarke 23
Gilchrist 33
Warne 34
Gillespie 28 or 29 i think
Kasprowicz 30
Mcgrath 34

your statement will come true after probably 10 or 20 years later.....first of all they got some grade A players who are one of the best batsmen, spinners, fastest bowler, and fielders, and wicket keepers in the whole world, if not the whole universe(if aliens in other planets happen to play cricket)

but think about it.....if you make a team out of all the players that has been dropped out of their national team....i reckon no one can beat them too.....they got the biggest reserve of top class players....

[James90]

Elliott
Slater
Blewett
Katich
+Maher
Bevan
Harvey
Bichel
Lee
Bracken
MacGill

Not a bad one-day team

[AsifEminem]

Originally posted by tiger_man

your statement will come true after probably 10 or 20 years later.....first of all they got some grade A players who are one of the best batsmen, spinners, fastest bowler, and fielders, and wicket keepers in the whole world, if not the whole universe(if aliens in other planets happen to play cricket)

but think about it.....if you make a team out of all the players that has been dropped out of their national team....i reckon no one can beat them too.....they got the biggest reserve of top class players....

very true. also think abt this when Hayden started playing. pretty late. a player like him had to wait for a chance in the national team for a long time. u can feel the depth. cant u?


SHABBA!!

Edited on, January 13, 2005, 12:02 PM GMT, by AsifEminem.

[Samin]

Originally posted by bourny3
Dont worry Aussies will be crap soon. When Border was playing in the late 80s the aussies struggled to win a game. Now they are up again at the top but they will soon tumble down again. Most of the players will retire in 2-3 years time. Some maybe in 5 years but very soon. check out the ages
Hayden 33
Langer 34
Ponting 30
Martyn 33
Lehmann 35
Clarke 23
Gilchrist 33
Warne 34
Gillespie 28 or 29 i think
Kasprowicz 30
Mcgrath 34

In response to some who have suggested that Australia will decline in 5 or so years, let me say that this is a highly unlikely possibility. As I live in Australia (I was born here), I get to see the next generation of talent in the domestic competition, and let me say that Australia could field another side that could beat every other international team.

Just a few names to look out for:

* Shaun Tait (v. v. quick right armer from Sth Aust.)
* Cameron White (only 21 and captain of Victoria. Awesome batting allrounder who bowls quickish leggies)
* David Hussey (1st class batsman from Victoria)
* Shane Watson (fast bowling allrounder from Tasmania. Made debut against Pakistan in 3rd Test).

Despite the prospect that Australia will not decline, I for one believe that other countries will slowly but surely make ground. I suppose we can take heart from men's golf, where many players have now caught up to Tiger Woods...

[fab]

I think the main point was that the current Australian team are all roughly the same age. If they all retire at the same time they'll end up having a team full of 'international newbies'. They need to start brining in new players now (which they are doing) so by the time the current players retire there will be players in the squad with international experience.

But indeed if the current Australia A team is anything to go by, the future looks anything but dim for Australia.