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Buchanan saves the kookiest ideas till last
By Scott 2 years ago, at the end of December Leave a comment on this post
Sydney is not only the swansong for Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath; it is also the last Test for John Buchanan as Australian coach. And not a moment too soon, if his latest media intervention is anything to go by.
Speaking to reporters at the MCG this morning, Buchanan said Australia was hoping for more of a challenge from England, which he thought had played without aggression, self-belief or thought of challenging the opposition for large parts of the Ashes series.
“I’m hoping that they really enjoy the New Year, come back with a new resolve and are really ready to take us on head-on in Sydney,” Buchanan said.
“I think we’ve been tested at certain periods of time but England haven’t been able to sustain their skills through the course of a five-day Test match. We’re quite looking forward to that in Sydney.
Short of baring his arse at the England team bus, I can’t think of a more insulting thing that Buchanan could have done. As an Australian, I can tell you that I wouldn’t have been too impressed if Duncan Fletcher had come out before the Oval Test in 2005 daring Australia to fire up.
It is a well established rule in all sports, not just cricket, that when speaking to the media of your opposition, you speak of them respectfully, and give them their due as worthy opponents. It does not matter if Australia are playing England, Zimbabwe, or Andorra at Test cricket.
When it comes to religion, I am an atheist. However, I am a devout believer in the cricketing Gods, and I fear their wrath. Buchanan’s actions could provoke a powerful response.
And I give thanks to all the Great Cricketing Gods that this is Buchanan’s last Test in charge. I’ll miss Warnie and Pigeon. Not sure I’ll miss Ned Flanders though.
Tags: ashes, australia, england, glenn-mcgrath, idiocy, insult, john-buchanan, ned-flanders, shane-warne, swansong |
18 Responses to “Buchanan saves the kookiest ideas till last”
December 29th, 2006 at 4.31 pm
December 29th, 2006 at 4.38 pm
Course Buchanan will be missed. Behind every great team is a great leader.
I’m willing to bet that this quote was taken out of context as well. Reporters and the press have a cunning ability to strip what they want everyone to hear.
It is also not very harsh, so I am not sure what all the fuss is about. England deserve a lot more. Tell it how it is. England have played awful cricket. No two players play for the same county. There’s no togetherness. Band of brotherhood. It’s been meek surrender and clinical execution, right from the moment Ponting didn’t enforce the follow on to the loss within 3 days in Melbourne.
December 29th, 2006 at 6.38 pm
Agree with you Scott, you can win with grace. I was impressed with the aussies last year, they bit the bullet, and accepted they needed to play better. This wasn’t needed.
I also find McGrath’s constant 5-0 predictions a little offensive, (although they may be true.) He insists it’s a little joke, but he’s the only test player who says them. I don’t think they’re the “done thing” in proper test cricket.
December 30th, 2006 at 3.37 am
If you can meet with triumph and disaster. And treat those two imposters just the same - Kipling
December 30th, 2006 at 9.47 am
Don’t know what Buchanan’s record is as coach - but I’ll bet it’s pretty good. Whether his results have been due to his skills or a general lack of opposition is debatable.
Whoever is coaching next will have their work cut out for them as they attempt to guide some new faces into the big league.
December 30th, 2006 at 10.31 am
I never thought that I would live to see the day when you boys down under started sounding like Public School Pommies…….unwritten rules of conduct indeed !
I thought we had lost all that rubbish when we sent Larwoood and later Botham out to sort you out.
Your coach has only put into words what the majority of us English supporters are saying…..while weeping into their Lager(Damned Fosters!)or in my case real Local brewed Bitter Beer.
Yeah; you might have guessed ,I am another Godless scribe….AGNOSTIC…..not Atheist.
December 30th, 2006 at 11.50 am
Well Graham, some Australians admire and respect English values about rules of conduct, spirit of the game etc. That’s why we follow cricket. Australia is still a young country, in many respects it is still an angry adolescent male. As our outlook matures I hope that we will more openly acknowledge the English values that we are happy to accept as our own.
It is hard to lose and still enjoy a game. But that is the brief. It’s not that the English team did not try their hearts out. It’s not that they are less talented and it’s not that the selectors are idiots. England are playing a good team in foreign conditions and they are trailing.
Show us an example. Honor their efforts and don’t diminish them. They are Englands finest and they deserve your support.
December 30th, 2006 at 1.54 pm
Bugger that. The truth does indeed hurts.
The “Cricket Gods” may decide to kick the Aussie coach up the arse for saying such a thing, but to hell with this so-called “established rule in all sports” that you are supposed to be gracious to your opponent. If there is such a rule, I sure haven’t heard of it.
Plus its not like he went over the line with that statement; he could have said something in the order of saying that Duncan Fletcher, in this series, has been nothing short of an incompetent, pig-headed, stubborn old fool.
No. Instead he merely asked England to play like they did last series.
December 30th, 2006 at 2.04 pm
I read this for cricket, not for religion. Keep the latter to yourself, please.
December 30th, 2006 at 2.10 pm
Apparently David was elected captain; I must have missed that.
December 30th, 2006 at 2.18 pm
According to many of my chums Cricket is their religion.
Roll on Sidney and let’s hope that we Brits’ improve enough to give you a decent game.
January 2nd, 2007 at 11.02 am
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with what Buchanan said: he simply stated the truth clearly and without rancour - it’s a fair, and actually quite *gentle* analysis of England’s performance.
He’s essentially saying that he knows England is capable of better cricket and that he knows that England lost the Ashes as much as Australia won them. That’s pretty gracious.
Frankly, it would have been far more insulting to say that England had played as well as they can.
January 2nd, 2007 at 4.28 pm
I completely agree Irim. And Graham, you still living in the 80’s mate?
January 2nd, 2007 at 5.00 pm
Irim.
I’ve been following various sports for 70 years now and
I only wish that I the faith that England could play better ……but I don’t.O.K……Our man Flint’ was having a good knock when the clouds came over….with a less adventurous partner poking about at the other end of the pitch…….I truly hope they will go on to score a couple of centuries between them…..to give us long suffering fans a little relief!
As for living in the eighties….why not….?…no definitely not!…..I like this hi-tech world …I just have a few good memories amogst the dross.
Oh! Yes and I DO think that England are laying as well as they can.
January 2nd, 2007 at 5.04 pm
Excuse the odd letter missing….I forgot to use the spelling checker.You get like that when you reach your later years.
Graham.
January 2nd, 2007 at 5.10 pm
You are forgiven mate… listen, one bad series shouldn’t cause you to lose your faith. Surely you were singing a different tune 16 months ago. Then after the amazing test against India. The series victory over Pakistan.
This series should damper your spirits for a time, but not cause you to lose faith. You’ve hit a stone wall in the form of the most Professional Australian outfit I have probably ever seen.
That’s a bold statement on my part. However, I’ve witnessed Australia go to sleep in the dead rubber matches for years now. This Australian side is different, they will smash England all the way through the summer. We’re not letting up. We are more determined this time around. We are “more” Professional this time around.
You’ll find your voice again.
January 2nd, 2007 at 5.11 pm
Michael, thanks for your support! I see you live Stateside - hope my home country is treating you well, mate!
No worries, Graham - we’ll just agree to disagree, though I’d love to see Flintoff and Colly get a century each as well.
And as for the 80s comment - I’m going to have to shop Michael (sorry) - and say that he was the one that said it. Personally, my heart is still with Viv Richards, Imran Khan, Ian Botham… *sigh*
And no worries about the missing letters - I do them too!
Take care,
Ixx
January 2nd, 2007 at 10.17 pm
You are a couple of softies really…..but I like you!
Waiting patiently for tonights’ episode….talk to you later.
CU..Graham.
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