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Loading ...If I were Fleming, I would introduce the Haka into cricket too. Mind you, the Aussies might take a tip from the Scots …
More injury woes for the Australians
By Scott 3 years ago, mid-February Add your comment below
Ye gods, the news keeps getting worse.
While New Zealand will field their first choices during the three games, Australia have left their captain and vice-captain at home and Andrew Symonds is recovering from a serious arm injury.
Adding to the visitors’ lack of power is a Brett Lee ankle injury and a hip problem to Michael Clarke, who is second-in-charge after Ricky Ponting decided to have treatment on his back and Adam Gilchrist rested. The changes mean Australia have picked a raw squad, including Adam Voges, Cameron White, Brad Haddin and the on-standby Phil Jaques, and the competition that has been wedged into a crammed itinerary has become an inconvenience, even though they were upended in the CB Series finals.
If Clarke is ruled out, Matthew Hayden will be the only one of Australia’s top four who is batting in his usual position while Brad Hodge, the No. 5, is keeping Symonds’ spot warm. The third-year series that the organisers pipe-dreamed would develop into an All Blacks-Wallabies rivalry is achieving the credibility of a pre-season warm-up.
Well, rivalries take some time to develop. And this particular chapter of the Chappell-Hadlee trophy is suffering because it is caught in a wedge right before the World Cup. There wasn’t time to hold it earlier in the summer though. I like the concept of the annual series though, and given ten years it will be a highlight of the summer.
The injury to Lee gives Mitchell Johnson a chance to strut his stuff as a key strike bowler. When fit, Lee, Bracken and McGrath are just about certain starters, and there is a lot of competition for the fourth bowling slot. Johnson has a chance to take it.
Meanwhile New Zealand have the chance to win back the trophy against an unbalanced Australia which is collectively as out of form and low on confidence as any Australian side has been in limited overs cricket, at least in the last decade or so. I’m looking forward to watching three very keenly contested matches.
Tags: australia, brett-lee, chappell-hadlee-trophy, glenn-mcgrath, Michael-Clarke, mitchell-johnson, nathan-bracken, new-zealand |
9 Responses to “More injury woes for the Australians”
February 15th, 2007 at 5.38 pm
February 15th, 2007 at 9.18 pm
What is it with Shane Warne? He’s mouthing off at Buchanan again for overpreparing for the World Cup and getting players tired and injured. But I thought the Australians’ meticulous preparation was supposed to be an example to one and all, particularly England, in how you were supposed to prepare for a big series. (England underprepared for Ashes, blah blah.) I know last year, when England were suffering a horrendous number of injuries, someone in the England press speculated that it was because they were training too much. So, are teams preparing too much, or too little? It beats me.
February 16th, 2007 at 5.09 am
Kathy, there’s training too much & training too little. But there’s also training well and training badly.
February 16th, 2007 at 5.33 am
Oooh dear, and the Kiwis are chasing 148 in the first C-H game. Ooooh!
February 16th, 2007 at 6.59 am
New Zealand are walking all over us. This has been a horribly inept performance by Australia.
February 16th, 2007 at 8.05 am
Ten wicket win, boys and girls, a ten wicket win. Yahoo! Go, Kiwis! Thought my suggestion of bringing the Haka into cricket might do some good … er? ..
February 16th, 2007 at 8.57 am
I can’t believe it, Wraye. I was just driving past the stadium on the way to the airport here in Wellington tonight, and by the time I reached the airport and saw the TV there, Fleming and Vincent were 100-0 and it was nearly all over. I think it’s the new yellow jammies. Enough to put anyone off their game. God, I actually felt sorry for Hussey. I don’t enjoy walkovers.
February 16th, 2007 at 9.41 am
Quite amazing. I’ve been having a look at the Betfair world cup markets and recent results have had quite an effect on Australia’s prices. They have now drifted to 3.1 (2.1/1) having been 2.5 (6/4) just a few days ago.
If it gets to 3.5 (5/2) I might have to get the wallet out.
Actually I’ve had a look at the top wicket taker markets and there are some big holes IMO. With the exception of Murali, Vettori and Kumble all the spinners are overpriced. I’m looking at spinners because there is no night cricket and a lot of the pitches are new, both factors that tend to favour the slower bowler.
There are three that really stand out to me as overpriced. Panesar at 23/1, Brad Hogg at 35/1 and Jeetan Patel at 43/1. They may all be worth a small investment.
Who/what is anyone else betting on?
March 24th, 2007 at 9.44 pm
The 35/1 on Brad Hogg looks pretty good now. 6/1 as I type.
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