Australia tour of South Africa, 2011-12

[vamos_rafa]

Though it's a good thinking by Kirsten to have specific solution for this ' date=' but I think there is no strategy to counter chocking problem.[/quote'] Yes not panicking in a crisis is a personal attribute IMO. The only thing they can do is to have a dressing room environment which remains calm under pressure. But then it all boils down to the men out there in the center. Whether they would be able to get over that choking thing. I believe that this has become a real albatross around their necks, so whenever they are under pressure, they tend to take it too much upon themselves and hence choke.

[saneindian]

He did help us overcome the problem of losing in the finals, so I won't be surprised if he helps SA overcome the choking problem as well.

[Trundler27]

guru gary has something about him and I feel that in combination with donald, he is going to take south africa to crazy heights. Hopefully India can continue to be a step ahead of them while this happens. Funny thing is that even their provincial sides have the choking specializations lol .... i mean dale steyn bowling 2 awful last overs in back to back t20 matches is just ridiculous. So maybe this problem is more deep rooted than he might think.

[Pagalpanti]

Well India too had this syndrome of reaching finals and then messing it up, when Kirsten was with us he made sure we had belief. He has a good team on his hands, I wont be surprised if SA get to top by next year in all 3 formats. They have got the team and now a very good coach.

[maniac]

This is not a good approach...How can you strategise on something that is more on the mental aspect of the game....I think the SA team take the choking aspect too seriously... Duckworthlewis in 92,2003 is not choking-one sheer bad luck and the other a moronic error 96-Lara's individual brilliance again not a choke 2007-outplayed by aussies 99-choke but by only one individual i.e Donald...infact they got themselves into a winning position thanks to Klusners brilliance against a dominating aussies 2011-Yes,only instance that can be classified as a team choke but looks like they got overwhelmed by their reputation which just stuck with them 99-they got themselves

[Spiderguy252]

They'll need somebody mentally strong like a Steve Waugh to combat this problem, a softie like Kirsten won't do. They should aim for something small to begin with - say a World T20, and after that is won, they can set their sights on the ultimate prize - World Cup 2015/2019.

[Tiger80]

This is not a good approach...How can you strategise on something that is more on the mental aspect of the game....I think the SA team take the choking aspect too seriously... Duckworthlewis in 92,2003 is not choking-one sheer bad luck and the other a moronic error 96-Lara's individual brilliance again not a choke 2007-outplayed by aussies 99-choke but by only one individual i.e Donald...infact they got themselves into a winning position thanks to Klusners brilliance against a dominating aussies 2011-Yes,only instance that can be classified as a team choke but looks like they got overwhelmed by their reputation which just stuck with them 99-they got themselves

Forget to add T-20 world cups 2007 T 20 world cup barely need 128 to qualify against India --- failed 2009 barely need 149 in semi final -- failed 2010 barely need 149 again -- failed , though they reduced Pakistan to 69-4 in 11 overs- And in almost all these tournaments they were always one of the top contenders of Cup

[gakgupta]

Kristen is the dude......i think he will do those little things which will change their fate in all important tournaments...way to go kris...this team always had talent but scummed under pressure

[1983-2011]

Appendicitis rules Lee out of South Africa tour Brett Lee, the Australia fast bowler, has been ruled out of the South Africa tour due to appendicitis. He will undergo surgery in Cape Town on Monday night and is expected to be out of cricket for six to eight weeks. http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-australia-2011/content/current/story/535886.html

[Sachinism]

Wimp I had appendicitis, had the op. and was out playing cricket with in a week, obviously not the same amount of strain, but 6-8 weeks :headshake:

[MCcricket]

Man I enjoyed watching Meaker, it is exciting to watch him bustle in and with his action , he looks an exciting prospect. Australia is finding it's way back , pretty fast , batting needs some more talent, India needs to pull up it's socks or it will be behind , England , SA, aUSTRALIA PRETTY FAST , specially with the selections and decisions which are being taken and injuries.

[rkt.india]

Cummins named in Australia's Test squad to SA http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/45422/cummins-named-in-australias-test-squad-to-sa/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=news&utm_campaign=gadget Australia have named 18-year-old paceman Patrick Cummins in their 15-man test squad for their two-match series in South Africa, while retaining Mitchell Johnson despite the mercurial paceman's struggles in Sri Lanka. Cummins, the youngest player to receive a central contract in Australia, replaces James Pattinson in the only change to the squad that helped Australia to a 1-0 series victory over the Sri Lankans last month. "Patrick is a very exciting prospect and at just 18 years of age is already showing the ability to have a significant impact at international level," outgoing selectors chairman Andrew Hilditch said on Cricket Australia's website (www.cricket.com.au). "Patrick would have most likely been on the tour of Sri Lanka if not for injury at the end of last season. "Now he's back fit and bowling well, we saw this as the right time to bring him into the Test squad for this important series." Cummins has played only three first class matches, taking a total nine wickets. Johnson was dropped from Australia's Twenty20 side for the South Africa tour but took a second-inning, five-wicket haul to help Western Australia win their Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania last week. Johnson notched 16 wickets at an average of 25 in the Australians' 2-1 victory over hosts South Africa in the 2009 test series, and interim coach Troy Cooley has said getting the erratic paceman back to form was a top priority. The two-test series starts in Cape Town on Nov. 9 before moving to Johannesburg on Nov. 17. Squad: Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, Michael Beer, Trent Copeland, Patrick Cummins, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Phil Hughes, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle .

[rkt.india]

Only 3 FC matches and now in test team. This is called fast tracking. This is the way to encourage a genuine fast bowler bowler.

[speed_demon]

Only 3 FC matches and now in test team. This is called fast tracking. This is the way to encourage a genuine fast bowler bowler.

Agreed! Australia is not known to do this, Michael Hussy came into the team after setting Benchmarks all over the world, same goes for many others like ryan harris etc. This is a very good initiative to bring a spark into the Australian Team, i was watching their matches for 2 reasons, see warner bat & see cummins bowl. Such was cummins impact that the other guy pattinson, bowling at over 144 went unnoticed. Anyways coming back to the point of promting quicks, India should learn from it, and not leave talents who have ability to rott in the domestic scene. Fast bowlers will definately be erratic at the start, same goes with cummins, he lost them a match yesterday, but on his day he can win matches single handedly. Moreover indian selection is still not organized, long way to go to be a professional setup. Bowlers from East India like Shami Ahmed, Abu Nechim , Pritam Das are not even considered anywhere, whereas players like mithun,unadkat, aravind, vinay have been hogging lot of oppurtunities.

[msb1991]

I disagree with the fast tracking of Cummins into Test cricket. I don't think it'll work. However, it can not be used to justify fast tracking Indian bowlers. Cummins bowls consistently at 140-150kph. Yadav and Aaron average around 135-143kph. They do not have the pace to justify fast tracking them into the team. I've certainly seen both of them bowl spells in the low 130s kph.

[speed_demon]

I disagree with the fast tracking of Cummins into Test cricket. I don't think it'll work. However' date=' it can not be used to justify fast tracking Indian bowlers. Cummins bowls consistently at 140-150kph. Yadav and Aaron average around 135-143kph. They do not have the pace to justify fast tracking them into the team. I've certainly seen both of them bowl spells in the low 130s kph.[/quote'] Well again, msb i hear that from you always, i've seen varun,umesh both bowl at speeds above 145kmph consistently, so speed is no justification what you are giving.

[Sidhoni]

Cummins into Test squad cricinfo.com/south-africa-v-australia-2011/content/current/story/536766.html Cummins into Test squad Daniel Brettig October 17, 2011

Australia is not gambling with the future of the young New South Wales fast bowler Pat Cummins by rushing him into the Australia Test squad for the tour of South Africa, the outgoing chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch has said. Still only 18, Cummins has enjoyed a meteoric rise, and will now stay on in South Africa for the whole tour after impressing all who have viewed him in the two Twenty20 matches between the visitors and South Africa. He has played only three first-class matches, the last of which was the Sheffield Shield final between NSW and Tasmania. Cummins' 48 overs to return 3 for 118 in the first innings of the final was the probable source of a back complaint that kept him out of two winter tours - Hilditch revealed Cummins would have been a likely visitor to Sri Lanka if he had been fit. But it also demonstrated his ability to sustain his pace and discipline over long periods. There has been something of a debate between NSW Cricket and Cricket Australia over the best way to handle Cummins' development, but Hilditch said there was not a trace of doubt among the selectors about his readiness for Test match duty. "I don't think it's a gamble, we think he is going to be real good and it's definitely in our view the right time to bring him into the squad," Hilditch said in Adelaide. "We have got to be careful, we are building it up in the sense that he's 18 and he's in the Test squad for Australia so it's a massive thing, but we don't want to put too high expectations on him. "He's certainly in our view one of the most exciting prospects that have come along for some time, certainly if we're going to get back to the top of Test cricket I would imagine he's going to play a big role." The two T20 matches in South Africa provided confirmation of what the selectors had felt when they made Cummins the youngest-ever holder of a Cricket Australia contract. In those games, Cummins returned figures of 3 for 25 and 2 for 26, encouraging the call to keep him on tour and put him in line to be Australia's youngest Test debutant since Ian Craig was chosen as a 17-year-old in 1953. "We thought in the Shield final he showed that he can produce in the longer form of the game, so it's a combination of things," Hilditch said. "He has obviously got explosive speed for a young man, I would expect he'd get bigger, stronger and quicker, but also execution under pressure has been exceptional in Twenty20 cricket and hopefully that is going to convert to Test cricket." In South Africa, Cummins has made quite an impression on the Australian squad, earning high praise from Cameron White and Shane Watson after his T20 debut. Watson said Cummins' level head had been noticeable. "There's no way he will let it get to his head," Watson said. "Deep down he knows that it's a really special gift that he's got, to bowl that fast at such a young age." White said Cummins had bowled "like a seasoned pro" and was the difference between victory and defeat in Australia's first match of the tour. There was a strong possibility that Cummins and Pattinson would be considered for the first home Tests of the summer against New Zealand, but Cummins' rapid progress has outstripped that scenario. Cummins' selection in place of the young Victorian quick James Pattinson is the only change to the squad that enjoyed a 1-0 series success in Sri Lanka. "James is very unlucky to miss selection," Hilditch said. "He is a very good young fast bowler who has done well in his limited opportunities at international level to date. "We're sure he'll return to the Sheffield Shield and place plenty of pressure on those in the Test squad ahead of what is a very demanding domestic summer of Test cricket." Squad: Michael Clarke ©, Shane Watson (vc), Michael Beer, Trent Copeland, Patrick Cummins, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Phil Hughes, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting, Peter Siddle.

Will be interesting to see how he performs.

[Dravid_TheWall]

I disagree with the fast tracking of Cummins into Test cricket. I don't think it'll work. However' date=' it can not be used to justify fast tracking Indian bowlers. Cummins bowls consistently at 140-150kph. Yadav and Aaron average around 135-143kph. They do not have the pace to justify fast tracking them into the team. I've certainly seen both of them bowl spells in the low 130s kph.[/quote'] I agree. Also Cummins has shown that at the tender age of 18 he can bowl unplayable bouncers and yorkers and good line outside off, all the while bowling 150kish. That is why I am shocked about Yadav who is 5years older. He has not demonstrated anything other than he can bowl 88mph consistently. I mean is that really worthy of praise? Zak, Nehra and Agarkar were much finer bowlers when they first came on the scene.

[cowboysfan]

why are they playing only 2 tests?.

[Sidhoni]

^Its sad because AUS vs Sa always means that the quality of cricket will be high