Homeworkgate: Watson, Pattinson among four axed for third Test

[GoldenSun]

Well - not really. Clarke has had such problems way before Arthur - Katich' date=' Symonds etc. will tell you more.[/quote'] I know what you are talking about. This I can agree with. The Katich axe should not have happened. There is also the Clarke-Symonds fight that lead to their friendship ending. My problem is that he was praised as a mature captain. He threw his team mates under the bus. How will he be able to win the trust of his team mates this way again? The team's state of mind has ben affected severely.

[Needforspeed]

imagine if clarke had to face morons like sehwag and gambhir :hysterical:

If Sehwag is asked for 3 points It will be 1. Take Stance 2. Swing bat 3. Get out or get 4.

[Zap_Brannigan]

So, it once again looks like a south african is going to help the English win the ashes

[Ultimate_Game]

Have to say this is BS. This is not a school where you ground folks for not doing their "home work". I am beginning to think Clarke's captaincy may not be that good for Aussies if he's gonna focus on such little things. Clarke was the man behind Symonds' retirement from intl cricket. Remember Clarke was the captain and he didn't like it Symonds had gone fishing instead of attending some random team meeting and axed him from the series. Even Hussey's pre-mature retirement has been linked to Clarke's captaincy and the way he bosses the team like a school teacher. If he's not reined in pretty soon Aussies would be a walk-over in intl cricket.

[Yoda-esque]

What I bring to the team: Akhtar: Warts,Genital that is.. Butt:Money and lots of it...! Inzi: First of all, thanks to..(incoherent rambling)....(SMS limit reached) Mohd.Asif: Veena and afeem Aamer: My big foot and haseen zulfein Tanveer: :blink: Afridi: Ballet Dancing

[NareshK]

Pattinson must be banging his head against well. After such a lion hearted effort this is what he gets. How can he write "Top order sucks" etc. Isn't it something you could even find in forums.

Pattinson certainly didnt deserve this. He bowled his heart out in Chennai on a flat pitch in hot and humid weather and picked 5 wickets. Why would he be required to write an assignment on how to improve the team ? Besides, Khwaja and Johnson didnt play a game. What are they supposed to write if they didnt even play ? In any case, it's the coach's job to plan and analyse how to improve performance. Why is he asking players to do his job ?

[diga]

Is it the Bichel or the Bingle (Lara) angle to the whole episode?

[vvvslaxman]

Micromanagement in sports? Never going to work.

[GoldenSun]

What does Andy Bichel have to do with all of this?

[G_B_]

Australian Test captain Michael Clarke

AS Australian cricketers, we're expected to maintain the highest of standards. And in the case of the four players stood down from the third Test here in India, those standards have not been met. This was not an isolated incident. As a team over the past couple of months we have not reached the standards expected of us as Australian cricketers. This is the straw that broke the camel's back. Our coach, Mickey Arthur, asked the team to take a few days after our loss in Hyderabad to think about their performances and report back with suggestions as to how they can help the team and turn the series around. It's not good enough for players not to have complied with those wishes and, quite frankly, it's disrespectful toward the coach. We need to uphold the highest of standards in this team and it's unfortunate we have reached this point. A lot of people will ask about Shane Watson and the vice-captaincy. I absolutely believe he can bounce back from this and be the Australian vice-captain again. Watto is one of the best players in the world when he is at the top of his game. "We didn't consider the names of the individuals when arriving at this decision but made a call in the best interests of the team. We have to give ourselves the best chance to win the next two Tests to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. To do that, we need everyone pulling in the same direction. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case after Hyderabad and we've arrived at this situation. It is my sincere hope that we will emerge from this a stronger team and do our millions of fans back home proud.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/cricket/australian-test-captain-michael-clarke/story-e6frey50-1226595136260

[Ultimate_Game]

I wonder what the Aussie fans think of Clarke now :hmmm:

[IKnowU]

"There have been a number of issues on this tour where I don't think we have been hitting our standards," Clarke said. "We have not done what is required for this Australian cricket team to have the success we want it to have. It's no coincidence we have lost the first two Test matches quite convincingly so we have to turn that around, we have to lift our standards. "We can't accept mediocrity here. This is the Australian cricket team. Maybe I am biased [but] there is a big difference between this team and other cricket teams. If you play for Australia there is a lot that comes with that and standards, discipline, culture that is all a big part of what we are talking about here."

:isalute: Fully support his decision now, they got chances, it was only for the better of the team.

[GautiMaan]

Does this mean they will fight like cornered tigers in Mohali?

[IKnowU]

"We can't accept mediocrity here. This is the Australian cricket team. Maybe I am biased [but] there is a big difference between this team and other cricket teams. If you play for Australia there is a lot that comes with that and standards, discipline, culture that is all a big part of what we are talking about here."

India :hehe:

[NareshK]

Does this mean they will fight like cornered tigers in Mohali?

Expect the green(and gold) storm.

[Crookbond]

Shane Watson announces retirement in three slides of PowerPoint presentation

New Delhi. Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has become the first international cricketer to announce retirement by making a PowerPoint presentation. Usually cricketers address a press conference or issue a press release when they hang their boots, but Watson uploaded a three-slide PPT on SlideShare, where he announced that he had retired from all forms of cricket under coach Mickey Arthur. His first slide read “Click to add title”, which suggested that Watson didn’t make a good presentation even while announcing retirement. “He must have been pretty upset and in a hurry, so forgot to add title,” a member of the Australian cricket team tried to explain the rebel cricketer’s actions. The second slide had the only bullet point saying “I have retired”, which made it clear that it was his retirement presentation. However, the background of the second slide was a wallpaper of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, which briefly confused people if it hinted at retirement of Shilpa Shetty from acting. “No no, Shilpa is not retiring, assuming she’s active in Bollywood. I used a slide from the IPL presentations, and I’d like to use this opportunity to clarify that I’d continue to play in the IPL, unless of course Mickey is given a contract by any IPL team,” Watson explained his second slide. The third slide had the usual “Thanks. Any questions?” and a smiley of Mickey Mouse, the meaning and symbolism of which was not explained by the 31-year-old cricketer. Cricket Australia didn’t comment on the development, though sources claim that Watson could be given a show-cause notice for adopting double standards while making presentations. “He could have given a similar presentation to the coach too, and I’m sure the coach would have appreciated a presentation that is in line with on-field performance,” a Cricket Australia official told Faking News. Meanwhile MBA students from round the world have welcomed the format of a PowerPoint presentation containing just three slides, including the introduction and thank-you slides. “This is Twenty-20 format of a PowerPoint presentation; this must be encouraged!” said a student from one of the leading b-schools of India.

http://www.fakingnews.com/2013/03/shane-watson-announces-retirement-in-three-slides-of-powerpoint-presentation/ :hysterical: :hysterical:

[Ultimate_Game]

I think Watson will turn his back on Australia and become a full time IPL player just like what Symonds did. He will ply his trade in T20 leagues the world over from now on.

[SLICKR392]

Shane Watson announces retirement in three slides of PowerPoint presentation http://www.fakingnews.com/2013/03/shane-watson-announces-retirement-in-three-slides-of-powerpoint-presentation/ :hysterical: :hysterical:

:rofl: I thought CI would make a cartoon out this.

[indiefan]

I am sure guys who would have placed bets on the Australian Team composition would be hating Bill Gates, Microsoft and PPTs :cantstop:

[I6MTW]

Watson will become what gayle was when he was on hold by the WICB. He will sign a contract with every t20 league in the world and play only domestic cricket and intl twenty 20. He will retire from tests and he wont play odi's when it is captained by michael clarke.