Homeworkgate: Watson, Pattinson among four axed for third Test

[Sidhoni]

You cant keep carrying on playing IPL many years after you've retired. Players lose touch within 2-3 years max because they don't play cricket round the year and their reflexes deteriorate with age.

But he'll keep on playing in all T20 leagues around the world. Not just the IPL.

[Sooda]

In an Aussie ODI dream team, Gilchrist/Watson would be one hell of an opening duo

[PBN]

So now i know why Harbhajan Singh was picked for this series. Well done Sir!

[SLICKR392]

"No doubt it's been a tough day," Clarke said late on Monday. "I want the public and the media to understand, don't get me wrong, it's not just about one incident. Firstly on this tour our performances have been unacceptable and there has been some stuff off the field [that has been unacceptable] for the standards an Australian cricket team needs to present itself to achieve what we are trying to achieve ... I know it is a tough day, a really tough day and it's a tough decision, but at the end of the day if people are not hitting those standards there are going to be consequences. Mickey Arthur on the axing of four players on disciplinary grounds "Our head coach gave us two days off after the second Test, it was about freshening yourself up, get your rehab [done], your recovery, do what you have to do, get everything right for the next two Test matches, because the next two Test matches are as big as you might have in your career and you have an opportunity to turn this series around. "We were asked to do one thing from the head coach. It was giving information back to the head coach about not only improving your game - what you've learnt from the first two Test matches - but also how can you help this team turn things around and have success.

[PBN]

This is total :fail: Suspending players during a test series...and going all public and opening a can of worms. There are no words to describe this. simply epic :fail:

[GoldenSun]

Might as well hand over the 2 Ashes series to England

[Yoda-esque]

If this was India, then Srinath,Dravid,Kumble would have crcked the PPT and UV,Viru,Bhajji and Gambo would have failed.. Clarke is such a boy scout, similar to Dravid

[Needforspeed]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-australia-2013/content/current/story/624584.html A lesson for the Australian cricketer

Put yourself in the position of an Australian cricketer. You have just been part of an embarrassing loss. Humiliating. The tenth-biggest defeat in Australian cricket history. You are gutted, the fans are disgusted. On-field, the judgment shown by players has been poor. Poor shot selection, poor bowling, a poor attitude. The match finishes inside three and a half days. Nobody is happy. Plans have been made and have failed, or have just not been followed. On the night the match ends, the coach tells you and every other player to go away and think about why things have gone wrong. To consider where you and the team have failed on this tour. To use your own brain instead of having someone else think for you. He asks you to come up with three ideas for how you and the squad can improve. It doesn't matter if you played the first two Tests or not. It doesn't matter if you've made a hundred or taken a five-for. This is about more than just you. He gives you four days to come back to him. You don't have to write an essay. Bullet points are fine. Everyone can manage three bullet points. Meanwhile, you train on what should have been day five of the Test and travel the next day. You have hours of downtime in airport lounges and on planes. Maybe you listen to music, maybe you watch some movies. Do you think about that embarrassing loss? Do you think about how to improve? The fans are thinking about it. So are the coaches. Are you? Then you have two days off in Chandigarh. The coach wants you to freshen up. That means no training, it doesn't mean no thinking. That has been made clear to you. Maybe you play golf, maybe you go to the zoo, maybe you take a little trip out of town. Maybe Saturday night comes around and you haven't got back to the coach. But guess what, 12 of your team-mates have. They've been thinking about how the group can improve. Have you? Perhaps you have no ideas. Then why not come to the coach and tell him that? You're back at training on Sunday. If you haven't been thinking about cricket over the past few days, you damn well should be now. Maybe you just forgot. But if you forgot, how switched on are you? This is the only thing you've had to do and you haven't done it. Where is your head at? Not in the space it needs to be to play a Test, clearly. The captain spent his time off making the long trip to the Taj Mahal. You're on good money but he is earning enormous seven-figure amounts. He's also the only batsman who has looked much good on this trip. He's scored a quarter of the team's runs. Like everyone else, he was asked by the coach to complete this one task, even though he has been carrying you. He has done it. Why haven't you? Mark Waugh says this is not schoolboy stuff. It's not Under-6s, he says. That's right, you're a grown man with your own brain and you get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, at least, to play this game. You're a professional. So why haven't you acted like one? Monday morning rolls around. The next Test is now only 72 hours away. You've been given a day's grace but have still not done what was asked. Think you're exempt? Think the coach will let it go? He's always smiling, he must be a pushover. After all, other lapses have been allowed to slide on this trip, hell, even before it. They might have been yours, they might not. But within the team there have been lapses. That's the problem. This is the final straw, and you've dropped it on top of the others. You're out of the team. You won't be considered for the next Test. Nor will three others who failed to complete this one small request. In other weeks, perhaps other players might also have neglected such a task. But this was an embarrassing week for Australian cricket and you couldn't slack off. You've let your team-mates down. Is it a harsh punishment? Definitely. But will you learn from this mistake? You'd better believe it. If you don't, you never will. And then what good are you to the Australian team? This, the coach said, was the buy-in moment. The time when every player had to commit to the team's methodical philosophy. To the aim of regaining the No.1 Test ranking. Most of the players have bought in but you haven't. Oh, you still can. But the price has risen since Saturday. If you want to buy in now it's going to cost you a Test match on the sidelines. You see messages of support from back home. On Twitter, past players are angry. Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Tom Moody. This is not how things were done in the old days. Filling in forms? Writing notes? What's wrong with sorting it all out over a drink in the bar or a feisty team meeting? Mark Waugh says this is not schoolboy stuff. It's not Under-6s, he says. That's right, you're a grown man with your own brain and you get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, at least, to play this game. You're a professional. So why haven't you acted like one? This is not 1993, it's 2013. This is the modern, ultra-professional era. With big salaries and contracts come responsibilities. Perhaps you're already learning. Every day you're supposed to fill in wellness reports to allow the fitness and medical staff to assess your health and help work out your training regime. Every day, a few players forget, or just can't be bothered. After the events of this morning, after you let the team down, everyone is on notice. For the first time, every single player submits their report. Yes, for now it feels like a crisis point for Australian cricket. But a synonym for "crisis point" is "turning point". And if you all buy in to the wider team ethos, there is no reason this should not be a significant turning point for the team under this coach and captain.

[Crookbond]

I think this paragraph in particular is most revealing.

Perhaps you're already learning. Every day you're supposed to fill in wellness reports to allow the fitness and medical staff to assess your health and help work out your training regime. Every day, a few players forget, or just can't be bothered. After the events of this morning, after you let the team down, everyone is on notice. For the first time, every single player submits their report.

I don't think there's any other issue apart from these wellness reports and 3-point notes.

[saneindian]

In related news, the 4 axed players have decied to support Mohinder "no laptop shaptop" Amarnath as the new Aussie coach. Na rahega baans, na bajegi baansuri

[GoldenSun]

I simply want the 3rd test to start because this drama is tiring me out.

[veer]

^^ huu?? you been jogging while reading it?

[vamos_rafa]

i normally try to think from both sides but u cannot justify it in any way they are sportsperson had they miss practice ,did not worked hard i can understand them getting banned but presentation? u can just easily tell they just did not take it seriously..can u blame them ? some people just dont believe in this kind of stuff specially in sports.. some guys keep it simple just go out and perform ..

I understand where you coming from. A player who is playing well may skip practice. Some players like to go by the feel etc. etc. But this issue, or as I have been saying, the reasoning is farcical. The test match is still what 2 days away, so what is the urgency to ban 4 players, out of which 1 has been your best bowler on the tour and the other one your VC, whom you have been saying is one of your best batters. Do you handle your players like this? Surely, if there are other reasons, then either open up or simply don't play. But, don't get them insulted in the eyes of the public for stupid reasons.

[vamos_rafa]

I get a feeling that BCCI, knowingly or unknowingly have done the right thing by not allowing the players to give interviews. You see the kind of comments given by Oz players it's like they are playing to the gallery a bit. It adds extra pressure does not it?

[Crookbond]

For everyone who have been saying Arthur is known for his disciplinary nature http://www.espncricinfo.com/india-v-australia-2013/content/current/story/624589.html

In his five years as South Africa coach, Mickey Arthur kept confrontation at bay and was known for his relaxed and sometimes removed demeanour. Arthur is not known to have disciplined players personally, which makes his axing of four Australia players uncharacteristically strong-handed - even out of character. Arthur had opportunities to wield the whip with South Africa but not many. His tenure was defined by the start of the Test team's unbeaten run away from home in 2006 and reached its highest point when they won series in England and Australia between 2008 and 2009. It took a dip when they drew against England at home in 2009-10; shortly afterwards, Arthur resigned.

[Old guy]

I get a feeling that BCCI' date=' knowingly or unknowingly have done the right thing by not allowing the players to give interviews. You see the kind of comments given by Oz players it's like they are playing to the gallery a bit. It adds extra pressure does not it?[/quote'] i actually love how dhoni handled the team while getting hammered.. and dealt with seniors:cantstop: and about dropping pattinson i just cannot believe it.. this guy gave it all on dead tracks hit 150k..on tracks where bowlers turn tundlers what more do you want? there is def something deeper here.. maybe it was rotation policy again...who knows they took big blunder vs south africa.. i was baffeled why would u rest ur best bowlers againstn umber 1 team in decider match just to keep them fit ?:hysterical: heck ask them to give all and take good rest after that.. did ya see steyn in last test match .. that guy would have bowled 20 overs if he needed to get last wicket:cantstop: its total bs to me to rest bowler in such a important match..i dont get then even care abt fitness if ur not gonna play ur best team..

[vamos_rafa]

i actually love how dhoni handled the team while getting hammered.. and dealt with seniors:cantstop: and about dropping pattinson i just cannot believe it.. this guy gave it all on dead tracks hit 150k..on tracks where bowlers turn tundlers what more do you want? there is def something deeper here.. maybe it was rotation policy again...who knows they took big blunder vs south africa.. i was baffeled why would u rest ur best bowlers againstn umber 1 team in decider match just to keep them fit ?:hysterical: heck ask them to give all and take good rest after that.. did ya see steyn in last test match .. that guy would have bowled 20 overs if he needed to get last wicket:cantstop: its total bs to me to rest bowler in such a important match..i dont get then even care abt fitness if ur not gonna play ur best team..

Well would not comment upon the Dhoni handling, as I don't want to divert the thread :winky: But, you are right. Some of the tactics by Oz think tank have been laughable. They might do well eventually, which would make our points laughable but as things stand now, they definitely look rattled.

[Crookbond]

Well would not comment upon the Dhoni handling, as I don't want to divert the thread :winky: But, you are right. Some of the tactics by Oz think tank have been laughable. They might do well eventually, which would make our points laughable but as things stand now, they definitely look rattled.

I don't think you can judge the merits of the actions purely from results. Do well or not; these actions are quite OTT. Bob Simpson & Allan Border made even difficult stands like ending people's careers who didn't toe the line. But, their justifications were cricket related which hardly seems like in this case.

[rkt.india]

Expulsion not possible without Cricket Australia's blessings: Chappell

Former skipper Ian Chappell on Monday indicated that the expulsion of the four players, including vice-captain Shane Watson, ahead of the third Test against Indian wouldn't have been possible without the "assistance and blessings" of Cricket Australia. Australia axed Watson and three other key players pacers James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and batsman Usman Khawathe for failing to obey team management orders, giving a shocking twist to their already disastrous tour. "It is surprising, you expect a bit more is going to come out of it. A move like this it's a huge thing... I don't remember anything of this sort in Australian cricket in the past... You go back to 1911 when the big six pulled out of the tour of England." "That makes you assume that it has been done with the assistance and blessings of the board back home in Australia," Chappell said. Chappell said this is not the way to build "good" team spirit. "I must say I am surprised, I can't believe the reasons... There must be more to it than this. I don't think this is the right way to go about it." "The morale of the team, particularly the loss of Watson and Pattinson... I thing from what I have seen of the Mohali pitch in the past it would have suited Pattinson," Chappell stated. "I am not sure that sort of thing will build team spirit... There are better ways of building a good team spirit. It's going to be interesting to see what the background is," Chappell told 'ESPNcricinfo'. The former captain said "too many people" are trying to get involved in running of the Australian cricket team. "One problem with Australian cricket, as with a lot of other cricket teams, is that there is a hell lot of people giving inputs ..." "That old saying that too many cooks spoil the broth.. it applies here. You don't need too many people running a cricket team. It should always be run by the captain in conjunction with the management." The players were dropped for failing to make a presentation on how to improve their personal as well as the team's performance after the innings and 135 runs defeat in the second Test in Hyderabad. Asked if he would ask his players to do something similar, Chappell replied in negative. "I was more interested in what they did on the field rather than what they wrote on a piece of paper to their wives, girlfriends back home, I was not interested in that," he concluded.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Specials/Cricket/India-VS-Australia-2013/Chunk-HT-UI-IndiaVSAustralia2013-OtherStories/Expulsion-not-possible-without-Cricket-Australia-s-blessings-Chappell/SP-Article10-1024694.aspx

[vamos_rafa]

I don't think you can judge the merits of the actions purely from results. Do well or not; these actions are quite OTT. Bob Simpson & Allan Border made even difficult stands like ending people's careers who didn't toe the line. But' date=' their justifications were cricket related which hardly seems like in this case.[/quote'] I agree. I say that, coz that's how eventually the actions are measured. These reasonings and functionings are way OTT. Infact as I wrote in other thread, they seem to be playing to the gallery a lot, which is so unlike Oz cricket isn't it?