Monday 29 September 2008

So, about this team....

I feel like I've been a bit out the loop. I leave the country for 18 months, only to return and find out I only know half the Australian cricket team.

We all knew the Aussie team would change with the retirements of McGrath, Warne and co, but I never expected to find a team with the likes of Peter Siddle in it. Apparently, one of the world's best ODI bowlers, Nathan Bracken, is not good enough for the squad to India.

It's nice to see Bollinger get a go after being injured, and I was always going to be surprised by the spin bowling selections, because it was always going to have to be a punt after the retirements of Warne and MacGill, who were so much better then the rest, so good luck to Jason Krejza and Bryce McGain.

If somehow Shane Watson gets in ahead of Simon Katich - and the selectors will be trying to work out a way to make that happen seeing as they seem to love Watson and hate Katich - it will be a travesty. They came up with bad excuses for his dropping last time, and they will do it again. Even though Symonds has been left at home, there may not be space for the best batsman in the country, and this is a crying shame.

It should be a good series with India as they aren't the team they were, and either are we. I just hope they all keep their mouths shut and get on with the cricket.

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Tuesday 2 September 2008

How did they ever invent the game?

With my 18 month sabbatical to the motherland almost over, I will go home to Australia with only one regret - that I never got to play a game of cricket.

However, this is not through lack of trying. I had games booked in for various Cambridge, London and other shire teams. But it was not to be. Six from six games were rained out. That's a 100% strike rate. It got to the stage of knowing that if I had a game of cricket planned, I should take my umbrella.

How did England ever invent this game? No wonder they have to import half their players from countries where there is some actual sun!

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