What can one say about these mighty Aussies ? Call them the "bad boys" for their effective use of the art of banter, or call them the reformers of modern cricket - the Australians have seen it all and done it all. This very image that the Aussies carry, has in a way contributed to their unparalleled domination of the cricketing scenario in the past decade, but as someone who has been closely monitoring the Australian success over the past few years, its nothing but innovation to the fullest, that has perhaps catapulted their image into one of the best sporting teams in the history of modern sport.
There have been instances in the past few years that have spilled black marks over Australia's cricketing image. Darren Lehmann's "racist" comments over a Sri Lankan player, the infamous spat between Ramnaresh Sarwan and Glenn McGrath and of course the Warnie pill episode had certainly sent a major alarm to Australian cricket, which in the past had its own side of integrity and professionalism. But, not forgetting their past, the cricketers themselves agreed on the Spirit of Cricket, which basically reaffirms the players' commitment to playing the game in the best of competitive spirit. That was it. Since then, the Australians have been in the news for all the right reasons, and kudos to them for ensuring that they ensured and abided by what they set out to do. Images of Adam Gilchrist walking infamously in the semi-finals of the World Cup reiterate the very fact that there is a reason and a realization that the bad-boy tag is momentary, the spirit of the game is permanent. A great degree of stress is being laid on their conduct both within and beyond the boundaries. As far as the cricketing aspect goes, they have set the benchmark for all other teams to follow and added to their outstanding on-the field cricket culture, the Aussies have inculcated and created a standard off the field, that has over the past few months, earned them the respect they deserve.
That was the mental aspect of it.....here's the cricketing one ! So far till date, I had only heard of English Premier League clubs make use of talent scouts and pick the right man for the right duty. But let me assure you one thing, this art of scouting has entered cricket too folks ! Thanks to the Australians. Come June-July 2005, the Ashes beckon, but for the Aussies its been their top agenda since 2003. Their scouts (Aussie players in England) have been on the job all through the English summer for two years and their inputs might as well turn out to be invaluable as they face a recharged English team. What sounds interesting is the fact that for these English counties, performance matters most, and to fulfill this very entity - they hire Aussie first class cricketers, without realizing how disastrous it could be for their national side. Simon Katich has been playing with Hampshire as an overseas pro since last year, and is a confirmed member of the tour party this summer. His skipper at Hants is none other than Shane Warne, and with his eyes firm set on 600 wickets, his bunny could in all probability be Kevin Pietersen, his county team-mate. The role of these players in England doesn't begin and end with helping their counties win titles, but also play a part in the success of the Aussies, whenever they will be around.
The Aussies have also introduced the "Result-Theory" in Test Cricket. Over the past 4 or 5 years, Test cricket has never been as boring as what it is made out to be - yet again thanks to the Aussies. With the Aussies setting the pace in Test matches with a run-rate of 4 to 4.5 runs/over in a day, its not only proved to be an entertainer to the crowds, but in its own way has had a major influence in Australia winning a huge percentage of Test matches by Day 4. The secret behind this quick-scoring is that after the batsmen have put a formidable score on the board (say 500 runs), the bowlers get enough time to pick 20 wickets, which more often than not turns out to be around about 2 days. As experience will also have its say in this, this theory has had its own back-firings (Remember Adelaide 2003 vs India). But with the success ratio higher on the winning side, and teams like India, England and South Africa also making their way into this path, Test cricket might not after all seem boring !
This quite brings an end to Part 1...Part 2 will basically cover topics like Team Management, Administration and Coaching
There have been instances in the past few years that have spilled black marks over Australia's cricketing image. Darren Lehmann's "racist" comments over a Sri Lankan player, the infamous spat between Ramnaresh Sarwan and Glenn McGrath and of course the Warnie pill episode had certainly sent a major alarm to Australian cricket, which in the past had its own side of integrity and professionalism. But, not forgetting their past, the cricketers themselves agreed on the Spirit of Cricket, which basically reaffirms the players' commitment to playing the game in the best of competitive spirit. That was it. Since then, the Australians have been in the news for all the right reasons, and kudos to them for ensuring that they ensured and abided by what they set out to do. Images of Adam Gilchrist walking infamously in the semi-finals of the World Cup reiterate the very fact that there is a reason and a realization that the bad-boy tag is momentary, the spirit of the game is permanent. A great degree of stress is being laid on their conduct both within and beyond the boundaries. As far as the cricketing aspect goes, they have set the benchmark for all other teams to follow and added to their outstanding on-the field cricket culture, the Aussies have inculcated and created a standard off the field, that has over the past few months, earned them the respect they deserve.
That was the mental aspect of it.....here's the cricketing one ! So far till date, I had only heard of English Premier League clubs make use of talent scouts and pick the right man for the right duty. But let me assure you one thing, this art of scouting has entered cricket too folks ! Thanks to the Australians. Come June-July 2005, the Ashes beckon, but for the Aussies its been their top agenda since 2003. Their scouts (Aussie players in England) have been on the job all through the English summer for two years and their inputs might as well turn out to be invaluable as they face a recharged English team. What sounds interesting is the fact that for these English counties, performance matters most, and to fulfill this very entity - they hire Aussie first class cricketers, without realizing how disastrous it could be for their national side. Simon Katich has been playing with Hampshire as an overseas pro since last year, and is a confirmed member of the tour party this summer. His skipper at Hants is none other than Shane Warne, and with his eyes firm set on 600 wickets, his bunny could in all probability be Kevin Pietersen, his county team-mate. The role of these players in England doesn't begin and end with helping their counties win titles, but also play a part in the success of the Aussies, whenever they will be around.
The Aussies have also introduced the "Result-Theory" in Test Cricket. Over the past 4 or 5 years, Test cricket has never been as boring as what it is made out to be - yet again thanks to the Aussies. With the Aussies setting the pace in Test matches with a run-rate of 4 to 4.5 runs/over in a day, its not only proved to be an entertainer to the crowds, but in its own way has had a major influence in Australia winning a huge percentage of Test matches by Day 4. The secret behind this quick-scoring is that after the batsmen have put a formidable score on the board (say 500 runs), the bowlers get enough time to pick 20 wickets, which more often than not turns out to be around about 2 days. As experience will also have its say in this, this theory has had its own back-firings (Remember Adelaide 2003 vs India). But with the success ratio higher on the winning side, and teams like India, England and South Africa also making their way into this path, Test cricket might not after all seem boring !
This quite brings an end to Part 1...Part 2 will basically cover topics like Team Management, Administration and Coaching
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