Monday 1 April 2013

Arthur's iron fist seems

        
    The reality is that Australia have made a right old mess of what was in essence a very controllable internal matter. In fact, if you put Cricket Australia and The New Zealand Cricket body together, you might get a blueprint for the most bumbling alliance in sports administration.The PR machine has not exactly been ahead of the game, although the intelligence on Shane Watson probably came back with a 'no sign of life' result, given he was vice-captain. Watson's bleep test might not be that good either - his body is prone to falling apart. Drunken cricketers are one thing. Ones that have no sartorial elegance is quite another. Sergeant major Mickey needs to smarten the troops up. No backchat. Dismissed!Perhaps that's why he didn't hand in his wellness report. The more likely answer for Watson's irresponsibility is that he was working on one engine during the whole tour. It is very worrying when administrative paperwork is more important than practical ability. It has always been up to the management to deal with different character types and personalities who do not fit into the traditional tool box. Why have the bad boys in the class been allowed to giggle at the back for so long? How much are they affecting team morale or lowering standards?Like Australia's recent performances in India, it lacked substance, sounded pompous and stripped the team of necessary personnel. If this really was part of a strategy - 'a point we'll look back on in a couple of years' time when we're back to number one in the world and say was a defining moment', it certainly did not feel like it. Some might argue a closer look at the skill set of the personnel was required and that this whole exercise distracts from the fact that Australia are just not good enough. If you are going lose 4-0, then just take it on the chin.

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