Australia v India, 1st Test at Adelaide Oval Dec 6-10.

[Santana]

Sledging can work though. People wouldn't do it if it didn't. India was doing it during the match FFS.

No it won't affect their skill set but it can affect their mentality which could help them lose a competitive edge. If the players are overly worried about how their seen and concerned about not upsetting anyone then this is a poor mindset to have in a very competitive arena. The mental aspect is a big part of sport and Paine comes off as soft making those comments about Pant. Most of the best teams I can think of are ruthless and are very competitive. They're not worried about being liked or being nice.

Lots of people love a bit of argy bargy too and this Australian team is going to start building a reputation of being weak losers. People are already starting to not show up. Like I said the wins better start coming soon.

 

[Gough]

Sledging can work though. People wouldn't do it if it didn't. India was doing it during the match FFS.

No it won't affect their skill set but it can affect their mentality which could help them lose a competitive edge. If the players are overly worried about how their seen and concerned about not upsetting anyone then this is a poor mindset to have in a very competitive arena. The mental aspect is a big part of sport and Paine comes off as soft making those comments about Pant. Most of the best teams I can think of are ruthless and are very competitive. They're not worried about being liked or being nice.

Lots of people love a bit of argy bargy too and this Australian team is going to start building a reputation of being weak losers. People are already starting to not show up. Like I said the wins better start coming soon.

Which Test matches have we won by being the best sledgers?

 

[PhatBoy]

Sledging can work though. People wouldn't do it if it didn't. India was doing it during the match FFS.

No it won't affect their skill set but it can affect their mentality which could help them lose a competitive edge. If the players are overly worried about how their seen and concerned about not upsetting anyone then this is a poor mindset to have in a very competitive arena. The mental aspect is a big part of sport and Paine comes off as soft making those comments about Pant. Most of the best teams I can think of are ruthless and are very competitive. They're not worried about being liked or being nice.

Lots of people love a bit of argy bargy too and this Australian team is going to start building a reputation of being weak losers. People are already starting to not show up. Like I said the wins better start coming soon.

F***ing hell.

 

[PhatBoy]

Which Test matches have we won by being the best sledgers?

Nah it works well mate. Way more important than wickets and runs

 

[Woody15]

Staggering stuff this

 

[HLM*]

Phatboy and Woody sound like they’ve never played a game of cricket in their life. We’re not asking for players to go out onto the field and tell opposition players their sister is a s*** like Warner did in SA.

It is a truly intimidating experience having a fast bowler coming in trying to take your head off with legal deliveries and not showing any remorse for the state of fear they’ve put you in. You just have to look back to the infamous “broken arm” comment by Michael Clarke and the staredowns Mitchel Johnson use to give the opposition after dismissing them on what intimidation can do to an opposition player. Mitchel Johnson led Australia to an ashes series win off the back of intimidation and being a bully and is celebrated by the Australian cricketing public.

 

[Santana]

Which Test matches have we won by being the best sledgers?

You don't win test matches worrying if you're going to be liked either.

It is a truly intimidating experience having a fast bowler coming in trying to take your head off with legal deliveries and not showing any remorse for the state of fear they’ve put you in. You just have to look back to the infamous “broken arm” comment by Michael Clarke and the staredowns Michael Johnson use to give the opposition after dismissing them on what intimidation can do to an opposition player. Mitchel Johnson led Australia to an ashes series win off the back of intimidation and being a bully and is celebrated by the Australian cricketing public.

I don't think we would be allowed to do this anymore. Too mean. We've got a reputation to think of.

 

[Kram]

The Kiwis have improved a lot but at the end of the day they are still losers compared to Australia lol.

 

[Woody15]

Phatboy and Woody sound like they’ve never played a game of cricket in their life. We’re not asking for players to go out onto the field and tell opposition players their sister is a s*** like Warner did in SA.

It is a truly intimidating experience having a fast bowler coming in trying to take your head off with legal deliveries and not showing any remorse for the state of fear they’ve put you in. You just have to look back to the infamous “broken arm” comment by Michael Clarke and the staredowns Michael Johnson use to give the opposition after dismissing them on what intimidation can do to an opposition player. Mitchel Johnson led Australia to an ashes series win off the back of intimidation and being a bully and is celebrated by the Australian cricketing public.

Errrrmm that's exactly what I'm saying.

You can absolutely play hard and intimidating cricket without resorting to personal and vulgar insults that have been an embarrassing trait of recent Australian teams. Where has it been written or discussed by any member of the Australian team to not bowl short and intimidating?

But I can come up with more than a dozen reasons why this team is faltering before I even begin to contemplate that the approach by the Australian team to clean up its act is a reason for this fall. It's just ludicrous. Its a pretty simple directive - play hard but don't engage in personal-laced abuse. Its not that big of a change. No one is asking the players to stop the chin music or even stop the sledging. The exaggerated comments on here regarding the 'new' approach are just cringeworthy. I saw a few times Cummins come down the wicket and give the batsman a verbal volley. How do you know it's not happening out of the field still minus the personal abuse?

And personally, if you must know, I played a lot of cricket. U15 and U17 state competitions in Perth. 1st XI for my school. I don't consider either of them a big deal. There were probably 10 people better than me in those teams. Gave up playing cricket in my early 20s. I don't see how its relevant though in having a differing opinion on the state of cricket and how it is played? Maybe I am just sick of continual discussion about poor sportsmanship and ****wits like David Warner representing the side?

I dont expect a guy with a username 'Hunglikemajak' to understand this..

 

[HLM*]

Errrrmm that's exactly what I'm saying.

You can absolutely play hard and intimidating cricket without resorting to personal and vulgar insults that have been an embarrassing trait of recent Australian teams. Where has it been written or discussed by any member of the Australian team to not bowl short and intimidating?

But I can come up with more than a dozen reasons why this team is faltering before I even begin to contemplate that the approach by the Australian team to clean up its act is a reason for this fall. It's just ludicrous. Its a pretty simple directive - play hard but don't engage in personal-laced abuse. Its not that big of a change. No one is asking the players to stop the chin music or even stop the sledging. The exaggerated comments on here regarding the 'new' approach are just cringeworthy. I saw a few times Cummins come down the wicket and give the batsman a verbal volley. How do you know it's not happening out of the field still minus the personal abuse?

And personally, if you must know, I played a lot of cricket. U15 and U17 state competitions in Perth. 1st XI for my school. I don't consider either of them a big deal. There were probably 10 people better than me in those teams. Gave up playing cricket in my early 20s. I don't see how its relevant though in having a differing opinion on the state of cricket and how it is played? Maybe I am just sick of continual discussion about poor sportsmanship and *******s like David Warner representing the side?

I dont expect a guy with a username 'Hunglikemajak' to understand this..

How would you and the other snowflakes react if Starc is at the top of his mark in Perth on Day 1 and the stump mic picks up Tim Paine saying to Kohli “get ready for a broken ****en arm”? Would this type of incident be celebrated or condemned now?

 

[PhatBoy]

Phatboy and Woody sound like they’ve never played a game of cricket in their life. We’re not asking for players to go out onto the field and tell opposition players their sister is a s*** like Warner did in SA.

It is a truly intimidating experience having a fast bowler coming in trying to take your head off with legal deliveries and not showing any remorse for the state of fear they’ve put you in. You just have to look back to the infamous “broken arm” comment by Michael Clarke and the staredowns Mitchel Johnson use to give the opposition after dismissing them on what intimidation can do to an opposition player. Mitchel Johnson led Australia to an ashes series win off the back of intimidation and being a bully and is celebrated by the Australian cricketing public.

Which is exactly what some of the bowlers did in the first test and exactly the sort of thing that people like Woody and I have absolutely no problem with.

FMD.

Having said all that, if there is literally any player who has made it to test level and bats in the top 6 who is actually effected by a bowler staring at him, I’d be amazed.

 

[PhatBoy]

How would you and the other snowflakes react if Starc is at the top of his mark in Perth on Day 1 and the stump mic picks up Tim Paine saying to Kohli “get ready for a broken ****en arm”? Would this type of incident be celebrated or condemned now?

Snowflakes?

What, so now disagreeing with something is being offended by it?

What would it achieve? Tell me? Do you think the best odi batsman in the 50 year history of the format, who averages 52 in test cricket and has negotiated a 150 on a minefield against Rabada, Morkel and Philander, is going to be dismissed because he got upset that a 5’6 keeper who looks like an extra from the Rivendell set on LOTR is threatening to unleash a beanpole quick who looks about as scary as Tim Henman?

It’s not being offended. It’s thinking that it is juvenile and stupid and completely unnecessary.

 

[HLM*]

Snowflakes?

What, so now disagreeing with something is being offended by it?

What would it achieve? Tell me? Do you think the best odi batsman in the 50 year history of the format, who averages 52 in test cricket and has negotiated a 150 on a minefield against Rabada, Morkel and Philander, is going to be dismissed because he got upset that a 5’6 keeper who looks like an extra from the Rivendell set on LOTR is threatening to unleash a beanpole quick who looks about as scary as Tim Henman?

It’s not being offended. It’s thinking that it is juvenile and stupid and completely unnecessary.

I didn’t ask what you think the effect of the comment would have on Kohli. I asked how you think it would be received by the public.

 

[HLM*]

Which is exactly what some of the bowlers did in the first test and exactly the sort of thing that people like Woody and I have absolutely no problem with.

FMD.

Having said all that, if there is literally any player who has made it to test level and bats in the top 6 who is actually effected by a bowler staring at him, I’d be amazed.

Jonathon Trott says g’day.

 

[Woody15]

How would you and the other snowflakes react if Starc is at the top of his mark in Perth on Day 1 and the stump mic picks up Tim Paine saying to Kohli “get ready for a broken ****en arm”? Would this type of incident be celebrated or condemned now?

I just stated I want to see aggressive cricket. I have always loved it. But with the ball, not from the mouth of some 5 foot 5 bogan standing at cover.

You think that because I laugh at people thinking that the current approach from the team is a reason for our decline is a sign of me or anyone else not wanting to see intimidation from a bowler? I love seeing a bowler coming down the wicket and engaging in a verbal. But as I have said numerous times I draw the line at personal insults. You dont have to be an outright campaigner to engage in sledging and to get under the skin of the batsman.

Personally, I didn't think too much of the Clarke incident. I probably cringed and laughed a bit because I find Clarke to be the least intimidating bloke in the Australian team in recent years. So I'd probably do the same if Paine did a similar thing.

 

[PhatBoy]

Jonathon Trott says g’day.

The guy was mentally ill. Classy.

Funny how it didn’t seem to work when he was busy smashing it everywhere in 2010. Oh I guess that Australian team didn’t sledge either.

 

[PhatBoy]

I didn’t ask what you think the effect of the comment would have on Kohli. I asked how you think it would be received by the public.

Probably poorly because it’s stupid, juvenile and completely unnecessary.

And looks even stupider when directed at a number 11

 

[Park cricketer]

I personally don't mind some words on the field (as long as it isn't very crass and personal) and think it adds to the theatre but the decline in the Australian performances probably has more to do with the decline in the quality being churned out from the domestic circuit rather than any lack of sledging. I remember many Australian 'A' sides being comfortably better than most international sides some 15 or so years ago while Australia are now struggling a bit to find reliable test players with the absence of two of their lynchpins. It's not that Australia are suddenly bad, but in the past they were head and shoulders above any other side in world cricket while they are now one of the top sides with no considerable gap separating them and the rest.

The pertinent questions that need to be asked are if shield cricket is still the premier domestic tournament in the world, if there is enough participation of kids at junior levels, etc., and not if there are enough words said to the batsman. Also I think apart from Hazlewood, being 'nasty' to the face of the batsmen doesn't come natural to Starc and especially Cummins. Cummins looks like a genuinely nice bloke off the field and even when they try to be aggressive, it appears forced. Not that bowlers like Anderson, Hazlewood (or McGrath in the past) are nasty guys off the field, but switching to an aggressive mode on the field appears natural to them. Guys like Warne and MJ constantly criticising Starc's on field body language isn't helping matters as well.

 

[archibald]

Guys like Warne and MJ constantly criticising Starc's on field body language isn't helping matters as well.

Yeah i don't get the regular critiques of Starc's body language. The priority should be bowling a cricket ball better and conditioning himself to be able to do that.

 

[HLM*]

Probably poorly because it’s stupid, juvenile and completely unnecessary.

And looks even stupider when directed at a number 11

Stupid, juvenile and completely unnecessary? It was a well constructed plan for the Australian quicks to go hard at the English tail and instil fear in them during the 13/14 ashes series, and it worked a treat.

You don’t sound like somebody who enjoys confrontation too much, so understandable you don’t like seeing it in the sporting arena.

 

[PhatBoy]

Stupid, juvenile and completely unnecessary? It was a well constructed plan for the Australian quicks to go hard at the English tail and instil fear in them during the 13/14 ashes series, and it worked a treat.

You don’t sound like somebody who enjoys confrontation too much, so understandable you don’t like seeing it in the sporting arena.

Pffft. The only sport I ever played at a decent level is rugby league and I’m a journalist by trade. Yeah I just hate confrontation.

Do you really think it is the words that instilled fear in the england tail?

Or do you reckon, just maybe, it was a bloke in the form of his life bowling like the wind.

‘Oh gee those bouncers from Johnson were tough to face but nothing compared to being threatened by Lara Bingle’s ex.’

 

[HLM*]

Pffft. The only sport I ever played at a decent level is rugby league and I’m a journalist by trade. Yeah I just hate confrontation.

Do you really think it is the words that instilled fear in the england tail?

Or do you reckon, just maybe, it was a bloke in the form of his life bowling like the wind.

‘Oh gee those bouncers from Johnson were tough to face but nothing compared to being threatened by Lara Bingle’s ex.’

Words evoke emotions. Emotions evoke reaction. Sometimes that reaction is irrational. On the cricketing field that can be translated to committing an error with the bat or ball that you might not normally have made with an emotion-less, rational thought process.

 

[Park cricketer]

Yeah i don't get the regular critiques of Starc's body language. The priority should be bowling a cricket ball better and conditioning himself to be able to do that.

Happens with ex players all over the world especially when they become tv pundits, "They aren't aggressive enough", "We used to scare the batsmen back in our days", etc. Things like wrist position/snap, seam presentation, consistency in lengths don't look good on tv.

 

[Glacier]

Stupid, juvenile and completely unnecessary? It was a well constructed plan for the Australian quicks to go hard at the English tail and instil fear in them during the 13/14 ashes series, and it worked a treat.

You don’t sound like somebody who enjoys confrontation too much, so understandable you don’t like seeing it in the sporting arena.

Man, if you think the demise of the standard of our national cricket side is because they have given away the dickhead behaviour then you might want to find a different sport to watch

 

[HLM*]

Man, if you think the demise of the standard of our national cricket side is because they have given away the dickhead behaviour then you might want to find a different sport to watch

FFS that is exactly my point. The whole cleaning up our image PR stunt has been a knee jerk reaction. Our poor form is not because of a poor culture.