schwab2clarkson
Banned
Aussie Team Arrogant
Robert Craddick we always thought that you would be that type of journo.
Robert Craddick we always thought that you would be that type of journo.
Australia aren't arrogant, it's just the fans that are.Arrogant Australians feeling the pressure
By Robert Craddock
December 22, 2008 THE message booming out to Australia after losing the unlosable Test match is that some of their key players are over-rated, lacking form or too arrogant for their own good.
And some, like captain Ricky Ponting, need to have a look at themselves and the damage negative body language can do when the team has been driven on to the backfoot.
South Africa were simply magnificent. On previous tours we have mocked and criticised them for being chokers and underachievers ... and they come out and make fools of the ghouls by producing a victory to rate with any ever achieved on Australian soil.
Outstanding.
Ponting cannot be expected to be Mr Perfect but his body language is substandard when the side needs him most.
Becoming a human tea pot when young bowlers such as Peter Siddle or Jason Krejza are under pressure just creates more pressure in a side where insecurity is already spreading like a juicy rumour.
How Andrew Symonds must regret swallowing sucker punches from spinner and sneaky sledger Paul Harris in both innings.
When you have Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in your attack you can take as many gambles as you like and there will always be someone to wipe up your mess.
Not so when you have three of your four bowlers out of form.
Senior players are expected to show leadership, a fact Michael Clarke will also acknowledge after throwing his wicket away in both innings.
On a track which South Africa lost one wicket on yesterday, Australia were 7-162 in their second innings two days earlier.
Gentlemen please explain.
Brett Lee used to regard the WACA as his personal playground so he will be shattered at returning the poor match figures of 1-132.
Despite upending a glorified club side called New Zealand a few weeks ago he has become a bowler in decline because his pace is down and he does not have many other weapons. Lee without pace is Sampson without his hair. Australia had pencilled him in as their anchorman for at least another 14 months.
If, as seems likely, he fades quicker than expected they will face a mini-crisis.
It seems incredible that a bowler such as Mitchell Johnson could produce the best innings performance by a left-armed bowler in history and his side could lose.
He took 11-159 for the match.
With Stuart Clark out Australia do not have one defensive bowler and it was a pointed show of no- confidence in Krejza that he did not get a bowl until five minutes before lunch.
Matthew Hayden sadly has lost his mojo.
A Test victory would have given him breathing space but the question of his future is now enormous and must be answered in the next fortnight.
Melbourne has been his glory ground. He needs the theme to continue.
The entire team is feeling the pressure heavily. So badly in fact that after the fourth day's play not one player was prepared to attend the post-day press conference, a major embarrassment to Cricket Australia who just before the Test had assembled the media for a dinner designed to maintain smooth relations.