Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

LIONS then DAYLIGHT · Oct 6, 2009

Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

I just want to congratulate the Australia ODI team for their magnificent victory in the champions trophy.

Yeah, the spoil sports will say it doesn't make up for the 'pain' of losing the ashes but i couldn't care less.

Not many people gave us a realistic chance of winning the comp, we were a team in transition, Ricky Ponting was a shit captain, India were too good, South Africa were too good, Albie Morkels pecks were too hard, the list goes on.

Fact is, we won the comp, once again.

I offer my thanks and praise to the Australian ODI cricket team and associated coaching staff and all involved with the team.

Well done.

eddiesmith · Oct 6, 2009

Re: Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

Dont know why anyone wouldnt give them a chance, I had them outright favourites by a long way

LIONS then DAYLIGHT · Oct 7, 2009

Re: Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

You know Edward, we were a team in transition, we couldn't play spin, too reliant on Ponting, Steyns pecks were too hard.

We are the Champions.

eddiesmith · Oct 7, 2009

Re: Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

Then Michael Clarke got injured and all their prayers were answered

For a team in transition, the only new players this year were Ferguson in for Clarke, Siddle for Bracken and Paine for Haddin and only the last one was a loss. White and Hopes have been around the team for years and the bowling attack was settled, an out of sorts Bracken replaced by the dangerous Siddle helped as well

But White and Ferguson have been the real finds for the team this year, amazing what happens when a player finally gets a chance instead of coming in when the side is struggling because the Vice Captain is the slowest batsman in history

It just goes to show people dont pay much attention

LIONS then DAYLIGHT · Oct 7, 2009

Re: Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

To be fair Edward, most people would have had India and South Africa as pretty heavy favourites in this comp, especially South Africa.

Only the nuff nuffs in the Australian public that scream for Michael Clarke to become Captain are the ones that dont pay attention.

Clarke used to be a free wheeling batsmen when he came into the side circa 2002-2003, that was at about 6 in the order.

Strange now that he really struggles to rotate the strike.

Bennycoff · Oct 11, 2009

Re: Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

South Africa are chokers, have never won a tournament when they needed to or it meant something. Win pointless series.

India are a lazy team, have all the talent in the world. Perhaps poorly coached or the players just dont' work hard enough.

The rest I'd say are overrated. Look at Pakistan, some very good players, but they are never consistent enough. Sri Lanka have some good players yet some very ordinary bats and bowlers, so they can't be expected to topple the big three.

LIONS then DAYLIGHT · Oct 11, 2009

Re: Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

I agree with most of that, but by the same token, many didn't rate our chances at all. When we played England all the fools on sky sports were tipping England, on what basis im not to sure but there you go.

It was a great achievement for our side. I don't care about the Ashes anymore, we lost them move on. Every now and then when I go over to browse the England papers online they are still talking about the ashes and how great Strauss is.

I mean, what about the English journos saying Harmison at his peak was the most feared bowler of his era?

What a load of crap that is.

A heap of bowlers at their peak were more intimidating then Harmison was, bowlers like Aktar, Bond, Lee, Gillespie and Flintoff were more intimidating then bloody Steve Harmison.

Those english journos are a strange bunch.

a for effort · Oct 11, 2009

Re: Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

Hey LIONS then DAYLIGHT, I heard you don't like the English cricket team

Boris · Oct 12, 2009

Re: Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

It was a very good performance by the Australian side. I was very proud.

Strange that the side that I say would lose Tests, and they did, did lose, and the side that I said would win ODIs, did win. That ODI side looks so much better then the test side. It is balanced by youth and experience.

Siddle made an excellent fill in bowler, but I am sure Bracken would have done just as good, if not better job. Bracken will come into a lot of use in Australia as he is an Australian conditions bowler, unlike Siddle. I would not be coming to the conclusion that Siddle should be in the side just yet. He makes a better Test bowler anyway. No way could he push out the number one ODI bowler in the world when bowling on Australian soil. Every team needs a bowler that can step up when there is an injury.

Ferguson turned out a disappointment for me. He didn't do anything of greatness in the Champions Trophy. He had a good series against England but then peitered off into nothingness.

White played as well as he usually does. A bit of a nothing and everything player adds precious runs to the total but doesn't usually get a good score. He stays in the side IMO.

Hopes played very well. He performs without people noticing. His figures don't show how well he bowled. One innings he got 0/50 off 10 overs. Not too flash you might say, but his bowling was the best in the side. It was two expensive overs that let him down in the end but he bowled with that niggling economy that just makes the batsman want to explode and they do silly things against other bowlers as a result. Plus he takes brilliant catches (and apparently drops the easy ones).

Lee did very well, best bowler there by far. Great to see him in form and playing again. Very economical too.

Hauritz did just as well. He is the spinner of the future, especially in ODI cricket. Has come up against all odds and I am proud of him for that.

Johnson was a tad disappointing. I feel that he, like Bracken, is largely and Australian conditions bowler. I am looking forward to his performances in Australia.

Watson, well done to him. As I said before, after watching many years of him he is an explosive form player. His form goes in and out suddenly and for short periods of time. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next ODI series the same thing happens. 100, duck, duck.

Paine did better then I was hoping. Not the batsman of Haddin, but definitely the keeper. Great to have him playing as second choice keeper. As I said every player needs a back up incase of injury.

Ponting. What can I say? Bloody hell we are going to miss him.

Symonds, should have been there (still mourning his loss).

All in all there is not one person to complain about. That is what makes a great team. The test team has about 6 players everyone complains about in some form. That's why they lost, and the ODI team won.

Now onto the All*Stars match on 22 November. Good fun that will be.

LIONS then DAYLIGHT · Oct 13, 2009

Re: Ricky Ponting's Australia - 2009 Champions Trophy Winners. Offical Praise Thread.

Maybe we should get you to pick the team Boris?

First test side for Nov 26 V West Indies pleas?

Boris · Oct 13, 2009