A FEATHER DUSTER OF PEACOCKS

You've only got to look at the dismissals of Ponting and Haddin on Monday and, at various times during the summer, those of Ponting, Haddin, Clarke, Symonds, Katich and Hayden to know that Hoggy is right:

Rodney Hogg: Aussies like a bunch of peacocks

AUSTRALIA'S been blasted for "strutting around like peacocks" as it faces the reality of losing its No. 1 ranking in all forms of cricket.

"They have been pulverised . . . I don't think they realise where they are at and how badly they have been going," Hogg said yesterday.

"They have been strutting around like peacocks thinking they are the best in the world, but they have been living in denial.

"The reality is they are nowhere near No. 1 in the world. They are probably about No. 4.

"You could tell that when they went to the subcontinent last year and weren't even a patch on the Indian side.

"Until they realise how far they have fallen -- and take stock of everything that has happened -- there are going to continue to be problems.

"A lot of their dismissals this summer have been really soft and they have to take a long, hard look at themselves."

The question is: How do we gear back from being the best and on a roll, to being back in the field and having to rediscover the basics? Aggressively chasing victory with a team full of guns is all very well, but when the guns are gone, and it's time to get back to basics, how do you manage the transition? Judging by the decline in our catching and running between wickets, to name two obvious examples, psychology and attitude and mindgames have taken precedence over practice and technique. With a new crew on deck, we are still about the head, but the new guys haven't yet got the technique. It is not even readily apparent any of them are up to Test cricket, nor are there many obvious contenders for national selection. So much for our vaunted cricket system. So far, injuries notwithstanding, it looks like we are playing how we used to, not how we now need to, and that the selectors are picking sides like, say, Carlton did when Jack Elliott famously said "We don't rebuild at Carlton." In other words, we are scrapping to stay No.1, when perhaps we should be accepting we are no longer peacock o' the walk. Still, we aren't a million miles away. Had we a full and fit squad to pick from over the last 12 months we would have played much better. We mightn't have won in India where we most always go shithouse, but we probably would have beaten the Varks. Right at the moment I would say we are not good enough to be No.1, but we are not far enough off the pace to have to call in the demolition crew. SA have shown us how to plan for a series. Steyn is a very good bowler, Morkel might become one, but the Varks' attack is hardly the most threatening of all time. Most often our batsmen have got themselves out, falling into obvious SA traps. If we accept that it's time to pull our collective heads in and play each ball on its merits, does that somehow mean we loose our mojo? And if we lose our mojo, do we somehow lose our confidence? One thing is for sure, by giving wickets away, we have given SA confidence. My gut feeling that we might go alright in SA is now down the gurgler. Clark out is a huge blow. And Siddle missing this weekend's Weetbix with stressies means he's got to be in doubt for SA and maybe beyond.

Comments

[Tony Tea]

In case you were wondering... it's a muster of peacocks, which ought to impress Spanky.

[m0nty]

There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around that the cock from old Regret had got away.

[Hangover Black]

A bit loose with your spelling there, Tone.

Putting a value on your wicket seems to have drained out of the bottom of our strategy bucket.

Nielsen needs to do a Dear Liza/Henry and fix it.

[nick]

This is what I was talking about when I said the loss of Hayden (and his influence in the dressing room) would not be a bad thing. I guess the drivers of team 'culture' are the captain, senior players, and coach - but CA won't have a purge while they can still struggle along. I really can't see us beating South Africa, India, or England at the moment. I also can't remember having so many injuries! Apart from Warne's drug ban and McGrath soccer injury - I can't think of very many at all.

[Tony Tea]

The way Hayden was getting out, slapping at drives on the up, was a perfect example of how not to build an innings and how not to set an example to the rest of the order. It was also the perfect example of how the Strayan batsmen were suckered into stupid shots.

[The Don has risen]

We will not be no.1 until we get at least two matchwinning bowlers.
We do not have any at present.

Bowlers who struggle to get the Opposition out put more pressure on the batsmen who usually react badly to it as we did.

It seems to me the Ards are the best team for some time given their age and their potential bowling attack.

India are very good and possibly no.1 at present but they will lose some big names very soon.

That puts us no.3

[Russ]

nick, I guess it depends how far you look back. There were certainly injuries enough that Bichel played 19 tests, not to mention the careers of Young, Robertson, Wilson, and Dale. Gillespie was almost as bad as Paper Cut at the start of his career, Fleming had his share, McGrath missed games against India regularly enough to be an issue, Warne had his shoulder problems, Steve Waugh his hamstrings/calves, Langer his skull. And then there was the latter days of McDermott and Hughes when we had to ship Reiffel over halfway through the '93 Ashes and fielded a threadbare but successful attack in 94/95 against the Windies. Injuries happen, the difference now is the first XI bowlers are inexperienced and the back-up are unknown, whereas before, debutantes generally weren't expected to do the heavy lifting.

[nick]

You've got a better memory than me! Tomorrow's game should be enlightening - to see if our second XI beats theirs. In the Prime Ministers game today, Phil Hughes staked his claim to the Test opening spot - being outscored by 50 runs...by JL.