These selectors have got me frustated beyond belief!
First they decide to go to Adelaide Test with only 3 specialists
bowlers which i thought was just going to be a one-off and great we won
the series. But to continue with only 3 specialists bowlers and only 2
pacers for the next 4 Tests has been a joke. Sure we won the series in
Soth Africa but in all 4 Tests sice Adelaide we could have done a lot
better if we had the use of a 3rd pacer (e.g. Reiffel or Bichel to help
offload the work being put on McGrath & young Gillespie).
Having Blewett being used as 3rd pacer is a joke and takes the pressure
off the opposition batsmen. e.g. South Africa 1st innings in each Test
had them in a lot of trouble with 7 or 8 wickets down for mot much but
each time the lower order got a lot more than they should have.
Did not cost us much in 1st Test because the aussie batsmen scored so
much but in the 2nd Test it was nearly our downfall. SA was 7 or 8 for
95 and managed to get to 209. With Reiffel to help out i doubt they would
have made 150.
The reason for having only 3 speciliasts bowlers is clear- MARK TAYLOR!
The team has been carrying him through a very, very bad form slump
and to make matters worse they keep opening with Hayden who has given
proof many times that he just cannot cut it a Test level.
Opening with Hayden & Taylor against a pace line-up lead by Donald is
asking for big trouble as it puts the middle-order under pressure and so
on.
Hayden should have been dropped for Reiffel last Test. No question!
Or if not then Taylor or the other selectors should have dropped himself.
Even more amazing is the fact that Taylor is staying to PLAY in the
one-dayers. This is beyond a joke!
If Taylor opens with Mark Waugh and Di Venuto does not play then
some of these slectors heads must roll!
Blessing in disguise is that after Healy got a shocking decision from the
umpy he got pissed off (understanbly) and has been suspended for the
first 2 ODI's. This means Gilchrist is being sent over which makes me
happy because i believe he is perfect made gun player for ODI's
McGrath being sent home aswell to rest him because of that big workload
thanks to using only 2 pacers each test.
Anyway for the ODayers Taylor should not be playing!
Anybody that thinks he should play in the eleven, let alone open the
innings needs their head read.
If the worst comes true and they do play him as i fear , please, please
bat him at 7 , 8 or 9 so he can be mainly used for his captaincy onfield.
On another whinging topic :-) The umpiring standard WORLDWIDE is proving
to be as consistently bad everywhere
after i saw atleast 3 wickets taken off what should have been no-balls
when Venkat was umpiring and now 2 times this Test players were given out
caught behind when they clearly had no bat contact with the ball (S.Waugh
& Healy) Whilst another batter McMillan *did* actually hit the ball with
bat and was given not out.
These umpires drive ya bonkers!
Anyway now i got that all off my chest i feel better :-)
Congrats to Aussie team for winning Test series and congrats to the
South African team for winning the last Test.
Cheers,
Shaun
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