eags wrote:Rik E Boy wrote:there is no way known he should open the batting for Australia in the coming series against one of the best pace attacks in world cricket.
regards,
REB
That's just a ridiculous comment and goes to show how little u know about cricketing talent. JL still averaging 48 over the past two years which which have included tours to England, New Zealand, South Africa and India. Proven performer in all conditions.
As far as England having one of the best attacks in the world for the Ashes ... PFFFT!!!! I would hardly call Lewis and Plunkett world class!! You've got Hoggard taking the new rock ... hardly an intimidating bowler, but an honest toiler. Hard to see him taking wickets apart from the Gabba unless he bowls a truckload of overs. Flintoff, well he's got the wood over a couple of the Aussies but niggling injuries may prevent him from bowling at full capacity. Plunkett ... young and proven nothing. Lewis ... I doubt many people would have ever heard of him prior to this series. Gently meds will hardly worry the likes of Hayden and Ponting. Mahmood ... inconsistent and has hardly set the world on fire for Lancs ... No Jones, no Anderson, and with Monty as their #1 spinner at the moment, I find it hard to believe you consider this to be one of the best attacks in world cricket!!
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
I propose to prove to you that a once great test player is not the man to handle the job of opening the batting for this year's upcoming Ashes series. My learned legal eagle for the defence will bedazzle you with Mr Justin Langer's efforts of two to ten years ago and attempt to convince you all (and himself) that Mr Langer should once again open the innings for Australia.
Exhibit A for the prosecution: Justin Langer's career graph.
My comment about the decline in JL's performance was especially directed from the 2005 Ashes series to today. It was a clever ploy by the defence to include statistics from previous successful series to back his statements but I repeat: Since the Ashes series JL is getting hit more often. I believe he is not picking up the ball as well as he did earlier in his career.
Have a look at how the performances have gradually declined, particularly since the period in question. JL actually topped the averages over there in England but I believe it has come at a great cost to him mentally and physically and I also believe he will not average over 40 if selected in this year's Ashes series. If our opener does not average 40 we will be in extreme difficulties as our middle order is not what it once was. As I obviously know nothing about cricket, perhaps we can take 'Wikpedia's' word for it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Just ... _Graph.png
Exhibit B for the prosecution: Justin Langer test batting figures by year, 2004-06.
These statistics, provided by Cricinfo's 'statsguru' show a remarkable decline in the artist formally known as Justin Langer. The statement that JL is a proven performer is of course an accurate one, however, this does not guarantee continued success just because he was hitting the ball beautifully two or three years ago.
The first number is runs scored, the second is high score and the third is average. 2 years ago Justin Langer was arguably the best batsman in world cricket, 1400 runs is big business in anyone's money. When it came to facing the Poms, that average dropped by 11 an innings. In 2005 JL lost over 600 runs as well. In 2006, JL's average has dropped under 30 and he has not scored a test 50 so far in 2006. Of course JL missed out on the Bangladesh series..now why ladies and the gentlemen of the jury, why did Langer miss this series? COS HE GOT HIT IN THE HEAD.
JL 2006 Test performances: 167 37 27.83
JL 2005 Test performances: 872 105 43.60
JL 2004 Test performances: 1481 215 54.85
Exhibit C for the prosecution: Current ICC rankings of English test bowlers and team.
England are ranked second in the world in Test cricket at the moment (see link). http://www.icc-cricket.com/test/
Now I might not know anything about cricket, but don't you need to take twenty wickets more often than not to win test matches on a regular basis? Wouldn't you need a world class attack to consistently win matches and so earn enough points to be ranked second in the world in ICC rankings? Silly me, clearly there is a dearth of batsmen around and this is why England have attained their lofty (for them) ranking in world cricket.
Now I don't recall saying that England were the best attack in world cricket or that they would put the West Indies era attacks to shame but that they are at the moment, one of the best in world cricket. Who would have a better pace attack than England? Australia yes, South Africa maybe and Pakistan highly dubiously. Wouldn't that then make even this admittedly understrength attack one of the best in world cricket? Yes, I think it would.
Let's have a look at who is coming to Australia this season. First of all Hoggard who is hardly intimidating according to our learned counsel. Matthew Hoggard is currently ranked number 5 in the world and has shown a capacity for work. Yes, he WILL bowl a 'truckload of overs' and he DOES swing the ball. In the Ashes series, the Australian batsmen were exposed by the swinging ball. Freddie Flintoff will be cherry ripe for the Ashes don't you worry about that. He is ranked number 6 in world cricket. Boy this attack sure does suck. He'll come on first change to keep the pressure on. Harmison is ranked 16 in the world and this guy hit JL many times in the last Ashes series.
Here's something I DO know about cricket. As an opening batsman, it is quite often not the guy that hits you that gets you out. You are so focussed on combatting the hairy brute and then someone else, hey, doesn't even have to be a world beater then comes along and knocks you over. England will be sweating on Langer's selection. Plunkett is ranked 64 in the world. Yeah, he obviously can't bowl because he should be in the top 20 after his first series. See the ICC link above for the full list. While we are discussing the English pace attack, I'd also question the relevance of what spinners England may bring down under.
Closing statement for the prosecution
In an earlier post in this thread I intimated that by selecting players on reputation and past performances and in combination with underestimating our opposition that this could be fatal to our chances of regaining the Ashes. Our learned counsel for the defence suggests with one breath that we do both and in another suggests I know nothing about cricket and that my comments are ridiculous.
Perhaps my learned sources at Wikpedia and the ICC have illustrated my point of view far more eloquently than I could have done myself. An opening batsman must be able to pick up the ball early and exhibit consistently sound judgement in shot selection and whether or not to strike the ball at all. An opening batsmen who is getting hit regularly is just not picking up the ball. An opening batsman who does not pick up the ball won't survive the Hoggards, Harmisons and Flintoffs to see any "second string" bowling.
Even if our learned counsel for the defence is right in stating that England's attack is currently not of world class, just how 'world class' was the Victorian attack (which gave up over 900 runs in its last outing) that sconned JL in a ING fixture late last year?
My point is not that JL cost us the last series against England or that he didn't have any mates who also did not perform with the bat in that series. Justin Langer has been a champion and is one of the most courageous batsman Australian has ever had but that courage might now be just catching up with him. Langer has been hit more times since the first test of the Ashes series than he has during the rest of his career (3 times in the Ashes, once against Victoria and that shocker against South Africa), can you recall half a dozen strikes on Langer in his prime?
The selection of the opening pair is vitally important because of the weakened state of our middle order at present. Phil Jacques time has come. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the prosecution rests.
regards,
REB
