Good on Simmo

[rod_rooster]

Says it how it is. Good for him.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,21283505-23212,00.html

[am Bays]

As much I acknowledge Bob Simpson's contribution to Australian Cricket, especially setting the training and preparation standards that set the benchamrk for other teams to follow as we climbed from the depth of despair in the mid 80s to being the best team in the world by the mid 90s. Certainly the players who played under him Hughes, Waugh etc praise him very highly for setting the standard with respect to work on the training track. So he has to be acknowledge for that.

However, you read and hear him now and I think he is still one very bitter man for being sacked as coach in 1996. He loves the perpindicular pro-noun and if you take what he said on the cricket in the 80s DVD and an article in Wisden in 2001 as gospel, you would of thought he was the sole person responsible for winning the World Cup, and the ASHES in 89, "it was a vindication for everything I had done". In the Wisden Article he virtual claimed credit for finding and teaching Shane Warne how to bowl leg-spin and that he was going to do the same thing with Chris Schofield.....(the leg-spinner given a central contract in 2001 and was going to be the English Shane Warne).

You read "the Border years" by Mark Ray and you get a relatively independant view on Simpson compared to the pro Simpson camps (himself) and the anti-Simpson camp (I Chappell), aint it ain't to favourable.

In short I find it hard to take anything he says on cricket these days too seriously as reading between the lines he is still trying to praise himself and criticise anyone who is a possible rival to his leagcy as Australian Coach.

It must be said though, I think his observation on Watson being an over-coached unnatural player has a degree of truth behind it.

However it is easy to be critical of the Australians training prearation mid-way through the training phase when they haven't peaked yet wait until the world Cup when the phase has finished. I mean Simpson has been wrong before when it comes to training and assessing cricketers - Darren Lehmann anyone.....

I mean he criticised Lehmanns technique (across the line to unorthodox) not fit enough, the complet opposite to Watson. far be it for me to accuse Simpson of changing an argument to suit his own outcome.....others can make that interpretation....

footnote, Lehmanns beep test scores four years ago were one of the best in state squad....hardly unfit...

[mal]

As a middle aged man he made himself available to play
against the WI team against a team that had a fearsome battery of fast bowlers.
For that effort I will never condone this man on his opinions right or wrong.
The great man has earned his stripes.

As a young man he took on HALL + GRIFFITH in the mid sixties
and then as an elder took them on after WSC, courage personified.
He would have also gone out in the bodyline series at 75 years old if he had to.

[sydney-dog]

The key statement of the article is

"While Watson is a competent, bustling cricketer, I have doubts if he has the skills or flexibility to cope with cricket at the highest level," Simpson said.

I have read many members posts that suggest Watson struggles down the order and is suited to batting up the order, and suggested that he should only be used as a 4th or 5th bowler

Doesn't this support Simpson's comments, shouldn't we be targeting batsmen who can move up and down the order depending on the situation of the game, shouldn't this be a key capability of an all rounder, Watson struggles to give the side this flexibility

[stampy]

there is no doubt that bob simpson was the main orchestrator of our resurgence from the late 80s, however that doesnt mean he didnt makedmistakes nor does it excuse him from objective criticism. He had no time for either hookes. phillips or lehmann and unfortunately boof was tarred with the same brush as first 2. The observation was made that when we won simmo was at the front on the balcony cheering the boys but when we lost you wouldnt see him for dust and he wouldsulk like a sore loser. in my view - great coach, not much of a person, but i may be wrong

[mal]

The key statement of the article is

"While Watson is a competent, bustling cricketer, I have doubts if he has the skills or flexibility to cope with cricket at the highest level," Simpson said.

I have read many members posts that suggest Watson struggles down the order and is suited to batting up the order, and suggested that he should only be used as a 4th or 5th bowler

Doesn't this support Simpson's comments, shouldn't we be targeting batsmen who can move up and down the order depending on the situation of the game, shouldn't this be a key capability of an all rounder, Watson struggles to give the side this flexibility

went from 7 to opener and made 68
thats flexibility

[sydney-dog]

Mal,

no is not, it has proved he has the ability to move up to the opener position, to prove he has flexibility it needs to be two ways, he needs to have the capability to bat 5,6 or 7 and prove he can play more then one role in the team, to date he has not achieved this

i am a frustrated cricket follower, we have someone like Watson who has got an armchair ride and this has allegedly upset some senior Aussie players

but we have players like Hopes, who can bat anywhere from 1 - 7, has the most ODI wickets this season in the domestic comp and he can't get a look in

[mal]

SD he has not been given opportunities to bAT 4-5-6.
Nor he should the team is batting extremely well the last few years.
He proved his flexility for TA/QL when he went to 3-4 he improved
his domestic average to 50.
How does a bloke batting 7 get an armchair ride ?
He has batted as an opener 7 times and averages about 41 thats flexibility.

[Adelaide Hawk]

In actual fact, Bob Simpson won very few friends and lost a lot of respect from the Australian players during the West Indian tour in 1978. There were several occasions when he blasted players without knowing the full facts of the situation and was left to look like a goose. He dropped himself a couple of spots down the batting order because of the pace bowling, and on one occasion sent Steve Rixon in as a night watchman instead of himself, even though there was still 30 minutes remaining in the day's play.

He couldn't handle the West Indies pace attack at all, and to compensate for his lack of runs he began bowling himself far too much, which meant Bruce Yardley was under-bowled. He didn't handle the generation gap between himself and the players well, acting more like a director rather than a chairman. Jeff Thomson quit because he didn't want to play under Simpson any more. Others would have followed had he continued as captain. The only players who he related to were his younger NSW players (Border, etc), and he rarely ever spoke to his vice-captain Craig Serjeant.

[sydney-dog]

mal

he has got an armchair ride at the selection table, I have it on pretty good advise that some senior members of the Aust team are not happy with his selection, for the following reasons

1. They are concerned with his history of injuroes and the world cup does not give you the flexibility to replace players3

2. They are concerned his selection has upset the balance of the team, a strategy was agreed too at the beginning of the ODI series in Aust and then prior to the finals the selectors chartered a new direction

3. There is still concerns amongst senior team mates in regards to his mental toughness, he drops the head way too in times when he needs to tough out a difficult part of the game

[mal]

mal

he has got an armchair ride at the selection table, I have it on pretty good advise that some senior members of the Aust team are not happy with his selection, for the following reasons

1. They are concerned with his history of injuroes and the world cup does not give you the flexibility to replace players3

2. They are concerned his selection has upset the balance of the team, a strategy was agreed too at the beginning of the ODI series in Aust and then prior to the finals the selectors chartered a new direction

3. There is still concerns amongst senior team mates in regards to his mental toughness, he drops the head way too in times when he needs to tough out a difficult part of the game

I will answer your questions 1-2-3

1 nothing to do with his batting flexibility
2 nothing to do with his batting flexiblilty
3 nothing to do with his batting flexibility

You have changed our discussion on his flexibility as a batsman
But just for the record cant disagree with 1+3 points.

[sydney-dog]

Batting Flexibility = Hussey, he can open, he can bat 3,4,5, 6 or 7

Watson game is suited to building an innings, so if he doesn't bat in the top order he struggles, so as an all rounder he does not provide flexibility to the batting side

The purpose of an all rounder is to give a side much needed flexibility

I liked the way you side stepped my 3 points, you asked in regards to the armchair ride, I provided clarity, you side stepped the issues which are currently eating at the core of the Aust ODI side

[mal]

I never side stepped anything I have replied to your batting flexibility question.
I dont have to answer anything else.
But I had the courtesy to answer 1-2-3 which I did not have to.

[sydney-dog]

it looked like a big Campeze side step to me

[mal]

The key statement of the article is

"While Watson is a competent, bustling cricketer, I have doubts if he has the skills or flexibility to cope with cricket at the highest level," Simpson said.

I have read many members posts that suggest Watson struggles down the order and is suited to batting up the order, and suggested that he should only be used as a 4th or 5th bowler

Doesn't this support Simpson's comments, shouldn't we be targeting batsmen who can move up and down the order depending on the situation of the game, shouldn't this be a key capability of an all rounder, Watson struggles to give the side this flexibility

went from 7 to opener and made 68
thats flexibility

Your original post
My answer

[sydney-dog]

Mal

that is pathetic, look at the entire conversation, yes we initially talked about Simmo's specific comment on Watson's lack of flexibility, then we moved to issues around his armchair ride,

you questioned me by saying "how can a player batting atr 7 be given a armchair ride", I clarified this by talking about his selection in the ODI side and how I felt Hopes was a more worthy candidate and what I believe is to be some issues within the Australian side in regards to Watsons selection

mate, Politicians and the media like to either take things out of context or ignore the total content, I did not expect that from you

having a discussion or a debate, actually means building the converstion and moving away from the starting point

[rod_rooster]

The key statement of the article is

"While Watson is a competent, bustling cricketer, I have doubts if he has the skills or flexibility to cope with cricket at the highest level," Simpson said.

I have read many members posts that suggest Watson struggles down the order and is suited to batting up the order, and suggested that he should only be used as a 4th or 5th bowler

Doesn't this support Simpson's comments, shouldn't we be targeting batsmen who can move up and down the order depending on the situation of the game, shouldn't this be a key capability of an all rounder, Watson struggles to give the side this flexibility

went from 7 to opener and made 68
thats flexibility

Your original post
My answer

mal, suggesting that playing a few half decent knocks opening after failing time and time again at 7 is offering flexibility is a bit far fetched isn't it? C'mon even for you that's pushing it.

[mal]

JUST ANSWERING AN ORIGINAL QUESTION GENTLEMEN.

My turn to meander off the subject he had a glass of water one day,
and he combed his hair, he has a nice girlfriend, why did
he leave Tasmania and shift to Queensland, he went to school ......

Do you guys reckon he uses Colgate to brush his teeth ?
Does he fart in bed when his girlfriend is there ?

IF SD+RR dont want to answer these questions I will understand.

[rod_rooster]

JUST ANSWERING AN ORIGINAL QUESTION GENTLEMEN.

My turn to meander off the subject he had a glass of water one day,
and he combed his hair, he has a nice girlfriend, why did
he leave Tasmania and shift to Queensland, he went to school ......

Do you guys reckon he uses Colgate to brush his teeth ?
Does he fart in bed when his girlfriend is there ?

IF SD+RR dont want to answer these questions I will understand.

mal, i never made any suggestion that you weren't answering the question i was just pointing out the absurdity of the answer.

[SOTTERS]

Get off Watsons back he is a decent player. Is more valuable in the side than Hogg, McGrath,Tait and Johnson