<sunstormrider@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1116847008.088520.141910@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...> For as long as I can remember, when England come up against good> Australian sides, key players break down with countless injuries. I> see Giles has done just this and Australia aren't even in the country!> Sounds serious so he's surely a doubt for the entire summer now.>
He'll join "illustious" company of White, Hoggard, Flintoff, Fraser,> DeFreitas... and I could go on. All have missed entire series with> injuries rather than stand and face the Aussies. It remains to be> seen how many more of the current crop will join this list before the> first test.>
Shame on you Giles.>
That's harsh on Giles - but you do have a point - we have missed some key players - notoriously bowlers in Ashes series. Whether they're frightened of the opposition is another matter. I suspect we'd hear they definitely weren't if questioned - but the truth may not be far from your suggestion.
On 23 May 2005 04:16:48 -0700, sunstormrider@hotmail.com wrote:
For as long as I can remember, when England come up against good>Australian sides, key players break down with countless injuries. I>see Giles has done just this and Australia aren't even in the country!> Sounds serious so he's surely a doubt for the entire summer now.>
He'll join "illustious" company of White, Hoggard, Flintoff, Fraser,>DeFreitas... and I could go on. All have missed entire series with>injuries rather than stand and face the Aussies. It remains to be>seen how many more of the current crop will join this list before the>first test.>
Shame on you Giles.
Reminds me of Alan Border's quote on injuries: "It doesn't hurt so much when you're winning."
Border was known as a hard task master. When Dean Jones was seriously dehydrated on a pitch in India he told Border (after throwing up) that he needed to go off. Border was meant to have said something along the lines of: "Fine, then I'll get a batsman who wants to make runs." This hardened Jones who stayed in, made 210 and went to hospital on a saline drip.
I think England need some of this intensity. One moment for me in the 2001 series was watching Steve Waugh limp to his century at the Oval. Coming back after suffering a leg injury, it was remarkable. As commented upon by Cricinfo:
"But Waugh did play at The Oval, in a move seen by some as sticking his tongue out at some of the England players who had dropped out with less-serious injuries earlier in the series. Early on Waugh strained the injured leg again, but he just gritted his teeth and carried on. Oh, and finished up with 157 not out ..."
Our cricketers (in general) need to get to that level of mental toughness. Bloody hell, you're playing for your country - what more motivation do you need?
On Mon, 23 May 2005 20:56:31 GMT, "Chris Weston" <chris.weston[losethislot]@blueyonder.co.uk> tapped the keyboard and brought forth:
<sunstormrider@hotmail.com> wrote in message>news:1116847008.088520.141910@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...>>
Shame on you Giles.>>
The most surprising aspect was that Batty is still number 2 for England.>I'd have thought that Swann or even Jason Brown might have been picked.
I'm keen on the fact that England now don't chop and change every week or month, but every so ofen you have to realise that someone isn't worth continuing with. Batty seems to me to fall into this category.
Let's hope El Rey can reascend the Spinnish throne by Thursday.
<sunstormrider@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1116847008.088520.141910@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...> For as long as I can remember, when England come up against good> Australian sides, key players break down with countless injuries. I> see Giles has done just this and Australia aren't even in the country!> Sounds serious so he's surely a doubt for the entire summer now.>
He'll join "illustious" company of White, Hoggard, Flintoff, Fraser,> DeFreitas... and I could go on. All have missed entire series with> injuries rather than stand and face the Aussies. It remains to be> seen how many more of the current crop will join this list before the> first test.>
Shame on you Giles.
This is an annual occurrence for these wimps, never mind when Australia visits. Last year the captain was shitting himself so much at the prospect of fronting up to the mighty New Zealand at Lord's that he faked a knee injury and left Trescothick to hold the baby. This state of panic even found its way into the commentary box, where one of the staff was reduced to taking mind-altering substances when faced with the enormity of having to watch Mark Richardson bat for half of the match.
After one match of the series, the battle-hardened Hussain was a quivering wreck and promptly announced that he'd rather talk about the matches than play in them. The Welsh bowler had revealed a typical lack of character and also disappeared without trace. The captain was persuaded to return, but bailed out mid-match to go and hold a baby.
So the King of Pain is feeling a bit hip. What of it?
"Mike Holmans" <mike@jackalope.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:hnk491l43bur0gcsmaoqbnin9kk2fa5nan@4ax.com...> On Mon, 23 May 2005 20:56:31 GMT, "Chris Weston"> <chris.weston[losethislot]@blueyonder.co.uk> tapped the keyboard and> brought forth:>
<sunstormrider@hotmail.com> wrote in message>>news:1116847008.088520.141910@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...>>>
Shame on you Giles.>>>
The most surprising aspect was that Batty is still number 2 for England.>>I'd have thought that Swann or even Jason Brown might have been picked.>
I'm keen on the fact that England now don't chop and change every week> or month, but every so ofen you have to realise that someone isn't> worth continuing with. Batty seems to me to fall into this category.>
I heartily agree with that. Batty is a) rubbish b) unlucky (his first ball in international cricket was a 95mph inswinging yorker from Brett Lee - I can think of easier debuts. His one test against WI was at Antigua last year - I can think of easier one-offs).
Come what may though, he is rubbish and has a big mouth. Fletcher seems to have the attitude sometimes that if you bring in a player to fill a gap, e.g. a spinner - then it doesn't matter how bad they are if they can bat a bit. Sure Batty can bat a bit and is perhaps better in the field than Gilo - but he doesn't spin the f****** ball - which is a bit of a problem for a spin bowler.
Every time I've seen Swann bowl he's impressed me. Like Batty he bowls an attacking line (outside off stump to the right handers). Unlike Batty, he changes his line to the left handers i.e. he doesn't bowl a foot wide down the leg side and get swept all the time. Furthermore Swann is slightly quicker through the air than Batty so gets away with more loop and consequently does more batsmen in the flight. He (Swann) is no Laker - but he is the best off spinner we have and certainly better than Batty.
In short, every time I've seen Swann he's impressed me. Every time I've seen Batty I've thought .oO Big mouth talentless squeaky voiced idiot.
"Rob" <gofyself@wrong.address.com> wrote in message news:RlMke.12439$X86.5547@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...> <snip England spin crisis>> I heartily agree with that. Batty is> a) rubbish> b) unlucky (his first ball in international cricket was a 95mph inswinging> yorker from Brett Lee - I can think of easier debuts. His one test against> WI was at Antigua last year - I can think of easier one-offs).>
Come what may though, he is rubbish and has a big mouth. Fletcher seems
have the attitude sometimes that if you bring in a player to fill a gap,> e.g. a spinner - then it doesn't matter how bad they are if they can bat a> bit. Sure Batty can bat a bit and is perhaps better in the field than> Gilo - but he doesn't spin the f****** ball - which is a bit of a problem> for a spin bowler.>
Every time I've seen Swann bowl he's impressed me. Like Batty he bowls
attacking line (outside off stump to the right handers). Unlike Batty,
changes his line to the left handers i.e. he doesn't bowl a foot wide down> the leg side and get swept all the time. Furthermore Swann is slightly> quicker through the air than Batty so gets away with more loop and> consequently does more batsmen in the flight. He (Swann) is no Laker -
he is the best off spinner we have and certainly better than Batty.>
In short, every time I've seen Swann he's impressed me. Every time I've> seen Batty I've thought .oO Big mouth talentless squeaky voiced idiot.
Unfortunately Swann has the reputation of being a similar "Big mouth talentless squeaky voiced idiot". Correction - there is a suspicion that he may possess some talent, but hides it under three layers of arrogance. But, if he's grown up a bit, he should be a strong candidate.
On Mon, 23 May 2005 20:56:31 GMT, "Chris Weston" <chris.weston[losethislot]@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
<sunstormrider@hotmail.com> wrote in message>news:1116847008.088520.141910@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...>>
Shame on you Giles.>>
The most surprising aspect was that Batty is still number 2 for England.>I'd have thought that Swann or even Jason Brown might have been picked.
Jason Brown had a horrible season in 2004 which has probably finished his hopes of an international career. Swann is injured at the moment I believe - he had to pull out of Notts' CC match against Kent last week and hasn't made the side for their current game either.
"Chris Weston" <chris.weston[losethislot]@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message news:nzUke.15386$V%.14667@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net...>
"Rob" <gofyself@wrong.address.com> wrote in message> news:RlMke.12439$X86.5547@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...>>
<snip England spin crisis>>> I heartily agree with that. Batty is>> a) rubbish>> b) unlucky (his first ball in international cricket was a 95mph >> inswinging>> yorker from Brett Lee - I can think of easier debuts. His one test> against>> WI was at Antigua last year - I can think of easier one-offs).>>
Come what may though, he is rubbish and has a big mouth. Fletcher seems> to>> have the attitude sometimes that if you bring in a player to fill a gap,>> e.g. a spinner - then it doesn't matter how bad they are if they can bat >> a>> bit. Sure Batty can bat a bit and is perhaps better in the field than>> Gilo - but he doesn't spin the f****** ball - which is a bit of a problem>> for a spin bowler.>>
Every time I've seen Swann bowl he's impressed me. Like Batty he bowls> an>> attacking line (outside off stump to the right handers). Unlike Batty,> he>> changes his line to the left handers i.e. he doesn't bowl a foot wide >> down>> the leg side and get swept all the time. Furthermore Swann is slightly>> quicker through the air than Batty so gets away with more loop and>> consequently does more batsmen in the flight. He (Swann) is no Laker -> but>> he is the best off spinner we have and certainly better than Batty.>>
In short, every time I've seen Swann he's impressed me. Every time I've>> seen Batty I've thought .oO Big mouth talentless squeaky voiced idiot.>
Unfortunately Swann has the reputation of being a similar "Big mouth> talentless squeaky voiced idiot". Correction - there is a suspicion that > he> may possess some talent, but hides it under three layers of arrogance. > But,> if he's grown up a bit, he should be a strong candidate.>
-- > Chris Weston>
I've heard he's "got attitude" too. However, we almost forget that confidence and arrogance are not easily differentiated. Let's face it - all Australians are arrogant - but you can't fault them because they have the talent and results to justify it. When you get arrogant players without talent - they just look stupid. The difference is obviously the talent - and Swann has a bit more than Batty.
