When was the last time an Australian cricket team got sent off in the group stages of a World Cup tournament? When was the last time an Australian cricket team considered a win against Bangladesh their consolation prize? Twenty20 cricket does strange things to long-standing reputations, as George Bailey's men recently found out. With 3 losses in 4 games, the Baggy Greens are gone even before the semis started.
Perhaps it was Mitchell Johnson's absence that made the Australians so insipid on the field. After all, it was the 'Enforcer' who played the largest part in their Ashes whitewash not too long ago. But when you look more closely, you can't even compare that Ashes campaign with the WT20. Australia, like a lot of others, play different players in different formats. The side that came to Bangladesh a couple of weeks ago came without, not just Johnson, but also Clarke, Harris and Lyon. Indeed, Australia have been rather sceptical about the adaptability of their own players lately.
It's not hard for an Australian side to find inspiration. Few sides in world cricket have the kind of legacy they have. For over a decade, they dominated world cricket across formats, conditions and continents. A number of those who represented the country over that period in time went down as all-time legends, filling up history books and cricketing folktales. What was so different about them that made them so efficient?
It's in fact a couple of significant factors:
#1) Unparalleled talent: The Aussie side of the 2000s was made of men who set benchmarks in their respective fields. When one thinks of becoming a world-class wicketkeeper today, he takes inspiration from Adam Gilchrist. When one thinks of batting heroes, he invariably considers Ricky Ponting after Sachin Tendulkar. When one learns the art of pace bowling, he strives to achieve the standards of Glenn McGrath. When one takes up spin bowling, he looks up to Shane Warne. Put all those people in a single team. That's the one Ponting was fortunate enough to lead.
#2) Well-defined playing roles: Very rarely did you find the Australians mix and match their playing squad in the 2000s. The team sheet was largely known even before the tour began. That's because every man in that squad knew exactly what was required of him, and all that he ever did was play that role - and play it to perfection. Contrast that with what the Aussies do today. The Australian batting order goes through more shuffling with each passing game than a deck of cards in the casino. To the player, it's like a change of profession everyday.
#3) Hunt in pairs: One of the most striking features I noticed in the Aussie side of old is how they played in pairs. When you think of that Australian side, you almost never think of one single player without associating another man as his sidekick of sorts. Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee (or Shane Warne at times), Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke. One man often played in tandem with the other, their roles perfectly complementing each other. It's a trait few sides in modern cricket have mastered.
Granted, it's almost impossible for any future generation of cricketers to do what the Australia of the 2000s did. Seldom does there come a time when all your best talent as a nation is fitted into a single generation. When all that is exhausted, you spend the next few years searching in the hay for replacements that are hard to find. And in the process, you feel unsettled, confused and anxious. Poor old Bailey must only be moaning the words of Caius Cassius now - "Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!"
Perhaps it was Mitchell Johnson's absence that made the Australians so insipid on the field. After all, it was the 'Enforcer' who played the largest part in their Ashes whitewash not too long ago. But when you look more closely, you can't even compare that Ashes campaign with the WT20. Australia, like a lot of others, play different players in different formats. The side that came to Bangladesh a couple of weeks ago came without, not just Johnson, but also Clarke, Harris and Lyon. Indeed, Australia have been rather sceptical about the adaptability of their own players lately.
It's not hard for an Australian side to find inspiration. Few sides in world cricket have the kind of legacy they have. For over a decade, they dominated world cricket across formats, conditions and continents. A number of those who represented the country over that period in time went down as all-time legends, filling up history books and cricketing folktales. What was so different about them that made them so efficient?
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| The Invincibles: No Aussie team for a while will emulate them |
#1) Unparalleled talent: The Aussie side of the 2000s was made of men who set benchmarks in their respective fields. When one thinks of becoming a world-class wicketkeeper today, he takes inspiration from Adam Gilchrist. When one thinks of batting heroes, he invariably considers Ricky Ponting after Sachin Tendulkar. When one learns the art of pace bowling, he strives to achieve the standards of Glenn McGrath. When one takes up spin bowling, he looks up to Shane Warne. Put all those people in a single team. That's the one Ponting was fortunate enough to lead.
#2) Well-defined playing roles: Very rarely did you find the Australians mix and match their playing squad in the 2000s. The team sheet was largely known even before the tour began. That's because every man in that squad knew exactly what was required of him, and all that he ever did was play that role - and play it to perfection. Contrast that with what the Aussies do today. The Australian batting order goes through more shuffling with each passing game than a deck of cards in the casino. To the player, it's like a change of profession everyday.
#3) Hunt in pairs: One of the most striking features I noticed in the Aussie side of old is how they played in pairs. When you think of that Australian side, you almost never think of one single player without associating another man as his sidekick of sorts. Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee (or Shane Warne at times), Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke. One man often played in tandem with the other, their roles perfectly complementing each other. It's a trait few sides in modern cricket have mastered.
Granted, it's almost impossible for any future generation of cricketers to do what the Australia of the 2000s did. Seldom does there come a time when all your best talent as a nation is fitted into a single generation. When all that is exhausted, you spend the next few years searching in the hay for replacements that are hard to find. And in the process, you feel unsettled, confused and anxious. Poor old Bailey must only be moaning the words of Caius Cassius now - "Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!"
