Leading the Aussie team

Was amused to read a headline on Cricinfo:
"Even my mother can lead the Aussie team".

Ah, I thought...here goes (Sir) Geoffrey again...But it came from Chris Cairns...

Yeah, reinforced bat or not, Mr. Ponting sure is in for some competition from Mrs. Lance Cairns! I bet someone reading about this latest doing of Mr.Ponting will probably classify him in a category reserved for another great aussie batsman-captain (and no, we arent talking about Bradman)...

I got into a discussion with Sandy the other day on the bus about the greatness of today's teams and their coaches...The gist of it was that with such a good team, a lot of people tend to think that Buchanan is the best coach. I'd probably tend to sit on the fence (dont I always!). He's a shrewd man undoubtedly, especially with his affinity for "Art of War"...(imagine Kaps/Wadekar expounding on the "art of war").....and it's just 'coz the Aussie team's doing well that he's considered by many to be the best coach around. Let's face it..Ponting has an awesome team, which I shall not name for lack of enthu...too many blokes...(On second thoughts, I'm sure there are quite a few epics starting with the Gita which could be put to use in inspiring the insipid Indian team).

Next man up in the witness box...Mr. Bob Woolmer...he of the earpieces and hi-tec laptops etc etc...He is the man who really revolutionized technology in cricket coaching. He worked wonders with SA, but then again he had a great captain in Cronje (before he became sticky-fingered), and a bunch of good cricketers in Rhodes, Cullinan (before Warney dismantled him), Kallis, Gary Kirsten and Donald. I'm sure if the Pak team just listened to him, instead of dismissing him as another gora they'd do a wee bit better (Case in point being a Paki player griping on the Indian tour - openly- about Woolmer's folly in leaving him outta the team). Inzy is a lousy skipper...bring on Younis Khan....

Dave Whatmore worked wonders with SL in 1995-96, but then again they had Ranatunga at the helm. They revolutionized the way the game was played in the first 15 overs. I dont know if he can help the Bangladeshis though, with all due to respect to them. Agreed, they beat us in an ODI...utter fluke....we wr too complacent.

Duncan Fletcher's really gotten the English team to play some good cricket over the last couple of years. This is one team which has been resurgent over the last 3 years or so, and due thanks have to be given to Nasser Hussain too. Plus, a few new faces have been thrown up...dudes who are willing to play like well...lions - Harmison, Pietersen....

Bennett King - Bennett Who? No hope for them Windies dudes...No maaaaaaaaan...no waaaaaaaaaaay.....With the exception of Lara, Sarwan and maybe Chanderpaul...this team has zero hope....But then believe me, it will all change once Lara retires...I believe that the Windies are paying the price for being complacent in the early 90's when they did away with the services of Richards et al. It was a huge dishonor for the man who had served Windies cricket really well...(I shall not elaborate)...The other point (agreed Walshie and Ambrose were good), it's payback time for all the Pommies and Aussies who got their noses broken and bodies bruised...

??????? as the Indian coach. He better be good...He's got a half-decent team, full of lazy fools some of whom are bothered pretty much only about endorsements and advertisements...Someone who can kick butt like Wright, and someone willing to stand face to face inches away from Ganguly's face and scream in his face (oh yeah, did someone say Ganguly's days in the team were over?)....

Bracewell - needs some gripe water. Maybe we should export some to NZ...The guy's a decent coach, but too grouchy....

Zimbabwe - God know what's happening there...The "rebels" keep changing their mind. If I were in their place I'd probably get the hell outta there before Mugabe's thugs came a-calling! They're asking for trouble...

Daily dekko: As is usualy the case, from Amit Varma's blog....it had me in splits..
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