Musings about sports in general, & Cricket in particular. With baseball season coming up, will look into that, too. And lots of good cricket in 2007, including the World Cup.
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This is where you stick random tidbits of information about yourself.
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20030411
Well mates, it looks like kudos are due to the Aussies again: at 1st day stumps, it's West Indies 237 all out, Australia 120/1. Things are definitely looking up for the tourists. Langer & Ponting had a superb 2nd wicket partnership of 83, & the team must be looking forward to getting back on the pitch bright & early.
I'm so glad that Steve Waugh is the one to break the Test record: Happy 157th, Steve! It couldn't happen to a better man. The thing that impresses me the most about this team is how they're able to submerge their egos & concentrate on the task at hand, which is winning. Waugh is not the most successful captain of all time for nothing. And his team is not just a team for the ages for nothing. They're a team in the true sense, in that they're able to roll with the punches (a la the unexpected loss of Shane Warne) & still find ways to beat you. Their record over the last few years has been absolutely phenomenal, especially as the world game has gotten so competitive with the develop of the Lankans & Pakistanis, & the return of South Africa to international play. And rather than be hurt by the retirement of a Border or a Mark Waugh (as well as the unforeseen suspensions & injuries that are part of the game), Australia has merely re-loaded, rather than re-built. For them to have enjoyed this kind of record is something to be savored as it happens so infrequently. I expect them to sweep the West Indies. I understand the rationale in not having Waugh handle the one-day team, but hope he has a few more years in him with the Test squad.
I really like the trend in having different captains for the test & one-day teams: it's been done for years with the make-up of the squads, so why not factor in the captain in that mix. Because of the World Cup & the preperations for that, you really do want to be developing your one-day squad constantly, shuffling in the young lions, but for the test squad, since it's such a different animal altogether, I think the on the whole an older, wiser lineup is needed. Nasser Hussein is wise to retire from the one-day squad & give the ECB a chance to develop a new captain for the next Cup, but I would hate to lose him in the Test arena: he can really shine there. I think that seperate captains create less of an onus, as it enables the captain of each squad more time to complete his strategy. On the whole, I much prefer the Test match, with its fluctuations & its strategies. It is much more like a battle, & much more in need of competent leadership, than almost any other sport that comes to mind. It is especially poignant now to see the West Indies, who formerly enjoyed a reputation comparable with Australia's recent one, in this particular series. With Brian Lara back at the helm for the Windies, it really does seem like old home week again.
Really, I don't think it matters whether Waugh or Ponting or the recently-retired Phil Tufnell is captain of the Aussies: to a man, they seem committed to winning. Their professionalism is a physical presence with them, & I think that the other teams sense that. Waugh can claim much credit for instilling this presence in them, & his own killer instincts serve both him & his team well. I can't wait for tomorrow morning!
1:31 AM
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