The Reverse Sweep

Shane Watson wins lots of awards for nearly being good

 
Perhaps one of the best indications of Australian cricket being in the doldrums is the fact that Shane Watson has won the Allan Border medal for the second successive year. Not only that, but he won the awards for the best Test and ODI player too.

Now we’re not exactly big fans of Watson here at the Reverse Sweep, but this post isn’t intended to be a dig at Twatto, but more that someone who did okay – no more – can scoop all the big prizes.

Watson’s Test record for the qualification period was decent but hardly spectacular - 847 runs at 44.57 and 16 wickets at 29.25. He only scored the one hundred – an admittedly excellent knock at Mohali - and other than that he perfected the art of reaching 50 and then getting out as well as providing hilarity by serially running his batting partner out.

In ODIs, Watson’s record was similarly steady but hardly earth shattering with 858 runs at 40.85 and 20 wickets at 26.60. Again, he only registered the one hundred – that magnificent 161 not out against England at Melbourne.

But when you look who his closest challengers were, it is difficult to find an argument for not giving Watson the awards. In the Test category, Mitchell Johnson was runner-up and Mike Hussey was third. Anyone who saw Johnson bowl at Brisbane in the Ashes may find this rather amusing. They must have been rolling in the aisles when they discovered that Marcus North came fourth.

Whilst in the ODI category, Watson’s nearest challengers were Michael Clarke and Cameron White. Beating a man who is increasingly being booed by his own supporters is hardly something to write home about - if indeed, Watson can write anything more than his name.

And having won the second and third most prestigious prizes, Watson was obviously going to be a shoo-in for the Allan Border medal.

So, it seems Australian cricket has come to this. A bloke that did alright – nothing more – sweeps the board when the individual prizes are handed out, whilst a wayward fast bowler who only performs well on his home ground in Perth finishes second in the Test category.

History will record the years 2007-2011 as Australian cricket’s mediocre years. The only question is how much longer will this era last?

Where next?

Zeroes: Shane Watson

Zeroes: Mitchell Johnson

Check out all our other Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Exclusive: The New Ten Point Pakistan Player Code of Conduct

Full coverage of the Ashes 2010/11 series

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Where do demoralised Australia go from here?

 
In the end Australia left Adelaide with barely a whimper and long before the arrival of the thunderstorm that must have being praying on English minds overnight. 
 
In truth the only storm that counts is the one that is now engulfing Ricky Ponting and the Australian selectors as they try to find an XI that can compete with England and somehow win two and draw one of the three remaining tests in the series. Otherwise, Ponting is in danger of having his legacy as the best Australian batsman since Bradman besmirched. Instead, he will forever be known as the captain that lost three Ashes series.
 
As an honest Ponting admitted, Australia were “out-batted, out-bowled and out-fielded” by a rampant England team. And as he and the selectors pick through the wreckage, the temptation will be to make wholesale changes to the side that takes the field at the WACA next week.
 
There will be at least one change, with Simon Katich’s achilles problem ruling him out of the rest of the series and given his years will perhaps curtail his test career for good. Phil Hughes is likely to return at the top of the order. Elsewhere, Marcus North’s position at number six will come under scrutiny and then there are the bowlers. Of the four who played in Adelaide, only Ryan Harris comes out with any credit with the other three all in danger of losing their place.
 
Aside form Andrew Strauss’ injudicious leave, Doug Bollinger looked was simply dreadful - he wasn't quick enough, leaked too many runs and his body language was terrible. He certainly lacked the fizz that his name would otherwise imply. As such Mitchell Johnson’s exile may only last for one match.
 
Peter Siddle has experienced the highs and lows of test cricket in just a week - six wickets and a birthday hat-trick on day one of the series and 54 wicketless overs since. Whilst he continued to run in and give it everything, Siddle looked like what he is – a bowler returning from a long-time injury. It is likely to come down to a borderline decision between him and Ben Hilfenhaus – who was inexplicably left out at Adelaide.
 
Both may play if the selectors opt for four seamers – as Xavier Doherty’s brief sojourn in test cricket will surely be put out of its misery. The gamble simply hasn’t worked – hardly surprising given his first-class record. However, having dispensed with Nathan Hauritz before the series, are the Australian selectors prepared to look a bit foolish by going back to him cap in hand now? Or do they turn instead to the rookie Steve Smith, who could take North’s place and provide support to a four-seam attack? If so, Mark Cameron of New South Wales is a good outside bet to join Harris, Johnson, Siddle and Hilfenhaus in the squad.
 
If Hauritz gets the nod and Australia retain the four bowler policy with Shane Watson as back-up seamer, North could survive for his home test. Cameron White - a possible alternative to Clarke as next captain, Usman Khawaja and Callum Ferguson are all contenders for North's spot if the selectors press the eject button.
 
For what it’s worth our squad would be as follows, with the XI highlighted in bold: Watson, Hughes, Clarke, Hussey, Ponting, White, Haddin, Johnson, Hauritz, Harris, Hilfenhaus, Siddle and Smith. We've been calling for Ponting to drop down the order for a while. It will allow him to compartmentalise the captaincy and give him a better chance of getting back to his imperious best with the bat.

Where next?

Read all the latest from our Ashes 2010/11 coverage

1st Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

2nd Test: England marks out of 10, Australia marks out of 10

Check out all our Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Ashes 100-1: 10 - Australia 17 Man Squad Keeps England Guessing

 
This morning we were rather mocking in our views on the Australian selectors picking a 17 man squad for the Brisbane Test - see Australia win the Ashes 17-16 - David Siddall of World Cricket Watch sees things differently...

So this morning cricket Australia announced an obscenely large 17 man squad 10 days before the Ashes because of apparent “financial and marketing strain” placed upon them. The squad of 17 is larger than the entire England touring party and contains 3 spinners in Hauritz, Doherty and Smith which also seems somewhat excessive.

What turned about to be a media non-event has been met by a scathing attack from Peter English at CricInfo. If the selectors hands were truly forced to name a squad so early by the marketing powers that lie within Cricket Australia, I feel Mr English’s attack is unwarranted and contravenes what’s best for the Australian cricket team.

An interesting sidenote exists here if we take a holistic approach to analysing the squad for a moment. The names selected for the squad itself have not gone down so well with certain sections of the fans. Some notable exceptions are Cameron White (a possible candidate for the captaincy), Philip Hughes (considered the next Bradman not so long ago) and Andrew McDonald (arguably the most in form all rounder in Australia). Yet to be frank, these exceptions come as no surprise with all three of the candidates much more likely to play a role in the inevitable rebuilding process.

Going back to the issue of the colossal squad then picking 17 players makes more sense than a streamlined 12 or 13. A lot of cricket is to be played in the week leading up to the opening test as there is a full round of the Sheffield Shield alongside the Australia A – England game at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.

Frankly it is better for Australia to keep England guessing rather than locking in a team compromising of a few too many players struggling for form. What if Usman Khawaja scores a big ton against England and continues his rich vein of form? What if Xavier Doherty takes a five wicket haul? What if Marcus North and Michael Hussey continue to fail with the bat? These are questions that the Australian selectors need to know the answers to before they trim down their squad to a more respectable size.

Australia squad Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Marcus North, Usman Khawaja, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin (wk), Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Xavier Doherty, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger.

Zeroes: Michael Hussey

 
If we were writing this piece three years ago, then we would simply be adjudging Hussey a zero on the strength of his then test match average of 86, which meant that as an Englishman we feared that Australia had discovered - albeit belatedly - the new Don Bradman.

Since then Hussey's average has gone into a rapid freefall from 30,000 feet and has now dipped below 50. Football is sometimes referred to as a game of two halves - well, Hussey's test career is a tale of two halves. And after being 5-0 up at half-time, Hussey is now amazingly 6-5 down and is in danger of being substituted before or during the upcoming Ashes series.

Indeed, Hussey only averages 34 from his last 28 tests with just the two hundreds. The first of those came at The Oval in the Ashes decider of 2009 - but the fact that Hussey ran out Ricky Ponting when Australia were going well in pursuit of an impossible target casts a shadow over that hundred.

The second famously came at Sydney in the come from behind victory against Pakistan at the start of 2010, but considering he was dropped on about 75 occasions by the butter fingered Kamran Akmal, Hussey was effectively five wickets down by the time he reached his ton. Since then Hussey has resembled Mr Walking Wicket in tests rather than his ridiculous Mr Cricket moniker.

Despite still cutting the mustard in Twenty 20 and one day internationals, Hussey looks shot as a test batsman. But still the Australian selectors persist with him.

As an Englishman, we will be delighted to see Hussey's brief forays to the crease during the upcoming series even if it means we will have to watch his functional and unflashy batting. But for providing a false dawn that there was a new Bradman on the block and for keeping the flamboyant Cameron White out of the test side, Hussey is a Reverse Sweep zero.

Where next?

Check out all our other Reverse Sweep heroes and zeroes

Australian Ashes Squad: Player Profiles

England Ashes Squad: Player Profiles

Ashes 100-1: 20 - Let's play the Australian Cricket Captain Lottery

 
With just 20 days to go until the Ashes and rumours abound of disention within the Australian camp, Matthew Wood, World Cricket Watch columnist and writer at Balanced Sports, invites everyone to have a go at the Australian captaincy lottery.

The news that the Australian dressing room is split into camps for and against Michael Clarke’s fait-d’accompli ascension to the captaincy is hardly surprising.  Rarely is there a clear-cut situation after a captain departs the international scene, it just happens that Australia’s Golden Age of cricketers were born far enough apart to produce three fantastic individual performers in Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting, who were each the natural successor to the previous captain.

The current Australian cricket team does not resemble those strong teams of the past.  Indeed, it resembles more the squad of a divided central board: a board that plays favourites and is looking only towards short term results.  Clarke has been management’s Golden Hair’d Boy since before his elevation to the captaincy of Australia A in 2003 over more experienced teammates.  True, he’s been about the only certainty to retain his place in the national setup Post-Ponting, but his lack of ability to lead publicly – like the current Aussie skipper – only casts more doubt on his ability to be effective in a role which infamously shoulders nearly as much pressure as the role of Australian Prime Minister.

It was news to me that Marcus North and Callum Ferguson were considered by corners of the dressing room a more worthy Test captain than Clarke.  That Cameron White – he of nearly ten years’ Victorian captaincy – was also named was less surprising.  (We actually posited on the best selections for captain previously -  check out the Great Cricket Debate and the Australia Ashes Squad Profiles posts) But after the last few months it’s emerged that Clarke is no longer unanimously the best choice to captain Australia after Ponting’s abdication.

Are there any more questions as to why?  Watch one of his pressers and you’ll know.  He’s about as transparent as shopfront glass and just as interesting.  It’s not just that though: it’s his lapsed romance with “Australia’s Classiest Lass” Bingle, it’s also his dressing-room confrontation with Simon Katich after a win last year and especially his veiled criticism of IPL-playing teammates in such a “holier-than-thou” manner.  That he’s nearly thirty and still bears the nickname “Pup” speaks volumes about his standing amongst his teammates: nicknames like “Rookie” or “The Kid” tend to disappear as the player assumes more authority but not in this case.

At present, both North and White are flawed selections, however.  This is simply because neither of them are able to justify their place in the Test team through their performances.  If a captain is unable to lead publicly then they must do so via their on-field prowess.

This, particularly, is what makes Clarke’s case compelling – he is now rivalled only by his openers as a Test batsman.  North and White, though both decidedly more affable and having more domestic leadership experience, have been unable to establish themselves in the Test side due to a lack of consistency, skill, opportunity or New South Wales blood.  In order to justify his position as skipper, a captain must deliver on-field and cricket history is rife with examples of leaders picked for their interpersonal or schmoozing skills but lacking the requisite on-field graft: Mike Brearley.  Brian Booth.  Lee Germon.  Mike Denness.  Darren Sammy.  Chris Cowdrey.  It’s no coincidence that three of the aforementioned are English, installed by an MCC board attempting to still the waters of revolution.  The revolution is coming again: this one Free Agency, pioneered by the West Indies, if only this time by necessity and money rather than by any pioneering spirit.

There always remains the ability to grow into the public leadership role as Alan Border did.  Border, a notoriously private man off the field, grew taciturn at even implied criticism yet was able to turn his media discomfort into an advantage as he created a whole new persona for himself as “Captain Grumpy”.  The problem with Clarke is that he’s had international leadership experience now for the best part of five years and has yet to grow into this role.  He hasn’t shown a maturity of personality that’s come with this experience, just a realisation that his performances have to justify his exalted status and as such he withdrawn into himself both on the field and off.  Rather than grow and expand his focus outward, Clarke has retracted with his eyes firmly on himself.  It’s not selfish, because I’m certain he sees himself as leading via performance rather than by inspiration.

And that’s not to say that one must choose to lead by performance or by inspiration.  Both Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh were able to do so successfully.  So were Clive Lloyd and Sir Viv Richards – in fact, all the great captains were able to combine the two elements.  Border grew into leading both ways.  It’s just one tends to, by their own experience, develop – value, even – one style more than the other.

Ponting’s imminent pasturing is not the real reason to sweat on a new captain.  The skipper has shown no signs of wanting to retire nor would it make any sense for him to play on under a new captain, so if Australia wants him, then get him as captain.  The greater concern is that unlike their famous “We love the Underdog” mentality, the turmoil surrounding the national team corresponds with dramatically falling interest levels in cricket in Australia.  The current squad doesn’t need an heir apparent, it needs stability to come from anywhere: performances, selections, the future.  A captain with the ability to combine performance and attitude will emerge in time, but perhaps not in time enough to still Australia’s slide into cricketing no-man’s-land…

Who would be your choice for captain?

Ashes 100-1: 21 - Australia Ashes Squad Profiles

 
Yesterday we profiled the sixteen hungry men tasked with retaining the Ashes for England on Australian soil. Today, we look at their hosts who will be aiming to win their sixth successive home Ashes series:

Ricky Ponting – A fading force with the bat and a captain on the verge of becoming the first Australian skipper to lose three Ashes series. The next two months are likely to embellish or potentially curtail a fine career.

Michael Clarke – Was arguably the best batsman on either side in the 2009 series, but has looked out of sorts since his much publicised split with Lara Bingle. His press conferences are an unbeatable cure for insomniacs.

Shane Watson– Has proved an unlikely success as an opener - and as such is after Ponting, Australia’s key batsman - but is a walking LBW early on. Innocuous medium pace is more dangerous than it looks – just ask Pakistan’s batsmen.

Simon Katich – As difficult to dislodge as the most plucky of barnacles - until he reaches 80 or 90 that is. Not the prettiest to watch at the crease, which even the man himself acknowledged recently when he said that "I think more people get enjoyment out of watching me bowl than bat".

Michael Hussey – Only averages 34 in his last 28 tests and may be lucky to survive the series especially as Kamran Akmal will not be behind the stumps.

Marcus North – Just when you thought he was out for the count, North sprung back off the canvas (and not for the first time either) with a career saving hundred at Bangalore. That revival does not hide the fact though that North is another unlikely to last the series if Australia make a poor start.

Callum Ferguson – Has a “big chance” of making his test bow at Brisbane according to Tim Nielsen. But a first-class average in the mid-thirties will not have England quaking in their size nines.

Usman Khawaja – Immensely talented New South Wales batsman with a first-class average of 54 who could become the first Muslim to play cricket for Australia.

Phil Hughes – Tagged as the “new Bradman” when he exploded onto the test scene against South Africa in 2009 before being rapidly dispensed with. A first-class average of 60 suggests Hughes is better than his brief appearance in the 2009 series suggested.

Cameron White – Test career has been harmed by the fact that White is a blond Victorian who bowls a bit of leg-spin. An Australian middle-order with White at five would look a much tougher proposition for Strauss and co.

Brad Haddin – An exceptionally good number seven – albeit with a propensity for being over-reckless at times. Not so good with the gloves and his place must be under pressure from the impressive Paine.

Tim Paine – Impressed with bat and gloves in India and is clearly the long-term bet to cement a place in the test side. Will probably be Haddin’s understudy this time, however.

Nathan Hauritz – The nation that brought us Warne, O’Reilly and Grimmett now gives us the impotent Hauritz. In a contest between two evenly matched sides, the disparity between him and Swann could prove crucial in the final reckoning.

Steve Smith – If Australia choose to be adventurous, the young leggie could bat at seven ahead of four pacemen. But they won’t and Smith will start the series on the sidelines. A promising batsman, but significant work would appear to be needed on his bowling.

Xavier Doherty – A first-class average of 50 with the ball suggests his mention in dispatches is perhaps a ploy to wind up that habitual victim of slow-left armers – Kevin Pietersen. If he plays in the series, despite his impressive ODI bow yesterday, we will eat our collection of Wisdens.

Mitchell Johnson – His waywardness may make Harmison look metronomic in comparison, but he has an uncanny ability to take wickets with bad balls and is a different proposition on home pitches. England will underestimate Mummy’s Boy at their peril.

Ben Hilfenhaus – The best bowler on show on either side in the 2009 series is to some extent unproven on Australian wickets at the highest level having only played one of his 13 tests at home. That said, is a good bet to be the leading wicket taker in the series.

Doug Bollinger – The children’s TV lookalike (see Doug Bollinger's moonlighting again) is not as brave as Australian quicks of previous vintageif his absence from the final stages of the Mohali Test is anything to go by. Will test Strauss’ perceived weakness against left-arm new ball bowlers.

Peter Siddle – The man with the white lipstick is a solid if unspectacular performer and his recent injury problems mean he is likely to start the series on the sidelines.

Ryan Harris – A rag to riches tale has seen the late-blooming Harris emerge as an international bowler in the last 12 months. Another with recent injury worries.

Peter George – Innocuous on debut at Bangalore, but his height and natural bounce will be clearly more suited to home wickets should injuries give him an opportunity.

Tim Nielsen (Coach): The man who drew the short straw when taking over from Buchanan. His task of returning his charges to former glories looks a tougher one each day.

Where next?

Check out our full Ashes 100-1 countdown

England fly down under with hopes high

What can England learn from Australia's Indian woes?

 

Ashes 100-1: 31 - Why not Cameron White?

 
Today in our Ashes countdown, Blaise Murphet (a Victorian) of World Cricket Watch takes a look at Cameron White - surely a contender for a middle order position in Australia's test side and an alternative to Michael Clarke once Ricky Ponting finally relinquishes the captaincy.

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In article in last weekend’s edition of Melbourne’s The Age newspaper, a list of Australia’s ‘Missing XI’ was debated. In the article the author discussed a range of players who had been called upon by Australian selectors in recent times, but who now seemed to have fallen out of favour on the test scene.

Amongst the names of players such as Stuart Clark, Brad Hodge and David Hussey, was the Victorian captain and limited overs maestro Cameron White. White’s inclusion in the list certainly made one think further about the case for him to regain the baggy green.

In late 2008 White was somewhat surprisingly called up for the test squad to tour India. As Australia’s only spin bowling option for three of the four tests played, White admittedly struggled against a batting line-up that included the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman. Mind you, White’s inclusion as a spin bowler, and without support until Jason Krezja (another forgotten man) joined him in the last test, gave him little chance to succeed. As a result White managed only five wickets and 146 runs in the series. After this White was dropped from the team and has yet to resurface in any discussion regarding possible test line-ups.

So, did the four tests suggest that White, who is a dominant force in ODI’s averaging nearly 40 with the bat, isn’t cut out for test cricket? Or was this a case of a batsman incorrectly selected as a spin bowler? Since his elevation to the Victorian captaincy at 20 years of age White has been considered a great potential performer for Australia. However, complicating matters is that he has often been judged as a bowler, particularly given he’s from Victoria, bowls leg spin and has shock blonde hair (remind you of anyone??). A further complication is that White is often talked about in terms of his leadership, and this can only increase the pressure on him to perform consistently well, as may be expected of a captain or captain-to-be.

What then is the answer for Cameron White? The mixture of poise and aggression that he has shown at ODI level, particularly when batting up the order, has shown that he is a player that could certainly be selected on his batting merits alone. His bowling days, for better or worse, seem to be behind him, and thus he is unlikely to be selected in this position, despite Australia’s desperate need for a replacement for Warne.

At 27, White is in a prime position to take a spot in Australia’s middle order when the likes of Mike Hussey and Marcus North inevitably move on. He seems to be a perfect fit for Australia going forward once Michael Clarke takes the reigns of the team. With the mixture of scintillating stroke play, and his obvious ability to lead men, White should become an invaluable member of the test team as it makes its transition to an era post Ponting.

Where next?

Bodyline & other Ashes controversies

REVEALED: New Pakistan Player Code of Conduct

Is White a better punt than Clarke as Australian captain-in-waiting?

Nat West Series - Australia marks out of ten

Unlike England who played the same XI throughout the five games, Australia chopped and changed their line-up playing 15 men in the series for reasons of form and injury.

At first it looked like Australia were going to be humbled but with the introduction of the express Shaun Tait and some typically gritty performances, they managed to claw their way back to leave with a 3-2 defeat and arguably the momentum in their favour.

A 5-0 defeat may have left some scars that wouldn't have healed by the Ashes but a narrow series defeat with several key players missing and facing a buoyant England side, will give Ricky Ponting and his side some positives for November. However, the bragging rights are definitely with England for the time being.

So, how did the Aussies rate during the series?

Shane Watson - 7 (205 runs, avg 41.00, SR 85.06, 2 50s, HS 61. 2 wickets, avg 32.00 Econ 5.81 BB 2/55 Started the series as the only Australian in form but kept getting out when set much to his obvious disappointment. Bowling was pretty poor and the days of him being tagged as an all-rounder must now be gone.

Tim Paine - 6 (148 runs, avg 29.60, SR 63.79, 1 50, HS 54) A shadow of the batsman who shone in last autumn's series against the same opposition. Didn't score enough runs and those he did score were at too pedestrian a rate. Brad Haddin, your place is safe.

Ricky Ponting - 6 (144 runs, avg 28.80, SR 80.00, 1 50, HS 92) Unquestionably, the Australian captain is a player in irreversible decline as shown by his struggles in this series. But this was a batsman with the powers of Gandalf and this and his love of a fight, saw him set the foundations for his team's win at The Oval with an un-Ponting like 92.

Michael Clarke - 8 (220 runs, avg 110.00, SR 83.33, 2 50s, HS 99*) His 87 not out in the first match was not made at the pace his side required to set a winning target, but it is hard to criticise someone who had these stats for a one day series. His partnership with Ponting at The Oval was a matchwinning one however, even if it didn't give him the hundred he deserved.

Cameron White - 6 (145 runs, avg 36.25, SR 77.54, 1 50, HS 86*) A steady if unspectacular series for the normally big hitting White. It can't be often that his strike rate for a one day series is slower than Clarke's and his 86 not out at Cardiff proved to be too circumspect.

Mike Hussey - 6 (143 runs, avg 28.60, SR 97.27, 1 50, HS 79) Another Australian batsman who started the series in poor form and finished it close to his best. His 79 in the final match was a typical Hussey masterpiece and showed exactly why he is rated one of the best one day batsman in the world.

Shaun Marsh - 6 (59 runs, avg 59.00, SR 118.00, 1 50, HS 59) Just played the final match at Lord's and showed just what Australia had been missing. Could have played himself back into the team as Watson's opening partner.

James Hopes - 5 (2 wickets, avg 101, Econ 5.58, BB 1/30. 61 runs, avg 20.33, SR 103.38, HS 34) Reminds of one of the many bits and pieces cricketers England used to populate their one day side with in the nineties. Hopes' stats for the series bore this out too. His time must be nigh in this line-up.

Steve Smith - 7 (7 wickets, avg 26.00, Econ 5.05, BB 2/34. 94 runs, avg 31.33, SR 98.94, HS 41)Hugely impressive performance from the youngster especially as England would have targeted his leg spin as a weakness. Clearly he is no Warne, but he looks like he could have a long international career ahead of him all the same.

Nathan Hauritz - 5 (1 wicket, avg 100.00, Econ 5.55, BB 1/56) Played the first two matches before getting injured and must now fear that Smith will take his place in the test and one day sides. England would have been disappointed to see him go.

Doug Bollinger - 8 (9 wickets, avg 19.77, Econ 3.95, BB 3/20) Looks a very good bowler who wears his heart on his sleeve. Good performances throughout the series with wickets and a decent economy rate. Probably nailed on for a spot at The Gabba in November - form and fitness permitting.

Ryan Harris - 8 (10 wickets, avg 17.10, Econ 4.79, BB 5/32) Another impressive Australian bowler who bowls around 90mph, and despite playing four matches was the leading wicket taker for Ricky Ponting's men. Bowled beautifully at The Oval.

Shaun Tait - 9 (8 wickets, avg 12.37, Econ 3.88, BB 4/48) What would have happened if Tait had played the whole series? Must be the fastest bowler in the world at the moment and he combines taking wickets without leaking too many runs. Could be in line for a return to test cricket too - but is he fit enough?

Josh Hazelwood - 5 (1 wicket, avg 41.00, Econ 5.85, BB 1/41) The 19 year old made his debut at the Rose Bowl and seemed to do well enough, but was then never seen again. Did he get lost en route to Cardiff?

Clint McKay - 3 (1 match, 0/60) Also only played one match and didn't look much of a player on that showing. Strauss certainly punished his no-balls. 

Five days in cricket

Well we've quite a lot these last five days whilst we've been in hospital for the happy event of the birth of our daughter Isabella. Catching up we've missed some predictable and some not so predictable events.

1. We missed a brilliant game of cricket between India and Pakistan with Harbhajan Singh again proving he is the man for the big event.

2. England beat Scotland easily in a one day international and supposed slowcoach Andrew Strauss scored at a much quicker rate than greyhound opening partner Craig Kieswetter.

3. Australia were given a scare by Ireland. And then were also given a minor fright by Middlesex before Cameron White again underlined his credentials to be the next Australian captain in all formats. We saw too that Owais Shah gave a gentle reminder to the England selectors that he is still around.

4. We were delighted to miss test centuries by Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis as they were no doubt mind numbingly boring and efficient. At last the West Indies have shown a bit of fight in their reply though. One other observation is that test matches in the Caribbean have become slow and turgid affairs. When you add South Africa to the mix that equals utter tedium.

5. More games took place in the FP t20 and crowd numbers no doubt fell further as even the most ardent supporters start to tire of a never-ending competition that makes the overbloated cricket world cup look like Kate Moss in comparison. We did see that our county Sussex continue to do well though.

6. We were bemused to see that the PCB rescinded the ban on its best batsman Younis Khan and then promptly didn't pick him for the upcoming tests against Australia and England. So the lunatics are still in the charge of the asylum.

7. And finally, England's football team has surpassed itself with its utter incompetence. And the malaise has a warning for cricket too. More of which later.

But all in all, it's good to be back.

The Best XI of the World T20

Now that the dust has begun to settle following England's triumph, it seems an apt time to select our best XI of the World T20. Most of the picks are fairly obvious, but there are a few close calls and a fairly contentious selection for the all-rounder spot at number seven. We'd like to see this side take on the Worst XI of the tournament that we named yesterday. On current form, the result would be a formality, but you could certainly imagine Michael Clarke's dunces giving the Best XI a pretty close match if form and confidence could be rediscovered.

Anyway, without further ado, here is our side:

Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka): 302 runs, average 60.40, strike rate 159.78, 11 sixes - Started the competition like a train with scores of 81, 100 and 98 not out, but was derailed by the pace of Australia and know-how of England. Despite this the leading scorer in the tournament has more than earned his place in the side.

Craig Kieswetter (England): 222 runs, average 31.71, strike rate 116.84, 11 sixes - You wouldn't have known that this was Kieswetter's first international tournament. Fearless at the top of the order and along with Lumb, crucial in laying the foundations for England's batting. Is not yet the finished article especially with the gloves. Just pips Kamran Akmal thanks to his fifty in the final.

Kevin Pietersen (England): 248 runs, average 62.00, strike rate 137.77, 7 sixes - The Man of the Tournament was reborn and revitalised and had a domineering presence at the crease not seen since Viv Richards' halcyon days. The manner in which he smashed Shaun Tait for six in the final was as breathtaking as it was nonchalant. It all bodes very well for the Ashes.

Cameron White (Australia, Captain): 180 runs, average 45.00, strike rate 146.34, 12 sixes - The man who should be Australia's Twenty 20 captain was the leading six-hitter in the competition. Played a familiar role in resurrecting the Australian innings together with the Hussey brothers after the top order had failed. His innings against Pakistan in the semi-final was nearly as vital as Michael Hussey's.

Eoin Morgan (England): 183 runs, average 36.60, strike rate 128.87, 5 sixes - The excellence of England's top order meant that we didn't see much of Morgan's unorthodox hitting in the latter part of the tournament. But his contrasting knocks in the first two matches against West Indies and Ireland were spectacular and enough to get him in ahead of David Hussey. It looks like the 23 year old Irishman is going to be some player.

Michael Hussey (Australia): 188 runs, average 94.00, strike rate 175.70, 9 sixes - A finisher? Someone to resurrect an innings or put the gloss on an already good score? A big hitter? Take your pick because Hussey can play all these roles with aplomb. His 60 not out off only 24 balls was the innings of the tournament and his strike rate was the best of those that had more than two innings. What a luxury to have Hussey walking to the crease at six or seven.

Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka): 119 runs, average 23.80, strike rate 121.42, 3 sixes, 4 wickets, average 20.75, economy rate 6.91 - A contentious pick maybe, but with Kieron Pollard and Shahid Afridi having poor tournaments, Mathews pips Steve Smith, Tim Bresnan, Scott Styris and Daniel Vettori to the all-rounder slot. Had a good economy rate with the ball and his innings against India helped Sri Lanka into the semi-finals.

Graeme Swann (England): 10 wickets, average 14.40, economy rate 6.54 - The rise and rise of Swann continued. Not only takes regular wickets with his attacking bowling but does so at a miserly economy rate. His spell in the final put another nail in the Australian coffin. The best spinner in the tournament even if Steve Smith too one more wicket.

Stuart Broad (England): 8 wickets, average 17.50, economy rate 6.72 - Mitchell Johnson may have just had better figures, but Broad didn't suffer the aberration that was Umar Akmal's assault on the Australian bowler in the semi-final. In any case, Broad's mostly short of a length bowling was highly effective in the middle and the end of the twenty overs. Mohammad Aamer and Ryan Sidebottom also came close to selection here.

Dirk Nannes (Australia): 14 wickets, average 13.07, economy rate 7.03 - The leading wicket-taker in the competition only made his first-class debut at the age of 29. His bursts with the new ball along with partner-in-crime Tait, blew away most teams except Pakistan in the semi-final and England. On this form, should be in the Aussie one day side too.

Shaun Tait (Australia): 9 wickets, average 14.55, economy rate 5.53 - Despite the ease with which Pietersen played him in the final, Tait was magnificent throughout the competition. His economy rate was one of the best and the Indian top order are still probably having nightmares about facing him on the Bridgetown wicket.

 

Michael Hussey completes Mission Impossible

Pakistan must be sick of Michael Hussey and his superhero abilities. In the infamous Sydney test at the beginning of the year it was Hussey who swung a seemingly lost cause back for to Australia with a masterful hundred, admittedly aided and abetted by Kamran Akmal's butter fingers and an inevitable Pakistani batting collapse.

Yesterday when Hussey came in at 105 for 5 in the 13th over, with Australia still needing 87 for victory, his quest seemed hopeless. This was despite the best intentions of Cameron White who was trying to repair the damage left by his skipper Michael Clarke. Clarke had inexplicably come in at number four ahead of White and the Hussey brothers and had proceeded to score 17 off 19 balls - hardly what was required when the asking rate was over nine runs per over. In T20 cricket, Clarke is nothing more than a passenger.

When White went down with all guns blazing in the seventeenth over, 53 runs were required from the final 21 balls and at last Pakistan looked like they were going to beat a foe that has spent the last year royally thrashing it every time they met. Yesterday it looked like the slave was going to become the master.

But Hussey was not afraid of this cornered tiger, and took over from where White had left off. From the 19th over bowled by the excellent Mohammad Aamer, Hussey managed to contrive two boundaries and crucially four two's with a mixture of unorthodox strokes and Usain Bolt like running between the stumps together with Mitchell Johnson. This meant 18 were required from the final over to be bowled by Saeed Ajmal.

Johnson managed to scramble a run off the first ball. And then Hussey went Biff! Baff! Pow! Zap! as 22 runs came off the next four balls. The Australians were jubilant and Pakistan were devastated. Hussey had completed his mission impossible just before the message self-destructed. Incredible.

Hussey is like a chameleon in that his batting seems to have so many different styles. He can be a finisher par excellence like Michael Bevan, a blocker that can bore the pants off you and yesterday his hitting was quite remarkable with his unbeaten 60 coming off just 24 balls with six monstrous sixes. He was only recalled to Australia's T20 side just before the tournament and now has a strike rate of 150.

So, Australia's ten man side and passenger captain move on to a tantalising final with England in Barbados. Paul Collingwood will know that if his side get into a matchwinning situation they will never be able to discount the Aussies until the last ball has been bowled. The fat lady had sung and left the building yesterday, but somehow miraculously Hussey was able to get to come back in for an unlikely and awe-inspiring encore.

 

World T20 preview and predictions

Just five days after the end of the IPL season, international cricket resumes with the World T20 in the Caribbean. Although, it will be a less frenzied affair with no DLF maximums, no timeouts and praise be to God, no Danny Morrison, it is not exactly an example of good scheduling by the ICC. And coming under a year after the last World T20 in England, no-one could argue that cricket in general is adopting a less is more approach to the youngest form of the game.

The competition itself is structured in the same way as a year ago with four initial groups of three being whittled down to two groups of four in the Super Eight stage, before the semi-finals and final. Group A sees holders Pakistan up against Bangladesh and Australia, and with Shahid Afridi captaining pretty much anything could happen. Shorn of Shoaib Malik, Rana Naved, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan through the mismanagement of Ijaz Butt and one of the best T20 bowlers in the world in Umar Gul through injury, Pakistan may even struggle to get past unpredictable Bangladesh.

Despite losing a warm-up match to Zimbabwe and Brett Lee to injury, Australia has to rank amongst the favourites for the trophy; though the decision to leave Doug Bollinger at home could come back to haunt them. We'll take the Aussies to top the group and Bangladesh to get past Pakistan and cause more match-fixing allegations from their oh so wonderful politicians.

Group B sees last year's runners up Sri Lanka take on New Zealand and Zimbabwe. King Kumar's boys should do well on the expected slow pitches of the Caribbean and New Zealand don't generally get beaten by the minnows, so despite the boon of beating Australia, the ever-improving Zimbabwe are likely to miss out here.

The wonderful story that is Afghanistan qualifying for the competition is likely to end abruptly with India and South Africa the opposition in Group C, and the hosts West Indies and England will have too much firepower for Ireland in Group D.

Then the real business will start with the Super Eight stage although the bizarre way in which those groups will be constituted is confusing to say the least. By our reckoning, assuming Australia, Sri Lanka, India and England win the preliminary groups, the two Super Eight groups will be Bangladesh, New Zealand, South Africa and England in Group E, and Australia, Sri Lanka, India and West Indies in a much tougher looking Group F. But we could be wrong and we're already on the phone to Professor Stephen Hawking in order to get a better understanding of how this works.

Anyway, taking for granted that we are correct; and for England's sake we hope we are, then the Reverse Sweep's belief that 2010 is going to follow 1966 and 2003 in the annals of English sporting glory looks a distinct possibility. With T20 being a great leveller, the selectors finally picking the right squad and England having a good balance between bat and ball, Paul Collingwood's men should be right up there in contention for the trophy. We take them to go through to the semi-finals with South Africa from this supposed Group E.

If Group F looked like this then it would rightly be called the group of death. All four teams look strong with India led by the excellent MS Dhoni and Australia the two favourites for the competition. But don't rule out the hosts who will be looking to make up for their disappointing performance when hosting the World Cup in 2007. With Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, West Indies have the impact players that win a T20 match in a five over spell. And with T20 having that element of unpredictability we go for the hosts to join India in the last four.

With South Africa likely to choke in the semi-final and the West Indies probably running out of steam, we at the Reverse Sweep are predicting an India-England final with the absence of Sachin Tendulkar meaning that England will finally break its duck of having never won a limited overs ICC world trophy. But we won't be massively surprised if we get it wrong.

In terms of the cricketers to look out for, here are our tips (one per country) as the likely stars: England - Kevin Pietersen, India - MS Dhoni, South Africa - Dale Steyn, West Indies - Kieron Pollard, Australia - Cameron White, Sri Lanka - Angelo Mathews, Bangladesh - Tamim Iqbal, New Zealand - Ross Taylor, Pakistan - Shahid Afridi, Zimbabwe - Elton Chigumbura, Ireland - Niall O'Brien, Afghanistan - Mohammad Shahzad.

Let the festivities begin, and then roll-on quickly so we can get some test cricket...    

Australia beaten at last thanks to Brendon McCullum century

Last week I wrote a post suggesting that the Australians are the hot favourites for the World T20 tournament in the Caribbean, and bemoaned on my regular Reverse Sweep column on Pongo and World Cricket Watch that no-one seemed to want to give them a game. 

Maybe Brendon McCullum read this because today he unleashed himself on an Australian attack flaying Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes in particular to all corners of the AMI Stadium in Christchurch. Unfortunately, Sky has chosen not to show the series, so I didn't actually witness the carnage. But a 100 off 50 balls to register only the second T20I hundred tells you everything you need to know.

When McCullum is hot he is very hot and I guess that his innings today invoked memories of his stunning introduction to the IPL when playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders he launched the inaugural tournament with an unbeaten 158, still the highest total in Twenty20 cricket. McCullum is too inconsistent to be compared with the greatest of wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist, but on his day he is unstoppable.

 
Naturally the Australians refused to lie down despite having to chase 215 for victory and they nearly got there with Michael Clarke being run out off the last ball of the innings so that the scores were level after 20 overs. Like many others, I've said before that Clarke is not well suited to T20 cricket and that his strike rate is just not high enough. Well he refuted that today by hitting 67 off only 45 balls.Cameron White was the real star of the Australian effort though with an unbeaten 64 off of only 26 balls.

So, with the scores level it went to the one over eliminator, where just as he had in the last over of the Australian innings, Tim Southee bowled excellently to limit Australia to just six runs. Tait then had a nightmare, bowling two wides, and the Black Caps reached their target easily.

For me the Aussies are still the hot favourites, but the wonderful thing about T20 is that it only needs one player to smash a quickfire hundred to upset the formbook. So, the Aussies will be wary of the likes of McCullum, Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag and Tillakaratne Dilshan should they come up against them in the Caribbean.  

Is White a better punt than Clarke?

Like England with Alastair Cook, Australia already seems to have identified the successor to Ricky Ponting in Michael Clarke.

Now Clarke is a good batsman but I wonder if the Aussies are missing a trick here (like England are with Cook). I sense from a lot of my antipodean colleagues a slight uneasiness and even dislike of the man known as Pup. The general message being that Michael Clarke won't do anything that doesn't benefit Michael Clarke.

Whatever the merits or otherwise of Clarke, I wonder whether the Aussies would be better to look at Cameron White, who now that the selectors have realised is a batsman and not a leg spinner, seems to be doing rather well in the ODI format at least.

White is certainly good enough for the test side and at only 26 may even be next in line should the selectors lose patience with Marcus North. Arguably White's hardhitting style is better suited to the number six role than North's more accumulator style in any case. Plus the Victoria skipper's leggies are probably better than North's occasional spin to boot.

More importantly, White has bags of captaincy experience having led Victoria since 2003 and been pretty successful too in winning trophies and in gaining a reputation as an innovative skipper.

Frankly as a Pom I don't really care and would actually prefer it if they appointed a captain who isn't exactly going to trouble Mensa like Watson or Johnson, but White seems a better bet than Clarke.