Mr Cricket's Triumph

Few cricketers have had to serve such a long apprenticeship in the First-Class game before being given a chance at Test level. Michael Hussey had to wait until he had scored in excess of 15000 runs before he received his beloved baggy green cap in November, 2005. This was immediately after the ill fated Ashes tour of 2005, where England’s battery of fast bowlers exposed the technical deficiencies of most Australians. Since then, Hussey has played in 17 Test matches, and Australia have won 16 of those. Furthermore, he has averaged more than 82 in this sequence. If we delve deeper and remove his Test debut, during which he could not see the ball due to the tears forming in his eyes, Hussey has averaged 89 over a two year period.

Playing in his 18th Test match, on the same ground which he made his maiden century, Hussey scored 132 - a remarkable, and chanceless seventh century in his 28th Test innings.

But to appreciate his effort at Bellerive Oval, or indeed his century at the Gabba in the previous Test, one must look back to May 2007, when Hussey’s world was turned upside down.

Australia had just won an unprecedented third World Cup, and the players had returned home to their families, looking forward to a 4 month break until their next international commitment. Hussey was due to embark on a family holiday with pregnant wife Amy, and their two children, Jasmine and William. Amy developed serious complications in her pregnancy, something affecting a mere 0.2% of pregnancies, of which 50% would not survive.

Their third child, Molly Mae, was born at 28 weeks - 3 months premature - and weighed a mere 1kg, which later dropped to a frightening 900g.

Thankfully, Amy survived this life threatening complication, and Molly has grown steadily.

Hussey recently revealed he contemplated the death of his wife and baby, and today revealed more in a News Ltd interview.

“My whole career could have easily been over. I can't imagine losing my wife and my bub, but if that happened my career would have been finished. That's how I looked at it. I mean, if I lose my wife and child, I'm responsible for looking after our two children. It would have been very difficult for me to keep playing cricket for Australia and travel so much when there are two little ones depending on me. That shook me up. It reinforced to me why I should enjoy every minute in this game.”

Maybe this is the reason behind his successes so far this season. He can be expected to keep producing runs for Australia.

Sreesanth

Is he a bit strange?

"I was really feeling sad that I haven't contributed. I was trying too many things and last two nights of the Test match slept clutching my India cap thinking it will get me luck."

"I was happy that I kept coming hard at the batsmen all day long but as an Indian I wear my heart on the cuff not even on the sleeve."

"Yes, I did write a letter to God before the fourth day of the Test. I wrote in that, 'Tomorrow I will win the Test match for my country. I will be the one, God please help me.' But it didn't go that way. Well, maybe I didn't write my name in the end and God thought it came from Zaheer bhai."

Journos, past players, beware

I have never figured out the reason why past players must speak out on the eve of every important series. Do they want to sell their opinion for some easy money? If so, why must they be critical? There's a new generation of Neil Harveys. What do they gain by making a correct prediction? Even more relevantly, how would they look after being proven wrong?

Why have they suddenly become so quiet now?

Greg Ritchie - what were you thinking, Fat Cat, if anything?
Dennis Lillee - has quickly become a rent-a-quote.
John Benaud - was sure proven wrong.
Mike Selvey - author of the most outwardly vulgar article I have ever read. I used to read his articles with interest (during Ashes 2005), but after this article and a similarly repulsive one on the great Glenn McGrath, I have lost complete respect for his journalism.

A bit of egg on face? I think so.

The jinx

Australia regained the Ashes. I played a vital role by backing England to win.

Of course they were always going to win - because I backed them to have a shocker.

Why Australia will have a shocking World Cup

My thoughts on Australia's preparation for the World Cup, expressed by the eloquent Peter Roebuck:

Not so long ago England were chastised for treating the Champions Trophy as a plaything. Apart from the insult to other teams, it was an error of judgement that made defeat in the Ashes almost inevitable. Winning is a habit, and the same applies to losing. England did not recover or even select approximately their strongest side till the Ashes had been lost. Once it has taken hold, poverty of thought is as difficult to remove as a merlot stain.

The Australians have made the same mistake as the Poms. Far from concentrating on matters in hand, such as the tri-series and the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy, they have focused on preparing for the World Cup. John Buchanan publicly stated that training has been organised with the Caribbean in mind. Again the result has been predictable. Ponting's distracted outfit was walloped in the finals of the triangular event it was hosting and a weakened side has been trounced in New Zealand. Australia have had their comeuppance.

Far from establishing the best XI, the selectors and team management have fiddled around, making it difficult for the bowlers to maintain their good form, or improve their poor form. Two players were palpably not match fit before they were selected for the finals and they have predictably struggled since. The team has completely lost its momentum after five straight wins in the Commonwealth Bank series. The last six games have only resulted in a single victory. But still, the complacency exists among the players and the coach.

I can't help but feel that the disregard for the Commonwealth Bank and Chappell Hadlee series will be a significant reason for a poor World Cup performance by Australia.

Cricinfo Headline

What is wrong with the following headlines?
New Zealand romp to 10-wicket victory
Bond leads New Zealand to 10-wicket victory

Surely the victorious team should get the headline?

England's chance

From Simon Barnes of The Times:

The England cricket team are in the position of a person who charges back into a burning house to rescue the baby and comes out with the cat. It’s a nice cat, and you are fond of it, but it’s not exactly what you went in for. Still, there’s not much you can do except stroke it.

No England cricketer will leave Australia with pride. But at least this fabulous run of two victories in as many matches gives them back the feeling that they are real sportsmen, the knowledge that good things can happen as well as bad.

England has one last chance to salvage something from a horror of an Australian tour. They've won just three games during the entire summer, but they may well be striking form at just the right time. Unfortunately, they will have to do it without the calm leadership of Michael Vaughan, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Adam Gilchrist's blog

A link to Gilchrist's blog on his official website:
Gilly's Blog

Of particular note is his continued mispelling of Glenn "Glen" McGrath's name! He has also written brief tributes to the retired quartet, and the Australian team in general.

3 key differences from 2005 to 2006-07

The 3 biggest differences between the Australia XIs of 2005 and 2006/07:

1. Michael Hussey for Simon Katich

The batsman with no footwork, who plays around his front pad and has poor judgement of his off stump has been replaced by the one of the most technically correct batsmen in the world. Unlike some other technically correct batsmen in the game, Michael Hussey has every shot in the book and is willing to play them regularly. He has been a fine addition to the Australian middle order and is comparable to a wall. He has vast reserves of mental strength, never takes playing for his country for granted and no one knows how to get him out. It is not just his batting either. It's his buzzing energy on the field and his sharp cricket brain that has already seen him captain Australia.

2. Stuart Clark for Jason Gillespie

When Glenn McGrath was injured, Stuart Clark, playing county cricket was called up to the squad. Unfortunately he did not get a game. Frequently, when Ricky Ponting looked around the ground, searching for a bowler with control, he found Shane Warne and a one-legged Glenn McGrath. Jason Gillespie was rightly targeted by England, and his 3 wickets @ 100 with a healthy economy rate was synonymous with Australia's lack of control in that series. When McGrath pulled out of the South Africa tour, Stuart Clark stepped in. The decision drew criticism, but the selectors were proven right as Clark enjoyed a Man of the Series performance. Selecting Clark for Brisbane was the obvious decision, but the selectors did well to ignore the media hype of Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait. His selection did not impress everyone, Ian Chappell thought that Clark was too similar to McGrath. What is wrong with being similar to arguably the best fast bowler the game has seen? Most teams would kill for one McGrath - two McGraths is absolutely brilliant. In the first 3 Ashes Tests, Clark has been by far the best bowler on either side, giving Ponting the control that was lacking in England.

3. Michael Clarke Mk II for Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke had been hyped by the NSW press. He had a dream Test debut, as he played the innings of his life at Bangalore. He followed that with a hundred on home debut. Everything was going well for the brilliant young batsman from Western Sydney. His rise was so quick and so steep that he was destined for a fall. The talented Clarke was raw in England, desperate to score a hundred on Ashes debut and frustrated by England's 7-2 field, Clarke lost his head and his wicket for 91. Though Clarke appeared to be Australia's best batsman in the series, he could not push on with his regular starts. Often, he played across the line, or hit in the air. Dispatched back to state cricket after 3 personally unfulfilling Tests after returning home, he sharpened his technique, hit the ball through the field and bided his time. He knew his time would come if he scored runs for his state - which he did, averaging 394 for NSW. Following Shane Watson's injury before Brisbane, Clarke responded with mature innings of 56, 124, 21*, 37 and 135*. It has been impressive viewing and Clarke will play for many years to come.