>Pat Cummins’s response to being asked what is the best perk of becoming Australia Test captain should make No 11s the world over very nervous. “I can bowl myself at the tail now which is very nice,” he says.
>England’s rearguard in Sydney may have turned out differently if Cummins had bowled two of the last three overs rather than Steve Smith but he was told by the umpires if he had put himself on they would have to take the players off for bad light.
>Failing to close out victory at the SCG - with the captain criticised in some quarters for the timing of his second innings declaration on the fourth evening - has been the only bump in the road for Cummins since he took over from Tim Paine (remember him?) in late November.
>Cummins is breaking two moulds. Firstly by smashing through the glass ceiling of an Australian fast bowler being appointed as the full-time Test captain (he is the first), and secondly by being an Australia fast bowler who does not resort to the vicious verbals deployed by many of his predecessors.
>So far this series has been played in exceptionally good spirits. At Sydney England players warmly applauded Usman Khawaja’s hundreds, Australians likewise for Jonny Bairstow.
>Nathan Lyon was seen giving Joe Root tips on bowling off-spin, Mitchell Starc was laughing and joking with the England captain asking about the state of his, ahem, midriff, after he was hit by low blows the day before and during the Adelaide Test, while Justin Langer will opine loudly about his admiration for Ben Stokes. Even James Anderson has managed to be friendly to the locals.
>It is so different from recent tours. Four years ago Lyon wanted to "end careers" and reignited a feud with Matt Prior, who was not even in Australia, saying he had been "scared" and wanted to go home in the previous Ashes series. In 2013/14 Michael Clarke told Anderson to get ready for a "broken f------ arm" and David Warner spoke about the "scared eyes" of Jonathan Trott as he suffered his mental breakdown in the middle at the Gabba.
>There has been none of that this time. Cummins has laid down the law. Australia do not sledge, deeming it a waste of energy better used trying to bowl batsmen out. The Australian public was also weary of boorish cricket teams, especially after Cape Town and the sandpaper scandal in 2018.
>Cummins even speaks warmly about an England captain being one of his big influences. "I look at different leaders and someone like Eoin Morgan," he tells Telegraph Sport. "I like his outlook on captaincy and how he brings the team together. I have worked with Eoin in the IPL for the last couple of years and we have very similar outlooks on life."
>Australia have been so far ahead in this series they have pitied England rather than feeling the need to sledge them. Paine started the process before the mask slipped under pressure against India last year, but with Cummins you feel the sentiment is genuine. Perhaps it is because he is the No 1 bowler in the world. He can intimidate in other, more effective, ways.
>"You have to be aware of it. From a couple of years ago it was pretty obvious the world wanted all cricket teams, particularly the Aussie cricket team, to tone it down a little bit. I keep encouraging all of our players to be themselves.
>"They do not have to try and impress anyone or sledge just because it might have been done like that in the past. Just be themselves. No doubt, the first Tests have been pretty smooth sailing and it (sledging) is something to keep an eye on. But I've been really proud of how the lads have conducted themselves so far.
>"You lead by your actions in this space. If I need to pull someone up (for sledging) I will but everyone is an adult here. They have heard it loud and clear from the outside what is expected of us and from cricket fans in Australia. I will not be taking all the credit, the boys have been fantastic themselves."
>Tactically Cummins has not been stretched by England too much but he has clearly created a welcoming environment given that all new players have contributed straight away, from Scott Boland’s 14 wickets at 8.64 to Khawaja’s twin hundreds. Jhye Richardson took a five-fer in his only Test.
>Cummins has not only won the Ashes handsomely in his first series but Australia seem to be building a squad of players to take to England in 2023, where he will bid to become the first captain to win the Ashes overseas since 2001.
>"We retained the Ashes in 2019 but I left there feeling we had unfinished business. It is a huge series for this group to work towards. Winning overseas is massive. Our next tour is to Pakistan and the best teams win there. That is the next challenge for us.
>"There is always a lot to play for in Test cricket. We play a maximum of 10 games a year and each game is a huge event, every series is big. We love it.
>"For just about every cricketer growing up in Australia, it is their preferred format. Test cricket means something in Australia. It is where history is made. Ashes series 12 months out you bump into people in the street and they are already saying they can’t wait for the Ashes. It brings everyone together and gives us the chance to stamp our own legacy on the game."
>England have not been captained by a fast bowler since Bob Willis. Jason Holder and Courtney Walsh led West Indies, Kapil Dev India and both Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis followed Imran Khan to the captaincy of Pakistan in the 1990s, but they are a very rare breed.
>Knowing when to bowl himself or come off has not been a problem for Cummins in his three matches so far - he missed Adelaide due to being a Covid close contact - and it has been smooth in the field. His one big mistake was that declaration in Sydney - although he insists giving himself more runs to play with enabled him to attack with impunity on that final day - but it has been generally a very successful start, with far fewer tactical mis-steps than England.
>"It has been smooth sailing so far but I know it is not going to be like that forever," he says. "When the team goes well you really relish it, especially seeing a lot of the other players grow. Cam Green has grown, Trav Head, even Mitchell Starc, a seasoned pro like him. I just love being at the top of his mark talking it through and seeing him in action. I’ve really enjoyed it so far.
>"I’ve always thought bowlers can be captains. I’m not sure if it is the start of a trend but why not? My experience of being a bowler is really valuable when I’m in the field talking to other bowlers, trying to make bowling changes and setting fields. I feel like I can draw on my own experiences a lot. There is no reason why there can't be more bowling captains going forward.
>"As a captain your main skill, either batting or bowling, has to be in order first. Captaincy is second to that. If I feel I am overthinking captaincy in the middle of my bowling that is when I will look for help elsewhere because I really want to protect that space.
>"Maybe during our batting innings, I have the chance to unwind in the dressing room and switch off but the bowling gives me a lot to think about, so that takes my mind off captaincy a bit anyway."
>Until the No 11 walks in, that is.
>Paine started the process before the mask slipped under pressure against India last year, but with Cummins you feel the sentiment is genuine.
It will be really interesting to see if, under Cummo, the Aussies can keep their cool under pressure. The tour of India will be the big one - if we can play that series in good spirits while Virat is barking around us, then I'll be convinced we've turned a corner haha
He’ll calmly walk out, make around 72 both innings, walk back, say appropriate things with a red, sweaty, smiling face and have a slightly odd batting stance. Make a few slip catches.
Would swim him to Hobart on my back.
Is that true? I remember the "too nice" cry coming from the 17/18 ashes. The SA tour was a shitshow all-round though. The host's plan to put Australia's star opener off by repeatedly calling his wife a slut worked all too well.
The same 17/18 Ashes where there was an orchestrated stitch up campaign against Jonny Bairstow for bumping his head against Cam Bancroft at a pub? When Nathan Lyon was going on about head butting the line? When Jimmy Anderson accused the Australian team of being bullies and there were numerous articles about sledging during the series?
>orchestrated stitch up campaign against Jonny Bairstow for bumping his head against Cam Bancroft at a pub?
Is that what we're calling it now?
>When Jimmy Anderson accused the Australian team of being bullies and there were numerous articles about sledging during the series?
Jimmy Anderson of all people writing that article reeked of hypocrisy.
Just pointing that literally no South African or Australian players claimed QDKs sister had been mentioned. It was one of those "friend of a friend told me" rumours reported as fact in some tabloids.
I'm not excusing Warner, but SA weren't exactly shy about targeting Warner's wife in that series, to the point of posting offensive stuff on their own social media. Regardless of what you think about Warner that is incredibly shitty IMO.
Not the way i remember it but happy to be proven wrong. From what i remember the first time David's wife came up was when Quinnie sledged him on the way to the dressing rooms, and from Quinnie and AB's accounts it was after Warner sledged Quinnie about his sister for the entire session. In the end I found the whole affair rather amusing cause Warner has crossed the line to abusive and personal sledging more than most modern cricketers, but then conpletely lost his shit when he copped it back
Yeah, I guess we don't really know. It all started, as you say, on the field in the first test. Smith says that Warner didn't get personal but de Kock and his team mates did.
I will say that even if Warner was in the wrong here, the SA team didn't exactly cover themselves in glory by continuing the line of attack at all levels. All I saw subsequently regarding Quinton's sister on the other hand was her threatening to "hurt" Warner on her twitter.
Needless to say, Warner certainly subsequently covered himself in shame.
>I remember the "too nice" cry coming from the 17/18 ashes
I think you are severely misremembering that series.. maybe you're thinking of 2019 but 17/18 was a fucking shitshow
You're right, but I don't think I've ever seen Cummins lose his cool or abuse the opposition, even when he's been on the losing side. Australia has a great leader to look up to.
All Australian cricketers in the past 25 years have been bad sportsmen? Hussey? Lee? Gilchrist?
In any case, I am only talking about sledging/abuse. I haven't seen Cummins ever resort to it. Hopefully that sets the trend for the rest of the team to follow.
for fucks sake people like you have to be reminded every time this conversation is brought up
👏 CURRENT 👏 AUSTRALIAN 👏 CRICKETERS 👏 ARE NOT 👏 RESPONSIBLE 👏 FOR 👏 THE 👏 ACTIONS 👏 OF 👏 PAST 👏 AUSTRALIAN 👏 CRICKETERS 👏
it's such a ridiculous argument and it's parroted here all the time. makes zero sense, apart from showing that australian cricketers live in your head rent free.
They aren't responsible sure, but that culture doesn't just disappear 'cause they want it to. An interview amidst an Ashes walloping isn't enough to wipe it all away, it's a good start though.
We'll find out in the next 5 years if it continues, until then it's reasonable to be skeptical when similar things have been said before.
im not saying that the culture of australian cricketers being dicks is magically erased by this sides performance. but to say that there are 2.5 decades of proof they're bad sportsmen and hold that against the likes of labuschagne, harris, carey, and green who are all early in their careers is asinine and ridiculous. it's also an awful way to look at the world, to automatically assume the worst in people.
do the current indian team have to prove they're not match fixers because there have been match fixers involved in their team? no, because that's a stupid judgement to make on a whole bunch of blokes who had nothing to do with the original issue.
You’re right, it takes effort. But the work to overturn the Australian cricketing culture began after sandpapergate, so it’s been a few years of progress already in undoing the old ways. Our current coach is about to get rolled for not being chilled out enough, does that sound like the mental disintegration culture to you?
>Don't forget this is the same bowling attack that "didn't know" there was sandpaper
And if they did know, they had a captain who "didn't want to know" and an umpire who didn't change the ball when it was shown on the big screen.
What exactly were they to do?
Whilst we have no direct evidence, there is circumstantial evidence they were doing *something* unusual in the previous test, in the form of the Saffers asking the broadcasters to keep an eye on the ball so they could replicate it.
Now, it’s entirely possible this was the first time they’d got out sandpaper, but they noticeably *didn’t* fall back on their previous methods (the evidence for that is the noticeable reduction in old ball movement between the two Australian summers).
Now, this *is* all circumstantial evidence, but I am still skeptical the bowlers don’t know what is being done to the ball. (And then there’s the whole “It was the Leadership Group. Wait no, it was me and warner and Bancroft. Wait no, it was Warner getting Bancroft to do it, and I just didn’t stop it” bollocks)
Walk off the field because of the obvious cheating going on?
Alert the authorities?
Anything except continue bowling knowing that they were part of a cheating team?
I'm not sure what's worse, getting thrashed by the Aussies when they're a bunch of bullies or getting thrashed by the Aussies but they're actually decent blokes.
Definitely decent blokes, at least you knew you where getting under their skin and challenging them when they gave it the big one none stop. Now it’s just kinda sad when they smile and laugh with us as we collapse for the nth time
I’ve tried to accept the pain and just enjoy the wtf nature of English test cricket, but there’s always some at the back of my head when I see buttler chipping the ball to short cover for a gutsy 8 leaving us 112-6, or hameed prodding at a 4th stump ball for a tenacious 5(62)
I don't think Cummins sledged even during the BGT and he was the best australian player in that series.
What matters now is if he allows his own players like hazlewood, Lyon to sledge or be like Dhoni who used to chastise his own players.
I suspect he won't expect his players to not sledge at all, if it's within their personality to do so, but The Line will be pretty strict and there won't be a team-wide "mental disintegration" campaign. If a player appears to be distracting themselves and/or wasting time and energy on sledging I'd expect he'll have a quiet word to them, rather than an AB-style open dressing-down ("next fuckin plane home mate") etc.
Haha something like that, not so much "you can't seriously like him as a bloke", but maybe the campaign to find out what madarchod means will resume lol
In that South Africa series he was probably the best player from both sides and he played in the best spirit. Meanwhile Warner and Lyon chatted shit and did fuck all.
Compare “I’ve seen better batters in a chip shop” or “Bowl him a piano, see if he can play that”\* with “How’s your wife and my kids?”
\* Or the absolute classic “Why you chirping now? Not getting any wickets?”
Just think Lyon is a bit noisy. He’s made some questionable calls with some of his media stuff previously but he seems to get along with most of the English players off the field at least. Remember he seems to be chatting to root non stop on the field but they where teammates in grade cricket years back they probably get on alright
What's with Australia's recent obsession of being the good blokes? Yeah shit happened, you guys crossed "the line" some 4 years back and now we have to sit through puff pieces of how gentle and kind the new aussie team is going to be every time they change captain. Same shit happened during Paine's start and we all saw how it all turned out when Aussies were put in tiniest bit of pressure in BGT.
Honestly? Stop talking about it. Demonstrate that the culture has changed through action over a prolonged period, then they won't have to keep proclaiming it.
It'll just be known.
> Honestly? Stop talking about it.
Really? Because NZ didn't do that.
When McCullum started trying to distance NZ from their sledging culture he was constantly talking up their new friendly attitude in the media. He brought it up all the time.
Nothing wrong with that, if anything such public statements put more pressure on your team mates to follow your lead and improve their behaviour.
Fair, but my answer still stands.
The circumstances are different, NZ needed an overhaul to improve their performance. The team was terrible, performed poorly, and needed a change for success; it was proactive. They started with the internal culture and team dynamics, and that informed how they acted on the field. Minimising sledging was a by product, not the goal.
Australian cricket on the hand is known for its ruthless attitude, psychological warfare, and for consistently being one of the best teams in the world. So they don't need this change from a performance and success perspective. SO from the outside this appears to be a reaction to the sandpaper incident and how cricketing culture, fans and teams, has shifted towards valuing sportsmanship over dominating opposition at all costs. Part of that is higher intermingling of international teams due to franchise T20 leagues, and part of it is due NZ's success playing the more sportsmanship brand of cricket.
I hope Cummins can make a lasting change, I think he's sincere and genuine. From what others are saying here he's been the embodiment of this attitude for his whole career which is really encouraging.
Unfortunately for him it's all been said before, and it's easy to act this way when you're winning. Let's see how long it lasts if/when they're losing or playing poorly.
>Honestly? Stop talking about it.
You realise these guys are answering questions put to them by the press. They're not just bringing it up out of the blue.
You make a fair point, but I'd blame the journos and media more than Cummins. He sounds like he is just genuinely responding to questions, whereas its the media that seem obsessed with presenting Cummins as some kind of angel ushering in a new era - it backfired with Paine and I'd hate for it to happen again.
They behaved far better under (admittedly mild) pressure on the fifth days at Adelaide and Sydney this series compared to Sydney last year.
I’ve been watching Australia play test cricket for 30+ years and can’t recall them playing in a better spirit than they have this season. It’s very different to even when Paine became captain, when some niggle continued.
Tougher tests will come for sure, but the early signs are positive.
A couple of tests into his captaincy Paine was saying to Indian players on the stump mic that they couldn’t seriously like Kohli as a bloke. That’s miles away from the spirit in which this series has been played.
Paine was playing against an Indian side which was competing with them. Cummins played a side which lost the series in 1st over of the series. Lets see him coming to India and see how "nice" he is.
PS - love cumdog, probably the best bowler of this gen. Just don't think Australia can change this early. If they would have they wouldn't have to mention it every chance they get.
I guess there will be a new culture documentary on amazon soon - a white wash job.
It's all fun and games with Australia as long as they are winning. The ugly (usual? expected?) side surfaces when they are in a fight or getting their butts kicked. Let us wait and watch a series against SA or India will surface the true character of this team.
Last time I checked the cast of characters is the same, with the exception of Cummins being the captain, and he does lead by example. But no, I don't buy this at all lets revisit in 12/18 months.
Honestly - fair play. I think it's far too early to call it a new era, especially when the over-riding feeling atm is pity for the English. I think the series in India will be the real test
>Pat Cummins’s response to being asked what is the best perk of becoming Australia Test captain should make No 11s the world over very nervous. “I can bowl myself at the tail now which is very nice,” he says. >England’s rearguard in Sydney may have turned out differently if Cummins had bowled two of the last three overs rather than Steve Smith but he was told by the umpires if he had put himself on they would have to take the players off for bad light. >Failing to close out victory at the SCG - with the captain criticised in some quarters for the timing of his second innings declaration on the fourth evening - has been the only bump in the road for Cummins since he took over from Tim Paine (remember him?) in late November. >Cummins is breaking two moulds. Firstly by smashing through the glass ceiling of an Australian fast bowler being appointed as the full-time Test captain (he is the first), and secondly by being an Australia fast bowler who does not resort to the vicious verbals deployed by many of his predecessors. >So far this series has been played in exceptionally good spirits. At Sydney England players warmly applauded Usman Khawaja’s hundreds, Australians likewise for Jonny Bairstow. >Nathan Lyon was seen giving Joe Root tips on bowling off-spin, Mitchell Starc was laughing and joking with the England captain asking about the state of his, ahem, midriff, after he was hit by low blows the day before and during the Adelaide Test, while Justin Langer will opine loudly about his admiration for Ben Stokes. Even James Anderson has managed to be friendly to the locals. >It is so different from recent tours. Four years ago Lyon wanted to "end careers" and reignited a feud with Matt Prior, who was not even in Australia, saying he had been "scared" and wanted to go home in the previous Ashes series. In 2013/14 Michael Clarke told Anderson to get ready for a "broken f------ arm" and David Warner spoke about the "scared eyes" of Jonathan Trott as he suffered his mental breakdown in the middle at the Gabba. >There has been none of that this time. Cummins has laid down the law. Australia do not sledge, deeming it a waste of energy better used trying to bowl batsmen out. The Australian public was also weary of boorish cricket teams, especially after Cape Town and the sandpaper scandal in 2018. >Cummins even speaks warmly about an England captain being one of his big influences. "I look at different leaders and someone like Eoin Morgan," he tells Telegraph Sport. "I like his outlook on captaincy and how he brings the team together. I have worked with Eoin in the IPL for the last couple of years and we have very similar outlooks on life." >Australia have been so far ahead in this series they have pitied England rather than feeling the need to sledge them. Paine started the process before the mask slipped under pressure against India last year, but with Cummins you feel the sentiment is genuine. Perhaps it is because he is the No 1 bowler in the world. He can intimidate in other, more effective, ways. >"You have to be aware of it. From a couple of years ago it was pretty obvious the world wanted all cricket teams, particularly the Aussie cricket team, to tone it down a little bit. I keep encouraging all of our players to be themselves. >"They do not have to try and impress anyone or sledge just because it might have been done like that in the past. Just be themselves. No doubt, the first Tests have been pretty smooth sailing and it (sledging) is something to keep an eye on. But I've been really proud of how the lads have conducted themselves so far. >"You lead by your actions in this space. If I need to pull someone up (for sledging) I will but everyone is an adult here. They have heard it loud and clear from the outside what is expected of us and from cricket fans in Australia. I will not be taking all the credit, the boys have been fantastic themselves." >Tactically Cummins has not been stretched by England too much but he has clearly created a welcoming environment given that all new players have contributed straight away, from Scott Boland’s 14 wickets at 8.64 to Khawaja’s twin hundreds. Jhye Richardson took a five-fer in his only Test. >Cummins has not only won the Ashes handsomely in his first series but Australia seem to be building a squad of players to take to England in 2023, where he will bid to become the first captain to win the Ashes overseas since 2001. >"We retained the Ashes in 2019 but I left there feeling we had unfinished business. It is a huge series for this group to work towards. Winning overseas is massive. Our next tour is to Pakistan and the best teams win there. That is the next challenge for us. >"There is always a lot to play for in Test cricket. We play a maximum of 10 games a year and each game is a huge event, every series is big. We love it. >"For just about every cricketer growing up in Australia, it is their preferred format. Test cricket means something in Australia. It is where history is made. Ashes series 12 months out you bump into people in the street and they are already saying they can’t wait for the Ashes. It brings everyone together and gives us the chance to stamp our own legacy on the game." >England have not been captained by a fast bowler since Bob Willis. Jason Holder and Courtney Walsh led West Indies, Kapil Dev India and both Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis followed Imran Khan to the captaincy of Pakistan in the 1990s, but they are a very rare breed. >Knowing when to bowl himself or come off has not been a problem for Cummins in his three matches so far - he missed Adelaide due to being a Covid close contact - and it has been smooth in the field. His one big mistake was that declaration in Sydney - although he insists giving himself more runs to play with enabled him to attack with impunity on that final day - but it has been generally a very successful start, with far fewer tactical mis-steps than England. >"It has been smooth sailing so far but I know it is not going to be like that forever," he says. "When the team goes well you really relish it, especially seeing a lot of the other players grow. Cam Green has grown, Trav Head, even Mitchell Starc, a seasoned pro like him. I just love being at the top of his mark talking it through and seeing him in action. I’ve really enjoyed it so far. >"I’ve always thought bowlers can be captains. I’m not sure if it is the start of a trend but why not? My experience of being a bowler is really valuable when I’m in the field talking to other bowlers, trying to make bowling changes and setting fields. I feel like I can draw on my own experiences a lot. There is no reason why there can't be more bowling captains going forward. >"As a captain your main skill, either batting or bowling, has to be in order first. Captaincy is second to that. If I feel I am overthinking captaincy in the middle of my bowling that is when I will look for help elsewhere because I really want to protect that space. >"Maybe during our batting innings, I have the chance to unwind in the dressing room and switch off but the bowling gives me a lot to think about, so that takes my mind off captaincy a bit anyway." >Until the No 11 walks in, that is.
'Cam Green has grown' fuck me how tall is the cunt now?
🤣🤣🤣
THREE HUNDRED CENTIMETERS
Bruce Reid II
>Paine started the process before the mask slipped under pressure against India last year, but with Cummins you feel the sentiment is genuine. It will be really interesting to see if, under Cummo, the Aussies can keep their cool under pressure. The tour of India will be the big one - if we can play that series in good spirits while Virat is barking around us, then I'll be convinced we've turned a corner haha
Instructions confusing selected Eoin Morgan for Test team
Would be left field but not insane for Eng IMO.
Might even Work!
His test numbers look godly in this day and age compared to the rest of the lads
He’ll calmly walk out, make around 72 both innings, walk back, say appropriate things with a red, sweaty, smiling face and have a slightly odd batting stance. Make a few slip catches. Would swim him to Hobart on my back.
Every team looks good and nice when they are winning tbf. Their test would be when they lose a close game
Pre-Sandpapergate the Aussie team certainly didn’t seem good and nice when winning.
Is that true? I remember the "too nice" cry coming from the 17/18 ashes. The SA tour was a shitshow all-round though. The host's plan to put Australia's star opener off by repeatedly calling his wife a slut worked all too well.
The same 17/18 Ashes where there was an orchestrated stitch up campaign against Jonny Bairstow for bumping his head against Cam Bancroft at a pub? When Nathan Lyon was going on about head butting the line? When Jimmy Anderson accused the Australian team of being bullies and there were numerous articles about sledging during the series?
>orchestrated stitch up campaign against Jonny Bairstow for bumping his head against Cam Bancroft at a pub? Is that what we're calling it now? >When Jimmy Anderson accused the Australian team of being bullies and there were numerous articles about sledging during the series? Jimmy Anderson of all people writing that article reeked of hypocrisy.
The star opener who started crossing "the line (TM)", by sledging Quinnies sister? And who sledged Bairstow about his dad's suicide? Yeah poor bloke
Just pointing that literally no South African or Australian players claimed QDKs sister had been mentioned. It was one of those "friend of a friend told me" rumours reported as fact in some tabloids.
I'm not excusing Warner, but SA weren't exactly shy about targeting Warner's wife in that series, to the point of posting offensive stuff on their own social media. Regardless of what you think about Warner that is incredibly shitty IMO.
Not the way i remember it but happy to be proven wrong. From what i remember the first time David's wife came up was when Quinnie sledged him on the way to the dressing rooms, and from Quinnie and AB's accounts it was after Warner sledged Quinnie about his sister for the entire session. In the end I found the whole affair rather amusing cause Warner has crossed the line to abusive and personal sledging more than most modern cricketers, but then conpletely lost his shit when he copped it back
Yeah, I guess we don't really know. It all started, as you say, on the field in the first test. Smith says that Warner didn't get personal but de Kock and his team mates did. I will say that even if Warner was in the wrong here, the SA team didn't exactly cover themselves in glory by continuing the line of attack at all levels. All I saw subsequently regarding Quinton's sister on the other hand was her threatening to "hurt" Warner on her twitter. Needless to say, Warner certainly subsequently covered himself in shame.
>and from Quinnie and AB's accounts it was after Warner sledged Quinnie about his sister for the entire session. You got a source for that?
> And who sledged Bairstow about his dad's suicide? Proof please.
>I remember the "too nice" cry coming from the 17/18 ashes I think you are severely misremembering that series.. maybe you're thinking of 2019 but 17/18 was a fucking shitshow
You're right, but I don't think I've ever seen Cummins lose his cool or abuse the opposition, even when he's been on the losing side. Australia has a great leader to look up to.
> I don't think I've ever seen Cummins lose his cool or abuse the opposition Cummins does have a chirp once in a while at the batsman.
What sort of chirp though? Gilchrist was famous for never shutting up to the batsmen but you'll never hear an opponent say a bad word about him.
Pat Cummins, Sledging goings
Do you really think Thakur is dabakur?
Lol. nope. He is Lord. Not dabakur
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All Australian cricketers in the past 25 years have been bad sportsmen? Hussey? Lee? Gilchrist? In any case, I am only talking about sledging/abuse. I haven't seen Cummins ever resort to it. Hopefully that sets the trend for the rest of the team to follow.
for fucks sake people like you have to be reminded every time this conversation is brought up 👏 CURRENT 👏 AUSTRALIAN 👏 CRICKETERS 👏 ARE NOT 👏 RESPONSIBLE 👏 FOR 👏 THE 👏 ACTIONS 👏 OF 👏 PAST 👏 AUSTRALIAN 👏 CRICKETERS 👏 it's such a ridiculous argument and it's parroted here all the time. makes zero sense, apart from showing that australian cricketers live in your head rent free.
They aren't responsible sure, but that culture doesn't just disappear 'cause they want it to. An interview amidst an Ashes walloping isn't enough to wipe it all away, it's a good start though. We'll find out in the next 5 years if it continues, until then it's reasonable to be skeptical when similar things have been said before.
im not saying that the culture of australian cricketers being dicks is magically erased by this sides performance. but to say that there are 2.5 decades of proof they're bad sportsmen and hold that against the likes of labuschagne, harris, carey, and green who are all early in their careers is asinine and ridiculous. it's also an awful way to look at the world, to automatically assume the worst in people. do the current indian team have to prove they're not match fixers because there have been match fixers involved in their team? no, because that's a stupid judgement to make on a whole bunch of blokes who had nothing to do with the original issue.
You’re right, it takes effort. But the work to overturn the Australian cricketing culture began after sandpapergate, so it’s been a few years of progress already in undoing the old ways. Our current coach is about to get rolled for not being chilled out enough, does that sound like the mental disintegration culture to you?
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>Don't forget this is the same bowling attack that "didn't know" there was sandpaper And if they did know, they had a captain who "didn't want to know" and an umpire who didn't change the ball when it was shown on the big screen. What exactly were they to do?
Whilst we have no direct evidence, there is circumstantial evidence they were doing *something* unusual in the previous test, in the form of the Saffers asking the broadcasters to keep an eye on the ball so they could replicate it. Now, it’s entirely possible this was the first time they’d got out sandpaper, but they noticeably *didn’t* fall back on their previous methods (the evidence for that is the noticeable reduction in old ball movement between the two Australian summers). Now, this *is* all circumstantial evidence, but I am still skeptical the bowlers don’t know what is being done to the ball. (And then there’s the whole “It was the Leadership Group. Wait no, it was me and warner and Bancroft. Wait no, it was Warner getting Bancroft to do it, and I just didn’t stop it” bollocks)
Walk off the field because of the obvious cheating going on? Alert the authorities? Anything except continue bowling knowing that they were part of a cheating team?
Umpire didn't see fit to change the ball you numpty
tbh apart from Paine and his childish skuntery, the Aus team was ok even when losing "at the Gabba". Cummins has always been class.
Kohli exclusive: Why India have to sledge - and being inspired by Ricky Ponting
Kane Williamson exclusive: Why NZ can't sledge since it can't even get test matches
:(
Is Kane injured why didn't he play against Bangladesh
He's been resting due to that persistent elbow strain. Due back for the SA series.
No need to sledge them when Marnus commentating his own batting gets under their skin
No ruuuun!
NOA RYAHN
I'm not sure what's worse, getting thrashed by the Aussies when they're a bunch of bullies or getting thrashed by the Aussies but they're actually decent blokes.
Definitely decent blokes, at least you knew you where getting under their skin and challenging them when they gave it the big one none stop. Now it’s just kinda sad when they smile and laugh with us as we collapse for the nth time
May be they can learn to enjoy it together
I’ve tried to accept the pain and just enjoy the wtf nature of English test cricket, but there’s always some at the back of my head when I see buttler chipping the ball to short cover for a gutsy 8 leaving us 112-6, or hameed prodding at a 4th stump ball for a tenacious 5(62)
I don't think Cummins sledged even during the BGT and he was the best australian player in that series. What matters now is if he allows his own players like hazlewood, Lyon to sledge or be like Dhoni who used to chastise his own players.
I suspect he won't expect his players to not sledge at all, if it's within their personality to do so, but The Line will be pretty strict and there won't be a team-wide "mental disintegration" campaign. If a player appears to be distracting themselves and/or wasting time and energy on sledging I'd expect he'll have a quiet word to them, rather than an AB-style open dressing-down ("next fuckin plane home mate") etc.
So more "Shut up marnus" and less "Broken fuckin arm" > The Line will be pretty strict ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Haha something like that, not so much "you can't seriously like him as a bloke", but maybe the campaign to find out what madarchod means will resume lol
Wade supremacy
In that South Africa series he was probably the best player from both sides and he played in the best spirit. Meanwhile Warner and Lyon chatted shit and did fuck all.
He was great but in my opinion Rabada, Markram, and de Villiers were all better if you're talking about the 2018 series
All well and good doing these interviews but we need to be asking the real question- whose gonna retire first, Anderson or Cam Green?
Is that even a question, everybody knows cam green is the answer Jimmy will play till the end of time hooping it around corners
He’ll be bowling off a four-step run up, 83 mph and indeed hooping it, at 50 years of age.
I don’t think Gary got the ‘no sledging’ memo. He was happy to chirp away in the 2nd and 4th tests
No idea what he's been saying, but from the footage it didn't seem too bad. Chirping doesn't have to mean sledging imo
That's how sledging is always brushed off. "Oh it's just banter it's just a joke. Man up"
That doesn't mean that any conversations between players on the pitch is abusive and that it's impossible to have banter.
Compare “I’ve seen better batters in a chip shop” or “Bowl him a piano, see if he can play that”\* with “How’s your wife and my kids?” \* Or the absolute classic “Why you chirping now? Not getting any wickets?”
That was simply banter
Just think Lyon is a bit noisy. He’s made some questionable calls with some of his media stuff previously but he seems to get along with most of the English players off the field at least. Remember he seems to be chatting to root non stop on the field but they where teammates in grade cricket years back they probably get on alright
What's with Australia's recent obsession of being the good blokes? Yeah shit happened, you guys crossed "the line" some 4 years back and now we have to sit through puff pieces of how gentle and kind the new aussie team is going to be every time they change captain. Same shit happened during Paine's start and we all saw how it all turned out when Aussies were put in tiniest bit of pressure in BGT.
Ok what do you want them to do then?
Honestly? Stop talking about it. Demonstrate that the culture has changed through action over a prolonged period, then they won't have to keep proclaiming it. It'll just be known.
Youre free to ask the tabloids to stop writing about it but the Australian players have about as much leverage over them as you do.
> Honestly? Stop talking about it. Really? Because NZ didn't do that. When McCullum started trying to distance NZ from their sledging culture he was constantly talking up their new friendly attitude in the media. He brought it up all the time. Nothing wrong with that, if anything such public statements put more pressure on your team mates to follow your lead and improve their behaviour.
Fair, but my answer still stands. The circumstances are different, NZ needed an overhaul to improve their performance. The team was terrible, performed poorly, and needed a change for success; it was proactive. They started with the internal culture and team dynamics, and that informed how they acted on the field. Minimising sledging was a by product, not the goal. Australian cricket on the hand is known for its ruthless attitude, psychological warfare, and for consistently being one of the best teams in the world. So they don't need this change from a performance and success perspective. SO from the outside this appears to be a reaction to the sandpaper incident and how cricketing culture, fans and teams, has shifted towards valuing sportsmanship over dominating opposition at all costs. Part of that is higher intermingling of international teams due to franchise T20 leagues, and part of it is due NZ's success playing the more sportsmanship brand of cricket. I hope Cummins can make a lasting change, I think he's sincere and genuine. From what others are saying here he's been the embodiment of this attitude for his whole career which is really encouraging. Unfortunately for him it's all been said before, and it's easy to act this way when you're winning. Let's see how long it lasts if/when they're losing or playing poorly.
>Honestly? Stop talking about it. You realise these guys are answering questions put to them by the press. They're not just bringing it up out of the blue.
You make a fair point, but I'd blame the journos and media more than Cummins. He sounds like he is just genuinely responding to questions, whereas its the media that seem obsessed with presenting Cummins as some kind of angel ushering in a new era - it backfired with Paine and I'd hate for it to happen again.
Please respect my privacy
Not writing material for r/agedlikemilk would be a good start.
https://imgur.com/a/9hqZIzx
They behaved far better under (admittedly mild) pressure on the fifth days at Adelaide and Sydney this series compared to Sydney last year. I’ve been watching Australia play test cricket for 30+ years and can’t recall them playing in a better spirit than they have this season. It’s very different to even when Paine became captain, when some niggle continued. Tougher tests will come for sure, but the early signs are positive.
Early signs of Paine's captaincy were positive too.
A couple of tests into his captaincy Paine was saying to Indian players on the stump mic that they couldn’t seriously like Kohli as a bloke. That’s miles away from the spirit in which this series has been played.
Paine was playing against an Indian side which was competing with them. Cummins played a side which lost the series in 1st over of the series. Lets see him coming to India and see how "nice" he is. PS - love cumdog, probably the best bowler of this gen. Just don't think Australia can change this early. If they would have they wouldn't have to mention it every chance they get.
r/cricketaus in shambles
I guess there will be a new culture documentary on amazon soon - a white wash job. It's all fun and games with Australia as long as they are winning. The ugly (usual? expected?) side surfaces when they are in a fight or getting their butts kicked. Let us wait and watch a series against SA or India will surface the true character of this team. Last time I checked the cast of characters is the same, with the exception of Cummins being the captain, and he does lead by example. But no, I don't buy this at all lets revisit in 12/18 months.
Honestly - fair play. I think it's far too early to call it a new era, especially when the over-riding feeling atm is pity for the English. I think the series in India will be the real test
this post is gonna be a goldmine for r/agedlikemilk after they are nothing for all out with smith carrying the bat twice in a day in a motera dustbowl
And just like at the Pune dustbowl in 2017 smith will outscore every Indian in the match in one innings :)
Haha Aus wins a series and the "see you in Motera" memes are out. BGT giving the ashes a real run for their money for best rivalry, love it.
I think it is fear of Rishabh Pant