Australia blame weariness for defeat

Too much cricket did for Australia in the Commonwealth Bank Series final yesterday - and may have been responsible for them losing the same tournament to England last winter - Ricky Ponting has claimed. The fact that the Test and one-day sides are, one or two players aside, pretty much identical has contributed to a feeling of player burnout. India being better may have had something to do with it, too.

This is all credible enough - and one reason why, thankfully, the tri-nations one-day series has had its day - but I'm not sure whether there will be much sympathy given that most of the Australia team have signed up to play in the IPL during their rest period between the mooted tour of Pakistan and their trip to the West Indies. The Pakistan trip is still up in the air and it is unlikely to go ahead. If so, it must be for genuine security fears rather than simply to give Australians some time off to recharge before signing up with Mumbai, Kolkata and the rest.

Comments

[Peter McGuinness]

Geez!

Last time I stick up for you Ann! (refer 'Pillock' piece)

You are quite formidable. Happy?

Please shine some light on my abuse of you (or anyone else) in this post. 'Silly' reporting. Where - pray - is the abuse of your good self? This is no more or less than an effort to help people out, who may not get full coverage of this or other issues from places far afield.

Each to their own.

If you prefer Jerry Springer styled cricket blogging there's nothing wrong with that from my perspective. Finding offense where none is either intended nor demonstrable is bit rich. If the intention was to personally abuse you, the comment would have looked a lot different I assure you.

Take some time off. Post something positive for a change. You might actually like it. In any case, good on you. I think your presence recently has been quite refreshing, regardless of which dorm room (or appropriate analogy) you are frequenting.

Talk again soon, no doubt.

[Rusty]

I agree with Ann, Peter McG

You should post comments with the same level of maturity, objectivity and incisiveness as her "aww, poor diddums..."!

[Ann]

Peter, when you have learned to disagree with other posters without resorting to personal abuse, perhaps you will be allowd into the upper school common room. Until then, your proper place is with the little boys, of which you are a classic specimen.

[jimbo]

they are tired until someone waves a million dollars under there nose to play 20/20 cricket in india.

[Peter McGuinness]

Silliness Ann.

This is roundly mis-interpreted and diluted from one report to the next. Scrutiny of player's actual comments finds that they do not actual frame scheduling as an excuse. As happens on many occasions regarding many issues, concepts and words are often 'put into player's mouths' due to the nature of the question.

Anyway no excuses need be found. None are required. It's sport. Contests are lost. Especially to superb teams.

For reasons unknown, it is almost impossible for the media in my country and yours (and definitely in India) to simply say 'Our team was beaten by a better side on this occasion'. Nine times out of ten this is the case, but it does not make for a snappy headline or a neat 'Professional Wrestling' promo.

A case in point is that a streaker getting flattened and Harbjahan spitting at the crowd over-shadowed the reporting of Tendulkar's two series-deciding innings this week, as Patrick as most shrewdly pointed out. There have always been streakers, there have always been pissed off players fielding on the boundary. There will not always be diamonds from Tendulkar. It's not all the media's fault. People seem to crave the pumped up drama and Reality TV/Gossip Mag thrill of peripheral crap over the main game. Strange times.

In Australia, there are moves afoot to split the ODI and Test teams even further and to do away with the tedium and stupidity of the annual tri-series. We have so many capable cricketers that it is actually quite ludicrous to have the same blokes continually playing one interminable ODI after another. In this regard, the Indians have the right idea. As do football clubs etc etc.

It's really not that big a deal.

On the other topic, the increasing number of bombings and other mayhemic, tragedies in Pakistan is a really big deal. It is so terribly sad and vexing for all involved. Makes cricket seem pretty puerile by comparison.

[Ann]

Aww, poor diddums ... the world's greatest athletes and greatest cricketers ever (at least, according to some of them) are tired and need a rest and a nice cup of cocoa?