Re: The Brisbane Test
Reply #39 –
If they are conducting their own investigation then should we expect any significant outcome, perhaps not?
Nothing, he basically did nothing different from what he would do if it was the first ball of the first day or the last ball of the last day. He does the same things he does systematically just about every game. For all his batting prowess, his captaincy shows about as much flair as a hockey puck, and he misses opportunities to turn the screws which eventually must bite the team!
I think he plays it safe, to understand my criticism you have to compare the pressure cooker environment created by captains like Taylor and Ponting. Winning at test cricket isn't just about taking wickets, it's about damaging your opponent for the remainder of a test series. It's easy to argue about the calibre of players, but not matter how good they are if you don;t use them wisely you won;t get the best out of them.
Smith applies very little pressure, and that shows up as variability on the apparent intensity of the bowling attack. You shouldn't just go with the flow if a bowler is a little off, you have to be proactive and flexible in the tactics used, and it's not too hard to do that without putting the bowler off-side.
For example, it was clear from his first over Saturday afternoon that Starc was off his game, he was all over the shop and worrying about footholds and shape of the ball. All clear signs to a captain that the bowler isn't in the right head-space and is looking for distractions or excuses. Hazelwood had them on the griddle at the other end, and Starc was letting them off the hook, yet Smith kept to the formula and bowled Starc into the 10th or 12th over before bringing on Lyon and Cummins. I realise that Smith might have been a bit fatigued after a long and spectacular innings, but that should never be an excuse. FWIW, it also tells me something about vice captain, because in those situations he should be stepping up to push hard when the captain is a bit flat.
I think his current bowling attack as a group, is potentially as good as any we've had in the last 20 years, it's should be far more damaging than it appears. To me a lot of that is due to the captaincy.
The thing now will be we've had an easy win against a folding opponent, all will be forgiven, until Sth Africa or India stick another rocket up our ar5e!
Topic: The Brisbane Test (Read 21665 times)
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