Cricket Australia general manager Pat Howard on Tuesday admitted that there are loopholes in country’s cricket system, which is the reason for not being able to get the best out of Shane Watson as the angry player returned home after being dropped on disciplinary ground.
“I am not going to get drawn into that any more but there are failings in the system in that we are not getting the best out of Shane — that’s our fault,” Howard was quoted as saying by the Australian media.
The GM also said that Watson is teamman and is aware about the interests of the team.
“I know Shane reasonably well. I think he acts in the best interests of the team, sometimes,” Howard stated.
Howard informed that Watson is still in contention for a place in the national side but the player must be aware about how a team functions and prepare himself to follow the guidelines.
The GM also informed that he is not really bothered about the cricketer’s future at the moment.
“I am not worried about that at the moment. I will discuss it with him when I get a chance. I have left a message with his agent. But I think it is clear that whoever is playing for Australia has to be there for the right reasons.”
“They have to want to win for Australia. You don’t get to pick and choose. It is the standards that the team sets — not playing under your own conditions.”
Keywords: Cricket Australia, Shane Watson, Australia's tour of India
This so-called professional approach of Aussies is incomprehensible. A cricketer must be left to concentrate on his performance in the ground only. The task of preparing presentations and evolving the best strategy for each game should be handled by the think-tank of the team. One should not bother the international players gratuitously with such an absurd school teacher like approach. The upshot of this whole episode is that the Aussie team will have to play without 2 very important players in the next test match in which they will have to play to their potential to checkmate the rejuvenated Indian squad if they intend to keep this series open. Practical and pragmatic approach is required in such difficult times. I wish the depleted Aussie team will show some grit and fight in the remaining part of the series - a task which seems unlikely at the moment.
rightly said...sathyavrath. I was just amazed to see how professional these australian and english cricketers are.... I mean apart from disciplinary grounds they were also asked to prepare a PPT or presentation on how they, as an individual, believe to change or make difference in the game, at this crunch situation when series defeat is hovering over the heads, if selected or given a second chance. How many times does Team India has been given such an extreme task... hats off.. professional.. throughlly professional. m
Great lessons here for Indian cricket and its team selection.Statistics are of no value without a good current form.
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