<font color = #FFFDDA > The world is 'itching' to thump Aussies! </font>

<font color = #A5D8F6> "International Cricket Council chairman of selectors Sunil Gavaskar says his newly-unveiled World sides will be "itching to put it across to the Australians" when they clash in three one-dayers and a six-day Test in October.

The former India great was speaking after unveiling his preliminary squads for the much-anticipated clashes against the world's top-ranked side.

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan; Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar and Inzamam-ul-Haq; India's Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman; New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori; England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff; and West Indian batsman Brian Lara are among the names making the lists.

Gavaskar said all of them would be out for revenge after seeing their national sides defeated by Ricky Ponting's men." </font> BBC


<font color = #FFFDDA > Has cricket, in a free fall for the last ten years or so because of the Australian domination, decided to play its last trump card in a bid to make the game more interesting? The game has become boringly predictable for many people. Apart from an odd India v Australia series or two played in India the game has just been a precession of easy beats with lacklustre bowling ability getting steamrollered into submission usually within three days of a possible five. The game of cricket is dying a slow death. Have there been other examples of a game suffering because one team is dominant for so long?

Do world teams ever live up to expectation? Is this series an admission of mediocrity by the rest of the world? This post is not meant to be arrogant just a statement of fact by a once huge fan of the game.

Ideas, thoughts and comments welcome :D </font>

I think that there are swings and roundabouts in who is the dominant team of the age (well - except for England - they are on more of a slippery slide or a teeter totter ;) ). The concept of playing a "Rest of the World" against the strongest team of the day will beome a regular 4 year fixture on the calender. Competition will be fierce to be the best team and host these quadrennial carnivals.

Giday Wellard, how are they hangin' mate? :)

Davros is right, it's a cyclical thing with cricket. I still remember well the mediocristy of the Aussie team on the early eighties. I think though that Australia learn't a valuable lesson form those days though, and we haven't looked back since. That lesson was that you have to blood youngsters before your stars start to fade. We've been pretty good at that over the last ten years or so, and long may it continue.

Perhaps it's just me, but I still enjoy seeing the Poms getting a thrashing. The best part for me is the British press building up their chances for months prior to the first test. And then the first one lasting, as you've already mentioned Wellard, all of three days!! :)

Got a T-Shirt at home from the last Aussie tour when I went to the first test at Edgebaston. It's got the dates embroided on the chest. I take great delight in pointing out the "printing error" on it to my English cousins. :))

Cricket? That's with the wickets and balls using the metal rings on your lawn, right?

Yep. Something like that TL. :))

I once tried to explain to an American friend of mine the rules of cricket. Was a waste of a good couple of hours really, but we ended up well and truely drunk. :)

I concluded that unless you've grown up in a country that plays, it will probably forever remain a mystery mate. :))

[ 05-09-2005, 12:03 PM: Message edited by: Skippy1 ]

Nice sig by the way!

Well, they play cricket overhere, except nobody gives a damn. :D

A bunch of guys, wearing white sweaters and equipped with paddles, smacking balls around for 5 days. Sounds more like an Ivy League Fraternity initiation than a sport.

...yeah yeah, I know, test matches are wicked exciting, cricket at its best and all that...

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