Episode 172 - Retirements, Milestones and New adventures - Two Slips & A Gully

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
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Slash Speeds, Cloud Chase, Hey, Senate, Hello everyone, and

(00:53):
welcome back to another episode of TwoSlips and a Gully and so not.
I am joined by a couple ofhouse good I yours. Hey, I'm
doing really well. Happy new Yeareverybody, and could I Craig? How
you doing? Yeah? Great?Having new year to everyone out there in
the Arrans. Great to be back. Yeah you guys missed the extra large,
last minute, not very well organizedroad trip podcast at Glenn and I

(01:15):
did. We went down to goand watch was possibly one of the least
riveting days of cricket I've ever seen, but still got down to the down
to day two. So this isthe first time we're back in studio for
two slips in Negoali for twenty twentyfour. I'm not going to rub it
in though. I got to daythree. Yeah, the moving day.

(01:38):
She had started slow. We whena cloud sorry, when a crowd claps
at the eighth over, you know, signaling thank god, you've scored runs,
you know, for the you know, for the first time in six
overs. It was a bit ofa slow start. But yeah, fifteen
wickets, they were just in aday. They were just colored her,

(01:59):
They were color of the guys thatwere just there for you know, for
clout social media, clout from thecricket fans, because the cricket fans will
sit through that. But this,oh man, it's been half an hour
and nothing's happening. Let's go tothe pub and it's like, right now
to the people that don't give acrap, a gone, let's get into
the cricket. That's exactly what happened. And yeah, it was. It
was an absolutely standing day, beautifulday. And then to watch Hazel Wold

(02:22):
just from one end just just talktear through a Pakistan lineup that yeah,
probably had it over us, Iwould say, you know, and up
until that point. Yeah, butgreat day to go. Sorry to Robin
in that's all right. Anyway you'regoing and get to go to the g
is a good day. But yeah, it was one of the less rewarding

(02:45):
days. But anyway, we've gotplenty to talk about. We're obviously we're
going to wax lyrical about the ThirdTest between Pakistan and Australia, and we're
also going to have a bit ofa chat about one of the living legends
of the game, big milestone thatthey're brought up. And then we'll also
look forward to the upcoming Test seriesagainst the Windies and all of the storylines

(03:07):
coming out of that Test series.All that is coming up right after this.
All right, the first leg ofthe Australian Summer had come to a
close with the New Year's Test farewellingDavid Warner in what was well had the
potential to be a pretty exciting matchup between Australia and Pakistan. You felt

(03:28):
that Pakistan had shifted a bit ofmomentum, like they really gave the Aussies
a scare at Boxing Day. Itwas a magnificent contribution from Kwaja and Marsh
to dig us out of trouble.And then Cummings being absolutely phenomenal at the
mcg to what made the wind seema bit more lopsided than what it actually
was. That Pakistan we were rightthere. They take that catch Marshes,

(03:53):
that catch off marsh when he wason what eighteen or twenty could be a
very different game. So and Ithink it probably sums up Pakistan really well.
There are just moments that they theydon't win. And when they don't
it's not like Australia were just abit better in that moment. It's when
they don't get it. They justlike the beginning of this game when the

(04:15):
toss bat first, your openers facedfour balls between them and not get a
run and they're two for two forstuff all right at the beginning of the
Test, and you're like, youknow, slow emc or slow scg Wick
at real big chance to put ona big score, really put the pressure
on the Aussies and then you putyourself on the back foot right away.
And then there was you know,Rizwan and salmon Aga and I mean Jamal

(04:39):
what a phenomenal innings he had toreally rescue the innings and get Pakistan to
competitive score of three hundred and fifteen. Can you imagine if then if someone
like shaffiqu or Azama had got stuckin and made that big score and then
you still had those contributions you lookat, you know, maybe four hundred
plus. Really like probably you probablyplay Australia out of the game. The
best is you can probably draw thatgame from there. Well, Bubba turns

(05:02):
up in this whole test series,it's a it's a different outlook. Straight
away. He struggled. And ifhe doesn't like that, look to the
extra bounces. He got it,he got it. Coming's got him with
probably solute like three of his dismissalthree of out of six of his diseasals

(05:26):
have been absolute, genuine like goodluck. But but in saying that has
the bat hanging a long way outfrom his pad, and you know you
talked very early on keep keep thosetwo things together, especially on the front
foot, you know. So,But yeah, you're right, he cops
some seeds, he really did.But if he turns up, it's a

(05:49):
it's a different outlook because Australia,for the first time probably since India,
probably since the Indian series, didn'treally dominate with a bat. What they
like they have. You know,there was notable mentions Mitch marsh you know,
very very good, but really otherthan that, rather other than Davey

(06:14):
Warner's first Test century, I thinkwe and I would like to say there's
probably a little bit of how wellPakistan stuck to it yep in the field
with the ball in the field.The fielding is awful. Yea was awful.
Yeah. The dam fine to findthat guy is that he's going to
be he's a classic cricketer. Iwas thinking about him the other day,

(06:36):
actually is he going to be?How many cricketers have come out here and
had a wonderful tool and then they'rereally not kicked on what I like from
the sub continent. But what Ilike about him is he's got he's got
a bit among rule about him andhe's got a good skill set and that

(06:56):
surprise me too. This is aguy I think that when you're looking at
it depends think on how you're goingto carry yourself. He could genuinely about
an eight, depending on obviously themakeup of the rest of the team.
They do like that. Saji Kahan, who's is a handy number eight as
well. Him and risbon In thatfirst innings were superb. How good is
Rismon? I love him well,I don't think he gets like he's very

(07:20):
highly right first test, Yeah,I don't. I don't understand how he's
not continued to be the number onepeople in the world. I think he
reminds me of my little mate fromSri Lank me. He's just got that
dog good fight, and I don'tBasically, I don't care how many people

(07:41):
around on that boundary of the legside. I'm going to take you on.
I'm going to keep going. Itwas a dumb shot to get it
and give himself He give himself awayone hundred in the first innings eighty eight,
dug your team out of a hole. That was good partnership going with
Salmon looking like really going for on. Oh my god, this is terrible

(08:01):
for us to maybe we come outof head here and then immediately come and
sets the trap and immediately falls intoit. That was like if he if
he'd copped a few and ducked andyou know, roll the wrist on a
few and maybe stuck around for twentythirty runs and went over there. So
I've had ten over the bounces andthen went let's have a crack. But
the first ball, like you've withyou are the guy. You've got to

(08:24):
get a big one to keep yourteam into a dominant position. And the
first ball of the playing first ball. It's probably one of the dumbest dismissals
I've ever seen until and then Smith. Smith said, hold might be Risan,
I'm going to go out. Thesecond end is I'm going to really
show you what's done that I was. Actually you were just about to bring
that up in the really really stupid, stupid, stupid ways to get out

(08:52):
when he's basically telegraphed you where he'sgoing to put the fielder where I'm going
to put the ball, and you'lloblige him by hitting it exactly. I
think it was just too juicy aball like Smith's like, all right,
I'll just hit it over the topof that. These guys, you're gonna
bowl me this. It's lower onthe bat than I wanted, and it's
just not gone up. But itdidn't come off the bat well at all.

(09:15):
It basically lollipopped out there, wasn'tit. It was two foot out
sort of stump on half folly length. You've got three short covers standing there.
Just leave it, let it go, just leave it. There was
just this exacerbation throughout the whole stadiumbecause we were just sitting there and everyone's
just looking at each other, going, what the fuck? What you what

(09:39):
are you doing? Anyway, He'she's averaging fifty seven in test creet.
He knows what he's doing, andyou know, he's had everyone's talking.
And I've brought this up. I'veshowed it on the on the socials of
a few times. Travis Head wasnamed to the ICC team with the year
Travis Heads averaging forty one as anine hundred and nineteen runs or something like

(10:00):
that, one hundred three fifties,No. One hundred and five fifties.
Steve Smith's got averaging forty two.He's got about ten more runs, He's
got two more hundreds and two lessfifties. Smith's having one of the worst
years in recent memory. And Travor'sHead is one of the best six bats
in the world. So there arelevels. There are levels. Well,

(10:22):
I heard of a couple of matesduring the week they just go, Smith's
starting to annoy me. The Smith'sstarting to annoy me. And I'm like,
yeah, it's probably because of theexpectation we've had on this bloke for
so long that just a mere thirtyorf eighty balls or you know, a
forty off, you know, ninetyor one hundred balls is just not what

(10:45):
we expect from him. This isa good you know who was like he
was just flying, like he wasuntouchable. There was a point that if
David Warner and Steve Smith didn't scoreany runs, our batting lineup was lucky
to make two hundred not that longago. Like if you go back through
a look at every major score Australiahad in the first innings, that would
have been a Warner or a Smithhundred in it, and then not much

(11:07):
from anyone else. Well between themhave got over fifty. So you have
to consider that in their period ofdominance, when they're scoring like a century
every second innings or every third innings, it's they're going to have a fair
impact on the team scoreboard. Whenyou're having a year where you know,

(11:30):
Joe Casual was saying Smith's washed,he might as well retire. He's had
it, and he's scored nearly athousand runs at forty two. Yeah,
I know you've said some pretty ice. That's exactly how smudge too. He
probabished, say, look, I'veleft three hundred out there this year.
You know he's got to add acouple of fairly average ways issue so unusual
things. Smith's himself said it isnot pretending that he's in the best nick.

(11:52):
He said that he's batting We didn'tsay batting scared. But the idea
of getting out is concerning him alot more than what it used to.
And he's just got to play hisway through that. And I think that
we'll talk about it later on wherethe West Indies one. But I think
that new challenge that has popped upfor Smith, which we'll talk about,
is one that may re energize himand really get that brain ticking over going.

(12:13):
I've got to really knuckle down,just I know you're rare and to
go just We've got a whole segmentfor that. I can see you at
the frost of the mouth there town. We'll get there. We'll give the
players that were in this current seriesthey do you know, their Jews and
talk about that. So I wasvery impressed with commings coming was unbelievable.
Three straight five of us in aRow. I thought he led the team

(12:35):
really really well, and yeah,just every time that we needed something something,
Pat was there to provide it foldexceptionally. Well, well, we'll
bring up Josh Hayswood as well withhis Wow Wow over, which I'm sure
would have been great to watch foryou. There it was insane like it.

(13:00):
Everyone in the crowd just felt thatevery ball something was going to happen.
It was just one of those oneof those overs or one of those
spills where you just you just sortthere could be they could be all out
here today. That that that wasthe feeling, you know, just sitting
in the crowd, and we sortof moved to the ladies stand by then
because it was very nice to sitin and we'd had a few Shervans under

(13:24):
the belt, so it was itwas nice, it was and you know,
that was the collective throughout the wholeground, was that something was going
to happen every ball. It was. It was really cool, fantastic day
of Crewer and yeah, Pakistan didreally well after what would have been a
really poor start for them. Therewas a lot of talk after Day one
that Day one ended up being Pakistan'sday, which I felt was a bit

(13:50):
sort of commentating on emotion more thananything else. If you said to Australia,
if yeah, you know you've lostthe toss, the other team is
going to go in and bat inSydney and are going to be all out
for three hundred and fifteen and you'llbe numb for six at stumps, you'd
be like laughing. It's absolutely onehundred percent Australia's day. The tail wagging

(14:11):
as much as it did, maybeturned at what was looking like an eighty
twenty Australia's day to a sixty fortyAustralia's day, but it was absolutely Australia's
day. When you're not going tosee him over on day one for under
three fifty, Yeah, I wantto have a bit of a chat about
the tactics to Australia into the firstinnings because I just want to ask you

(14:33):
guys, especially you are and you'vewatched a lot more cricket than myself,
and I've watched a fair bit ofcricket. Have you ever seen the let's
spread the field to the established batand give him one strategy work. No,
what I have seen is it's putout of form batters into form.

(14:54):
What I have seen is that it'sinspired the lowell rauer who's hanging around there
to just know that they only justneed to do a very small gob to
help the guy at the oraan whowas probably by now carving the opposition apart.
I have never seen I don't mindthe idea. I've never seen the

(15:16):
idea work, and it doesn't matterhow you implement the field in that thing.
I do not like the idea ever. As a cricketer, the guy
who you're bowling to, you're nottrying to get him out. You're happy
to give him one. I justfeels an easy way. I just don't
feel that it's it's a smart thingto do, if nothing else, I

(15:37):
feel it's an easy way to letthe momentum shift because I just say that
you established back only gets two orthree boundaries away, but it takes you
know, maybe six or seven oreight ops, and then you can just
feel that team, the team,all the bowling teams on a March nine
wickets down, then everything stores becauseyou're not trying to get this guy out,
and it's a waiting game. Andthe longer you make them wait,

(15:58):
even though they might not be massivedamage on the scoreboard when you're nine wickets
down, ten runs is great.You get a ten ten wicket partnerships ten
you're feeling like, yeah, good, he gets to twenty, you feeling
that was a huge partnership. Andthen it was just and you know,
this is a number nine batsman.And on the top of that too,
the number nine batsman hitting the bowlyou know, the bowlers around makes it

(16:22):
feel even more special, Like ifit was the zarm doing that, You're
like, it's a arm, heshould be hitting boundaries. But the blows
of the Australian momentum was twofold fromthe fact that it's we should be getting
this guy out too, like he'sa number nine bat who's played three Tests.
The problem I had with it isthey were doing it from run twenty
with a mere run twenty and hemade eighty seven. And he made eighty

(16:47):
seven, So you you hit thenail on the head when you talk about
shifting momentum. It was all Australiashifting at the wrong way with what they
were doing. And I'm never abeliever in se fields for bad bowling either.
I don't necessarily mind the idea whenhe first walks out. Maybe go
three or four overs. Let's getto be established bad off strike. Let's

(17:11):
have a crack at these guy asquick as we can. And then if
you haven't, if he's farming thestrike too well, then just go back
and get the bloke out. Seta field to get him out. And
that's a legitimate tactic. Yeah,I don't see any legitimacy in the idea
that you're giving up half of yourpotential of taking a wicket and and you're
cutting dismissals out. Why, Like, I don't like what it should be.

(17:33):
If that was if I was inthat position and we had a mirror
on on twenty whatever it was offabout forty more So, he's feeling good,
he's back and okay, we've gotthe new blokeout. I'm setting a
deep square leg. I'm setting maybelong on and long off back and then
going right. If you're going toplay the short one, you've got a
single out there. I'm getting awtherto go on strike or you can bunt
it down the ground for one andthen but I'm still then going to pitch

(17:55):
it up because I can try andnick you off and then you're driving age
one. It's not that's the wicketwas conducive. Really, just slapping it
in half length anyway would to me. It looked very tennis ballly. The
danger on that wicket was pitching itinto the five and a half six meter
length and hitting the sne They've gota bit of every time they hit the
rope, the ball was doing something. They got a bit of love out

(18:18):
of the short ball, like caughtlike a square league and then fine and
things like that. But that's howI would if I was Pat Cummins,
That's how I do it. I'dset the areas where you're likely to score
out for saving one. So I'vegot all right, I can bowl a
short ball because I've got deep fine, I've got deep square. So if
you're gonna hook me, I've gotplayers out for that. And then I'm
gonna set long on long off backfor the first four balls of the over
to see if i can get theother blow gone strike. If you are,

(18:41):
you're going to hit a drive,because you can get a nice easy
one, maybe I nicky off youdrive and you run sweet, I've got
the new blow go on strike.If not, then you're hitting drives out
to deep long on for no run. Then I'm saving that. But I
can still play multiple options. Ican still pitch it up and try and
bowl you LBW nick you off theshort ball and try and get your caught
on the boundary, and then ifyou're not going to do that, then

(19:03):
I bring everyone up. I thentry and save the ones. So then
we get six balls at the blokeat the other end, and then if
you're going to go hard on ballsfive and six, then I'll pay a
boundary if you're going to play acrazy shot. So Pakistan did exactly the
same thing to Larva SHANEA Smith onthe start of that third day right where
they put basically four guys back onthe leg side and went, okay,

(19:27):
we're going to bowl short at yourmid drift to neck good luck, realized
it wasn't working and then went okay, well we're going to use the pitch
to advantage here, and the technicalterm for it is poppage. Right,
So you bowl that fuller fuller lengthor on a length, you get that

(19:48):
poppage and then you've got short covers, you've got a short midwicket. You
might even have a short mid onjust in case they want to take you
on in the bowl and gets thatlittle bit straight up and then you get
balls that pop up out of thatregion. Pakistan learnt quickly, Australia did
not, and and it worries methat has an education thing. I think

(20:10):
it's an arrogance thing. You're right. I think you're right. I think
it's definitely an arrogance thing against theteam that they think is inferior to them.
And they're just like, oh well, if the momentum is whittled away
from us for a little bit,well then it doesn't really matter. If
they do that crap against New Zealand. I reckon it might be a little

(20:33):
bit, a little bit of adifferent story. Do it to India to
do it to England again? Wealready do it to England. Well,
that's what I mean. Do itto England again. Didn't we learn our
lessons during the Ashes when we allowedbasball to be played by feeding basball balls
to the batsman to play bass ballshop? Well, it could have been

(20:55):
the zarm ball if he hadn't gotoff the if he could hit it off
the square this year, is thatto him? I personally think there was
a lot went on behind him losingthe captaincy and I'm not completely sure that
he's mentally in the game at themoment. Yeah, maybe not, but
he was the one who relinquished it, so yeah, but I mean,
yeah, I just there was Ifollow a lot of the Asian social media

(21:19):
with cricket and stuff like that.Him. There's been a lot of talk
about Barbara's shah Shaha Freedi being thatthe people you know and the people's choice
for being captain, and in Pakistanthat actually means quite a bit. Shahina
Fredi the captain. Yes, he'sthe white ball captain. That's why he

(21:40):
didn't play in the last Test becauseI wanted to arrest him for their their
T twenty tour. I'm sorry,but if you're a captain, you're saying
I don't care about the white ballstuff on playing a Test match. I
think that's that's not that's not acaptain to me. I think that's where
the I mean, he's the whiteball captain, That's what I mean.
That's why they protected him from ButI'm saying, if I'm a captain,

(22:02):
if I'm a leader, right,I'm going I don't care what you're saying.
I'm not giving up a Test match. I could not believe that that
that that also probably went a longway for them, probably not dominating that
that Test match as much as theyprobably should have. We saw how much

(22:22):
swing that Starkey got there. Therewas a lot there for the for the
swing bowlers early and he would havebeen perfect left arm. Bit of poppage.
You said, a short midwek whenyou get straight like he's. He
is a class act. If you'rea leader, you're not missing a Test
match. I don't care who youare. Would be interested telling those selectives
interesting to see if there was muchlike convincing for a free d to have

(22:48):
to sit down, or what theenvironment is, because obviously, I think
we live in a fairly privileged partof the world where where one of the
three nations that still highly prioritized Testcricket. I think it's naive to think
that any other nation in the worldprioritizes test cricket. It's just not economically

(23:11):
viable. We've got those prestige Testseries like Pakistan. I reckon if Pakistan
was playing a four or five Testseries against India, they won't think of
it differently. We're good at itthough. Yeah, that's the difference.
There are some other good teams out, but I think because there hasn't been
that sort of prestige test series.Like we always loved the ASHES. We

(23:33):
love the Border Gavasco Trophy. Weloved that when the frank World Trophy was
still something that was interesting, likewe got up for test cricket and I
just think as it's waned and theseyou know, less well off nations have
then had to cut back on theirTest cricket because and they're just there isn't
now this demand, this thirst forTest cricket because there isn't like an ASHES

(23:56):
series for South Africa to really diginto, or for New Zealand they getting
for Pakistani get into. So Iprobably beg to differ a little bit from
the South African point of view.I'm sure they view tests against US and
against England very very seriously. They'veactually come out and said that that's one
of the things that they struggle with. That's why, like the World Cup

(24:17):
is there zenith for them because theydon't have an ASHES, they don't have
a Border Gavasco Trophy with like thosebig iconic Test series. That's one of
the because when like when's the lasttime you've seen South Africa play a four
or a five Test series. Ithink even when they come out here and
when like the peak of like theGraham smith Dale stain vern All three Test
series, and I think that's probablythe big thing. So I'm wondering whether

(24:41):
or not it's just that with themodern day you know cricketer that doesn't come
from a India, Australia, England. If it is that, No,
We've got a T twenty World Cupcoming up and I'm the captain of the
T twenty or the one day side, and I need to make sure that
I'm right to go because that that'sthe that's their mountaintop to so to speak.

(25:02):
And if that is the case thathe's very concerning before the future,
you know, if they've come upand told a Freedi mate, you're the
captain, we need you to befit and firing, you haven't the game
off. And there was a bitof back and forth and eventually it was
like, no, where the bosses, you're the player, you sit down.
Then that's one thing. But ifit's sort of like Ifridi's not really
willing to fight for that because he'snot seeing test cricket, being that I

(25:26):
will cut like Ryan Harris, Iwill bowl on one leg to win a
Test match. Yep. You know, can we say, be on the
shadow of a doubt that this moderngeneration because he's what Afridi's only twenty twenty
six, so he wouldn't have seena Test match in his country probably well
while he was growing up. Yep, that's probably so he's not exposed to

(25:49):
Test cricket. The big thing goingon is Pakistan competing in the World teen
twenty, Is Pakistan competing in theWorld Cups. Maybe there isn't that same
like I will cut off my ownarm in Europe, you know, maybe
maybe India is that only you know, only Pinna Gulf. But even for
that, like even then the IndianPakistan things, and now it's you're now

(26:12):
talking T twenty World Cup, oneDay World Cups because they don't play anymore.
Like I think that whole big rivalrybetween them is simmered down a little
bit because they're only having one offgames every two years sort of thing,
or for the Asia Cup or whateverit might. Unfortunately, that's something that
needs to be dealt with by thepoliticians and it's not much of the cricketers

(26:33):
can do about that one. I'mreally behind the ICC trying to play India
Pakistan in a neutral venue. So, like they've talked about at the MCG
a lot, I think that Lordswould be a fantastic one as well,
getting especially with the caliber of theirbowling attacks. It took them to ather
of those two places to sell themout because the South Asian following in this

(26:57):
country in England is just an ormous. Yeah, it really is. You
wouldn't have any problems with selling tickets. Yeah, I'm like, I'm firmly
in that you don't miss a gameif you're a leader camp. But I'm
just I'm conscious of the fact thatproviding context around or that might be the

(27:17):
case depending on where you are,they just that might that I'm not missing
a game might be though, becauseI'm the white ball captain, I'm going
to make sure that I'm fit andfiring to lead my country as best i
can in you know, it's likeIreland. Ireland need imagine to be getting
up for one day as well,may be getting up when are they playing
a Test match sort of thing.So you know, it's easy to sit

(27:38):
on this side of the fence andgo if that wire me, I would
never but you know, it's awe are in that privileged position where we
are going to play at least tenTest matches, if not more, year
in year out over a three yearperiod, will play forty Tests or sort
of the thirty Tests, and we'vegot that got to get up for the

(28:00):
Ashes, got to get up forthe Border Gavaskar Trophy, and that comes
around, you know, basically everyother year we've got an Ashes or a
Border Gavascatur to really keep fueling that. If we played you know, Pakistan,
Sri Lanka, West Indies, youknow, and not much else for
the next five years, yeah,I reckon the the casuals appetite for test

(28:21):
cricket would probably wane. But whenwe've got that big iconic series coming around
every other year to really get usinto the swing of things, it's it's
easy to sit on this side ofthe fence and go as if you wouldn't
play test cricket, what a newSo yeah, I get it. What
can you do? Yeah? Overall, what did we think Australia fairly dominant,

(28:42):
But I think Pakistan contry contrary tothe the the English arguments of morally,
Pakistan were the better team which cameout, although were the better team
on paper or whatever. The argumentwas that Hafez came out with Australia with
a better team. Pakistan played themselvesfrom poor positions into the game every test,

(29:07):
yep, Like, they played themselvesout of the test early on day
one and then ground their way backinto it. For the first Test,
they got themselves right into a dominantposition when they had him four for sixteen.
They dug themselves out of what werethey like, five for seventy or
something on day one in this oneand played themselves into that. But the
ship fact of the matter is they'rea team that is bad enough to get

(29:29):
themselves into those positions in the firstplace. That's right. You know,
at some point you've got to stopbeing scrappy and start executing. And that
was and even with like, therewere a few times Tests two and three
Pakistan played themselves in a position wherethey could make things rather difficult for Australia.
They ended you know, four forsixteen, you get on here,
You've got a nice easy chase thisgame. You ended up with a lead

(29:51):
in the first innings after only justticking over three hundred, you go and
make a nice another sort of threehundred again and then Australia's chasing, you
know, three forty three fifty toget a win, and that's difficult to
do. And both times in bothgames, not only they let it slip,
but it slipped a long way.Yeah. But I mean it's very
typical of the Pakistani temperament at theircricket as well, and you always have

(30:15):
the firm whenever the Pakistan's team takethe field. I mean, you can
pretty much tell how they're going togo almost from the first couple of overs.
They miss field a board, theydrop a catch. If they don't,
if they're pulling off good fielding,they take their first or second catch
and look out because it might justbe their day. When you have situations
where you're dropping catches off the secondor third ball of the games, you're
not in it. I think theyshowed an awful lot of fight, but

(30:40):
I'm not sure that they actually everbelieved that they could do it very young
side. So maybe that belief willcome when they start putting themselves into more
of those positions later on. AndI think there's some real potential there with
with that team. Look, theyoverachieved. We we thought we were going

(31:03):
to mist meet them. The wholetalk up this year where it's going to
be a boring summer. We needto have warner attire and to sell tickets.
Pakistan made the Aussies work for itmore than they expected to. But
when when the chips were, whenit was there for the taking, when
it was the game is on aknife edge, the next hour, the

(31:23):
next two hours, the next sessioncould really determine the outcome of the game.
When it was right at that pointgoing we've got an hour here,
which team is going to take thegame by the scruff of the neck and
either play themselves into a good position. Every single time it was Australia and
that's and that's the big thing.And then that's the part of being a

(31:44):
good side. So I agree withher feace. And you know there was
you know, there was some unluckythings and Pakistan did play well, but
you know, winning is a habitand Australia and Australia is over the course
of a long period of time withthis group of players have found a way
to get themselves for a precarious positions. The dominant ones and every single time

(32:05):
that they were produced with a precariousposition. Pakistan didn't put the boot in
Pakistan and it was usually a mistakeof their own making dropping you know,
dropping Mitch marsh when we were fivefor forty. I think it were four
for forty at that point. Yeah, you know, losing wicketed in clumps.
And that same Test when they gota really good start and looked like

(32:27):
they might chase down that score,they're losing a bunch of wickets in clumps,
you know. Again, winning thetoss, batting first two for not
many, recovering, ending up witha lead, and they're not executing the
in the third innings to set upa score. Like it's too many times
they didn't execute their skills well enoughand the Australia off the hook. In
Australia, when they executed their skills, they're the world Test champions. There's

(32:52):
no one in the world better thanthem. When they get it right,
they're correct. Yeah, but greatscience from Pakistan, I think. Look,
hopefully there is that thirst for Testcricket with these young guys. Now
they see that they can compete inAustralian conditions against the best side in the
world. Hopefully there is that thirstbecause to tell you what if they if

(33:16):
they gain that thirst for Test cricketand really give it a good crack the
next five, six, seven years, an attack of Nassi, Saha,
Fredi and that Jim Wall guy runningaround on in England or he's quick,
he is rapid, Hamsa really rapid, Like there's the makings there of an

(33:39):
attack that should go to most places. They've got absolutely no one that's worthwhile
as a front line spinner, sosub continent that's where they're probably their biggest
deficities over there to win games andbig spinning conditions. They haven't got one
of those big match winning spinners.But you know England, Australia, New
Zealand's, South Africa, West Indies, those sort of players, they've got

(34:00):
a bowling attack that will keep themin most games where there's a bit of
love for fast bowlers. If theycan just keep everyone healthy and then find
you a zarm clicking to be youknow, that sort of elite world class
bats and a few others to gowith him. They're not they're not far
away, No, they're good.One little gripe I have with the media

(34:23):
over this whole last Test match wasthey were saying, how a rubbish a
wicket it was from day one andyou could see brilliantly you could see you
could see that you know, youknow, balls was getting you know,
puff marks. You know after afterthirty forty overs, to have a have
a look at Australia's last innings.They lost two wickets to get that amount

(34:46):
of runs. There was nothing.If it was going to play up and
play up really really ordinary, itwould have played up to Australia in that
last innings. I thought it wasa brilliant wickety with the new ball.
Yeah, okay, it's Sydney,so you know that once the ball gets
a bit older, there is nota lot in it. But you prove
that if you were diligent enough withyour bowling plans, either the short ball

(35:09):
plan or using that sort of thatpoppinges On called it, there's enoughing there.
I mean, no team put ona garganage and score. Everyone was
putting on a round three hundreds.So and then in the second inning,
you know, Line was actually gettinga bit of purchase, so as Travis
Head. So the ball was spinninglike it wasn't spinning to the point that
it's unpleased. I thought that wasarguably one of the best SCG wickets I've

(35:30):
seen in probably half a deck love, a shanger, a seed in that
first innings that was unbelievable, sothat there was spin there, that there
was there was something for everyone.I thought it was with the swing because
they got the ball swinging with thenew rock all the time. Pakistan probably

(35:50):
weren't as didn't put the ball inthe right areas early on with the ball
they kept throwing it down the leagueside, but they were getting plenty of
movements through there. Like it wasconsistently the the new ball swung. The
middle ball didn't do a great dealand there was reasonable amount of sight waste
turn from relatively early in the Testthat spinners felt like that they were at
least in the game. I thoughtit was a great wink. No I
say same here. I think itwas media types who have probably never played

(36:15):
the game ever before coming out andhave this real thing about Sydney having the
New Year's Test. And maybe there'sa bit of interstate rivalry with some of
those journalists. But anyway, allright, before we move on to the
leaving legend, I want to talkabout I just let's give him a send
off. He's not been the mostpopular person with the podcast recently, but

(36:36):
it was his last Test and heis He's going to go down as one
of the great players for Australia.David Warner's career has come to a close
and in a position. I mean, yeah, it was an inexperienced sort
of understream Pakistan team, but hedid BA well, a couple of fifties,
beat big hundred. Playing at thatlevel, you would have no issues
with him going I don't want toretire, I take you against the West

(36:58):
End. He'd earned his spot likeyeah, so it was. He was
a passenger for his three orchestrated farewelltour play well fielded well over the course
of his career. I think he'sappalling away record. He's going to stop
him from cracking into that that elitepantheon of Australian grades. But the guy's

(37:19):
got He's the fifth leading run scorerhere in Test match history for Australia.
You don't do that unless you've gota bit about you, and most of
the bit about him has been athome. But that for his playing half
his tests, so half the timehe's amazing. You'll take that. Yeah,
I don't really have too much tosay about David Warner that hasn't already
been said. I think I actuallyput it on our socials a couple of

(37:44):
weeks ago, is that hopefully hewill retire and be quiet for a little
while as a book coming out nextyear. Book next year. He's sorry
he announced the book, but he'sgoing to wait until the players he's playing
with Tory. Sorry, that's whathe said. I would just like him

(38:04):
to not get in the media andbe controversial, just give us a chance
to put some distance between because he'sbeen a very divisive. He's got a
commentator on Fox as of now.I think I think he's in for the
West Indies series whatever whatever seven rating. Oh yeah, because people going over

(38:28):
it's like, yeah, I wouldjust really like for him just to shut
up for six months. Him andhe's white. We shouldn't hear much more
from candas because that would be like, he's retired now, we don't care
about you. Now he's out ofDave Borne is good for a headline,
so people are going to keep ringinga rough mate. I was wondering where
you were going with that. Yeah, I thought we're going to have to

(38:49):
cross. It's going to have tobe the old view button was pretty to
push. And I do have somemodicum dren on a family friendly, family
friendly podcast, But yeah, Idon't want to really just like him to
shut up for a bit. Yeah, fair enough, same with you,
as I'm with you. Good cricketer. I don't think he's one of the

(39:14):
greats. I think he's a goodcricketer who's had a very good career,
especially in Australia. As Aaron's pointedout, he should be very grateful.
Yeah. Look, I admire himfrom his background, like he came from
a commission housing background. David Warner. I admire where he's got to and

(39:35):
how much fight. I think alot of people see that dog goodness and
that fight as arrogance. I thinkthat's just the person that he had to
be in order to get where he'sgot and he's just continued that on.
We know that all elites bought inthis country is predominantly wealthy, private school
educated. Yeah so' And honestly,when you watch that bloke go out and

(39:58):
score was eighty nine against South Africa, hasn't played a single first class game
and was promoted to be the openerfor our tea twenty side. When you're
looking at that bloke, did yougo that guy's going to retire with twenty
plus Test hundreds, eight and ahalf thousand runs averaging forty five opening the
batting Well, honestly thought he wasgoing to be a white ball specialist and
wouldn't even see the red bull.So my mind changed about him in that

(40:22):
when his first Test one hundred,because if you remember his first an on
over top in home where nobody elsecould get thirty and it was the innings
of a quality Test batsman, youand you thought yourself, WHOA, what's
happened here? This has shown anawful lot of potential. Apparently he went

(40:43):
away on a on an Australia atrip to Zimbabwe and he went over there
and he made it was his firstfirst class hundred. He made two hundred
and sixty or something like that init against the zimbabwe A in a first
class game. And from that pointon he was just a different player.
So whatever they did to him inbetween him being his white ball like free

(41:10):
taking him away and giving him somefirst class cricket, that was the making
of him as a Test player becausehe come back and he was a different
batsman. It's a shame that hecould never get it right in the big
series, all the big tours.I should say we you know, a
part of I think what makes youhit that legend status is you know Dean

(41:34):
Joe and scoring that double hundred overin India. You know Steve war just
plundering runs in England, and that'sthe froinal front. He's never really contributed
on those big tours. He's beenelite, Like if you're talking exclusively playing
in Australia, he is pushing forthat one out of two opener spots like

(41:57):
he's not. I wouldn't put himthere, but he's pushed for it.
When you're talking all time, Ireckon you've probably got maybe three or four,
well probably four or five in frontof him if you're talking all time,
going everywhere in the world. Andit's because that, Yeah, he
just didn't do anything like most ofhis overseas average was those three hundred discored

(42:19):
in one tour to South Africa wasat twenty fourteen and then he's only scored
six away hundreds and three of themcame in one care averaging thirty one away
fifty seven at home, so youknow, he's as you say, he's
elite at home, just didn't quitedo it there. They're on those big
tours, like you say, andthat will always be in the conversation.

(42:42):
The media drop up that he changedthe game for mine was a bit a
bit of a difficult pills. Haveyou ever seen Vernda Sewang you what about
Gordon Greenwich this ever? Did youever watch Gordon Greenwich? Like aggressive openers
are not They're not. He wasn'tthe aggressive over the fact that Cricket Australia

(43:02):
allowed this media circus for one ofa better term to go on with this
guy retiring is ridiculous. There wereblokes one hundred one in one hundred year
cricketers, three of them that retiredat the same time, never ever ever

(43:27):
got the fan fare that this boatdid. And it's an absolute disgrace that
this was allowed to carry on byCricket Australia. It should have been Yep,
thank you, Davey, thanks verymuch for your service. Done a
great job. But we're not goingto be putting first Dave on the ground.
We're not going to be you know, yeah, yeah, it's it's

(43:49):
a privilege to play cricket for Australia. It's not our privilege to have you
play cricket for Australia. That's that'swhat I got the feeling from the media,
and that's what I got the feelingfrom Cricket Australia two years to this
absolute rubbish that carried on and forme, for my mind, that and

(44:12):
that that it doesn't sit well withme at all. And you're absolutely right
because they announced their retirement beginning ofAshes talk McGrath yes, and I think
lang Langer also, and they allsaid that they were retiring and there wasn't
There wasn't the big this is thelast time that you'll see Warren mcgrah like,

(44:35):
there wasn't. It was just goout and with white Washington, Go
out, white wash England. Butgo out, go and support them at
the ground, go and support themwith your feet. We didn't have,
you know, three months of straightof just like Matt Nabel on Fox Sports
giving us montage after tantage after montagewith like stupid like dialogue and monologuing,

(44:57):
and there wasn't that. And theseare McGrath and warn are walking into the
all time Australian Test all time Worldeleven. These guys are the best we
have ever ever seen ever. Butthere is a serious argument that they're two
and maybe four best Australian cricketers everpassed Bradman what he'd be second, and

(45:24):
then maybe you're looking at someone likeSmith or Lily ahead of mccrath. Maybe
it's a big look you starting toopen up another Countyah. Quite frankly,
we just don't have the time.But the top five, oh for sure,
so lock up. Just the absolutecrap that went on, it just

(45:45):
made me feel like it's not aprivilege to play for Australia anymore. It's
their privilege Australia. Australia have theseto have that person wearing the baggy green
and that's never what it's been about. It should never be about that and
create Australia. Cut the crap.Don't ever do that again. I don't

(46:06):
care if it's even for Smith.Don't do it. Let people vote with
their feet, Let them go outto the ground because they know they know
it's the last time they're going tosee this guy I played cricket. If
they really liked them, they'll goout and vote with their feet, not
this crap that we have to keepputting on to think that we're going to
get big crowds anyways, Absolute rubbish. We're going to cut from here and

(46:28):
we're going to talk about someone who, it is a privilege, decided to
play for Australia. Okay, SoI've been talking big game about this living
legend that we're speaking about. We'regoing to wax lyrical about and what it's
going to be is none other,of course than Elise Perry, who brought
up her triple century in a serieswinning T twenty game last night's against India.

(46:53):
Three hundred international games for Australia.What an absolutely phenomenal mind milestone for
Ales Perry. And I do saythat we are privileged to have her playing
for Australia because at one point wecould have lost it to the Matilda's,
so she made the right choice andcame out and played, you know,

(47:13):
for the Australian women's team and takinggender out of it all rounders. I
think maybe Keith Miller is the onlyone that's got a cover. And even
then I reckon when your factory thatshe's playing a couple of different formats you
might even say that she's probably thebest all round in Australia has ever produced,
arguably could have brought up three pointfifty or four hundred had she not

(47:36):
been a duel international or to handtwice twice. Yep. What a phenomenal
creator and a person who probably deservesthe kind of adulation that mister David Warner
got. I'm happy to see,thanks Elise, and because she every game

(47:59):
she goes to run, but shegenuinely deserves it, genuinely one it will
will probably go down as our greatestever women's cricketer after when she finishes.
I think that's that's probably recognized aroundAustralia that she's probably at that elite level.

(48:19):
And what a phenomenal ambassador because Iknow Australia has put a lot of
effort into making women's cricket more commerciallyacceptable, getting it to be this big
ticket item, you know, thew you know, the Women's Big Bash
all of the games. But youneed a lightning rod, you need a

(48:42):
talisman to do that, and whatELISEE Perry has done on the field,
I feel has made that possible.You can market the hell out of it.
But if you've got rubbish. Doesn'tmatter how much money a chuck it
that people aren't paying to watch rubbish. But people like Elise Perry, people
like Meg Lanning and spoke about notlong ago, people like Alissa Healy,
but especially Perry, because you knowhow many young girls have picked up a

(49:07):
cricket bat or picked up a sixstitcher because of what she's done on a
cricket field. There's a friend offriend of mine, her daughter honestly is
borderline restraining order obsessed with Elise Perry. She is obsessed with Elise Perry.
She's got uniform, she's got cutouts, She's like going to Sydney Six's games

(49:30):
is like Christmas, and like thetwinkle in her eyes, just the and
she's a moody teenage girl. Younever get moody teenage girls smiling. It
is impossible to wipe the smile offher face when she is watching Elise Perry
play. This is the sort ofimpact that she has had, not just
in Australia but across the world,and her her brilliance has helped make this

(49:53):
women's cricket resurgence viable. And it'snot only that do you reckon even the
WIPL happens if we haven't had nearlya decade of really successful women's Big Bash
where we've got where we've got playerscoming from England, players coming from South
Africa, players coming from India togo and play. I don't know if

(50:15):
it happens. Maybe it might happenin a few years once the IPL just
has obviously it's got a big warchest, but they've looked at that blueprint
and when women's crickets viable. Australiaand England have helped really make women's cricket
a commercially viable thing. And Ithink that is an important part of Elisa's

(50:35):
legacy, is just the impact thatshe has had or making world cricket as
viable as it is. And that'snot going into the fact. I want
to just read some raw numbers foryou if I may. Of course,
yep, we like raw numbers,averaging seventy three in Test cricket, the
pie score of two hundred and thirteenthirty eight wickets at twenty one hundred and

(50:58):
thirty five One Day International averaging fiftywith the bats, twenty five with the
ball, one hundred and sixty twowickets to a name women's tea twenty internationals
averaging thirty two with the bat,eighteen with the ball. It's just so

(51:19):
we can actually sit here and lookwe're looking at I'm looking at ESPN pretty
in far and you just you scrollacross it and each time brings in your
field into playing. Wow, it'slike there isn't I don't think there's too
many arguments to say that she's wontwo three, four, five, six,

(51:43):
seven, eight World Cup trophies andthe Commonwealth Games gold medal. Yeah,
yeah, best ever and that justlike I already knew it, but
I didn't know those stats that justlike, if it ever needed rubber stamping,

(52:06):
have have a look at those stats. It's just it is phenomenal.
If you were if you assign thosestats to imagine if Shane Watson had those
stats, what will you be sayingabout Shane Watson hang or w WHOA.
I'm sorry if you were there,but you were baiting men. That's a

(52:29):
pure baiting moment. Sorry I couldn'tlet it past. But yeah, imagine
if you were like that, akey all rounder for the Australian man's cricket
team, you're producing those numbers,you'd be like wow, key all round
it she is equally There were pointswhere she was equally equally the best batsman
and the best bowler in those teams. We can't it's not just an all

(52:54):
rounder. She was the gun withthe bat and the gun with the ball,
and that's no disrespect. There aresome phenomenal bawlers that have played for
Australia over that time. So we'sin pretty good batters too. Just why
so the equivalents in her numbers fortests right and probably one days as well.
She's the Glenn McGrath at bowlie right, and she's the Steve Smith of

(53:20):
batty. She's bad Smith. Smith'saverage has dropped down to fifty seven,
so but she's nearly got twenty.That's the kind of but that's the kind
of context you're talking. Imagine havingthat cricketer bottled into one, having a
mcgra and a and a Smith.She's pretty good field two going. You
asked PG and he probably thinks hebattered like Smith on occasion too. And

(53:44):
if you want to go, ifwe go look at one day is when
you're like, oh, just onlyplayed eleven Tests, so it's inflated because
I got yep, fifty with thebat, fifty yep. Ricky Ponting averaged
forty two with the bat. Soyou're going, we're talking small virat Cohli
right and still Glenn McGrath not bad, wow, not bad? What look

(54:10):
like? And her T twenty Internationalthis is the one that she's not good
at. She's been like dropped twicelike the T twenty so recently. And
then she goes, I don't likenot playing for Australia and goes and gets
better and comes back. Yeah,And admittedly, okay, you can might
be taking a bowling stats with alittle bit of a grain assault because when
it's become when the field has narroweda bit, she's bolded less and less

(54:36):
because she hasn't had to and she'sgotten a bit older. So you could
say you could if you're going tobe the devil here in the advoct going
she's taken a lot of those hundredand twenty three wickets when the international competition
probably wasn't as good. She's stilltaking him at eighteen eighteen, she's taken
one hundred and twenty three wickets inone hundred and forty five games. And
she's a batsman and average is thirtytwo with the bat and we have to

(54:59):
put it in contact two. Shedoesn't open the batting as a general rule
into twenty games. So she comesin in the middle order and she's averaging
thirty three with the bar, andit's just you just think to yourself,
is it if you're looking at askill set, if you're looking at a

(55:19):
cricketer and their skill set, ifyou're creating a cricket on Exegit twenty four
on the PlayStation, it's at leastPerry. You're making elist Perry. That's
right, unless you want to bowlspit. But if you're making you want
to go out because you really wantto play in Koream mode, you want
to do both. If you wantto sit there and not, you're not
bowl when you're you know when yourteam's bowling. So you're going to create
an all rounder. You're going tocreate all rounder that's going to bat in

(55:40):
the top four and hopefully either bowlfirst or bowl first. Change that's what
you want to do in your careermode, You've made a last Perry.
Elise Perry is what every person whopicks up a PlayStation or an Xbox and
wants to play Cricket twenty four andgoes right, I'm going to make my
fantasy player. I'm going to goout so I can do it of everything,
and I'm going to be the bestin the world. You've made Elise
Perry question without notice, take genderout of it completely. Is she the

(56:07):
best astrayan cricketer. No, we'veproduced No. Okay, obviously you're doing
a lot based on numbers here withgender, because you can get no argument.
She's never faced one hundred and fortyfive kilometer per hour. She hasn't
faced You're going purely off numbers andthe way that the players have dominated theirs.

(56:29):
I still gon't co passed Bradman asbest because of just the difference in
deviation. Bradman was twice as goodas the next best ever and I just
think for mine that's too big abridge to cross. But the fact that
we are talking about the fact thatgoing on paper, she's probably pipped by

(56:50):
Bradman just goes to show how ridiculouslygood at last Pairry is. I mean,
we are talking about someone that's averagingfifty with a bat twenty with the
ball. Imagine, if you're lookingat appears there will be plenty of people
averaging about fifty ish with the bat, There will be plenty of people averaging
about twenty ish with the ball.The fact that she's doing both together is
very impressive, but no one's noone's got close to ninety nine. In

(57:14):
one hundred and fifty years of testcricket, the closest that we've got is
sixty. It's a loaded question becausecomparatively you can't and obviously when you can't
compare, and it would be absolutelyridiculous to put it in a totally gender
neutral algorithm and ask the algorithm,what what is the answer? Who is

(57:37):
greater this person or more impressive theseIt's got purely on numbers because there's also
the context of how she got thesenumbers. So you know, Bradman played
on uncovered with no protective equipment,no modern science. Even guys you know,
Lara Haunting Smith, ten Dulka,these guys all had to face the

(58:04):
West Indies who a bowl on onehundred and fifty kilometers per hour and bowl
and bounces at you. She's neverfaced one hundred and fifty kilometers per hour.
She's never faced anyone that's going tobowl her a genuinely proper bouncer.
And there's context to that, buttoo because there are some women that run
around the world who can get whodo bowl reason all bouncing. Yeah,
but that reasonable bounce is coming atyou at one hundred and twenty, and

(58:28):
I fail. I fail to believethat the hand dyke like obviously males.
We know males are genetically more predisto those to sports. They're going to
be faster, they're going to bestronger, they're going to be tall,
they've got bigger bone density, hike, all of that stuff. But I
fail. I really cannot be convincedthat the hand eye coordination between a man
and a woman is that different thatyou're one hundred and twenty is going to

(58:52):
feel like one hundred and fifty.And there's not many one hundred and twenty,
So at the end of the day, there might be a bowl of
bounce that gets up around you know, the rib cage or the face,
but it's still coming at you bythe time it gets there, probably one
hundred, and I don't think thatI'd have a hard time believing that a
woman's hand eye coordination is that inferiorto a male. I don't even know

(59:13):
if there's any evidence to say thatit is a significant difference for men and
women on handyke coordination. So atthe end of the day, they're still
only facing one hundred and fifteen hundredand twenty hundred and twenty five kilometers per
hour at best bounces as I opposedto remember Michael Clark at century and with
Dale stayin a more named Morcal bowlon one hundred and forty five plus for
an hour. Yeah, she's notgoing to face that. So when you're

(59:36):
looking at that, it's purely basedon numbers, and you're looking at numbers,
are they better than those? AndI would say that if you're looking
purely at numbers, she's the secondbest cricketer to have ever lived. Wow,
that was a loaded question to us. I didn't expect that, like,
honestly on numbers, purely on numbers, because I would have went,

(59:58):
it's too hard to compare, youknow, blah blah, Look, you
know, just take it for whatit is. There's a massive caveat in
that that obviously that the men's gameis harder, and that's not a disgrace
of the women's game. It's harder. Historically, it's been harder. They've
come in. They've had modern bats, they've had modern pads, they've got
moredern protection, they've got all thecoaching. You imagine going through in the

(01:00:20):
sixties and seventies against the West Indies, where you know you're frowned upon for
wearing a helmet, and you've gotyou know, you can bowl six bounces
all in a row. There's nobowling restrictions. You've got the guys coming
in at bowling at one hundred andforty. Like, the game is harder
because men are physically capable of doingmore with it. And it's it just
is. It's not a disrespect thing. But the least Perry can only play

(01:00:45):
against women, She's playing against thevery best women in the world and she
is so far ahead of them.It's not funny. And there's nothing wrong
with that. There's nothing wrong withsaying that, like the men's game is
more difficult. I would much ratherand that's no disrespect old much rather face
you know Megan Shoot and Elise Perry, and you know Darcy Brown, because

(01:01:07):
at one hundred and twenty odd kilometersper hour, I'm probably not fearing for
my life, but if I'm goingto go in and play against Malcolm Marshall
or Curtly Ambrose or Brett Lee.It's just a harder game when it's coming
that fast and then they can easilyhit you in their head. I don't
mean it to be sexist, butit just it just is. The men's

(01:01:28):
game is harder. So there isthere is quite a big caveat with that.
But if you're going to boil itdown and go tell me on numbers,
who's better than Elise Perry. Thelist is, Sir Donald Bradman.
End of the list. We're goingto finish this episode with a bit of
a preview of the upcoming leg ofthe Frank World Trophy between Australia and the

(01:01:53):
West Indies, where we to seeagain, which you know, I'll let
you make your own decisions about whetherthat's a good thing or a bad thing
after what we saw last summer,but it's happening with seeing them again.
There's been a lot of news aroundthe makeup of the Australian side and I'm
not going to stuff around. Craighas been incredibly patient and I've known for

(01:02:15):
about four days that he has gota lot to say about this, so
I'm just going to throw it toyou, Craig, that what's what's going
on with the Australian side. Iknow you've got you've got some things to
say. Where to start. Ifear for the Australian selection process as a
whole. I fear that what we'vedone in the last I guess it's been

(01:02:40):
it's been a week lead up,I suppose since since Dave retired and we've
all had our own thoughts I guesson who should replace Dave. But I
fear for the degradation, degradation ofof what first class cricket in this country

(01:03:01):
really means, and what it meansto then go to that next level to
be an Australian cricketer. I look, I just want to put it out
there first and foremost. I don'thave a problem with the Test side as
it's been named, because I believethat that is our best batting lineup,

(01:03:24):
as in the six best bats inthe country are in are in the Test
team. I don't necessarily have aproblem with Smith going to the top because
I think out of all of thoseguys, it probably suits Smudge more.
He does a job in T twentycricket, and I think it will actually

(01:03:47):
help this little It could be arefreshed che just to refresh for him.
I wouldn't I wouldn't say he's ina slump, because that would be very
harsh on a bok who averages fiftyseventy in Test cricket and he's averaging this
year. Yeah. Yeah, butlook, I don't disagree with him going

(01:04:10):
to the top I think and whatand I've said it on many podcasts here
before. I certainly don't believe.I don't. I'm absolutely ecstatic that Green
gets a chance to bat in thetop four. He needs more responsibility.
I believe batting him at six,five or six was a mistake, particularly

(01:04:31):
towards the back end of where Iguess that England in the year series that
happened last year. He's a guythat needs more responsibility. He's seen it
with Western Australia. What he didwhen he went to that top four six,
he went to a different level.You know, he was untouchable.

(01:04:54):
I think that's exactly what he needsin this Australian side, because it then
puts the impetus on him. He'snot coming in at you know four or
five for three or four hundred.He's genuinely coming in when we might be
under the pump and we need somethingfrom him, or the other way around.
It's always difficult as well. You'recoming in at four for three hundred
or coming in it four for eighty. It's very difficult to then play your

(01:05:17):
natural game, and his natural gametends to be batting long. And when
you're you're one partnership or one wicketaway from potentially batting with the tail,
then it makes things a little alittle difficult. And whether you're two for
two hundred or two for twenty,you know you've got time. You've still
got a bat right, You're stillgoing to bat long, right, So
it suits him, suits him downto the ground. It's where he should

(01:05:40):
be in my opinion. However,what has really grinded my gears the last
few days is having a guy whothey didn't know where his best spot was
in the Australian side, so they'vebatted him from one to sit in in

(01:06:03):
two years that he covered for thatAustralian side and still couldn't hit the ball
off the square. Yet we've saidto him, are you're our best versatile
batsman? So we're going to nameyou as the reserve. As the reserve
bat You've got a guy who intwo last two seasons of shell cricket has

(01:06:29):
scored He scored five hundred, thisone I think he scored Josh over thousand
the last one, still the leadingrun scorer in shell cricket by about three
hundred and fifty round by our longway, you're telling him that he's not
the next best batsman in the country. And see, the thing that annoys

(01:06:50):
me about that is why do weneed versatility? We have two makeshift openers
batting at the top. So ifa Travis Head goes down, of a
Mitch Marsh goes down, or aManus Labersheine goes down, how hard is
it to not just shift Smith tothree or shuffle everyone down, or a
Kowaja down who's battered in the middleorder, and then we can play the

(01:07:12):
specialist opener who has batted the pantsoff everyone for two and a half years
in his spot. We don't needa versatile one because we don't have a
specialist opener in the Test side.The specially the openers can bat anywhere in
the top six. That argument iscompletely nonsensical at all. It is a
load of rubbish and the fact thatit was spewed out is probably a design

(01:07:35):
of where this Australian cricket team isat the moment, and I won't feed
into that. Oh, we don'twant to disrupt the team, so we
can just make it a straight swap. Smith hasn't faced a single ball as
opener. If after the first TestCam Green does a side strain or Manus
Labersheine breaks a leg, you can'tjust say, oh, Smith's two entrench
with an opener. He's played onegame, shuffling down to three. Bring

(01:07:58):
Bancroft into open the batting. We'vesaid to Cam Bancroft, yep, we
know you've made all these runs,but we still don't consider you the next
best batsman in the country. Howhow does that happen? How does the
selection panel honestly sit there and theygo, okay, who is our next
best batsman? Okay, we're comfortablewe've got the best six in the country.

(01:08:23):
That's fine. I could wear that. I'm completely comfortable with it,
especially against the West Indies. Right, not a problem. But he can
throw spaghetti. We can, absolutelywe can. But what you're saying to
a guy who has worked his gutsout and probably worked harder since that whole

(01:08:43):
Chamozel in South Africa to get backto the levels that he's probably gone beyond
the levels he was before he waseven picked. The first time we've said
to him, no, no,no, no, you're not the you're
not the next best, you're noteven the next after that, because we've
had a conversation with Marcus Harris tosay we believe that you're the best opening

(01:09:06):
batsman, the next best opening batsmanin the country. How how does that
happen? How does that happen?Would it have happened twenty years ago?
No, it would not have.What shoots me the most about these is
Okay, it worked. It wasa swing for the fence. We picked.
Marnus Labershane made the side. Welldone. Manus Labershane made the Test

(01:09:28):
side with an average a first classaverage at that point I believe maybe just
thirty ye And it works. Wecan see that that he was on an
upward trend there. It was builtfor Test cricket. There were were signs
and that was navigated early in hiscareer and the body of work was and
he was below average average of thirtyand first class cricket. At that moment

(01:09:53):
what he produced was below average.We're talking about a guy since to their
last three seasons averaging over fifty.The last time that we've had a batsman,
especially an opening batsman, average overfifty in this country, that'st have
been the Achilles. Here. We'vegot fast bowlers coming out of our ears.
We've suddenly discovered on a crop ofyoung spinners coming through. But opening

(01:10:14):
batsmen, we've got one that's finallygone out and gone. I need to
go the way to get into anational side, You go and score runs,
take wickets and find a guy that, over a prolonged period of time
has been scoring runs. And we'relike, really like this guy better,
We're going to move heaven and earthto get him in. What I want
to know is is this a camGreen specific situation, Like, now that

(01:10:39):
we've got him in, we've founda spot. Are we going to go
back now and pick treat opener asa specialist. When the thirty four year
old Steve Smith and the thirty sevenyear older was when Kwaja are getting ready
to hang up, are we goingto go back and go all right?
We need to pick the best openup or are we now going to go
and pick No, No, We'vejust got to pick the next best batsman
in Shield. Because if that wasthe case, I a Henry Hunt or

(01:11:00):
a Sam Costas or any young openerin the country, I'm immediately going to
my coach go on. I wonabout four. Wil Pekowski. Wil Pekovski
was the next guy. They identifiedhim early, and he was He was
averaging more than Marnas. Yep,right. In fairness, he got given

(01:11:20):
a couple of goes and had somefalse starts because of his because health and
mental health and and that sort ofstuff. But he scored fifty in his
first test. He hasn't scored anythingsince he's been back to Victoria though he
got a sixty. Sixty got asixty. No, but I get But
if but if if we gone andsaid, okay, well we've identified this

(01:11:43):
kid because he's really good. Butwhat I'm saying is if this is the
if this is the process. Nowthe process for under McDonald and Bailey is
we want doesn't matter what you do, where you're about. Once you get
he will figure it out. Butwe are going to take the six most
talented bats in the country. Whywould you put your hand up to open
for your state? Shield wickets aregarbage. You'd want to come in at

(01:12:04):
four or five where the ball.Hopefully the openers that have you've managed to
coax into doing that if you area young bat coming through a t wiley.
Henry Hunt was up there for alittle while. All these guys that
are trying to get okay, theopener is probably the most sought after spot
because these guys are facing Nessa andBoland and on wickets that are Morris,

(01:12:27):
Sue and Heaps, Joy richardson thatare doing like everything you it's a race.
What you're saying, is any youngbatsman that wants to come through,
because honestly we're looking at the tap. The Marnus Labershine is the oldest youngest
player in an Australian team ever,just shy over his thirtieth birthday. So
there is about to be a lotof open spots in the side. Like

(01:12:48):
the two openers. Obviously they're notgoing to be there forever. We're not
going to get We maybe get anotheryear. Muslim's got twelve eighteen months,
maybe Smith, you know, ifhe's good enough and he's energized enough,
you might get two or three more, But you look at like needing two
new openers in the next three years. If Mitch marsh is not far behind
that, yeah, and then Marnusis. You know, you're looking at

(01:13:08):
Travis head News in his early thirtiesas well, and you know he's a
player that relies heavily on hand eye. So when he starts to get a
beat, are we going to geta significant drop off? Is he going
to figure out a way to beas productive when he's not right in the
physical peak of his powers. Butwhat I'm saying is we've got two brand
new two opener spots that you're lookinglike in the next twenty four months,
Yeah, thirty six months maybe openAnd if I'm a young batsman right now

(01:13:33):
who wants to play for Australia,I am going to my coach, my
state coach, going I don't carewhat you have to do. I'm on
about four. You let me aboutfour so i can score a mountain of
runs and then I'll put my handup and go I'm clearly one of the
inferior bowling because it's not as new. I've got that difficult period's being got

(01:13:53):
through. Now it's time for meto cash and has got a multitude of
runs yet and I'm just going togo through. I'm going to go through
the nupties to the new ball,see it off and then me as a
young like a Sam Costas is comingout just made his debut for New South
Wales. Is the world at hisfeet talking about he scored ridiculous runs in
Sydney, Gray creep head. He'scoming in with a huge reputation. I
would be going there straight away.Two years too late, mon dude,

(01:14:14):
that's for another time. But assoon as I saw this Cameron Green,
Steve Smith, I would be straightinto my coach going. As soon as
we're back playing after Big Bash,I on about four yep, don't open
me, No, no, Idon't want to open That's that's that's that's
career suicide. Like what we're doing. Are we just saying because we really
like Cameron Green, that we're goingto move all the deck chairs for it,

(01:14:38):
Because what that also is it's howdo people know what they need to
do? Where is the consistency?So we're going to have one set of
rules for these blokes. But thenif we come back in two years time,
we're going to know we need aspecialist open ups. So three points
on what you've just said. Marnuswas identified early, but Marnus didn't have
a guy above him averaging over fifty, scoring a multitude to run to chill

(01:15:01):
level. They were all leveled likethey were all around the thirties and forties
average. You know, one mightget one hundred next week, might get
a duck the next that. Itwas like it was screaming at for someone
to go, please score runs sowe can pick you, which is why
Sean marsh kept gettingham. That's exactlyright. So you go with your gut

(01:15:21):
there and you go, okay,well that's this is the next guy.
This is the guy we had toput in. So therefore the Cam Bancroft
comparison that way is not relevant becausehe is by far and above any everyone
else at the moment in Chield creetsecond point, I want to make it's
a Cameron Green love in and II don't think that that's necessarily a bad

(01:15:45):
thing, but I think that heis genuinely loved by that group, especially
the coaching group, and by theplayers. So therefore, look, yes,
he to my mind, he's inthe best top six batsmen in the
country, so no drums with himbeing picked. But there is a genuine
love in there for Cambreen right,third, George Bailey and Andrew McDonald right.

(01:16:14):
This seems to be a legacy ofhow they played the game. They
were genuinely bits of cricketers that probablycould fit and could be versatile. Right.
They're looking at it themselves going well, geez, you know winning get
much of a run, Let's givethe Let's give these next era reversatile players

(01:16:35):
a crack because it embodies the waythat they came into an Australian side being
a bitser of a batsman that couldprobably fill a role in one to six
themselves. Right. So I don'tagree with that at all. That that
is, that is mediocrity at itsat its finest. They were never the

(01:17:00):
better batsmen in any side that theyplayed in, yet they seem to have
the most of the say on whothe next batsman should be and that and
to my mind, that's why they'vegone Renshaw because they see a bit of
rent share in themselves, going well, jeez, you know, kid's been
through a bit. You know whatI think, you know, he's you

(01:17:20):
know, he's like by the boysand blah blah and his first attire we
can bat him one to six.Blah bah blah is a bit like us.
Let's give him a crap. Ithink that that genuinely has a lot
to do with it. This theorythat about cam Bancroft not being wanted by

(01:17:40):
some of these trade players. Let'scut the crap. Where there's smoke there,
where there's fire, and he's hadtwo phone calls within we know we
like you. It's not about that. That that's absolute crap. That is
that's damage control from from not onlythe plays themselves, but from Cricket Australia

(01:18:01):
going or mate. It's not todo with that, you know. I
don't ever think that it's that ofcourse, is as I said off air
and then in a Facebook post.If I'm cam Bancroft, I'm being the
good soldier to see who gets Kwaja'sspot. And if I'm still scoring runs
and I don't get Kowaje's spot inthe years time or eighty months, whatever

(01:18:23):
it is, I'm burning the worlddown. But Bailey and McDonald have basically
said Sparcus Harris because they've identified himas the best opener in the country next
two. But I'm being the goodsoldier for twelve months because i can see
that there is still light at theend of that tunnel. But if he
doesn't get that gig in when Kowajagives it away and they give it to

(01:18:44):
especially if it's a young guy.Let's say costUS goes in mental for New
South Wales for the next twenty fourmonths and gets you know, ten shield
hundreds over the twenty games or whateverit might be, it's probably worth while
picking him. But you know,that's it's really done. The twenty year
olds in I've had it. IfI'm cam Bancroft, I'm just that's it

(01:19:04):
where I need an autobio biography.Let's let's get it on down. It's
I'm I'm very very concerned for theeroding of Sheffield Hill cricket. It's not
it's not on a good it's notin a good place as it is in

(01:19:25):
terms of we really can't see it, we can't watch it unless you're you
know, watching cricket Australia feeds andthat sort of stuff. It's not as
it's not as intensely followed anymore.And that's had a lot to do with
it. These selectors have further eroded. Yeah, it's a big middle finger

(01:19:45):
to shield and like regardless, ardiculous, regardless of the love for and we
all love cam Green, still amiddle finger to the shield because you've got
a guy that is excelling in aspecialist position and not given a go.
And that's what I'm concerned about.Are we a saying for this particular selection
that, come hell of high water, we were getting Camgreen? But the
same rules apply if you go outand we need an opener and you'll score

(01:20:09):
and runs at the top of theorder every other time, not for a
generational talent, we're going to pickyou, or what we're saying with the
plan for this was just to pickthe six best bats and will let the
chips four where they may. Becauseif that's if that is going to be
policy moving forward, is an incrediblydangerous precedent because you are going to be

(01:20:29):
getting all of the gun bats inthe country wanting to bat four or five
where it's safer to bat yep,And you're not going You're going to get
to a point where you maybe don'thave a generational talent coming through, and
then you've got to make your tightside up with bits and pieces players,
and all of your gun bats willhave been batting in four or five or
six no experience opening the batting,So then you've got the balls that don't

(01:20:50):
move, have got no experience againstthe moving ball, and then all of
a sudden they're asked to do ajob they've never done or have been done
in the last five years. Andthen all of the press are up down
because they're not producing. But allof the prestigious talent, all of the
batting talent's going to want to batin the middle, and that's going to
be the big thing. If you'renot getting a run in the middle,
but you think you're an up andcoming back, you're not getting a run

(01:21:12):
in the middle. For New SouthWales, you might move to Tasmania because
they've got a three four five spotopen. You might move to Victoria.
And so teams that have identified talentearly will won't want to piss them off,
so they'll put all those players in. So then all of your openers
will be the not so good playersthat don't have that same like, that
same push from the States to keephold of them going you're the expendable ones,

(01:21:35):
and then all of a sudden we'rebreeding a whole generation of subpar openers
because all of our most prestigious battingtalent has seen it. The way to
get in is don't worry about whereyou are. Just score the runs and
of all the series in the nexteight months to two years to do it,
and to give someone like Bancroft,you know, basically say mate,

(01:21:58):
you're in the side right through You'rein through New Zealand. You go,
you're gonna you've you've got to makeit stick by the end of the border
gave you're you're in. You're inbasically until the end of the summer next
year. You've got your opportunity.What there is no perfect time, no
no better time to do it.Yeah, you give him a run up

(01:22:18):
in the side, go right,this is the big ticket one. You
know, you're thirty one thirty two. If you're still struggling at thirty one
thirty two to find your mark,you know, you've got to have a
pretty big border gaves because ye,and then you move on move to the
next guy. You know. Butfor selectors to have this process of eroding
Sheffield Shield cricket from within. Byby not even having this guy as the

(01:22:43):
backup batsman is a complete disservice toour first class cricket, our first class
setup, and and to our cricketas a whole in this country. I
can't be any nicer than that.It's it will set us back to your

(01:23:04):
point about guys wanting to go backin back four and five. It will
set us back five to ten yearsof getting getting a really decent opening combination
that know how to deal with it. And I don't mind if had it
to be proven wrong, if they'vejust gone down that we have to get
camberen in. So we're just goingto make up rules to get him in.

(01:23:25):
But from this point on, getthe best opener gets to be an
opener, the best number four getsto be number four. Then I'm okay
with that. But if the policyunder McDonald and Bailey is now just be
the best bat and we'll get thebest six batsman, doesn't matter if they're
all a batting it four for shieldyep, we'll get the best six guys.

(01:23:45):
The guys are scoring the most runs, we'll get him in. We'll
just figure it out. We getthere. So that's not going to it's
not going to go. It's sodangerous and that and and again to my
point, it's coming from two guyswho do not understand. They don't they
don't get it. They get theversatile, versatility role because that's what they

(01:24:06):
played. They don't get it.They don't understand because they haven't opened the
batting. They don't get it interms of the team makeup, and they
don't get it about setting out ourcricket team, not their our cricket team
up for the next five to tenyears. I would describely surprised. I

(01:24:28):
am a little bit. I'm genuinelya bit surprised. I thought that,
Yeah, like it's your cricketers runa certain way for such a long time
and it's been successful. Like theamount of like Bain the keeps bringing but
no Onal keeps bringing up non traditionalopeners have had. You know, it's
been fifty to fifty split between nontraditional and traditional openers over the last thirty

(01:24:51):
years. And that might be,that might be in this country. But
you know, but they weren't justplayers that had never opened before. Langer,
Yeah, he came into the sideat number six, but he batted
high in the order for his state. But when you look at elsewhere,
there's been one hundred and fifty yearsof a cricket and there's been a lot
more open and a lot more nontraditional openers that have gone I have a

(01:25:13):
cracket opening that haven't worked out,then have have a look at the guys
that actually opened for their state andthen batted five or six for the country.
Michael Hussey's a classic example of that. He scored thirteen thousand Sheffieldshire runs
before he got a crack opening thebattings for Western Australia and then he backs
five and six and goes, ohhow good is this? And this just

(01:25:38):
turned it on and just that's theway you got to go the other way.
Well, the last administration, whenMatthew Wade was batting at five and
absolutely destroying everyone in one day andshield cricket YEP and was pushing for his
return as a batsman, was toldnow you're a back too low in the
order. So we had batted himselfat three and kept so he could still

(01:26:02):
do that, but he went goeson, I'm batting too low, so
he moved himself to three to andstill scored the run. So he could
have that you know that twenty nineteenAshes tour where you know he'd scored a
mountain run. So we were sayingbefore that, you know, you need
to be near the top if youwant to go. But now all of
a sudden, it's just I justfind it concerning. And obviously they're not
going to tell us. We're justsumming umpies with the podcast. If it's

(01:26:24):
been if it's been made clear,the players understand that, look like it's
Cameron Green, the goy could bethe best cricketer we've had in fifty years.
We're moving deck chairs to get himinto the Side's not a problem,
not a problem, not a problem. If the fundamental strategy for the selection

(01:26:45):
is that the best six bats willbe picked and will let the chips for
where they may, I just whatyou're going to have. Why would you
Why would you want to put yourhand up to be an opening batsman.
You would be wanting to get awayfrom the Michael Nieces, the Scott Boland's,
the gy Riches into the world.You'd be it'd be a race to
get to four and five. Everyyoung and upcoming kid coming through the school

(01:27:10):
systems and all that that's going togo and play shield cricket would be finding
states that are giving them and I'ma four or five spot. That's exactly
there would be no like they'd justbe Why would you want to open like
Cameron Maincroff right now? Is itjust a living embodiment of why would you
want to do that to yourself?You're going to go on average fifty as
an opener over the course of threeyears and you're, like you said,
You're not even the next next guy. I've scored fifteen hundred runs in two

(01:27:32):
seasons of shield cricket. Why goto just and ing tops at the Gabba
where the ball is swinging around cornersand putting yourself through that and getting knocked
about and having the you know,facing one hundred and fifty balls to score
twenty seeing it off so you cantry and round out a score and you
don't rate me, and you don'trate me in your top seventy. Why
would you do that to yourself?Why would just going loud? Let the

(01:27:55):
numpty kid from the bush that noone rates going and I'll come rolling in
When the ball's twenty thirty five hoversold, it stops swinging I've got the
third and fourth change bowls on.I'll get myself set and then when the
new guys come back, I'll be, you know, twenty thirty not out.
And why would you're a young kid, why would you want to put
your hand up and back in thetop three four where the balls doing heaps

(01:28:15):
in sure? And five should befor guys like me and lest she junction
over junction overal then you're like,no, no, what I open this
game? That's right, but fourand five should be blokes like us as
with glasses, you know, jeez, I just can't see that cherry as
well as I used to any more. Boys, I'm heading actually got a
really bad fell and I might beopen. That'll be interesting on a way

(01:28:39):
too. I would have loved tohave seen that I'm away for a while.
You're out. Yeah your chicken,your chicken wings? That good well
wing got we digress. Yeah,but we didn't talk about the wings a
lot, and I think where we'llprobably have to tee that off until after
next week until'll get one end beforethe test because he's getting lates and we've
all got work, and I'll doa poll jobs for taking up most of

(01:29:00):
that time, but we knew itwas coming. It's absolutely crucial to the
next five to ten years and noteroding the next level of cricket that we're
looking for. You want these nexttalents, You want to reward success.
The thing that bugs me about itand look, I'm with you once I've

(01:29:20):
digested it. I'm not upset thatit's Smith, Labor, Shane Green like,
I can dig that. But Ijust feel for Bancroft because at some
points sustained excellence deserves to be rewarded. And it's not like the guys in
the late nineties early thousands when therewas so many people that were excellent that

(01:29:43):
someone has tossed out, Like thereis a fairly big gap between is what
Bancroft has achieved over the last twoand a half years and what everyone else
has achieved over the last two anda half years in shield cricket in a
really like there are some dogs,breakfast wickets out there that are just that
you can you get your junction andovals and the Karen Roltons that are just
like good luck if you're a bowler, but you can get some absolute nightmares

(01:30:08):
to go on bat on. Well, I think yes, CG. I
do think they've even got over twohundred years in Shield cricket because it looks
South Wales and garbage but could be. But besides they're playing are you know
it just it just feels like thisis a guy that it's such a good
like it's a good story as wellfor him to not be the reserve batsman

(01:30:30):
and have two other guys who havenot performed. They haven't They've been given
chance after chance after chance, theyhaven't done the business. Bancroft outplayed the
both of them for the last fifteento twenty Shield games. The fact that
he's not the reserve batsman is thereal story here. It's the one that
irks me the most because as anillustrated YEP comfortable with the top six.

(01:30:55):
They are the top six bats inAustralia in my mind, great, but
you're eroding the next level of cricketby not saying to Cam Bancroft, you're
the next one in line because ofyour achievements and because of what you've done,
especially if that is the party line, if the party law class cricket,
if the party line is that yeah, that's it's not anti Bancroft it's

(01:31:17):
just this is how we see things. If there's honestly, it would almost
be better if there were some nefariousplots around it, because at the moment
it just looks like incompetence. Ifthey if they've got it out for Bancroft,
it's almost it's almost better for thesituation the cricket because youre gonnnder.
Okay, we're not picking him.Okay, you don't like him, and
that makes sense, and because he'snot going to deal with the team and

(01:31:40):
with the boys that are in there, so that's why he's not getting round.
But if it's okay, if thereis no negative, nefarious reason for
not picking Bancroft, then there's massivealarm bells about why and you don't have
the gold selector and the captain callinghim within twenty four hours to say,
you know, look at it's notbecause of this, not because of that.
That's like, speaking purely from adevelopment and the future of cricket in

(01:32:04):
Australia. I'd almost prefer them tocome out going, yeah, look,
do you know what, we thinkhe's a dick. We don't like the
what he inferred. We just don'tThey're not going to get on he's thirty
two, Like, yeah, hescored a ship later runs, but we
just don't think it's going to beharmonious environment. Whether that's true or not,
whether that's right, but I thinkshe this side means more to us
than him scoring four five hundred runsthis year. They come out and said,

(01:32:27):
all right, or you're a douchebag. But I respect the fact that
you're honest about it. But whenyou're coming out and saying no, no,
there's no issues with no issue canBancroft, we just think as he's
third in line, but there's noissues. We just think that as professionals
whose job it is to evaluate talentand reward performance, that he is not
the seventh or eighth, but hemight be the ninth best batsman in the

(01:32:48):
country, despite the fact that hehas been dominating the domestic circuit and he's
like, and let's face it,he's not exactly been a muggy marsh Coup
or t twenties either. Like that'scome along, come along a long way
for thunders high run score this season. So what marsh cup in for Western
Australia has been strong the last coupleof years. Yeah, I'd almost prefer

(01:33:11):
them to go, you know,twiddling their villain and go just we don't
like you, we like you,we don't want to pack you because you
rubbed their paper on the ball andsaid everyone knew about it, so you
can get stuff like I'd almost preferit because we at least go. Well,
they know what they're doing. They'reyou know, they're inconsistent because they
let wanna come back, but they'renot giving this kid to go. But

(01:33:32):
we know why. We all knowit's a boys club anyway, But for
them, why not just keep goingdown that road. I just want to
I want to know now if thatis, if it is, if I
know it's fall fine everyone, well, we all love you. There's no
issues at all or open cocktails andwhat does what did Cameron Bancroft need to
do to be the reserve bat?Is it purely because he hasn't battered at

(01:33:56):
four or five in the last fewyears. It's just that's craziness, complete
craziness. But yeah, we've gotto we've got to go. We've got
to go. It's all done,all right, thank you. We rather
than we probably I probably should haveplayed the soapbox music. I an't thing.
You guys ever been here for asoapbox segment that was more Gary and
Glenn that one, but rather thanplenty of time, you're in the restent
because it was a segment we usedto have probably now I don't know,

(01:34:20):
between the forties and hundreds, wehad a soapbox moment. Was basically just
that we played the themes on forthe soapbox rant and one of us just
had a rant and then we allBut that was probably more We've dressed it
up as a preview for the windyseries. We'll talk about the Frank ballp
series in the next episode. Wegot time sounds good. And if anyone
thinks out there that I'm going toblow up because you know, Steve Smith's

(01:34:43):
mates two Ducks or whatever in thisupcoming test series, well no, you're
kidding yourself. It's it's it's intriguing, it's intriguing, but it's more about
not being recognized as the next bestout of that top six. That's that's
what That's what I'm getting. Icouldn't agree more. Yeah, I think

(01:35:04):
I think the fact that Smith isoutwardly excited about it and almost campaigning to
be the next bloke makes me abit excited because you know, it has
been a bit of a lull forSmith. And if Smith sees all a
new challenge, and you know howmuch Smith likes a challenge, he gets
up for the two sides to thatstory, Oh well he the other school

(01:35:27):
of thought there is, Yeah,he's excited, but he's gone ship.
Can't have him coming into the side. He's he's not light. You know,
it could be that, you know, you know, someone's got to
do something here. So okay,I'm going to I'm going to take the
cynical hat on the white eye outthere, throwing it out. Smith seems

(01:35:54):
excited, and an excited Steve Smithis an exciting one to watch because if
Smith's excited, up for a challengeand ready to tackle the rations of being
an opening back, then don't bescared of getting out, mate. We
all love you. Don't be scared. Just go and play your gay man.
He's like his reputation is a greatbulletproof. All right, guys,

(01:36:14):
we'll let you go. Thank youvery much for joining us for the second
episode of twenty twenty four. Nextweek we'll be back with with the news
in regards to the border Gavascar Trophyand everything else that's been happening in cricket
over the last week. As always, stay safe, enjoy the holiday period,
make surely watching plenty of cricket,and if you are partaking, I
hope your super coach side's going betterthan mine. All Right, until next

(01:36:36):
time, guys, bye for nowOver Sports Social Podcast Network

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Episode 172 - Retirements, Milestones and New adventures

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Episode 172 - Retirements, Milestones and New adventures