Michael Jeh

"It's innocence when it charms us, ignorance when it doesn't" - Mignon McLaughlin

It's hard to tell at this stage whether the ball-tampering allegations will turn out to be a storm in a teacup or something that leads to greater intervention by the ICC. What is interesting though is the way it has been reported here in Australia, and the benchmark it has now set for the admirable team culture that Michael Clarke has already managed to establish in his short tenure as captain.

Since taking over from Ricky Ponting, whose captaincy was occasionally tainted by the perception that the spirit of cricket wasn't always adhered to, Clarke has seemingly created a culture that is refreshingly open, honest and upbeat, even in adversity. I use the word 'perception' with care when talking about Ponting's reign because opinions can be so varied on such a controversial topic so to label it thus merely acknowledges that in some quarters, Ponting's leadership era was perceived in that light.

So what's changed in the last decade since the heyday of Glenn McGrath, Shaun Pollock, Chaminda Vaas, Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram and that genre of fast bowlers? It wasn't that long ago so one can only assume that medical science, strength and conditioning, warm-up routines and hydration practices were pretty similar to the system that is currently in place. If anything, it would probably be safe to conclude that all of these allied medical services would actually be more advanced today, augmented by a much larger support staff and a much more rigorously managed workload. Yet, it seems utterly clear now that something has changed, for the worse and no one seems to have the answer. It doesn't really matter which country we're talking about - they've all got pretty much the same systems in place and none of it seems to be working when it comes to keeping fast bowlers on the park.

Anyone who has followed my recent articles will know that this is a particular frustration of mine. I've written on this topic extensively recently and the most common-sense responses have come from seemingly common-sense folk who think that most bowlers are just not getting enough miles on the clock. They spend far too much time in the gym as opposed to bowling at intensity in the nets and that the extra athleticism required in the field is one of the main contributing factors to their breakdown.

Let's look at the most recent cases then; Ben Hilfenhaus bowls 34 overs on the last two days of the Adelaide Test in November. There were a few raised eyebrows when the selectors, presumably with some advice from the medical staff, decreed that he would not be fit enough to bowl in the next Test in Perth, despite having the extra seamer in Shane Watson to help shoulder the burden of bowling into the wind. He was then "rested" from the Hobart Hurricanes' first T20 game, presumably because it might have been too much to ask him to bowl four overs a mere eleven days after his long spell in Adelaide. So, twenty days after his most recent bowling spell in match conditions, he picks up a side strain in Hobart and is probably now sidelined for the rest of this Test. One can only assume that he followed all the usual recovery procedures after his late afternoon spell yesterday, he presumably had a good night's sleep, was well-hydrated and had an extensive warm-up this morning under the exclusive supervision of at least one dedicated support staff member. Despite all of this, he still picks up an injury that has nothing to do with any impact or an unfortunate accident. The injury can almost certainly be attributed to something that relates to his body simply not being ready for the fairly routine task of bowling a few overs, having been "prepared" for this task since play finished last night. 18 hours of preparation and it still makes no difference. Unbelievable!

Former Australia captain Graham Yallop wrote a book in the late 1970's entitled "Lambs to the slaughter". It referred to an Ashes series during the Packer vs ACB era when a young Australian team, led by a very inexperienced captain (Yallop) copped an almighty 5-1 annihilation by England. There was some talk at the time that the experienced veteran John Inverarity might have been made captain instead, so it is fitting indeed now that he is the chief architect in what could be a sequel to Yallop's book, perhaps ghostwritten by Rob Quiney one day - Lamb to the Slaghuis (Afrikaans for butcher).

So now it's all becoming as clear as mud. Phil Hughes is the favoured long-term option to replace Ricky Ponting but he wasn't ready enough to be exposed to the likes of Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn. Rob Quiney is a damn good chap and all that but if there ever was a chap that was expendable, then Quiney it was to be. Usman Khawaja meanwhile is perhaps next cab off the rank but even with a slight concern about Michael Clarke's dodgy back, Khawaja is to be removed from a three-day game against the visiting Sri Lankan side for a quick bash for Sydney Thunder. Josh Hazlewood bowled a few overs in the nets in Perth under strict supervision by the medical/conditioning team and is now out of cricket for a few months. And to cap it all off, perhaps more of a joke than a genuine story, there is some scuttlebutt that Shane Warne may be back to bowl Australia to Ashes glory. Yep, clear as mud.

All sports, not just cricket, are in the habit now of obfuscating the plain truth with jargon that has probably been borrowed from a business text book and twisted into something that sounds remotely like it is meant to mean something. There. I hope that confuses you.

It is with some amusement, now bordering on mild curiosity, soon to graduate to outright irritation, that I listen to athletes and players speak about things in a way that I just don't understand. I was reading a newspaper article yesterday about the NSW cricket captain, Steve O'Keefe, talking about his team's attitude shift this season. This is some of what he had to say:

The Gabba. First Test starts tomorrow. As a Brisbane local, I can vouch for the fact that it hasn't been too hot over the last few days, hinting perhaps at a pitch that may have a tad more moisture in it than if it had been burned off by a few days of 30 degree plus sunshine. Which naturally brings the whole topic of fast bowlers into sharp focus.

It is difficult and unfair to criticise what you do not fully understand. So I write this piece with due respect to the profession that I am about to ask questions of, partly to educate myself when the responses flood in and partly to ask some questions that many ordinary folk are also asking.