Warne wants some flair
As the fall-out from Australia's series defeat against South Africa continues, one man who many Aussies would be desperate to see on a cricket field again has had his say
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
As the fall-out from Australia's series defeat against South Africa continues, one man who many Aussies would be desperate to see on a cricket field again has had his say. Shane Warne played against West Indies in 1992-93, the last time Australia lost a series at home, and writing in his Herald Sun column says that the current attack has to come up with some new plans.
There is too much emphasis on containment and protecting runs rather than attacking and trying to take wickets. If in doubt, attack every time. These observations are more of an approach and attitude to bowling, rather than directed towards any particular player or the current attack.
Ricky Ponting has a good cricket brain and the bowlers must be prepared to try things, back their instincts and not rely on computer printouts.They must also have another plan, and after that plans C, D, and E when the opposition digs in and the wicket is flat.
In the same paper, Ron Reed goes through the usual end-of-year tradition of picking his team of the last 12 months. He finds space for a couple of Australians, and in the spirit of the season gets the banter going ahead of the Ashes series.
Even one Melbourne paper - yes, the other one - had a go last week and found room for only Mitchell Johnson. Less than one week later, Ricky Ponting had scored his 37th Test century and added a 99 in the second innings, making his omission from that particular combination look a little, er, premature perhaps.
Since then, one venerable English Sunday paper, The Observer, went one better in the Aussie-bashing stakes when cricket columnist Vic Marks, a former England Test player of little distinction, managed to find no room for anyone wearing a baggy green cap.
But he did manage to include not one Pom but two, current captain Kevin Pietersen and a former one, Andrew Flintoff. Pietersen is fair enough - he scored more than 1000 runs at an average of better than 50, but Flintoff?
Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo