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4th ASHES TEST: @ Old Trafford, Manchester July 19-23, 2023

Hutty1986

Immortal
Messages
34,034
My f**king lawd, what a glorious day. After putting up with these softc*ck, pasty white, warm beer-swilling morons whinging about...
-their fat ranga keeper running himself out and blaming the opposition
-somehow blaming Australia for their cowardly kiwi slogger captain declaring too early in the first test
-Aussie players having the absolute audacity to defend themselves from the cuck toff scum trying to insult them in the Flog Room at the 'home of cricket'

They then have to endure most of the last 2 days of the 4th test being wiped out due to their own shtty weather in their own cesspit of a country 😂😂😂
Orgasmic stuff. Especially after the disgusting disrespect shown to Steve Smith (who is better than any batsman in their history) in his 100th test.

Line up you whinging hypocritical turds, and prepare to feast on an enormous bag of 17 inch schlongs.
 
Messages
15,027
I know this may not be popular with many of the Aussie fans after the events which occurred 5 years ago, but I'd have no issue if Smith was reinstated as captain (considering there's no one else at the moment that's knocking down the doors as a serious contender for the position). How much longer Smith wants to play on for is another question though, as there have been rumours circulating about his retirement over the past 12 months.

During the recent tour of India, I noticed a very obvious change in body language and team spirit among the other Aussie players throughout the remainder of the Indian tour when Smith filled in as captain after Cummins went back to Australia. Smith is better at the micro-managing aspect of captaincy on-field compared to Cummins.

This was always one of the risks choosing a bowler, let alone a fast bowler, as captain: the work overload.

I just took a look at the upcoming schedule in the World Test Championship and after the completion of this Ashes series, we've got a very lean 16 months of test cricket, playing only 7 test matches: 3 home tests vs Pakistan, 2 home tests vs West Indies and 2 away tests vs New Zealand - three series that we should win. That's all the test cricket Australia will be playing. So with that schedule in mind, I can see the selectors persisting with Cummins against those lighter-weight teams (no offense).

The litmus test for Cummins' captaincy though (assuming he's still captain by then) will be the 2024/25 home series vs India, which will be ten years since we last won a home series vs India, when Smith filled in as captain after Michael Clarke got injured during the first test (we lost the subsequent 2018/19 and 2020/21 home series under Tim Paine's captaincy). Also, that series vs India will largely determine if we qualify for the 2025 WTC Final at Lord's.
CA will never go back to Smith as anything more than a caretaker for an injured captain. Obvious choice for me would be Head, who over the past 18 months has gone from a fringe player to a key player, and has captained in the domestic game. Had Paine played the home ashes prior to his retirement then I think Trav would be out captain at the moment. Other option would probably be Carey.
 

Fangs

Coach
Messages
13,778

“This idea of retaining the Ashes, I think we actually need to think again about it,” Haigh said.

“It is merely a convention, it’s not codified, it’s not legislated. It’s simply an understanding.

“And an understanding can change by decree of the parties.”

“You do have to win them back, and therefore I think that when neither team wins them outright, they shouldn’t be won by anyone.


---

I disagree with the bolded part.

The idea is we take the shitty Ashes home with us. So it figuratively resides in Australia right now. Its England's responsibility to win them back. Just like we did in 2017.

We are keeping Baz's balls in a little box until they figure out how to win at test cricket again.
 

Eelectrica

Referee
Messages
21,134
So the ashes just sit in limbo until the next series? Or we go to golden point if England win the 5th test?

What’s the alternative to retaining on a drawn series?

we could count hair follicles and the least bald team gets the ashes trophy perhaps.
 

bazza

Immortal
Messages
30,709
So the ashes just sit in limbo until the next series? Or we go to golden point if England win the 5th test?

What’s the alternative to retaining on a drawn series?

we could count hair follicles and the least bald team gets the ashes trophy perhaps.
I can see a super over coming up
 

Twizzle

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
153,012
its priceless hearing all the whinging from those who created the sport, made the rules and the cricket ball itself, yet they want the rules they made up to be changed because 1 test match was washed out
 

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