http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/england-can-win-the-mind-games-well-just-win-the-series-sayslanger/2005/07/26/1122143846084.html
England can win the mind games, we'll just win the series, says Langer
By Chloe Saltau in London
July 27, 2005
Four days of Ashes competition have brought inevitable tensions to the surface, with the victorious Australians expressing strong disdain for England's practice of aggressively hurling the ball at the stumps while the batsman is in his crease.
The Australians had hoped that the captaincy of Michael Vaughan would foster a rapport between the two teams, and an end to the days when his predecessor, Nasser Hussain, prevented his players from socialising with them after games.
Up to five England players visited the Australian dressing room after losing the first Test by 239 runs. However, opening batsman Justin Langer suggested England's on-field aggression had gone too far during the heated first morning of the Test and said the bowlers' apparent policy of throwing the ball in the direction of the batsmen was unnecessary and simply "not on".
Simon Jones caused tensions to explode when he hit Matthew Hayden in the ribs at Edgbaston in a one-day match earlier in the tour, while Stephen Harmison made a point of throwing the ball back at Damien Martyn in the second innings at Lord's. Martyn was unimpressed and deflected the ball away with his bat.
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"I've said for a decade I don't think it's on," Langer said. "When Simon Jones threw the ball at Haydos and he got upset, the only problem with that incident was that Simon Jones threw the ball. The other reaction [anger] was natural.
"I don't think it's part of the game, I don't think there's any benefit unless the batsman is running down the wicket. I just cannot see - and maybe I'm biased as a batsman - any benefit. I can't see that it's an ego thing or a macho thing, I just don't think it's a necessary part of cricket."
Asked whether the England players might be trying to establish an aggressive edge over the uncompromising Australians, Langer said: "Damien made a statement by flicking one away. He's obviously in good nick."
While Langer said relations with the opposition players were friendly, there were other incidents before and during the Test that could potentially make them strained. Before the series, Vaughan refused to accept Ponting's push for an agreement to rely on the fielder's word for contentious catches.
Langer said none of the England players asked after any of the batsmen - himself, Hayden or Ricky Ponting - struck by Stephen Harmison early in the match. Ponting seemed to greet Vaughan with some choice words as he came out to bat; Kevin Pietersen glared at Brett Lee after an attempted yorker turned into a full toss and nearly knocked him off his feet in the second innings; and Andrew Strauss seemed to point Martyn in the direction of the dressing rooms when the Australian seemed unhappy with his lbw verdict.
Pietersen later said he enjoyed the niggle of it all and Langer did not suggest anything except the dangerous throws were out of order. Under International Cricket Council rules, anyone "throwing the ball at or near a player, umpire or official in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner" can be charged with a level-two offence. "On the first morning when Ricky got cut under the eye, we went to a drinks break and I said to a number of their players, 'This isn't a war, this is a game'," Langer said. "I know we're all playing tough but, to me, you've still got to have the courtesy or whatever to say, whether he's the Australian captain or just an Australian, 'Are you all right mate? You OK?'. All the guys get on well. I'm very good friends with Andrew Strauss, Warney's good mates with Kevin Pietersen, there's lots of guys who interact, and we play it tough on the field, particularly that first morning. But, as the series goes on, hopefully things will loosen up."
Langer, batting with Ponting when the captain was hit in the face, said the incident had not created any extra tension between the teams. "I think it's just reflective of that feeling out on the ground in that first session," he said. "I could see young Ian Bell, he had his eyes wide open and I said, 'Mate, how good's this? It doesn't get any better than this!"'
Langer - who confessed to feeling under as much pressure in the opening session of the match as he did in his 1993 debut Test against the West Indies attack of Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Kenny Benjamin and Ian Bishop - said one of the Australians' strengths was that they were not carried away by the frenzied build-up to the series.
"What we pride ourselves on is matching all our opponents in pure skill," he said "We did that this Test match. We didn't worry about the hype and the machoism and anything else but matching England in skill.
"If we can continue to do that throughout the series and not get carried away with the fickle and shallow game of words and if we can just play good, tough cricket, then England are going to have a really hard time this summer."
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WTF IS LANGER ON ABOUT? Mental disintegration is the reason Australia has been so successful. If it was just on pure skill, you're well into the pack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You guys can shout "choo choo" in Chris Cairns' ear all day, eluding to his sister who passed away in a train accident, but England, surely CANNOT hit the PUNTER!
I remember Shane Warne throwing a ball that missed Daren Ganga's head by at most, an inch! and then saying some words! And then not apologizing. Ganga kept quiet, unlike a certain Matt "Oh, I'm so religious...Surely i'm not a twat!" Hayden!
I remember Brett Lee jumping up and down when he hit Adam Parore and bowled him in the same ball! And then giving him a send off to the pavillion! Oh, not our "nice, innocent, wouldn't hurt a fly" Brett!
I don't condone what England have been doing, if indeed they have taken the Aussie "mental disintegration" approach, but if THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO BEAT THE AUSSIES, GO FOR IT! Remember, that's why they're in their current position! Just don't do it against the truly innocent sides!
Message to J Langer: Shut the F*CK up! You are NO SAINT!
England can win the mind games, we'll just win the series, says Langer
By Chloe Saltau in London
July 27, 2005
Four days of Ashes competition have brought inevitable tensions to the surface, with the victorious Australians expressing strong disdain for England's practice of aggressively hurling the ball at the stumps while the batsman is in his crease.
The Australians had hoped that the captaincy of Michael Vaughan would foster a rapport between the two teams, and an end to the days when his predecessor, Nasser Hussain, prevented his players from socialising with them after games.
Up to five England players visited the Australian dressing room after losing the first Test by 239 runs. However, opening batsman Justin Langer suggested England's on-field aggression had gone too far during the heated first morning of the Test and said the bowlers' apparent policy of throwing the ball in the direction of the batsmen was unnecessary and simply "not on".
Simon Jones caused tensions to explode when he hit Matthew Hayden in the ribs at Edgbaston in a one-day match earlier in the tour, while Stephen Harmison made a point of throwing the ball back at Damien Martyn in the second innings at Lord's. Martyn was unimpressed and deflected the ball away with his bat.
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"I've said for a decade I don't think it's on," Langer said. "When Simon Jones threw the ball at Haydos and he got upset, the only problem with that incident was that Simon Jones threw the ball. The other reaction [anger] was natural.
"I don't think it's part of the game, I don't think there's any benefit unless the batsman is running down the wicket. I just cannot see - and maybe I'm biased as a batsman - any benefit. I can't see that it's an ego thing or a macho thing, I just don't think it's a necessary part of cricket."
Asked whether the England players might be trying to establish an aggressive edge over the uncompromising Australians, Langer said: "Damien made a statement by flicking one away. He's obviously in good nick."
While Langer said relations with the opposition players were friendly, there were other incidents before and during the Test that could potentially make them strained. Before the series, Vaughan refused to accept Ponting's push for an agreement to rely on the fielder's word for contentious catches.
Langer said none of the England players asked after any of the batsmen - himself, Hayden or Ricky Ponting - struck by Stephen Harmison early in the match. Ponting seemed to greet Vaughan with some choice words as he came out to bat; Kevin Pietersen glared at Brett Lee after an attempted yorker turned into a full toss and nearly knocked him off his feet in the second innings; and Andrew Strauss seemed to point Martyn in the direction of the dressing rooms when the Australian seemed unhappy with his lbw verdict.
Pietersen later said he enjoyed the niggle of it all and Langer did not suggest anything except the dangerous throws were out of order. Under International Cricket Council rules, anyone "throwing the ball at or near a player, umpire or official in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner" can be charged with a level-two offence. "On the first morning when Ricky got cut under the eye, we went to a drinks break and I said to a number of their players, 'This isn't a war, this is a game'," Langer said. "I know we're all playing tough but, to me, you've still got to have the courtesy or whatever to say, whether he's the Australian captain or just an Australian, 'Are you all right mate? You OK?'. All the guys get on well. I'm very good friends with Andrew Strauss, Warney's good mates with Kevin Pietersen, there's lots of guys who interact, and we play it tough on the field, particularly that first morning. But, as the series goes on, hopefully things will loosen up."
Langer, batting with Ponting when the captain was hit in the face, said the incident had not created any extra tension between the teams. "I think it's just reflective of that feeling out on the ground in that first session," he said. "I could see young Ian Bell, he had his eyes wide open and I said, 'Mate, how good's this? It doesn't get any better than this!"'
Langer - who confessed to feeling under as much pressure in the opening session of the match as he did in his 1993 debut Test against the West Indies attack of Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Kenny Benjamin and Ian Bishop - said one of the Australians' strengths was that they were not carried away by the frenzied build-up to the series.
"What we pride ourselves on is matching all our opponents in pure skill," he said "We did that this Test match. We didn't worry about the hype and the machoism and anything else but matching England in skill.
"If we can continue to do that throughout the series and not get carried away with the fickle and shallow game of words and if we can just play good, tough cricket, then England are going to have a really hard time this summer."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
WTF IS LANGER ON ABOUT? Mental disintegration is the reason Australia has been so successful. If it was just on pure skill, you're well into the pack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You guys can shout "choo choo" in Chris Cairns' ear all day, eluding to his sister who passed away in a train accident, but England, surely CANNOT hit the PUNTER!
I remember Shane Warne throwing a ball that missed Daren Ganga's head by at most, an inch! and then saying some words! And then not apologizing. Ganga kept quiet, unlike a certain Matt "Oh, I'm so religious...Surely i'm not a twat!" Hayden!
I remember Brett Lee jumping up and down when he hit Adam Parore and bowled him in the same ball! And then giving him a send off to the pavillion! Oh, not our "nice, innocent, wouldn't hurt a fly" Brett!
I don't condone what England have been doing, if indeed they have taken the Aussie "mental disintegration" approach, but if THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO BEAT THE AUSSIES, GO FOR IT! Remember, that's why they're in their current position! Just don't do it against the truly innocent sides!
Message to J Langer: Shut the F*CK up! You are NO SAINT!
