Hilditch Axed in CA Shakeup

At last Andrew Hilditch has been shown the door by Cricket Australia - albeit about two years too late.

Head Coach Tim Nielson and Selector Greg Chappell are also the major casualties of the CA shake-up which has finally taken action after the long-awaited and comprehensive Argus Review Panel which included former Australian captains Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Mark Taylor.

I don't like Nielson's chances of re-applying for the coaching position and it is a well known fact here that Greg Chappell was widely criticised by current players in recent panel interviews.

It's time for some new blood at long last. Potential candidates might include ex-players like Rod Marsh, Darren Lehmann or even Tugga himself.

The long-term ambition is to climb from the current mediocre Test ranking of five to reclaim the No.1 spot, but Don Argus said it could take a good 18 months to see the first results.

Sweeping Changes

not suprised this has happened, but surely it has to be that nielsen is sacked after lanka tour, otherwise this would disrupt the aussie team surely??

It's sort of like they are dissolving the coaching staff (except for Hilditch who's leaving) and then candidates will have to re-apply for positions. This might take a few weeks. So yes, after the SL tour.

Nielson is probably going to hang around in SL until the new people are selected. I don't think the team could be disrupted any more than it has... they know what they have to do... win. They're big boys and as Warne once said... the role of coach is not absolutely critical (at this stage especially) - maybe I agree with Warne in this situation.

the aussies now have to rebuild and have no excuses now

I'd say that's the plan.

They can't expect instant results though, if they pick players who don't perform immediately and then drop them; that will only damage them more. They have to decide on a core group of players who will take them forward and stick with them. It would be very easy for a side who have dominated for so long to want to instantly replicate that, but they have to be patient or they will find themselves in more trouble.

I totally agree JD. They should have done that back in 2008/2009. Pick a core group and stick with them. It isn't possible to replicate the golden era and they shouldn't try to... players who may or may not be (or were) in a form slump will just have to work their way out of it and regain their confidence.

After all, England were at a lowpoint after 2007 and up to the end of the Windies Tour... then things started to turn around for the better. The confidence of your players today is the result of those earlier trials and good old-fashioned application and then setting... and meeting and then surpassing realistic targets.

That's what successful team in all sports do.

The only surprise would have been if Hilditch had not been axed. And it was well flagged Chappell was on thin ice.

Nielsen may be unlucky as he was stuck between under-performing players , some of whom just weren't good enough (at least at this stage of their careers) and wool-gathering selectors. You could say he came on board at a difficult time...

Of course dumping people is the easy bit. Replacing them to advantage is sometimes harder.

It'll be fixed. But not overnight.

will be very intresting to see how australia get on in the test series against sri lanka

It will be very interesting. I hear Rod Marsh is one of the front runners now.

Sounds like it's a good practical response to the hole Aussie Cricket had dug itself into. Glad to see it.

What was the problem with Greg Chappell?

He's just a prickly personality and tends to rub players up the wrong way.

SL all out for 132 runs in 38.4 overs in the 4th ODI at Colombo.

Lee 6.4/1/15/4
Doherty 10/0/28/4

He's just a prickly personality and tends to rub players up the wrong way.

It's taken you fifty years and a review to notice that??????

Should have asked a Pom. We'd have told you.

Come on Cowshot... it's only 37 years or so.

chuckle.

There have been better players, there have been classier players, there have been more powerful players.

But I don't think I have ever seen quite so much attitude attached to the handle of a cricket bat.

I've still never forgiven him for his attitude on 01-02-81

You'll have to remind me. Was that the infamous underarm in NZ?

The indomitable Aussie will to win is a great virtue, but it has its darker side. I think some of the sledging got a bit OTT at times, but maybe I'm just a softie on that.

Nonetheless, I'm glad to see things are being shaken up. We took ideas from you to start on the path that has brought us, at least for now, to the top of the rankings. I gather that your review has taken some ideas from us (among others no doubt). A good positive feedback I expect to continue into the future.

If you could get Mitchell's radar to work (ooh Prior stumps Raina off Swann!) you'd be higher in the rankings for that alone. Only once ever has he fired against England (Perth) and you won. But other than that, the song is true. Needs a bit of bottled Greg. (Now there's a scary idea. Bundaberg XXXXtra proof?)

Yes, but it was at the MCG.

That's how progress works doesn't it... take on board the traits of the leading edge team and try to raise the bar realistically and then surpass them.

Mitch has bowled OK in this ODI series so far. A 6fer in one match but I noticed tonight he was again spraying a few wide.
On a good note, Doherty looks to be gaining confidence in SL - which is a real test for spinners.

Totally agree with you about the sledging - controlled aggression and the will to win is the indomitable Aussie trait but this must be done with respect to the opposition. It got to a stage (believe it or not) that I used to want to see them lose occasionally - just to bring them down to earth again. India and England have helped curb the 'enthusiasm' but I don't want to see it reappear if the results start to go our way again.

It's probably something England will have to be wary of - not getting too full of themselves - because when the first crack appears it can suddenly all come apart. However, they seem to be well in control of the situation on every level at the moment - and they took their Ashes win in fine style without rubbing it in verbally. They didn't need to because they won so convincingly. As the old saying goes: they let their performance on the field 'do all the talking'... which is the way it should always be in all sport.

I don't think India handled things too well at the top (maybe not all of the players are to blame; but they were certainly talked up by their media) and now we have seen them collapse... as if they believed it couldn't happen (similar to Oz's demise)

It's probably something England will have to be wary of - not getting too full of themselves - because when the first crack appears it can suddenly all come apart. However, they seem to be well in control of the situation on every level at the moment - and they took their Ashes win in fine style without rubbing it in verbally. They didn't need to because they won so convincingly. As the old saying goes: they let their performance on the field 'do all the talking'... which is the way it should always be in all sport.

We've got the example of the 2005 team and interviews I've seen have suggested Flower and Strauss - well, the whole set up - are aware of the dangers. I do not know exactly what the strategy is, but I've heard talk of personal targets as well as team targets. I think there is a policy of not being too public with what the targets are early on. I am sure there is a strategy, which is a step forward in itself!

(Mind you, I thought English Rugby had got its administration in reasonably decent order before this last mess... It's amazing the team has done as well as it has, all things considered, but that's another story.)

Behaviour, good and bad, is infectious. I hope Strauss remembers the Indians' decency over the Bell incident when a similar incident crops up. Comments he made suggest he will. Test Match Cricket is a game of ferocious psychological pressure, which is one of the reasons I love it so much, but it also means there will be heat of the moment incidents. Dealing with them in a sporting spirit is when the behaviour of those involved speaks about them as human beings in a wider context than any game. The decision of the Indian squad to recall Bell has earned them respect as people, even if their cricket has not earned them respect as a cricketers (Dravid and Kumar excepted)!

Any long term angst about your domination was dispelled in the over-reaction after the Best Series Ever. The extent of the over-reaction expresses how much Aussie domination had begun to chafe and I certainly remember making a few comments back then. chuckle. Nothing too bad that I can remember.

After that rather to my surprise we've been pretty good winners, players and supporters alike. I think for those of us who recall the '80s and '90s there's an awareness that the wheel turns and you will pay on the way down for your behaviour on the way up.

I think the BCCI has showed an appalling short termism and treats its players like commodities. I wonder what on earth Duncan Fletcher is going to do...

Is there an Indian Players' Union? If not, I think they need one.

[quote="Cowshot"]

I think the BCCI has showed an appalling short termism and treats its players like commodities. I wonder what on earth Duncan Fletcher is going to do...

Is there an Indian Players' Union? If not, I think they need one.

I don't envy Duncan Fletcher's task ahead...

Not sure about that... too much politics would get in the way. Maybe they do but it's not effective.

Anyway, they surely can afford to set one up I would say.

i think india need to start again, get rid of the dead wood, and start again with players that want to play, and espeically in the field, laxman has been a disgrace in the field.

Yes it's a huge task to rebuild. I've only seen bits of this Test but from what I've seen, the wheels are almost completely off for India.

i think australia should have siddle and hilfenaus as opening bowlers, with bollnger first change and ditch johnson or unless they play a game where they need 4 seamers

aussies started off well on tour to sri lanka but i think they will struggle in test series

I hope not cf.

There was an article today about how Shaun Marsh has learned to read Ajantha Mendis 'from the hand'. They better be right, lol.

i think thats just talk from marsh tbh

Or some smart journo thinking aloud. Batsmen should never say things like that... letting the opposition know what they have 'discovered' about them. Very poor form.

If it's true - then just do it and keep quiet about it. A bet he gets another duck next time, lol.

cricketfan90 wrote:aussies started off well on tour to sri lanka but i think they will struggle in test series

We have a good record in SL in Tests, 5-1. Only loss was in 1999.

yh but you had a much better side then, now the side isnt great.

SL is also weaker too though.

i think the test series will be very a good series though

Sorry but Ajantha Mendis isn't as threatening as he was in his debut series vs India in 2008.

The T20 match where he got 6 fer was a rare bright spot for Mendis is the last few years.

If you look at his recent performances, even in Asia, he doesn't offer control to his captain.

If you play him like a slow seamer, then you will generally be on top of him. Don't play cross batted shots.

Keep talking No. 1!

i think the aussies are defo a stronger one day outfit these days.

They're still No. 1 even with all the turmoil. Miles ahead of No.2 - but playing in subcontinent is always difficult.

be intresting to see how punter gets on with the bat in the tests.

I think he has a better ave in SL, lol.

yh but i mean cos he dosent have the captaincy anymore and has been in awful nick before this tour

Yeah, he's already looking more relaxed in the few games so far. Funny seeing him and Clarke chatting at the wicket - they both seem cool about things. He's starting to play his shots again and looks very confident too.

Clarke also mentioned today that Nielson's departure will have a very minor effect on the players... which is good to hear.

i think clarke's captaincy will end up being the same as ponting's tbh

Yeah, he's well on the way to being successful too.

Linebreaker wrote:Yeah, he's well on the way to being successful too.

no ponting just had 2 quality bowlers he could call on and knew they would do the job.

No, that's not completely right. He had 2 once-in-a-generation bowlers you mean.

As an England cricket fan, I will badly miss the influence which Andrew Hilditch brought into the role as the Chairman of Selectors to the Australian Test Team, particularly in the way he was bold and brave enough to select and try out spinners like Xavier Doherty and Will Beer, whilst being stubborn at times to stick with a misfiring batting lineup for most of the recent Ashes series.

Nathan Bracken was a bowler who aussies should have used more

and also the test players moaning that they get paid a lot less than players in big bash, hmmm i wonder where players will choose to play lol

Nathan Bracken could be used as a bowling coach

what do you think the test side will be?

khawaja seems to have cemented his place with a ton yesterday

i think it will be a very intresting series..

both sides in their last test series suffered defeats, so will be very intresting.