And then there were five. Almost half of the Australia team has left in the past 13 months, a bigger exodus than the one that led to an awful 1980s downturn, but the size of the slide will be determined by how the current outfit recovers from the loss of Adam Gilchrist. Even the strongest systems in the world can't absorb such frequent casualties and carry on at the same pace.
Ricky Ponting is facing a long-term operation where he will effectively miss two players: a wicketkeeper and a batsman. For nine years Gilchrist has been the ultimate luxury item, but from the middle of March the rations will not be haute cuisine. Australia will be without a Test batsman who averages almost 50 at a strike-rate in the low 80s, the owner of the most centuries by a gloveman, a world-record holding wicketkeeper, a vice-captain and senior
player, a strategist, a diplomat, a motivator and a mate.
They will also be missing a one-day opener who scored 96 runs every 100 balls, a batsman who guaranteed lightning starts, and a custodian who holds another global mark for dismissals. The absence of Matthew Hayden for the Test in Perth showed how much Australia rely on their pillars at the top, and Gilchrist's exit will add to the limited-overs destabilising. Michael Clarke, who has ten runs in his past four ODI attempts as opener, could move
up, but the rest of the order will need a reshuffle, and the on-field duties will be shaken up again.
Poor Brad Haddin, the expected successor in all formats. Things have been hard enough this summer for Mitchell Johnson, who has come in for Glenn McGrath, and Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg in their efforts to cover Shane Warne.
Haddin, 30, has toured with the one-day squad, playing 26 games, including six as a specialist batsman, and has captained New South Wales and Australia A. However, nothing can prepare him for the role he will surely need to fill when Gilchrist bows out. Miracles cannot be expected and if Haddin manages to perform as well as Phil Jaques and Andrew Symonds, who filled the gaps left by Justin Langer and Damien Martyn, he should be considered a success. The guidelines set by Gilchrist are unachievable.
Another problem for Australia is that the quintet of greats and very goods may never be replaced properly. Most of the recent additions are around 30, but the boys are now faced with doing the job of some of the greatest men in world cricket. While Australia worries, the rest lean forward in the hope that more teams will have a chance.
If the Pakistan tour goes ahead in March, the latest version of the new look will be paraded and it will be a tough initiation. Of the fresher faces only Symonds and MacGill have played Tests overseas in the past couple of years and the challenges away from home will be much more difficult. Australia will be treated like mortals instead of being feared as all-conquering superheroes.
The quintet of greats and very goods may never be replaced properly. Most of the recent additions are around 30, but the boys are now faced with doing the job of some of the greatest men in world cricket. While Australia worries, the rest lean forward in the hope that more teams will have a chance
The spin bowlers will be attacked and the selection of the recovering MacGill or the struggling Hogg will be as risky as looking to the offspin of Dan Cullen. Each fast man and part-timer has already had to take on more work because of the lack of success against India and Sri Lanka. The fears of life after Warne have been proved and Gilchrist's decision has suddenly increased a host of other concerns.
Following Pakistan there is a tour to the West Indies before a short series against Bangladesh in Darwin. At least then the reinforcements will be able to escape harsh local examinations as the winter football codes take precedence in the home supporters' minds.
Australia hold a large lead in the ICC rankings but the advantage is already starting to close slightly after the resistance provided by India over the past month. In November, when Sri Lanka were squeezed in familiar fashion, it appeared as though Ponting's team had actually managed to improve. It was an illusion and now the side is likely to bounce up and down like a truck on a country road.
Ponting has lost his chief advisor and the ramifications will be felt from the oldest players to the newest. Clarke and Michael Hussey are contenders as Ponting's deputy and even without the vice-captain's tag they will experience even heavier loads of responsibility. Covering another massive hole will be a huge assignment for an evolving team. Ponting and his new friends are approaching a couple of years that will define them.
Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo
To bolster the pace battery Australia should try out Bollinger, Nofke and Nannes who have been performing very well and consistently in domestic matches. Best option would be to rotate Seniors and give opportunities for these players to play. Every alternate game, one of the three - Brett Lee/Mitchell Johnson/Stuart Clark should be rested to give opportunity for Bollinger/Nofke/Nannes to play
Haddin is the best choice at this moment to replace Gilchrist
On the batting front players like David Hussey should be tried out
Among all rounders I would like Australia to sharpen bowling skills of Cameron White with help from Shane Warne. If only he shapes up quickly he could be a potent all rounder weapon both in Tests and one days Posted by Samdanh on January 29 2008, 10:13 AM GMT
Although Australia has lost some of the greatest players the world has seen in Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist and some very good players in Langer and Martin, there are simply no other teams in the world that is managed by their repsective boards well enough to challenge Autralia. What we have here in the Australian domestic competition is unsurpassed. It is well managed and funded and has been like it for many years. The only team that has challenged Australa in recent years has been England in 2005, and India in the series just finished. But look at what has happened to England since. A couple of injuries, a few players out of form, and all of a sudden they get trounced by a determined and resurgent Australian team in the return bout and loose to Sri Lanka on home soil. India while they have played well and truly challenged Australia face problems of their own. Don't forget they will loose their big 4 very soon too. The only concern for Ausralia will be SA and only if they don't choke. Posted by chipmunk0709 on January 29 2008, 08:51 AM GMT
Yes I think they will miss him desperately. Haddin may be a good player, but his batting doesnt even come close to that of Gilchrist - especially Gilchrists destructiveness. Gilchrist will leave a huge whole in the side, because of the weight of runs he scored, and the speed at which he scored them. Him batting at 6 or 7 is also what gave comfort to the Ausie batsmen higher up the order, Symonds always knew he had the dependability of Gilchrist behind him, now he wont have the same amount of security.
Gilchrist was a genuine batsmen at test level, as well as gloveman. Any side in world cricket would gladly have accepted him purely on his batting ability - forgetting about his keeping.
The next problem Aus have is his next logical replacement is already over 30, and has a first class batting ave that is lower than Gilchrists international averages. THis should tell us something about what is to come against Aus. Will Haddin compare against bowlers like Murali, Steyn, Ntini? Posted by Ryanbrew on January 29 2008, 08:49 AM GMT
Australia will be hardest hit in the ODIs. A superb, blitz-kreig start is no longer guaranteed which is going to expose Australia's middle order a lot more. Personally, i think they need to chuck in a 20 year old batter in the team along with Haddin. That could mean Hopes spot is taken but i feel Australia need to test out a young player. Jacques will have to wait for Hayden's retirement in the ODIs in my view. Posted by Karnog on January 29 2008, 08:25 AM GMT
Vpadmana... Well their is an Opener called Hughes who is 20 this year that is performing well, if Hayden also decided to retire (But said he could go until 40). Posted by ryan2007 on January 29 2008, 06:03 AM GMT
Gillchrist's retirement will post a huge vacuum in the Australian team as I think Australia's domination will fall down shortly because when Gilly was playing there were actually twelve members in the team and his quit will create a big hole in the cricket world also. Brad Haddin has to work really hard to fill the big shoe. Posted by sadid_hasan on January 29 2008, 04:28 AM GMT
Have to agree with vpadmana - Hayden will be a much bigger loss, though he is the sort of guy who seems always hungry for more and who knows, perhaps he will join the ranks of those who have played until 40. I think the loss of Gilchrist is greatly tempered by the promotion of Brad Haddin, who is not only a fine gloveman but has also averaged over 50 the past few domestic seasons. As far as I'm concerned the future looks pretty good and whilst I doubt Australia will be the dominant force they have been the past decade or so, I reckon they can still be no. 1. India were probably the side who could take the crown, but with the big four heading towards the end of their careers, they'll have to get a move-on as the batting stocks coming through haven't impressed me as yet. I do have big wraps on their pace attack, Sharma, Khan, Singh and Pathan all performed well here, the question is whether they can be as useful on their home pitches. Posted by Revnq on January 29 2008, 02:55 AM GMT
Hey fellas, we all know that Rome wasn't built in a day so was the Australian team. They were the dominant team for the past ten years or more and they are humans and we know that all humans have life span in cricket. I would say that good cricketers have a span of five to seven years in their cricketing career. Now we all saw what happen to the West Indies team some years back, they waited too long before letting their good players go thus leaving them with what they have today. However I am starting to see the same trend with the Australians. It looks as though they are starting to panic; so far no one has step up to replace their recent retirees (Warne,Langer,McGrath,Martyn and Gilchrist)But I guess we will just have to wait and see. Posted by chuBBs1965 on January 29 2008, 02:13 AM GMT
Gilly was a gem of a person on and off the field and he will be missed. Its not easy to replace a great cricketer - the very thought of someone like Sachin/Dravid/Laxman retiring gives me the creeps.
However, for a country like Australia, where many players do not break into the team till their mid 20's, they should have had it all figured out by now - Haddin has been groomed for a while for Gilly - much like they had Stuart McGill for Warne. But a great player is a great player.
Who knows, a less brash Ponting & co finding it difficult to walk the talk without players like Gilly around might just augur well for world cricket though.
And last but not least lets not forget the brash old spinner with that perpetual silly grin of his - Hogg. Looking at how he has fared in this series, I doubt whether he is grinning now - he might as well hang up those boots (and that silly grin) now... Posted by gung-ho on January 29 2008, 01:13 AM GMT
A lot of people don't understand what actaully makes the Autralian cricket team so consistently good. Hayden didn't become a 'regular' player until he was 29. Justin Langer didn't become a regular opener until he was age 30. Gilchrist made his Test debut just before he turned 28. Hussey debuted at 30. Ponting and Clarke are largely exceptions: most batsmen who make the team, only do so after they have spent the best part of a decade perfecting their games in order to crack into a very hard-to-get-into lineup. And they perfect their games in what is easily the toughest domestic competition in the world. Australia have been the best since they beat the West Indies in 1995, and NOT ONE current player actually played in that series. Before Hayden and Langer, there was Taylor and Slater. Before Hussey and Clarke, Mark and Steve Waugh. Ian Healy was once Australia's greatest 'keeper, and now watch how well Brad Haddin plays. Great players are just going to keep coming. Posted by malph_182 on January 29 2008, 01:02 AM GMT
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content on
cricket, you may use these buttons. When you add them to any of these sites, you "social bookmark" them for others to find and rate. More on del.icio.us>> More on digg>> More on stumbleupon>>
The Round Table: Ian Chappell, Michael Holding and Tony Greig examine the development of unusual cricketers
