quiz

What better than bashing the Baggy Green scalps Down Under

According to MCC’s former Sceretary and Chief Executive, Roger Knight- Baggy Green is the most famous cricket cap in the world(and the most distributed too, seeing their sudden slump in form). Well, the distribution of the Baggy Green is a recent phenomena in Oz cricket primarily because of the void created by the departure of greats like McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist and Hayden(from CA to IPL). A lot of former cricketers and senior cricket writers(including yours truly) have even gone to the extent of questioning their love, respect and value for the Baggy Green and some have even gone on to ask Ponting to step down as the captain to concentrate on his batting. But if he steps down then who will step up- Pup, who is fighting hard to save himself from getting axed or Mr. Cricket, who just saved himself from being axed by saving Australia in both the matches or Watto, touted as the next big all rounder for Australia for the last eight years and whose body parts can get axed even when not playing for Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt. Ltd. or even Australia’s 10th spinner since this gentleman??, Michael who or Marcus North(ok the joke’s over)

Amidst this whole Kangaroo bashing nobody is talking about the rise of Swann, Cook, Trott, Bell, Anderson etc.[those who are have been ignored for the objective of this article] under the able leadership of the Zimbabwean. For the past 18 months the Poms have stuck to the same set of 15 players, Pieterson included. The CA should take out a  leaflet or two from ECB’s book of Cricket team management[stop questioning my credentials as a cricket team management consultant]. Having cricketers play at gun point is not quite how the gentleman’s game should be played. Legends like Pidge, SRT, Akram, Ganguly[for the KKR..oops Bengal Cricket fans]are not born, but made. By perseverance[even in the case of North and Rohit Sharma] and by having faith in the players abilities. Though I admit, with the world cup around the corner desperate times call for desperate measures but shuffling players would lead the Aussies nowhere. Regaining the burnt bails at the cost of a possible four in a row would not help the confidence of the likes of Mitch, Siddle, Hilfy and the 10 who’ve played post Warnie, all of whom have a lot of years of international cricket left in them.

Given the despair and hysterical abuse that has greeted the first downturn of Australian cricket in a generation, surely a few[maybe many] pessimistic observations were coming.
Three dollars to a pound anyone.

Obligatory Questions:

1. What is common to- a close friend or buddy, a Jamaican slang for low income area, a large knife and a type of cricket?

2. Who was banned from two one-day cricket internationals in 1986 for admitting that he had smoked cannabis?

3. In what sport would you use ‘bias’?

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