Trick Cyclists,
What's wrong with Pup?
If he was anyone else, he'd be dropped.
Forthwith.
It's obvious he's worried about his batting game - DJ Hussey says he's trying too hard to make a score.
Perhaps someone put something in his water on one of those nights out in the Eastern Suburbs?
Or something simpler, like all the cafe food he's been eating hasn't been agreeing with him?
Maybe he's not getting a root for the first time in his life?
Surely not, can't be true.
If it was, it'd be in the papers.
Is he fretting that his favourite casual fashion shirt doesn't quite fit as well as it used to?
Or is the chronic life-long incurable dose of Shagger's Back giving him more discomfort than he gives it credit for?
Looks like a bloke who would try to hide a niggle.
Then again, could be a long-standing undiagnosed psychological problem dating from chilhood that causes Michael to scratch around in the crease like an old chook while not thinking about all the ways you can get out?
Anyway, a long way shy of a few runs, to be sure, with the only saving grace some faint praise in the quarters that matter for his captaincy of a generally winning side.
Due, on some folk's account, for some good centre wicket practice at Bankstown Oval.
S'pose MJ Clarke is not that worried, even if he is nervous, given that rumour has it that Punter has had not one, but two operations on his left pinkie.
A little birdie is singing that the doctors are saying the offending digit will be deformed for life from such an innocuous accident in the cordon in Perth - a while ago now.
Who knows what it will do for RT's batting, if he ever comes back, in which case can Ricky still field effectively in the slips, or be forever gripped by fear?
Problematical at his age.
So the question of the captaincy remains wide open to conjecture.
Quite right; as it should be.
While it might not matter all that much in the grand scheme of things there is still a World Cup to be won, after all.
At least the flannelled fools have a better chance at putting on a show than the pansies going around in the current Asian Cup in the round-ball caper.
Reminds me of the tasteful souvenir t-shirt I had in mind to get made up and flog to punters lining up at the gates the last time Straya played Japan; both flags intertwined in a swirl of red,white, union jack and stars on the front of the garment, and the tour dates listed on the back, printed in bold on a boxing kangaroo motif:
Singapore: 15 Feb 1942
Darwin: 19 Feb 1942
Hiroshima: 6 Aug 1945
Nagasaki: 9 Aug 1945
Doha: 29 Jan 2011...
"THE DECIDER!"
Reckon they'd sell.
