Australia: The team it's hard to fall in love with

[Robelinda]

Its not like every player that has played for Australia is an arrogant prick and shows it on the field. Plenty of players in all teams have that arrogant streak. Some take it too far, some dont.

 

[drainpipe32]

It's all on the field. It's not as if they're all jerks, just fierce competitors.

 

[Griffo]

Shane Watson seems to be the most competitive jerk out of the lot of them.. but i know someone who has met him and they say he is a really nice guy but very self critical

 

[drainpipe32]

Yeah, he does go over the top.

 

[Griffo]

I remember him sledging the Bangladeshis in the top end series.. only two or three of them can speak english lol

 

[rahuldravidfan]

This link here sums it up about the Australian cricket team.

I have felt this for a long time about Australian cricket and the players, and the way they go about the game. Win at all costs, and they ultimately really reduce themselves to becoming "winning arrseholes".

I just don't like the players. And that's not because they win. It's because they are jerks. They really are. They sledge like no other team. Johnson loves himself, Bollinger is the new face of arrogance under a toupee, Haddin is a tool, Watson needs to be brought down to Earth, and Clarke thinks he is too good for any of the rest of us mortals. Ponting is difficult to like. In fact, none of the players are lovable in the way that we loved Lillee and Thomson and Marsh. None of them are even likeable in the way that the Australian public liked Steve Waugh.

They're just a bunch of glorified trailer trash bullies.

Compare them with some of the great people of cricket, like Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. They're just lovely people who achieve great things. They're a class act all the way.

The best find this summer for me has been a website that broadcasts all the other international matches. I'm no longer forced to watch bad-mannered and spoilt rednecks get their rocks off beating up on much nicer but lowly ranked Test nations.

There's more to sport than winning - and this concept is most definitely not upheld by the current Australian cricket team.

That is one comprehensive and straight-forward opinion. You haven't really left anything for me to say. What's great is that you are talking about this in the open, not in hushed whispers.

Lee, Hopes, Mike Hussey, Jason Krejza & Nathan Hauritz are some of the decent guys in the team.

Australia has produced some of the greatest cricketers in past decade. But sadly, not the greatest role models.

 

[Covvy]

Well Jason krezja is suppose to be a top class ███████. Everybody hated him at Lindisfarne (his local club) so he got kicked out.

 

[blake]

I think you're missing the point here Covvy - it's who RDF thinks are nice guys, not who actually are nice guys. Obviously, in RDF's point of view, everyone else in the Australian team are jerks.

 

[formula1man]

I think what they need to do is Cricket Australia need to have more behind the scenes events where you get to actually see the human side of these players. I for one all of a sudden respect people more when i see their humorous and human side. It means that you are not only seeing the competitive on field players. Everyone here who says they have met them say their great but those opportunities don't come very often. They need to meet fans in person give opportunities for people to chat with them instead of thinking every person just wants to glass them.

 

[surendar]

Steve Waugh ( Gem ), Bevan, Gilli, Lee, McGrath, Hussey, Martyn, Mark Waugh, Paul Reiffel were few of them whom I know them as good people & I like them as well. But except for Ponting, I don't see anyone arrogant either.

Who said we can't take Aussies as role models? Stevie is one of the best role models. Bevan, Gilli, Lee, McGrath and Martyn are still great role models. When I think of a honest attitude ON field, I remember two people - Gilli & Sachin!

 

[rahuldravidfan]

CA can have more book-signing, "meet the players" and player-fan interaction sessions. This can also pave the way for better behaviour as fans can directly approach and tell the players that they didn't like the way he handled a particular situation. The player might feel a bit awkward, in some cases even humiliated, but when he sits down and gives it a thought, he'll realize that "yes, I got a bit carried away and upset a young fan of mine".

He'll try to be even more disciplined on the field, handle things more maturely because he'll know someone out there is looking up to him

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Im a nightmare in the field.. i never EVER stop talking, i dont even stop talking when im batting lol my theory on the whole sledging thing is as long as the opposition are thinking about something other than the game your winning the battle.. animal noises, jokes, songs anything between balls to get their mind off the task at hand.. and it works ALOT!

Same, I can be horrible to play with. As are a lot of my friends.

 

[Highlander999]

Im a nightmare in the field.. i never EVER stop talking, i dont even stop talking when im batting lol my theory on the whole sledging thing is as long as the opposition are thinking about something other than the game your winning the battle.. animal noises, jokes, songs anything between balls to get their mind off the task at hand.. and it works ALOT!

I tried that for a couple of matches, but ended up putting myself off more. Talking to 1st slip about the wicket-keeper going bald and then edging the next ball to the keeper ain't pretty

 

[pcfan123]

Ive always thought you could replace the Australian cricketers with rednecks from NASCAR and the Aussie crowds from NASCAR/Monster Truck crowds and no one would notice the difference.

They are easily the least likable characters in cricket and that has nothing to do with their winning ways. Everyone loved the Windies, even when they were dominating for a decade. As CaptainOz said, its all down to attitude.

 

[McLOVIN]

I remember him sledging the Bangladeshis in the top end series.. only two or three of them can speak english lol

LOL i remember that. Tamim blew a kiss :laugh and then charged him down and spanked. And he called Shakib a goos, and Shakib looked 'WTF?' b/c thats not really insult in Bangladesh. or even in the US. So I was abit confused myself. Baby sledging.