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Afternoon all. In place of today’s Sunday Roast, we’ve got some video to share with you. First up we’ve got Ryan Harris saying a few words on his retirement (above). Interestingly, he claimed that he didn’t expect to play the first couple of tests anyway. Whether that’s true or not, we’ll never know. After David Warner’s recent comments about Joe Root – which were about as convincing as the Lasith Malinga wig Root was supposed to have stolen – I think it’s safe to assume that the mind games are fully underway now. In fact, has Glenn McGrath made his usual pigeon brained 5-0 prediction yet? There’s a thread about Harris’s retirement over at The Tavern forum.
Next up we’ve got Michael Vaughan and Sir Beefy talking about Trevor Bayliss. There are a few nuggets in there. I think Vaughan could be on to something when he says the new head coach will give senior players like Bell and Anderson ‘a poke’. As we all know, when people come into a new job they invariably like to make their mark. If Bayliss thinks some of our senior players aren’t pulling their weight, they’ll soon be replaced by fresh players Bayliss fancies. Whether it’s a kick up the jacksie or just an influx of new ideas, I tend to agree with Vaughan that Bayliss will have a positive impact on our senior pros.
When it comes to further reader, I strongly recommend Maxie’s look back on 2005’s Glorious Summer. I know there are quite a few nostalgic pieces about that brilliant series floating around, but I think Maxie’s is one of the best. I wish I’d written it.
I’d also like to give my interview with Simon Jones one final plug. What a shame the big man isn’t lining up for us in this Ashes series. He’s got to be one of my favourite England bowlers of all time.
Cheers everyone. Enjoy your weekend.
James Morgan
@DoctorCopy
“Interestingly, he claimed that he didn’t expect to play the first couple of tests anyway. Whether that’s true or not, we’ll never know.”
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Well, Clarke pretty much ruled him out a few days before he retired and Lehmann had said he was “short of a gallop”. So I’d say that gives us a pretty good indication that he wouldn’t have been picked for the first two Tests.
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” After David Warner’s recent comments about Joe Root – which were about as convincing as the Lasith Malinga wig Root was supposed to have stolen – I think it’s safe to assume that the mind games are fully underway now.”
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Really? I’d say it’s more an indication that Warner isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. By and large, Australia have eschewed the pre-series phoney war.
Brad Haddin excepted of course ;)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/69867176/Australian-wicketkeeper-Brad-Haddin-mocks-Black-Caps-ahead-of-Ashes-series
Which part of that constitutes ‘mind games’?