42 byes ???

[Train Driver]

With 40 something pages to read in search of answer I thought I'd take a shortcut

42 byes? are cricinfo mistyping on an epic scale? Did Madande forget to take his glasses and/or guide dog or was the bowling so inaccurate he couldn't do anything about it? I looked straight away at Tucker who conceded only 4 in each innings so I hardly think it was the pitch to blame, although Tucker could be the best keeper in the world of course

42 byes, 9 wides and 3 no balls, if Ireland win this game ........

[TapsC2]

Where the game was lost to me. Not only that. The keeper then gave his wicket away twice in the game. The exact same way. The bowlers showed they could hang around yesterday with the bat. Terrible performance overall by Clive. Don’t remember the last time I saw one individual perform so poorly in a single match.

[Googly]

He's there for the next 15 years, only way is up.
He did get some impossible balls to stop, but wasn't good.
His first dismissal was bizarre, a rush of panicked blood to the head, but OK give him a pass because its his first outing and he's never played 4 day cricket before and perhaps didnt understand the rules, but second identical dismissal was a firing offence.
Perhaps captaincy will make him a better player?
We are doomed with this "selector". We've got him until we get downgraded as well. He has to be excellent at an unmentionable

[sam_ahm]

He broke a 137 year old record, Clive Madande now holds the world record for conceding the most number of byes in a test match. Well done buddy!

[sam_ahm]

The worst part of all this was that there was actually a much better wicketkeeper playing the game, but was not considered to keep wickets.

[Googly]

That would have definitely been on the table.
Either they felt it was a really poor message to Clive and they should back him or if there was a plan to swap it was vetoed.

[TapsC2]

That would have definitely been on the table.
Either they felt it was a really poor message to Clive and they should back him or if there was a plan to swap it was vetoed.

Stupidity should never be rewarded. If he had fought to the very end with the bat then maybe but he showed that mentally he is nowhere near it. This is a professional sport, not a Sunday kickabout. This relaxed attitude is one of the reasons we are in this mess with these kids. Unfortunately some people need the carrot and the stick approach

You look back at the hell that Tsiga got against the West Indies and yet he actually did better than Madande. No to golden boys for me, especially in this format for me. You only start seeing players performing so poorly when they have no competition and that is exactly where Clive is mentally. He needs to be dropped.

[TapsC2]

In the first T20 against India he actually showed us how to do it when he was batting with Chatara but you can’t do it when you have 5 whole days? Absolutely ridiculous

I’m sure everyone here has another sport where they support a relatively successful team. One of the key differences is mentality. Certain mistakes get you canned for the season. Sometimes for good. This is the difference between the good teams and the teams at the bottom. The don’t make silly mistakes, when they get some momentum they seize the initiative, they are ruthless, any kid who comes knows exactly what they are doing because they sacrificed so much to get to that point etc. You can’t skip these steps and these things can make winners out of a team which might not be the most talented

It’s also why you see guys who come into the team when they are around 26 or 27 being much better than the kids. Campbell for example knows he is already on thin ice. Welch was dropped very quickly. Gumbie knew if he didn’t get any runs in those first couple of games he was gone. These kids are playing with no consequences. 30 plus games of pure nonsense from some of them

[Googly]

Some very valid points. Nick Welch got prematurely dropped. He may well have made the difference in that fateful Uganda game had he played. That was a ridiculous ommission. Who'll take responsibility for that? They know he can bat, has a complete game and can pull the trigger and absolutely bomb them, but got a tiny window to deliver, and did no worse than any of the other underperforming players. He's a better T20 bat than practically anyone in that team. It doesn't just not add up, it stinks. Give his skillset to a black player and that guy won't miss a game in any format. He had a bad season off at least 4 stinking umpiring deciosions that really messed with his head. He now has to perform consistently very well for another year before he gets even another sniff, if at all, whilst the same players can continually underperform with no consequences? And if they have one decent innings (which statistically is possible), they're penned in for another year?
Then they pick Jonno for T20 off the back of very good red ball stats (which is just ridiculous) and then did well in Bangladesh and then bombed against India. Then because he did badly in those T20's wasn't in the starting line-up for the test match??? How on earth does his T20 performance impact his test selection?? I mean where's the logic?
He'll get another shot at T20 long before Welch does, and there's absolutely no logic to that.

Then you've got Mavuta being overlooked for the Test squad and he's our main leg spinner and can hold a bat. This guy has to be part of our plans because he's our best leggie.
Then you have them dropping Burl, he probably needed a wake-up call, but the fact remains he's one of our best players, particularly because he can bat, bowl and field. He'd also make a better captain than Raza or Craig. Facts are facts.

Then you have Falao who they sent to India to a fast bowling academy and then can't make any of these three sides? My guess is because he's opted to play for Rangers. That sounds like bullshit because Myers, Macheka and Marumani also play for them, but they're more difficult to ignore...and let's see if they don't move next season after a stern word.

Then you have the Kaia brothers continually getting selected, they're good players, but you've either got to say to them- hit 2000 balls a week and go up a notch and be the best you can be or we've spent long enough on you guys and you'll no longer be under consideration. Are we looking to the future or is this a game for friends, relatives and favorites?

You've got Madande and Marumani with 30 T20 appearances and Madhevere with 65 and they've underwhelmed. Give Nick Welch those opportunities and he will be better, all day. I'm not saying those guys are bad because they're not, but they're not taking their very extended opportunities. They're either doing enough to get reselected or that's their ceiling at international level, or they may come right after 100 appearances?
Are we going to see 60 T20 appearances for Dion at a run a ball or is he going to play some shots? He comes from Uni straight into our national side in all formats. He looks like he's up for it, has a weird way of dealing with spin that is likely to cause him some problems, but with the right coaching he should improve. Nobody can say he has the head for it yet or he wouldn't have gone at a run a ball in those T20's when hes got shots in his locker.


Bennett didn't look too sharp technically in this test. Didnt leave well and looked bothered by the short ball. He's had a couple of really good T20's and has shown further glimpses of being good and promptly gets picked for a Test and will get picked in all formats for the foreseeable future. I think he'll develop.

Then we're looking for an opener in at least 2 formats that has real potential, is technically excellent and can hopefully grow. We've got one youngster that keeps getting thrown in the deep end and keeps doing well quite consistently and surely needs the same exposure afforded to Wes and Co.
Averaged 46 in Logan Cup as an opener aged 20
When did we last see that? He's nowhere.

We have to stop wondering why we're not progressing. We know why.

[sloandog]

I'm still holding out hope that Ben Curran could have a decent domestic season and force his way in. He's an opener through and through.