Wrap - Leading The Team Song To Its Death

1. When Mike Hussey announced to the world that Nathan Lyon was the next 'annointed' Aussie cricketer to lead the team song - a so called revered position - it revealed a divide in the Australian team. A retiring legend who had had enough of the heirarchy telling players who, what and where things could happen. A brief Eureka moment in Australian sport.

With it, came a lot of head shaking. Lyon had hardly won Tests for us. And so it was in Chennai...so much so that Clarke has acted on Hussey's perceived petulance and Lyon's ineffective work and he dropped Lyon from the second test. How he could retain the straight breaker Siddle instead is beyond me. Xavier Doherty is not a Test bowler. Indeed he is a spin bowler who does not spin the ball. His first class average is in the mid 40's. Laughable.

Maxwell could join that list of one test wonders too. His selection defies belief.

Our attack looks so poor it brings back memories of when Simon O'Donnell opened the bowling in an Ashes tour in the mid 1980's.

2. Even Stuart Macgill - that noted red wine drinking goose - has a low opinion of Doherty. That was a great piece of Macgill idiocy that has seen him go from job to job. The only problem here is that he is a Cricket Australia mentor now!!!

3. How about that Phil Hughes hey? Shielded from the South Africans, monstered the impotent Sri Lankans and then exposed for his lack of application and impatience in India. He is not up to it.

Nor is Ed Cowan. He finds ways to get out. No wonder he had to leave NSW to get a game. He lacks killer shots and now lacks poise and self control.

Clarke spoke of patience, exhibited it well himself - before a silly shot on 91 (Michael Slater style). Watson played a dumb shot. Warner's poor technique is being exposed slowly around the world. He gets out too easily.

The poor averages of our top four are terrible. We are soft mess.

Can anyone seeing Steve Smith doing anything? We could lose every Test by an innings. Yet to see an Indian batsman troubled by off spin.

4. Western Sydney Wanderers. An incredible transformation is being led in Australian football by their supporters. It may change the sport here forever. Chanting, singing, dancing....and still the crowds flock. It is somethng else - and they win. I wonder if anyone from the Parramatta NRL Centre For Excellence have thought to contact any of their supporters to lead things at their home games?

5. Swans are up to their old tricks, losing pre season games (even to GWS) and treating them for the joke they are. No investigation of tanking there of course.

6. Ben Barba. Who would like to be the face of rugby league at a season launch? Someone without issues? When will some of these blokes take reposnsibility for their own behaviour and act with class. Why Billy Slater or Cameron Smith don't do it every year is beyond me. Who is choosing these blokes? Someone out of touch and Sydney centric.

7. Mundine. Anthony is the only bloke who Anthony needs to beat.

8. Harry Kewell. Outside of 'The Man', this bloke is second to Jana Pittman in the stakes to see who the biggest ego and current under achiever in Australian sport belongs to. Retire and do us all a favour.