Wrap - The Toni Basil Brush - Special Edition

On March 12, I raised the following:

Well, well , well...regular readers would know of the silly games and pettiness which has crept into the Australian team with the appointment of Clarke as a selector (AB medal mortgaged forever thus) and the appointment of Mickey Arthur. What of this: "On 26 January 2010 he resigned because of alleged differences between himself and Cricket South Africa (CSA)". Who would have thought?
And this: "My vision of how to go forward with the team was clear, but the board's was different," said Arthur. "I've always run a tight management and team, but the CSA board of directors want structural changes."

Deja Vu is coming and about to smack him in the back of the head. Mickey was an absolute unmitigated failure when coaching Western Australia cricket too.

1. Deja Vu has landed. Mickey goes. It is probably the most animated James Sutherland has gotten in recent weeks after the Dave Warner schemozzle. Half the side out on the cans. Coach tucked away in bed!The Homework gate fiasco is also not far away from the thinking...and the lack of discipline and control in this team. Too many big heads (Clarke, Hughes, Warner, Watson...whoaaa!) and too nice a bloke - or weak a bloke in charge. The Champions Trophy result was the burnt icing on the shrivelled cake.

Suddenly Warner is no chance in the First Test either if anger is that strong.

2. I'm also hearing that Clarke will now stand down as a selector. Seems as though that ridiculous move was all about giving Mickey a bit of support. A bit of cred, while securing Clarke hero status - breeding cronism and mates rates in the averages. He was too weak - as was Mickey. The High Performance Manager was there in the thick of it all...his turn will come too. Maybe he has been tapped on the shoulder already?

3. And Lehmann into the fold as coach. Easily the most qualified and somehow now - even though he has been given very little lead in - we have a glimmer of hope to retain the Ashes. Remarkably he is also Australian! (Deans and Holger will be next in line to go and be replaced by local coaches - McKenzie and Arnold perhaps?).

Khawaja's stakes have risen with the arrival of Lehmann who recruited him from NSW. First Test gig?

4. What of the Ashes? Last time we batted in the cloud and wet, while England batted when the sun shone. I suspect we can roll the Poms cheaply...then get rolled even more cheaply ourselves! Time will tell.

Out.