Wild thing....I pulled a heart string

[dedja]

I just quoted from the same source ...

[Rik E Boy]

Ease up, dedja FFS. The guy above said he didn't think Tait was ever good enough for Test cricket when clearly he was dominant at Shield level. I didn't copy & paste the part about CA dropping his contract (deservedly so IMO) just like I didn't copy & paste the part about him tearing the world a new one at the last WC.

We get it you can't stand the guy.

Sheild dominance doesn't necessarily mean he's good enough for Test Cricket. You have prove yourself all over again. We'll never ever know cos he never ever gave it a go go go.

regards,

REB

[Gozu]

Ease up, dedja FFS. The guy above said he didn't think Tait was ever good enough for Test cricket when clearly he was dominant at Shield level. I didn't copy & paste the part about CA dropping his contract (deservedly so IMO) just like I didn't copy & paste the part about him tearing the world a new one at the last WC.

We get it you can't stand the guy.

Sheild dominance doesn't necessarily mean he's good enough for Test Cricket. You have prove yourself all over again. We'll never ever know cos he never ever gave it a go go go.

regards,

REB

Keeping in mind at that point in time Shield cricket was probably a similar standard to Test cricket.

[Rik E Boy]

Ease up, dedja FFS. The guy above said he didn't think Tait was ever good enough for Test cricket when clearly he was dominant at Shield level. I didn't copy & paste the part about CA dropping his contract (deservedly so IMO) just like I didn't copy & paste the part about him tearing the world a new one at the last WC.

We get it you can't stand the guy.

Sheild dominance doesn't necessarily mean he's good enough for Test Cricket. You have prove yourself all over again. We'll never ever know cos he never ever gave it a go go go.

regards,

REB

Keeping in mind at that point in time Shield cricket was probably a similar standard to Test cricket.

Come on long bow there...most dominant Domestic comp for sure but similar standard to Tests? Dunno about that Goz.

regards,

REB

[Gozu]

Come on long bow there...most dominant Domestic comp for sure but similar standard to Tests? Dunno about that Goz.

regards,

REB

At that point in time sure. The best side in Shield cricket would've been better than half the world's Test teams.

[mal]

Some people call him weak
Perhaps they are right, who nose for sure?

What is relevant is he gets many injuries
Is it his fragile body ?
Is it becoz he does not take care of his body ?
Does he rehabiliate himself properly ?
Does he not put in the hard yards to get a fitter more sustainable body?

As I said no one is exactly sure why he continues to break down
What is pertinent, he continues to make comebacks irrespective of his injuries
Bowling at express pace, with a perculiar action, puts a trememdous strain on him
To bowl fast under duress and uncertianty must take a certain amount of courage
Lets give the guy some credence for coming back time and time again

[smithy]

Ease up, dedja FFS. The guy above said he didn't think Tait was ever good enough for Test cricket when clearly he was dominant at Shield level. I didn't copy & paste the part about CA dropping his contract (deservedly so IMO) just like I didn't copy & paste the part about him tearing the world a new one at the last WC.

We get it you can't stand the guy.

Sheild dominance doesn't necessarily mean he's good enough for Test Cricket. You have prove yourself all over again. We'll never ever know cos he never ever gave it a go go go.

regards,

REB

Sounds a bit like Brad Hodge to me.

[Media Park]

I think some of my comments may have been misinterpreted...

I rate Shaun Tait...

I love watching him scare and hurt opponents at 155kmph+, but...

I hate that he's always injured, and that his sole desire is not to get back in a Baggy Green...

I hate that he's content to be a gun for hire in IPL type events.

I am a traditionalist, and it isn't just Tait that irks me in this way, he's just the "local"example...

[Rik E Boy]

Come on long bow there...most dominant Domestic comp for sure but similar standard to Tests? Dunno about that Goz.

regards,

REB

At that point in time sure. The best side in Shield cricket would've been better than half the world's Test teams.

You mean back in the glory days when Funky Miller took 64 wickets in the Shield? How would the Shield sides go with an additional day every time as well. The Shield closer than any sure but nope, can't have it.

regards,

REB

[Bulls forever]

Come on long bow there...most dominant Domestic comp for sure but similar standard to Tests? Dunno about that Goz.

regards,

REB

At that point in time sure. The best side in Shield cricket would've been better than half the world's Test teams.

You mean back in the glory days when Funky Miller took 64 wickets in the Shield? How would the Shield sides go with an additional day every time as well. The Shield closer than any sure but nope, can't have it.

regards,

REB

REB, whilst I don't agree, you look at the quote and probably close. WI were crap, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, NZ. Saafaas - no, Poms - they were ordinary, but no, India - definately no, Paki's - where was the good money, depends on the betting, Sri Lanka - probably no with the chucker.
Probably a better quote might have been, our 2nd 11 during that period would have competed well against most test sides indicating the strength and depth of Aussie cricket.

[Rik E Boy]

Thank you linesmen and thank you ball boys. How much test cricket did the Zimbos and Bangas play during the period in question? Not a lot I would suggest.

regards,

REB

[gadj1976]

I think some of my comments may have been misinterpreted...

I rate Shaun Tait...

I love watching him scare and hurt opponents at 155kmph+, but...

I hate that he's always injured, and that his sole desire is not to get back in a Baggy Green...

I hate that he's content to be a gun for hire in IPL type events.

I am a traditionalist, and it isn't just Tait that irks me in this way, he's just the "local"example...

That's the thing MP (not having a go at you, just raising a point). He doesn't bowl at 155 any more. He's more back to mid to high 140's which means his line and length are far more important. Bowling wides at high 140's isn't doing anything for the side. I think we could accept his injury toll, and his inaccuracy if he was bowling at 160ks but his body wont let him. I have nothing against Tait himself. He's being let down by his body which is fair enough. I just hope they don't rely on him to be his dominant 160k per hour, swinging yorker type bowler in the world cup. At the moment, he's more predictable in pace and that means he gets picked off more regularly.

The stats that Mal brought up were when he was at the high 150's, but because of injuries he can't seem to maintain that pace.

If I was wanting an opening bowler for the world cup, I'd take a McGrath type line and length, with a bit of swing, making the batsman make the play, than a Tait.

I think the way Sth Aust have adapted to the T20 is the way to go. Slow the ball down, make the batsmen make the play rather than try to blow them away. Maybe the game is evolving and Tait's time is up? Maybe having a trio of fast bowlers is past it's used by date?

[Dutchy]

Was thinking about Tait last night, do you think he is in the squad to play solely against the minnows to blast them out with speed they probably havent seen before, therefore allowing the other bowlers to have a rest and a game off?

[mal]

Tait is in the squad on spec
Hes been picked on what he is capable of, not whats heez doing presently
GADJ is on the ball, Ive quoted some mostly very very lethal fast hey day stats
I think MOST of us have got fingers crossed he can become the leathal weapon of the past
But Im thinkin' his injuries are getting the better of him

Hard Australian pitches are taking thier toll on a lotta Domestic quicks thesedays

[smithy]

Former Australia captain Greg Chappell is adamant injury-hit speedster Shaun Tait will prove an educated World Cup gamble despite breaking down mid-series against England.

Tait strained a gluteus muscle while bowling his sixth over in Australia's victory over England in Hobar and missed the Australia Day clash with England in his hometown Adelaide.

National selectors were banking on Tait regaining peak condition and emulating the stunning exploits that garnered 23 wickets in tandem with spearhead Glenn McGrath (26) in a successful third straight 2007 World Cup defence in the Caribbean.

Selectors want the unpredictable paceman known as cricket's "Wild Thing" gaining vital match fitness but believe time is on the side of the man who has recorded the fastest ball slung by an Australian (161.1km/h).

"The World Cup final is April 2 so we still have quite a few weeks. We were keen to take the gamble that he would be right for the major part of the World Cup," full-time selector Chappell said of Tait.

Tait appeared physically sound in bowling eight overs during two Twenty20 hit-outs against England.

Yet his back locked up doing required team running drills ahead of the one-day series opener in Melbourne -- which the frustrated 27-year-old was forced to miss.

Tait has just returned to the national one-day side from a three-month layoff required after elbow surgery and Chappell said soft tissue injuries were inevitable in a return to competitive action.

"Taity is coming back from a long layoff and his body is letting him know that. There's a few aches and pains that go with it. He has a very heavy-duty job to do as an express bowler which puts a lot of stress on the body," Chappell told The Daily Telegraph.

Australia picked an all-out pace strike force in their 15-man World Cup hoping off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and all-rounder Shane Watson could curb any run-flow and carry the aggression of Tait, left-armers Doug Bollinger, Mitchell Johnson and resurgent Brett Lee.

However Hauritz is in doubt for the tournament with a dislocated shoulder, Tait is sidelined and Johnson has been floored by a throat infection. This has complicated selection strategies already under review after injuries to skipper Ricky Ponting and Mr Fix-it batsman Mike Hussey.

"We picked (Tait) to be a strike bowler - we know what he is capable of," Chappell said. But stand-in skipper Michael Clarke said Tait needed to get back on the park for the final three one-dayers against England to be ready for the World Cup.

[Bulls forever]

The Wild Thing got through 10 overs last night, like to see him go another 10 in Perth on a quick WACA wicket, I think he might put the jeebies up a few Poms if so. Actually bowled alright last night and from memory was almost the most economical of the bowlers. So please Taity get through and reproduce your 2007 World Cup form and you will win me back.

[spell_check]

"The World Cup final is April 2 so we still have quite a few weeks. We were keen to take the gamble that he would be right for the major part of the World Cup," full-time selector Chappell said of Tait.

Are Australia already in the final?

[Phantom Gossiper]

"The World Cup final is April 2 so we still have quite a few weeks. We were keen to take the gamble that he would be right for the major part of the World Cup," full-time selector Chappell said of Tait.

Are Australia already in the final?

Not about a trophy, in the selectors minds these guys are already winners