Before the first match, both JL and Paine were certain that Australia will win the test series against India. And why wouldn’t they? Any team captain or coach would be pleased to have such a talented bunch of players available to them. There is, however, a distinction between feeling confidence and being able to express it on the field. Unfortunately, none of them has been able to resolve this problem throughout their time in control of Australia, not only during the series against India, but during their whole tenures. In my post, I mentioned a few facts that, when put together, may indicate that the pair should not continue to govern the famed cricketing nation.
Unexpected Ingress of Australia Cricket Board
Following the “sandpaper gate” controversy in 2018, both candidates were eventually selected. JL may have been picked because to his performance, but Paine was brought on board mostly to mend Australia’s shattered image. In the big scheme of things, he wasn’t even on Australia’s 15-man roster before to the dismal test series in South Africa. In fact, he was considering quitting his work.
After Smith and Warner were barred from playing together, both captains were given the opportunity to restart their careers with their separate teams. They had the choice of touring all around Australia looking for the most skilled people. They could have put together a strong team even without the support of Smith and Warner. Instead, they sat about and waited for the pair to return so they could watch them perform. Since Smith’s heroics in the cricket online id Ashes in 2019, I’ve been wondering why JL and Paine remain in command, considering their inability to produce success on their own.
JL And Paine Agree That Things Have Changed After Capetown.
Both persons are widely agreed to have done satisfactorily in their respective duties and should be retained in their positions. On the other hand, I do not consider myself to be one of them. These two have done nothing especially exceptional in the preceding three years that merits mention. Smith’s performances will be the most critical element in deciding whether or not the Ashes are maintained in England. Australia would have failed badly in the series if it hadn’t been for him.
The humiliating defeat in India may have been averted if both teams had been able to have competitive lineups over these years. The rivalry inside the same series is an excellent example of how to develop a team’s culture. The team that was able to defeat full-strength Australia with its net bowlers at the Gabba, which had been a fortress for 32 years, had to have created a culture that instilled confidence in each and every member of the team. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening under JL and Paine’s leadership, even in the far future.
A Taskmaster is JL.
The group is fully aware that JL is unpopular. I came to this conclusion a little more than a year ago while watching the documentary series “The Test,” which is about the Australian cricket team. Believe it or not, Khwaja’s exclusion from the red-ball team has nothing to do with cricket and is instead tied to something altogether else. At times, it may seem like JL is more interested with the players’ actions than with the games they are playing. True, he has been tasked with repairing the team’s image after the fiasco in Cape Town; nevertheless, this should not come at the price of the team’s self-belief.
Something about his tactical leadership has disappointed me the most. Off-field strategy choices made during the most recent match against India were exactly as bad as those made on the pitch. The choice to bowl with the same attack in each of the four matches was not a wise one. With the schedule as it is now, how can you expect a bowler to have the same amount of energy for the fourth test match? The results of 2021 Sydney and Gabba are a direct result of this tactical inefficiency.
ImageSaver by Paine?
Paine, in my view, should be selected captain simply for the sake of restoring Australia’s image after the sandpaper gate controversy. Regrettably, he has shown this with the decisions he has made on the field over the course of these years. He has not instilled confidence in others by his own performances or the building of an attractive group.
The ludicrous situation with Australia’s opening combination on the red-ball side was already in place before he entered the game. Regrettably, he has yet to be successful in repairing it as of today. Australia’s batting weakness, with the exception of Smith and Labuschange, starts at the top of the order and extends all the way down to his batting position.
Worst Aspect of His Leadership
The worst aspect of his leadership was on display in Sydney, when he allowed his emotions get the better of him and single-handedly threw away the game to their opponents, costing Australia the game. The press conference he conducted the next day to accept his on-field actions seemed to be very similar to Smith and Warner’s press conference after the incident in Cape Town.
As a cricket fan, particularly test cricket, I could sympathize with both India and Australia on the day Australia was beaten in the Gabba test match. In my view, the fact that JL and Paine are guiding the team is the most essential reason Australia is in such terrific shape right now. Please, Australia, relegate JL and Paine to the past. You deserve better alternatives.
