Hmm
This isn’t the first time he’s written negatively about McCullum. There definitely seems to be something he doesn’t like about him, it’s almost personal in tone. He has a point about his demeanour. I’m not sure it’s relevant though.
I’d agree about the bowling - wickets were taken, but the short and wide thing was expensive and frustrating. Australia outbowled us by using Anderson-style consistency in line and length. Boland and Neser were his pace, and relentless.
Where I don’t agree is the need for total renewal whenever there’s failure. Out with old! Let’s do something else! This has been a failure of English cricket for years: players given a handful of tests, no team building, bickering between coach and captain. Australia stopped doing that in the 90s. It looked like we’d stopped as well in about 2005-10, hence the improvement, but then that fell apart. So rebuild that team ethic 3 years ago, I thought was good. They should carry on and refine it, not lurch around from one thing to the next like an aimless Frankenstein’s monster.
Posted By: APB on January 9th 2026 at 11:48:38
Message Thread
- Cricketing woes (Other Sports) - paulg, Jan 9, 09:21:40
- I like Ronay and generally agree with him on a lot of things (Other Sports) - APB, Jan 9, 11:31:54
- Hmm (Other Sports) - APB, Jan 9, 11:48:38
- what he doesn't like about him (Other Sports) - paulg, Jan 9, 11:56:00
- I understand that, but one man's louche is another man's laid back (Other Sports) - APB, Jan 9, 13:11:14
- So I guess, maybe a bit more focus and leadership (Other Sports) - APB, Jan 9, 11:54:00
- what he doesn't like about him (Other Sports) - paulg, Jan 9, 11:56:00
- I think he's one of the worst examples (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jan 9, 11:42:17
- Hmm (Other Sports) - APB, Jan 9, 11:48:38
- Thing is... we do have some really good players (Other Sports) - norwaay, Jan 9, 11:27:06
- I think there are two genuinely world class players there - Root and Stokes (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jan 9, 11:45:26
- Tongue and Carse's averages were right up there (Other Sports) - norwaay, Jan 9, 11:48:55
- Archer's world class when he's fit (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jan 9, 12:44:17
- Sounds like you end up in the same place as me? (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jan 9, 14:54:12
- Archer's world class when he's fit (Other Sports) - Old Git, Jan 9, 12:44:17
- Tongue and Carse's averages were right up there (Other Sports) - norwaay, Jan 9, 11:48:55
- the whole culture has to change (Other Sports) - paulg, Jan 9, 11:40:02
- Some valid points but basically a McCullum hit piece (Other Sports) - APB, Jan 9, 14:36:11
- Yep, win the Ashes and no one cares about the Brook story (Other Sports) - megson, Jan 9, 15:04:43
- Yep, spot on. (Other Sports) - norwaay, Jan 9, 11:44:56
- yes - some really good players - but we didn't get from them their best (Other Sports) - paulg, Jan 9, 11:49:56
- imagine ricky ponting get his hands on this lot! (Other Sports) - paulg, Jan 9, 11:42:39
- Allan Border too. He was the one who turned the tanker when they were shit in the mid 80s. (n/m) (Other Sports) - norwaay, Jan 9, 11:45:35
- v v much that (n/m) (Other Sports) - paulg, Jan 9, 11:52:23
- Allan Border too. He was the one who turned the tanker when they were shit in the mid 80s. (n/m) (Other Sports) - norwaay, Jan 9, 11:45:35
- Some valid points but basically a McCullum hit piece (Other Sports) - APB, Jan 9, 14:36:11
- I think there are two genuinely world class players there - Root and Stokes (Other Sports) - Tricky Hawes, Jan 9, 11:45:26
- I like Ronay and generally agree with him on a lot of things (Other Sports) - APB, Jan 9, 11:31:54
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