Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Australia risk losing face in cricket
Thanks to India's performance Down Under, fans are wondering if Australia's dominance over cricket is on the decline.
After losing three of its star players in quick succession (Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist) things sure look bleak with no guarantee of Matthew Hayden hanging around for long.
But some former Aussie cricketers believe the world's best side is in for a long innings at the top.
"They are still the world champions and the team is very much ahead of other opponents," Damien Martyn told reporters at an Indian Cricket League(ICL) event in New Delhi.
If memory serves right, critics had pointed out chinks in the Aussie armour just before the 2007 World Cup -- when they shockingly lost to New Zealand and England. But Australia seemed to thrive under pressure. And took home the World Cup for the fourth time.
"It has happened before when Australia lost some of its best players and they lost a few matches. But the good thing is Australia always has youngsters who fit into the system," said cricketer Stuart Law, now captain of the 'Chennai Superstars'.
Dhoni's boys may have given Australia the heebie-jeebies but does the cricketing world really want a weaker Aussie side. This brings back memories of the West Indies petering out in the last decade of the 20th century -- the decline of the Caribbean giant was a big blow to the game.
Will Australia follow in its footsteps? We'll know in the coming months.
[Posted by A]
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