GILCHRIST SAYS
“AUSTRALIA PROBLEMS ARE MENTAL RATHER THAN TECHNICAL”:
MELBOURNE: Blaming limited overs cricket for the struggles
of Australia's Test batsmen is wrongheaded, according to former wicketkeeper Adam
Gilchrist, who says their problems in the Ashes are mental rather than technical.
Australia's specialist batsmen have been mostly woeful on tour in England, surrendering their wickets cheaply and putting their bowlers under enormous pressure to protect razor-thin targets.
Batting collapses in both innings at Lord's handed England a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series, and Australia head into the third match at Old Trafford on Thursday with forecasts of a humiliating whitewash ringing in their ears.
Many pundits Down Under have attributed their batsmen's travails to the stand-and-deliver approach honed in Twenty20 cricket, leaving them ill-equipped to patiently graft their way through a long Test innings.
Gilchrist, whose aggressive batting terrorised bowlers across the globe in a brilliant career of 96 Tests and 287 one-day internationals, said if that were the case, their opponents would also be struggling at the crease.
"I think our guys are showing a disappointing mental approach to (batting) and I'm sure they're disappointed as much as anyone with their own choices and decisions they're making within their innings," the 41-year-old said in an interview on Tuesday at the Melbourne launch of the 2015 World Cup.
"A lot of people say 'Oh, T20 is ruining the game', but that's being played globally.
"England's top six, they all feature - if not in T20, certainly in the one-day format - they all play for England and they've shown an ability to adapt and mould their game around the scenario that's required.
"It's not a skill or technique, it's a mindset as much as anything ... the challenge is you've got to get through what's required at the time and flourish later on.
"I think a lot of players themselves would agree they've sort of been caught either in first gear or sixth gear and not much in between. I've got no doubt they're aware of that and they'll be trying to fix that up."
Australia's specialist batsmen have been mostly woeful on tour in England, surrendering their wickets cheaply and putting their bowlers under enormous pressure to protect razor-thin targets.
Batting collapses in both innings at Lord's handed England a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series, and Australia head into the third match at Old Trafford on Thursday with forecasts of a humiliating whitewash ringing in their ears.
Many pundits Down Under have attributed their batsmen's travails to the stand-and-deliver approach honed in Twenty20 cricket, leaving them ill-equipped to patiently graft their way through a long Test innings.
Gilchrist, whose aggressive batting terrorised bowlers across the globe in a brilliant career of 96 Tests and 287 one-day internationals, said if that were the case, their opponents would also be struggling at the crease.
"I think our guys are showing a disappointing mental approach to (batting) and I'm sure they're disappointed as much as anyone with their own choices and decisions they're making within their innings," the 41-year-old said in an interview on Tuesday at the Melbourne launch of the 2015 World Cup.
"A lot of people say 'Oh, T20 is ruining the game', but that's being played globally.
"England's top six, they all feature - if not in T20, certainly in the one-day format - they all play for England and they've shown an ability to adapt and mould their game around the scenario that's required.
"It's not a skill or technique, it's a mindset as much as anything ... the challenge is you've got to get through what's required at the time and flourish later on.
"I think a lot of players themselves would agree they've sort of been caught either in first gear or sixth gear and not much in between. I've got no doubt they're aware of that and they'll be trying to fix that up."
2015 Cricket World Cup schedule
WELLINGTON: Fixtures for the cricket World Cup that will be
jointly held by Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to March 29, 2015:
|
DATE
|
MATCH
|
VENUE
|
|
February
14
|
Srilanka
vs New Zealand
|
Christchurch
|
|
February
14
|
England
vs Australia
|
Melbourne
|
|
February
15
|
South
Africa vs Zimbabwe
|
Hamilton
|
|
February
15
|
India vs
Pakisthan
|
Adelaide
|
|
February
16
|
West
Indies vs Ireland
|
Nelson
|
|
February
17
|
New
Zealand vs Qualifier 3
|
Dunedin
|
|
February
18
|
Ireland vs
Qualifier 2
|
Canberra
|
|
February
19
|
Zimbabwe
vs Qualifier 4
|
Nelson
|
|
February
20
|
England
vs New Zealand
|
Wellington
|
|
February
21
|
Pakistan
vs West Indies
|
Christchurch
|
|
February
21
|
Australia
vs Bangladesh
|
Brisbane
|
|
February
22
|
Sri
Lanka vs Qualifier 2
|
Dunedin
|
|
February
22
|
India vs
South Africa
|
Melbourne
|
|
February
23
|
England
vs Qualifier 3
|
Christchurch
|
|
February
24
|
West
Indies vs Zimbabwe
|
Canberra
|
|
February
25
|
Ireland
vs Qualifier 4
|
Brisbane
|
|
February
26
|
Qualifier
2 vs Qualifier 3
|
Dunedin
|
|
February
26
|
Sri
Lanka vs Bangladesh
|
Melbourne
|
|
February
27
|
South
Africa vs West Indies
|
Sydney
|
|
February
28
|
Australia
vs New Zealand
|
Auckland
|
|
February
28
|
India vs
Qualifier 4
|
Perth
|
|
March 1
|
England
vs Sri Lanka
|
Wellington
|
|
March 1
|
Pakistan
vs Zimbabwe
|
Brisbane
|
|
March 3
|
South
Africa vs Ireland
|
Canberra
|
|
March 4
|
Pakistan
vs Qualifier 4
|
Napier
|
|
March 4
|
Australia
vs Qualifier 2
|
Perth
|
|
March 5
|
Bangladesh
vs Qualifier 3
|
Nelson
|
|
March 6
|
India vs
West Indies
|
Perth
|
|
March 7
|
South
Africa vs Pakistan
|
Auckland
|
|
March 7
|
Zimbabwe
vs Ireland
|
Hobart
|
|
March 8
|
New
Zealand vs Qualifier 2
|
Napier
|
|
March 8
|
Australia
vs Sri Lanka
|
Sydney
|
|
March 9
|
England
vs Bangladesh
|
Adelaide
|
|
March 10
|
India vs
Ireland
|
Hamilton
|
|
March 11
|
Sri
Lanka vs Qualifer 3
|
Hobart
|
|
March 12
|
South
Africa vs Qualifier 4
|
Wellington
|
|
March 13
|
Bangladesh
vs New Zealand
|
Hamilton
|
|
March 13
|
England
vs Qualifier 2
|
Sydney
|
|
March 14
|
India vs
Zimbabwe
|
Auckland
|
|
March 14
|
Australia
vs Qualifier 3
|
Hobart
|
|
March 15
|
West
Indies vs Qualifier 4
|
Napier
|
|
March 15
|
Pakistan
vs Ireland
|
Adelaide
|
|
March 18
|
Quarterfinal
1
|
Sydney
|
|
March 19
|
Quarterfinal
2
|
Melbourne
|
|
March 20
|
Quarterfinal
3
|
Adelaide
|
|
March 21
|
Quarterfinal
4
|
Wellington
|
|
March 24
|
Semifinal
1
|
Auckland
|
|
March 25
|
Semifinal
2
|
Sydney
|
|
March 29
|
Final
|
Melbourne
|
