"The Baggy Green Mis-array"

Me and my friend Deepu(who is a chief sub sports editor in the leading news..  in chennai for long now)  have been great followers and supporters of Aussie cricket irrespective of the opponents .I remember 1996-2001(both completed colleges in different departments)- break time chats were either spent in literature/Mass communication or Microbiology. While the view have been criticized widely we both go more with the passion of sports let it be tennis,F1,football and we stick to our support always extending it - irrespective .It was not a chat  just about who won or lost or what a six we get deep into those crucial moments,strategies adopted by a player/captain,talent exposed,what could have made the difference to the result and there have been times i have missed classes when conversations continued beyond break.It has been atleast 3-4 years now that one-day according to me  has lost its form and to watch or put time test cricket makes  more sense.I try not to miss even a test match especially Steve Waugh's era.While the Australian captain's have a history behind leaving a strong,young energitic winning team starting from Allan Border-Taylor-Waugh now Ponting the punter- "  who how ????".The best of Aussie cricket has always been the fighting ability and perform under pressure even if it is to lose the game  in the end and never panic while "pressure under progress".One of the discussions we both had from IPL  started   till now is its influence in real cricket in its unrealistic world,who cares about the money,charm and the inside-edge hits and its excitment???.It definitely had brought in reluctance to the game among players even with overseas guys,it has taken thoughts to a level of making it more of a time-pass,money making skilled game rather than improving it from its real form.Symonds is a good example surprising to read  someone wearing the baggy green take a fishing break skipping an important team gathering and he also happens to be one of those most wanted 20-20 IPL guy.Many players even retired citing various reasons while we do not know if it was true the timing when IPL money poured in makes it a reasonable answer and it has done bad to the cricket world and i am upset that it has really making in the morale of Australian cricket as well.Hope the current turmoil in the market puts a pause to the flow of IPL and the Oz regain their "tough mode of cricket".On the other hand punter's attitude raises the eye-brow , spat with Lee (that too in field) and his decision to let it go.The thought doesn;t come bec'z they lost it now there have been worses loses this was not as bad as when they lost it inspite of having a follow-on options and ending up innings defeated in Kolkata under Waugh - it is not just about winning or losing but it was the attitude which inspired and now failing with punter.How on the world did he chose and atleast not stop the flow when he had a choice to bundle the opponent and failed to go for the kill, in this context i would rather drag the media comment further asking how cricket's top dog's neither woke-up nor watched around to give themselves a chance to bark.It  is never a question of defeat but rather the manner, it definitely marks an era of surprising uncertainity when ponting shd keep it flying high before the hand-over.Criticism may be high on his decision to go by his thought but then that's why he is  leading to make his own  choices so the answer from him is not about the lost match rather how he failed to bring the team,Oz spirit together and never showed a fight thru the tour? , recent results definitely is going to be a challenge to solve for ACB which surprisingly hasn;t reacting in its typical manner, in my opinion punter deserves the treatment soon