Roebuck clears Punter, holds selectors responsible for Ashes lossAugust 25th, 2009 SYDNEY - Former Australian cricketer and now a newspaper columnist Peter Roebuck has said that England deserved to win the Ashes, as they had the better-balanced side, and blamed the Australian selectors for sending an unbalanced squad lacking back-up in vital areas to a series of such high stature. "Clear errors of judgment were made in the make-up of the side.
Despite Ashes loss, Ponting unlikely to be removed as skipper, says RoebuckAugust 24th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting is unlikely to be evicted, nor is he likely to step aside after becoming only the second skipper from Down Under to lose back-to-back Ashes series in England, feels cricket columnist Peter Roebuck. "This is not the end of Ponting's captaincy.
Brutally exposed Australia staring down the barrel in Oval Test: RoebuckAugust 23rd, 2009 SYDNEY - Noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck believes Australia's weaknesses have been brutally exposed in the fifth and final Ashes Test at The Oval and the urn seems destined to change hands for the third time in three series. While accepting that two dreadful umpiring decisions had gone against Australia in the game, he said: "Plain and simple the visitors were blown apart by the late movement unleashed by a lanky speedster (Stuart Broad) prepared to attack the sticks.
Australia faces a long, dusty fight for survival at The Oval: RoebuckAugust 22nd, 2009 SYDNEY - Australia faces a long struggle to survive at The Oval, believes noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck. According to Roebuck, an interesting few days awaits as skilful batsmen contend with fast bowlers bent on exploiting uneven bounce and modest spinners try to make the ball bite and turn.
With Ponting at the helm, Oz cricket team in good hands: RoebuckAugust 11th, 2009 SYDNEY - Noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck believes that with Ricky Ponting at the helm, the Australian cricket team "is in good hands. However, he says that Ponting still lacks intuition, but possess the ability to change tack.
Ponting will always be behind Bradman: RoebuckAugust 1st, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting has become his country's highest scorer in Test cricket, but according to cricket columnist Peter Roebuck, he will always be regarded as the second-best No.3 Australia has produced. "Of course, it is absurd to put him (Ponting) or anyone else alongside Don Bradman, but that has been his fate, As a result, he tends to be denied some of the acclaim he deserves.
Ponting breaks Border's Australian Test recordJuly 31st, 2009 LONDON - Australian captain Ricky Ponting Friday became the highest Australian Test run scorer in history. Ponting passed Allan Border's former record of 11,174 runs during the first innings in the third Test against England at Edgbaston and is now third on the all time Test run scorer list behind Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, with 12,773 and 11,953 Test runs, respectively.
Rain, pitch could deny a result in third Ashes testJuly 30th, 2009 SYDNEY - Neither the pitch nor the weather are likely to smile upon Australia and England during the third Ashes Test being played at Edgbaston, Warwickshire from Thursday. Steve Rouse, the curator at Edgbaston, believes that a draw is the likeliest outcome because of the endless rain.
Calling up Watson will be a risky move: RoebuckJuly 27th, 2009 LONDON - Australia should be cautious about including all-rounder Shane Watson in their squad for the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston in place of out of form opener Phillip Hughes, believes cricket columnist Peter Roebuck. While admitting that the selectors do not have many options, Roebuck says in an article for the Sydney Morning Herald that Watson, is really an all-rounder who bats in the middle order.
Warne mentor Jenner cautions Australia against dropping HauritzJuly 23rd, 2009 MELBOURNE - Former Australian leg spinner and mentor of Shane Warne, Terry Jenner, has warned the Australian cricket team not to abandon off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and bring in either Brett Lee or Stuart Clark for the Edgbaston Test that gets underway from July 30. "If you only play three quicks, which one would you have to leave out? It can't be [Peter] Siddle and it can't be Hilfenhaus - who does it leave?" Jenner asked.
Ponting overplayed his mild cards in Cardiff: RoebuckJuly 14th, 2009 SYDNEY - Noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck feels that Australia played exceptionally well in Cardiff and were denied victory only by "a soporific surface and resistance from sturdy opponents with a short backlift and a stubborn streak."
"Australia played impressively and go to Lord's with high hopes. Brett Lee is recovering, and the ball was reverse swinging.
Lee's absence will be a setback for Australia, says WarneJuly 7th, 2009 LONDON - Shane Warne feels that Brett Lee's absence from the first Ashes Test is a huge setback for Australia. Lee has been ruled out of the opening match against England, starting in Cardiff Wednesday.
McGrath predicts 5-0 series whitewash for AustraliaJuly 7th, 2009 SYDNEY - Former Australian star Glenn McGrath has predicted that the current Australian squad has the potential of cleaning out England 5-0 in the Ashes series which begins in Cardiff on Wednesday. Though McGrath had made a similar prediction before the 2005 series, the retired pace great said he was impressed by Australia's Test series win in South African this year.
Ashes 2009, a series too close to call, says RoebuckJuly 4th, 2009 SYDNEY - This year's Ashes series between Australia and England promises to be a ripper because the two sides possess both experience and freshness to deliver what is asked of them, feels noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck. According to Roebuck, the general verdict is that the series is too close to call.
Mitchell Johnson - Baseball's loss and cricket's gainJuly 4th, 2009 SYDNEY - If Australian pace bowler Mitchell Johnson was not spearheading Australia's pace attack, possibilities would have been high that he could have been a pitcher in any major baseball league. Australian fielding coach and acclaimed baseball mentor Mike Young believes that Johnson had the potential to enjoy an even more successful career as a baseball player.
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