Clayton Murzello: Australia must go on a Waugh footing

Former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh. Pic/AFP

Australian cricket is in the trenches. You better believe it; their decorated past notwithstanding and no matter how genuine the efforts to getting back to the top of the rack are. A Test series whitewash in Sri Lanka recently was followed by a 0-5 shellacking at the hands of South Africa in a one-day series. These two results are a contributing factor, but at the heart of their woes is their inability to win overseas against big teams for a while now.

For years, sections of the Australian media have been ridiculing lesser opponents when they are on the mat - ‘flat track bullies', ‘tigers at home, mice abroad' and ‘ageing side' are some of the utterances non-Australian teams have been subjected to. This time, the shoe is on the other foot. As Bill Lawry would yell in the peak of his commentary powers, "It's all happening." Off the field too. The inquest into Phillip Hughes' death ended on a depressing note. By all accounts, Hughes succumbed to his death as the result of an on-field accident, but his family believes he was sledged by the New South Wales players before that fateful ball from Sean Abbott. All this begs the question, do Australians play the sport in the best spirit? While cricket should stay an aggressive sport, it can do without bowlers saying, ‘I'm gonna kill you.' This no-no should transcend the cricketing globe. Put that in the International Cricket Council code of conduct and deal with it as seriously as a racial taunt.

It's going to be a challenging summer for the Australians. First up there is South Africa for a three-Test series, followed by a one-day series against New Zealand, a Test and one-day series against Pakistan, with the Sri Lankans ending the home season with a Twenty20 series.

And let's not forget Australia's tour of India, where the visitors will be under intense pressure to avoid humiliation, which afflicted them, along with the homework controversy in the 2012-13 whitewash.

True, India, the current World No 1 in the Test rankings, have yet to beat Australia in a series on their soil in 69 years of Test cricket exchanges, but Australia have not worn many medals of honour in the recent past. They are slowly gaining the reputation of performing well only on their soil when it comes to tackling the big guns of cricket. They've not beaten India in a series here since 2004-05 and England have not been conquered in English conditions since Steve Waugh's Australians clinched the 2001 Ashes. Clearly, Australia's dominance has to be put in perspective.

Australia have lost some great players in the last decade. Cricketers like Ponting, Hayden, Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath are once-in-a-generation players but the bottom line is Australia have struggled in terms of transition. In fact, India have coped better and the young players, especially the batsmen, have settled in with satisfying assurance. Indeed, the Indian selectors have done well - much better than their Australian counterparts.

In the midst of on-field strife comes the news that Rodney Marsh will quit his position as chief selector after the current season. He has also headed academies in Australia, England and India, but his crowning post-playing moment has to be the success at the Australian Cricket Academy and being England selector when Michael Vaughan's team reclaimed the Ashes in 2005.

Ten years later, Marsh, as Australia's chief selector, was bewildered watching his team fumble against the old enemy on the same territory during last year's Ashes in England.

Australia will have a new chief selector next year. Former captain Ian Chappell reckons Ponting would be a good choice, but Steve Waugh has shown interest in the job - what a big name, what an achiever, but what's more, Waugh would be the last to dish out baggy greens even if there is an iota of doubt when it comes to ability, temperament and heart.

It's been a while since Waugh quit the Australian set-up; it's high time he steers the fortunes of his country's cricket because no matter what his critics say, he was a highly successful captain of Australia. Yes, he never led his country to a Test series win in India, but he left Ponting and stand-in captain Gilchrist a tight outfit to win here in 2004-05. It's like Border, who did not have the pleasure of beating the West Indies, but laid the foundation for his successor Taylor to achieve that incredible feat in 1994-95.

Australia are now relying on their young pace attack to outgun opponents, but like my cricket pundit pal from Down Under says, "This ridiculous rotation and injury problems for bowlers caused by too much sports science is leading to a situation where players who can barely make a first-class team are now being handed baggy green caps. Some of the bowlers from past eras like Kasprowicz, Dawes, Noffke, Dale, Bichel etc must be wishing they were born 10 years later."

Cricket is still a vibrant sport in Australia. With Big Bash, the talent flow is inevitable but Australia prides itself on Test match performances. That stage, under lights or in daylight, has to get stronger. And getting back in the pink of health has got nothing to do with the colour of the ball, which Australian cricket seems to be so fascinated with.

mid-day's group sports editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance. He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com