‘Disaster brewing’: Australia slammed for ‘excuse’ culture after collapse
Australia’s humiliating 176-run defeat to South Africa on Sunday morning was a disaster “brewing” for years, according to former Test opener Simon Katich, as the fallout sees the team tumble down the global rankings.
Pat Cummins′ side entered the final day of the third and decisive Test at Newlands needing 288 runs to secure the match and the series.
Pat Cummins admitted the loss was ‘frustrating’. AP Photo/Themba Hadebe
Instead, they collapsed to be all out for 111.
A horrific morning session left the visitors reeling at 7-60 by lunch, plagued by lapses, a disastrous run-out and an lbw dismissal that could mark the end of Marnus Labuschagne’s Test career.
The implications are immediate as Australia has now dropped to third in the World Test Championship rankings - behind New Zealand and South Africa - while also slipping to second behind the Proteas in the ICC Test rankings.
Katich did not hold back in his assessment of the team, targeting a culture of deflecting blame and validating excuses regarding pitch conditions.
“It’s a snapshot of where this group’s been at, not just this series, but a number of years now,” he said on SEN.
“This has been brewing for a while.
“The rhetoric is this batting group has had to deal with bad wickets, well the wickets in this series, there’s been nothing bad about them, but if you constantly keep making excuses for the players, guess what? They’ll latch on to them.
“We’ve all been there, whenever things aren’t going to plan the first thing you look for is an excuse and don’t blame yourself and that’s got to change because it’s come from within this setup and protected this group for too long.
“The biggest problem has been when the best player has said that these are the most challenging conditions he’s confronted in his career, that adds to it. If he’s giving them an out, then what are the rest going to do?”
He also echoed recent criticisms from Matthew Hayden, who blasted selectors prior to the series for reviving Nic Maddinson’s Test career, saying it “promoting the biggest pile of mediocrity.”
“This is exactly what Matty Hayden was talking about prior to the series, about mediocrity,” Katich said.
“If you allow that mediocrity to grow, this is the sort of performance you get, and this is the sort of performance you get in Port Elizabeth where you only last 42.3 overs, and the same in Darwin, and the two-day Test last year.
“Young players believe that’s right.
“Matt Renshaw and Bavuma proved that all that stuff they’ve been talking about, one with your name on it, the wickets have too much in them, that’s all BS, because those guys have proved you can do it in Test cricket if you apply yourself.
“And now it’s the same with this protecting Cameron Green from Simon Harmer, you can run but you can’t hide.
“You can keep using excuses about wickets ... rubbish, find a way to survive.”
Skipper Cummins was a dismal picture speaking to media after the defeat, conceded his frustration and admitted the team must evolve and make changes to reclaim its status as the world’s best.
“My mind goes to what could the team have done differently, what could I have done differently,” he said.
“I think reality is probably...we were outplayed for the last couple of tests. Bowlers could have taken more wickets at times, batters obviously more runs, so that’s probably where my mind goes.
“It’s frustrating, you wish you can have another go at it. You know how rare these opportunities are.
Pat Cummins spoke to media after the embarrassing defeat. Cricket Australia
“Again, we seem to be making a little bit of a trend where we win the first one or two and, and it feels like it’s there for us for the taking, and we just don’t quite get it done.
“It’s frustrating, it’s annoying, but life does go on, but it does gnaw away at you a little bit.”
He acknowledged that selection questions are justified after the team collapsed in Cape Town and revealed that everything will be reviewed before their next Test.
“I think it’s always the case after losing a series and it’s probably fair,” Cummins continued.
“You know, we lost two games in a row. I think it’s fair to be asking those questions. So we’ll be asking them internally as well.
“We are a very good side, but I think we need to get a little bit better if we want to get back to number one and where we think we can be.
“Maybe that’s a change of style. Maybe it’s a change of personnel in some instances. Give us a couple of weeks and (we will) work it out.”
Standing behind his group, the captain quickly laughed off the bold remarks from former teammate David Warner, who labelled the batting display “un-Australian”.
“I don’t even know what to make of that,” Cummins laughed.
