Story Beneath The Southern Cross - The C2005 Australia Story

[Short Leg]

​

Im back after a prolonged absence with a new story that will feature the Australians in the summer ahead. I'll be updating whenever i get the chance.

--------------------------------



Australia have spent the past 5 months parked in front of the TV watching re-runs of foreign soap series on SBS with a bag of potato chips at the ready. Every now and again the heart breaking loss at Edgbaston will come rushing back into the head of Brett Lee, Dizzy Gillespie will laugh when he remembers the day he cracked one down the ground to bring up 200 and Ricky Ponting will hang his head when he thinks about being the first Australian captain in 18 years to hand the Ashes back to the Poms.

One of Australia?s toughest summers in recent history awaits. Can the world champions prove that they are not just a team of champions they are also a champion team? Only one thing is for sure and that is that this is going to be a big 7 months for Australian Cricket.

Australia begin in Malaysia with a tri series against India and the West Indies before they travel to India for the champions trophy followed by the ultimate goal of the Ashes on home soil. A One day tri series featuring England and New Zealand follows before Australia go trans tasman to try and hold on to the Chappell Hadley trophy in New Zealand and then finally the summer concludes with the ICC Cricket World Cup.

The Schedule

One-Day Tri Series - Malaysia
September 2006

ICC Champions Trophy - India
October/ September 2006

The Ashes - Australia
November/ December/ January 2006/2007

One-Day Tri Series - Australia
January/ February 2007

Chappell Hadley One-Day Series - New Zealand
February 2007

ICC Cricket World Cup - West Indies
March 2007

 

[MWaugh]

good to see you back slats. looks like a long tour but im sure youll give it a good shake

 

[GrayNicolls]

Yeah, good start mate. You've got a long time of gaming ahead of you.

 

[Mr. Kurns]

good to see you back with another story Short_Leg, hope this'll go as well as the others

 

[Short Leg]

Australia In Malaysia ? Series Lunch and Fixtures Announced

The fixtures for the Tri Series involving Australia, India and the West Indies have been announced by Cricket Australia. Ricky?s boys will play both teams twice in a 11-day period before the final is held on the 24th of September. The pitches may look very, very suspect but the quality of cricket will be high with teams expected to take the series seriously.

​

Samsung have announced their full support for the series with a spokesperson for Samsung, Macars Abitrusty speaking on behalf of the brand name ?It?s great to be onboard for the series and im sure that it will be an anxious wait for the teams to arrive. Hopefully our sponsorship helps get kids off the streets of Malaysia and onto the cricket field. I remember when I was a kid I always wanted to be an international cricketer but a lack of talent now has me working at Samsung.?

​

Fox Sports in Australia will be broadcasting live and exclusive throughout the series, as we look forward to expert analysis from Brendan Julian and the team from the first to the last ball.

Tri Series In Malaysia
September 2006

Australia Vs West Indies
Kuala Lumpur ? 12 Sep

India Vs West Indies
Kuala Lumpur ? 14 Sep

Australia Vs India
Kuala Lumpur ? 16 Sep

Australia Vs West Indies
Kuala Lumpur ? 18 Sep

India Vs West Indies
Kuala Lumpur ? 20 Sep

Australia Vs India
Kuala Lumpur ? 22 Sep

Final
Kuala Lumpur ? 24 Sep

 

[Short Leg]

Thanks for the support boys hopefully she'll be a good series.

 

[kookaburra69]

good luck for your new story

 

[Short Leg]

Australian Selectors Name 16 Man Squad

Australia is all set to make the trip to Kuala Lumpur for the tri series against India and the West Indies in the not to distant future. In the meantime Cricket Australia have announced their 16-man squad to contest the series in a region where cricket is about as well known as summer is to Eskimos. Ricky Ponting will take the captaincy as usual having a 10-4 record in limited overs cricket since his side lost the Ashes. Matthew Hayden will enjoy a recall to the one day side which is a move made by the selectors to get a side close to that of the one expected to step onto the field to win back the Ashes this summer. Glenn McGrath also returns from his break.

​

Chairman Of Selectors​

In regards to Australians younger members of the squad the Australian chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch had this to say, ? We are constantly thinking of the future of Australian cricket. When the selection panel sits down before a tour we know that it?s important to have a balance of experience and youth in a squad. The younger players look up to the team leaders and that?s what?s so important if a team is to have success on the field. We believe that we have selected a squad that is capable of winning the series in Kuala Lumpur. ?

​

Matty Is Back​

On Matthew Hayden?s return to the one-day side Hilditch commented, ?Matthew is the kind of player that is very capable of adapting to the one day format. The selection panel is not just concentrating on this current series we also have in mind the Ashes which is the big picture this summer as far as priorities are concerned. We will be using this tri series and the Champions Trophy as a spring board for reclaiming the Ashes.?

Hilditch was then asked to comment of what the return of Glenn McGrath would do for the side. ?Obviously Glenn is the type of bowler you just cant replace. We have missed him in both forms of the game but thankfully he is back with the team now. We are lucky to have so many talented players in the squad that add so much depth to the team.?

An interesting tri series is shaping up for these next two weeks, which will give an indication of how the Australian team will cope with the demands of one-day cricket after a long 5-month absence from the game.

Australia Squad for the Tri Series:

? Ricky Ponting (C)
? Adam Gilchrist (VC) (WK)
? Mike Hussey
? Stuart Clark
? Michael Clarke
? Brad Hogg
? Phil Jaques
? Mitchell Johnson
? Brett Lee
? Mark Cosgrove
? Damien Martyn
? Glenn McGrath
? Andrew Symonds
? Simon Katich
? Nathan Bracken
? Matthew Hayden

 

[Short Leg]

Australia arrives in Kuala Lumpur

Australia have touched down in their new home for the next fortnight ahead of the Samsung Tri Series here in Malaysia. The teams arrival marks the day that Australia returns to cricket with a massive summer ahead.

Although the flight wasn't as long as an international touring team would normally have to deal with the Australian touring party was keen to avoid the media and head straight to the team bus however the players did stop for a few quick words before heading off to the team hotel.

As always the Australia captain is positive about his sides chances of coming away with a series win. ?All the boys are fresh and ready to go. We?ve had a good build up through training and we are all just keen to get back out on the cricket field again.? Commented the skipper.

​

Matthew "Dos" Hayden ​

Opening batsman Matthew Hayden also seemed in a positive frame of mind about being re called to the one-day side after such a long spell on the pine. ?Obviously im very happy to be back in the side. The one-day team is different to the test team and I guess I really did miss playing one-day cricket. Hopefully I can hold onto this opportunity and make some runs out on the field. Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful place so I?ll definitely enjoy my stay.?

​

Errol Alcott - Physio​

Errol Alcott the team physio was asked to comment on the fitness of the Australian team after such a long lay off from the game. ?Make no mistake about it the boys are all ready to go. We have had a strict fitness program in place for the best part of 2 months leading into this summer. The vibe amongst the team is very positive leading towards some crunch games this season. Im happy to say that every member of the squad is 100% fit and injury free. I believe we have the advantage going into a long summer with so much depth in our squad that will allow us to get through a massive amount of time spent on the field in these next 7 months.?

​

Glenn "Pigeon" McGrath​

One of the experienced campaigners of the side and one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time Glenn McGrath also had a few comments to make. ?The body is feeling great after a rest from cricket. The good news for batsman is that I won?t be targeting anyone in particular for this series but the bad news is that I?ll be targeting all the batsman for the series. Since I?ve come back im actually bowling quicker then I used to so that?s something for everyone to look forward to. Im predicting that we go undefeated and win the tri series against India in the final.?

The Australian coach John Buchanan has informed us of the press conference that will be held in the not to distant future that will feature all three captains for their respective sides. Make sure you join us then.

 

[Bala]

Good start this mate!

 

[MWaugh]

agreed. very nice presentation already mate. whats the "dos" mean for hayden though?

 

[Short Leg]

Thanks boys. Dos in an abbreviation for Haydos which is an abbreviation for Hayden. Cheers

 

[Short Leg]

Samsung Tri Series Press Conference - Kuala Lumpur

​

It?s an exciting time for the people of Malaysia with 3 international teams in the country ready to compete in the Samsung Tri Series that kicks off on the 12th of September. We now have all three captains Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara and Rahul Dravid in the interview area ready to tackle the tough questions.​

Media:

Firstly we?d just like to welcome Ricky, Brian and Rahul to Malaysia for what we?re sure is going to be a hotly contested series (applause)​

Media Question:

Rahul your team has just undergone a ?conditioning camp? before the start of this series how did the team respond to that and after you participated in the tri series in Sri Lanka against the locals and South Africa?​

Rahul Dravid:

Yes, the camp went well and there was a lot of positive feedback from the team after a challenging couple of days. In international cricket these days playes have to be very fit and ready for what?s ahead of them. That was definitely the aim of the camp.​

Media Question:

Ricky your team underwent a similar ?boot camp? to prepare you for the summer. Where does your team sit in terms of fitness compared to previous seasons?​

Ricky Ponting:

The Australian team has always prided itself on maintaining high levels of fitness and this season is no different. We are all looking forward to the challenges that this series and the summer.​

Media Question:

Brian, these are all very important matches for your team before you host the World Cup early in 2007.​

Brian Lara:

Yeah mon, this is a very important time for West Indies cricket as we start to look towards the future. We have a lot of very talented players coming through and we are very much looking forward to hosting crickets biggest event next year.​

Media Question:

Rahul, this is a relatively short series with just 4 games per team, how do you think your side stacks up against Australia and the West Indies?​

Rahul Dravid:

We have one of the best one-day sides in the world. Our attacking nature with the bat will help to post competitive scores and our bowlers are more then capable of depending them. The reason why we have come to Malaysia is to win this series.​

Media Question:

Ricky, what kind of conditions are you and your team preparing to face in this series?​

Ricky Ponting:

Yeah that?s a good question. Obviously because cricket games are few and far between over here the pitches aren?t going to be flat tracks but at the same time they aren?t going to be mine fields hopefully. We like to think we have a batting order flexible enough to adapt to the conditions of any ground.​

Media Question:

Brian, does the game of cricket have a future in Malaysia​

Brian Lara:

Of course but it needs the authorities to give it a full backing. The most important factor in any successful team is the people behind the scenes. I?d like to see a few competitions set up over here, which could help this country harvest it?s talent.​

Media Question:

The final question is for you Ricky and I guess it?s an obvious one. Can Australia reclaim the Ashes later on this summer on home soil?​

Ricky Ponting:

I think that obvious question needs an obvious answer. It?s a two-horse race and England does look to be struggling of lat with a lot of players out. We?ll come to that later on down the track but right now we are all concentrating on getting the best possible result out of this series.​

Media:

Thank you to Ricky, Brian and Rahul for your time and good luck for the tri series im sure it will be a good one.​

​

​

 

[MWaugh]

Thanks boys. Dos in an abbreviation for Haydos which is an abbreviation for Hayden. Cheers

did you make that up? if so youve got too much time on your hands . i love the media interview those

 

[kookaburra69]

nice media interview