The Australian cricket team’s fall from grace has been fast, as shown by India’s trumping of them in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Here are 10 things wrong with the Aussie cricket team:

 

1. Poor captaincy: Rick Ponting’s decision to use part-time bowlers to improve the over rate wreaked of self-interest. Sure, Ricky’s a great player, but great captain he ain’t – or not yet, anyway.

 

2. No Shane Warne: Love him or hate him, you can’t deny Shane Warne was the greatest spin bowler of all time. No cricket team these days can win without a top-line spinner.

 

3. No Glenn McGrath: Known as “Pidgeon”, Glenn McGrath was one of Australia’s greatest fast bowler. Never flashy, but always effective, he is proving impossible to replace.

 

4. No Adam Gilchrist: “Gilly” was a freak – wicketkeepers aren’t supposed to smash hundreds with ease, but he did with monotonous ease. A once-in-a-generation player and all-round nice guy.

 

5. No Andrew Symonds: Australia’s most devastating current cricketer was banished from the team for missing training to go fishing. Yes, fishing can be great – but Roy, what were you thinking!

 

6. India just keeps getting better: World-class batsmen, world-class spinners, and now a world-class wicket-keeper in Dhoni and world-class fast bowlers in Khan and Sharma. If they can improve their fielding, India could be the world’s best team for some time.

 

7. No “mongrel”: Mongrel is an Aussie term for “having a go” and “never giving up”. The Aussie team used to be ruthless on the cricket field – now they look like overpaid party boys.

 

8. Too much money: Hey, we’re all for making a buck, but the extreme money in the new Indian 20/20 league has distracted the players from the real game: Test cricket.

 

9. No superstars emerging: There was a time when even great players couldn’t make the Aussie team. Now they have to “blood” unknown cricketers playing state cricket.

 

10. Mojo missing: Whatever you call it, the Aussie team has lost its swagger this year. Maybe they need a break; maybe they need to come home. But we pity the next team that takes them on.

Tell us why you think the Aussie team is starting to losing or, more the point, why the Indian team is so good these days. Cricket lovers from other nations feel free to add your comments!