OzTennis

Agreed but remember back to the 8 series and the absence of highlights on one side. Agar was an unknown quantity and as he has showed, he is not a number 11 but more a 7 or 8. However, he's in the team for his bowling and he hasn't shown great form in that department. Give him time though; I well remember Thommo and Warne going for over 100 none for's in their debuts and they turned out to be 2 of the greatest bowlers ever; Thommo would have been if he hadn't damaged his shoulder. Good to see him sinking a few at Lords.

chris955

It is no good just looking back at a different era and comparing, things have changed and not just being part of the cycle, the mindset and thinking has changed in the game here. In Australia it seems as though nothing has changed, it just appears to be a case of well we used to be great so we will be great again. It doesnt really work like that.

mikelincs

Let's face it Australia are on a down in most sports at the moment, they have no world class tennis players left, no world class cricketers, golfers or athletes. Britain was in that situation, but they have turned themselves round, and, eventually Australia will as well.

Beoz

Call it the post olympic investment hangover. Australia well eventually figure out a way - perhaps lottery money.

scrubbedexpat098

Well I had wondered why you were drawn to it

EvannTel

Credit where it's due....Adam Scott is world class. While he has had a stumble or two he is a current major holder and very much at the peak.

OzTennis

Never let the facts get in the way of a good argument.

Tennis - Stosur, top 10 for last 4 or 5 years and Grand Slam champion, Tomic around 30, the world's number one junior boy Nick Kyrgios.

Golf - Adam Scott major holder and Jason Day (consistently top 10 major finishers in last few years).

Athletes - true apart from Gold Medallist Sally Pearson

Cricket - almost true sadly but Michael Clarke has been about the world's best batsmen until these 2 games. He is the only person in history to make 4 double tons in a single calendar year, last year with triple century and double century in consecutive tests against India the #2 test nation.

mikelincs

RE tennis, I was really thinking of the men, at one time Australia dominated, Cash, Rafter, Hewitt etc, but now..

OzTennis

OK. I know a fair bit about tennis and Australian tennis and could give you a lengthy explanation as to why we don't have as dominant Men as the last era of Hewitt/Rafter but yes you are right.

There are high hopes for Nick Kyrgios to be world class within 5 years - bearing in mind Tomic is the highest ranked youngster in the world; tennis players don't mature until early 20's now.

Incidentally, Andy Murray aside who is Scottish anyway, the top English male player is #247 would you believe (Dan Evans). I hit with Andy when he was young and could see he was going to be a world beater. Laura Robson is Melbourne born and bred.

msi geek

At least Cricket Australia has the money and the infrastructure to bounce back.

Look at West Indies, they went down with no hopes of coming up.

chris955

Interesting given the way your post went that you inadvertently forgot to metion that Tomic is in fact German

Broad Shoulders

Born, but not bred. She moved from Aus before she was even 2

papilon

Apart from cheating with the broom handle putter :-p

Beoz

Good point. There are a few golfers hovering around. Enough to give England a good run in a Ryder Cup style event. Despite the lack of tennis players at the mo Australia could also give England a hiding in that too. Not scotland though. There's always football ...... I shall not go there before I upset someone.

Amazulu

Cool. Then according to you, South Africa and friends are just about to win The Runners-up Cup (aka The Ashes). We can add it to our World No.1 Test Ranking

Froome, Froome, Froome!