I reiterate - how can someone who has played only 3 tests be better than someone who has played 5 times that? He looks a great prospect, that much is in no doubt, but he's simply not played enough. Its a ridiculous idea to say he's been the best in 2008.

Pretty much agree. The difference between the West Indies side of the 80's/90's and the current Australia side is that the Windies lost their great players like Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall(RIP), over a course of time, whereas Australia lost their greats pretty much all at once, and it has had a major impact on them.

Hayden - Looks ready for the scrapheap. An empty shell of the player that bullied attacks for fun.
Katich - Not a bad player, but quality swing bowling will do for him, i'm sure.
Ponting - Still a class act with the bat, burden of captaincy will be taking it's toll.
Hussey - Was scoring with his eyes shut 2 years ago. Now bats with his eyes shut.
Clarke - Good player, possible captain in the future.
Symonds - On his day, brilliant. His day hasn't come for a while, mind.
Haddin - Making progress, but massive gloves to fill.
Lee - What the hell has happened to Brett Lee? He looks as frightening as John Inman!
Johnson - For me, the one real danger England will face in 2009. Quality performer, will go well on our pitches.
Krejza/Hauritz - definitive proof that the Australian coching network obviously though Shane Warne would play forever.
Siddle - Wouldn't have got near the side if Clark wasn't injured. No less than average.

If England don't win the Ashes next year, i'll be amazed.

You was saying mate.....bounce back in the 3rd test that if SA win..they go to no1 in the rankings.

Mixed emotions for me...while its always good to see the Aussies get wopped, especially at home, it will just mean they will come back harder and better against us no doubts.

Their batting could still be classed as a long way better than ours when you consider players like Phil Jaques, David Hussey, Brad Hodge, Adam Voges (who have all scored buckets of runs over here) have never had extended runs in the test team.

The one major weakness they have is that there team has been a closed shop for so long that there are no young players at all trying to force there way in and if there are then they are completely untried at Test match level.

I think next summer will be very very interesting and very competitive.

Jaques will be the one who comes in for Hayden unless Shaun Marsh leapfrogs him, but I dunno how good Marsh is in the longer game. I can't see them doing any other major changes to the batting - the notion of dropping Mike Hussey is laughable.

He can produce some champagne cricket.

I've seen these blokes play. They're OK. Not great. A move up may kick them into another level.

The aussie media are knee-jerking big time over here. As for the Australian batsmen. We say they haven't produced, but they did set SA the second highest ever run chase. And Australia have been good. South Africa have been much better with the bat.

i know . it tireing

ashes 5 nil. 5 nil. 5nil

You've won the last three ashes series 5-0?

Wrong again Freda.

who is freda the frog

we still ranked no-1

Totally different Australian team now to what it was then and after a series defeat in India, a series defeat at home to the Saffers and an away series in South Africa on the horizon, things don't look good.......try coming into 2009

We? Why do you have a UK IP address?

we

WE AUSSIES

my ip is optus australia

Of course it is Freda.

And the Ozzies take another beating today!!

the aussies have dominated world cricket for the last 15 years about the same length of time the windies did in 70s/80s. wehther 1 country now domiantes for the next 15 remains to be seen but i definitely think the aussies domination has now come to an end even if they beat england this coming summer

Another superb, match-winning knock from Albie Morkel. Thought they'd blown it when Kallis and Duminy got out in quick succession but fair play to Boutcher and Morkel for rescuing it. Morkel ruining Nathan Bracken's figures in the process. Excellent use of the powerplays again.

SA wrapped up the one day series to go with the test series win today.

what should we do in our''decades'' oops . hour of despair

nearly won . series 4-1

And now NZ have started beating them


Although they tried their best not to...it was Lancashire-esque at one point (apart from the fact they actually won the game!!!)
Excellent match though.

It's such a joy to see the Aussies struggling. I'm gonna enjoy it as it won't last long.

As soon as Tony Greig called it for NZ I thought the Kiwis were doomed. Happily Daniel Vettori proved me wrong.

Justice done. Broom was not out. Haddin nipped the bails off, not the ball. Filthy cheats who, happily, didn't prosper.

1st time in history . lost 4 home 1dayers in a row

what are we going too do now

er. Win the next one. You are playing NZ afterall.

In case you didn't know Aussies were tonked by Souths Africa and just about missed a whitewash, then last night they lost to an average New Zealand side who won on the last ball.

It was so sad to watch.