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The Rise And Fall Of The Wizards Of Oz |
By Khan Nazim
 After a decade of dominance, the Australian team
seems to be on the wane. The mighty 'Invincibles'
now suddenly seem very much human and
vulnerable. The aggressive and care-a-damn
attitude has given way to a more subdued
approach. Well, this had to happen.
The average Australian cricketer which we used
to see was an aggressive go-getter who used to
wear his attitude on his sleeve and was proud to
wear the baggy green cap. He believed in winning
and blowing the opposition away. This was the
quality which was well and truly inculcated by
the captains of the Australian team; Mark Talyor,
Steve 'Conqueror' Waugh and Ricky Ponting. The
Australian dominance which started in style on
Australia's tour of West Indies flagged off
Australia's journey to being the most feared
outfit in world cricket. Boasting of world-class
players like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and the
Waugh brothers, what followed was wins, wins and
more wins. The past 10 years saw some fine
exhibition of ruthless cricket, pulling off
unbelievable wins and winning the 1999 and 2003
World Cup in spectacular fashion.
England, however, seem to be the flavour of the
season. Having humbled the world champions on
occasions more than one, the present England
team seems to have done enough to displace
Australia as the number one team in cricket. The
England players vis-à-vis the Aussies are young,
in fine nick and of course, talented. On the
contrary, Australia arrived in England with many
of its key players out of form, and some picking
injuries later. The Australians seem to be a
shadow of their former self with the batting
scratchy, fielding sloppy and bowling
pedestrian. One of the most eye-catching moments
were on the penultimate day of the third test
when Australia, who in the words of Steve Waugh
do not believe in a draw, batted tooth and nail
to save the day. Whatever the outcome of the
series, one thing is clear that Australia are no
longer the supreme force in cricket.
What remains to be seen is whether the ageing
Australians will recover from their sudden slump
and become once the again the feared, ruthless
side they once were.
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