Symonds Past Comes Back To Bite Him

Australia announced their squad for the Ashes this week, and their was one major omission that caught every one's eye.

Andrew Symonds, the troublesome all-rounder, has been left out despite getting publicly backed by Ricky Ponting the day before. Whatever his past failings, Symonds is a devastating batter who has experience of an Ashes contest. He is also a useful back-up spin bowler who can either hold up one end or turn a few to unsettle batters. Since we are all expecting turning pitches this summer I'm surprised that the Aussies have not included a player who could be a real bonus. Most importantly, the Australian batting line-up doesn't look quite as strong without him.

Phillip Hughes will be confident after scoring a bagful of runs for Middlesex in a short stint that helped him to acclimatise to English conditions. Middlesex got a fair bit of stick for giving Hughes the opportunity, and now Gloucestershire are trying to bring Stuart Clark over on a short term deal before the Ashes starts.

Before the Ashes starts though, we have loads of one-day and Twenty20 games to play. Too many for my liking, but it may be a good build-up for the Ashes. The main worry during these economic times is that fans will make a decision as to which games they can afford to attend and we will see empty grounds for many of the games of the World Twenty20.

Lets all make sure that the Ashes are sold out, to prove that Test cricket is still the most important form of the game.

Is Cricket Dying?

I have decided to start this blog because I am worried about the state of my favourite game.

The West Indies captain, Chris Gayle, has spoken out over the last few days about his views on Test Cricket. He feels that the Twenty20 format will become more important than Tests to him.

I cannot believe that a West Indian captain could say such a thing. How will his players feel about the test that starts today? Their motivation must be so low if the captain feels this way.

Now don't get me wrong; I think Twenty20 has been a breath of fresh air that has done much to raise the profile of the game. And i realise that the huge sums of money on offer to players who take part in tournaments like the Indian Premier League are hard to ignore.

I also think that one-day cricket is a good format. The 50-over game is the correct one, rather than 40-overs, and this is the form that needs to be played in the County game.

But 4 and 5 day cricket matches are the pinnacle of the sport. This is where players hone their skills and make a name for themselves.

Does the West Indian captain really believe that these forms of cricket should be abandoned to be replaced by roadshows of Twenty20 competitions? Or is he just disillusioned with the game. He has always been a very laid-back individual. Maybe he has become bored with all the things that come with it.

Of the captaincy he said: "It's definitely not something I'm looking to hang on to. I need some time for myself, to be honest with you, it's a lot of travelling. There's always something you have to go and do, you know, extra.

"Lunch or dinner, some other thing, there's always something for the captain."

I know that cricket in the West Indies has been struggling for a while now, but surely the captain has to exude confidence and enjoyment for his whole team and indeed for his country.