New Order in World Cricket
Towards the end of 2008, Australia lost two very important test match series. It went down 2-0 to India in an away series in October and followed it up with a loss to South Africa by a similar margin at home, with one test remaining in the series.
These defeats, by convincing margins, have raised questions as to whether Australia’s dominance of world cricket is on the wane.
For nearly two decades, Australia dominated world cricket in all forms of the game. It was not just that they won all over the world, but it was the ruthlessness with which they crushed oppositions that was more impressive.
But the Aussie juggernaut was not unstoppable. The first chinks in the armour were exposed as early as 2001, when India came back from one test down to win a home series 2-1, set up by a memorable victory at the Eden Gardens. This series showed for the first time that the almighty Aussies would also wilt in the face of resistance.
The Aussies suffered another jolt in 2005, when an inspired English team regained the Ashes after 18 years.
But, these occasional defeats seemed like mere blips and Australia remained the dominant force in world cricket.
Then came the retirements of stalwarts like Shane Warne, Glen McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer in quick succession. The exit of these cricketing greats from the international stage hit Australia hard.
The players who replaced them were talented, but not really match winners. For as long as it takes for these players to step into the shoes of the cricketing legends, Australia will remain in the rebuilding stage.
Australia’s woes do not end here. There is at least one more high-profile retirement, that of Matthew Hayden, in the offing. Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey and Andrew Symonds are also not that far from walking away into the sunset.
Suddenly, the world order in cricket is no longer as rigid as it has been for nearly two decades. Young teams, like India and South Africa, see an opportunity to topple the might Aussies and usurp their throne.
Why is Australia on its way out as a cricketing superpower?
The Aussies relied heavily on their proven match winners. As long as players like Warne and McGrath were around, the Aussies refused to tinker with a winning line-up. This gave very limited opportunities for other players to prove their worth at the highest level.
The Aussies were the first to come up with a rotation policy for their cricketers. But this came much too late for top-class players like Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg, who were overshadowed by Shane Warne for most of their careers.
Young players often found it very difficult to break into the Australian test squad. Players like Adam Gilchrist and Michael Hussey had to wait till they were 28 and 30 years respectively to make their test debuts.
The domestic cricket structure in Australia, comprising six teams, is very strong. While this improves the quality of cricket, it also limits the database of players available for national selection.
With the retirement of Shane Warne, Australia lost a quality spinner. Their bowling attack, with its over-dependence on pace, looks one-dimensional and is not penetrative enough. South Africa won the first two tests by 6 wickets and 9 wickets respectively, a clear indication that the current Australian bowling attack is struggling to get oppositions out.
Of late, Australia has been losing from winning positions. Australia lost the Perth test to South Africa after it had posted a target of over 400 runs for the visitors to win. It dominated the first two days of the Boxing Day test, before allowing South Africa to get away. It appears that Australia has lost the killer instinct needed to finish teams off.
There are also reports of rift among players in the Australian team. Captain Ricky Ponting has had to cop a lot of criticism from the media and former players. He has also had fall outs with some of his teammates after defeats.
Other teams, like India and South Africa, have blooded in a lot of youngsters over the last few years. Both these teams now have an ideal blend of youth and experience.
It is too early to write Australia off
Many teams undergo a period of rebuilding after their top stars retire. Australia underwent such a period in the mid-80s, but they quickly bounced back by winning the 1987 Cricket World Cup.
To vie for the top spot, it is more important for other teams to step-up their games, rather than hope to capitalize on the fact that the Australian team is on the decline.
Already a core of good, young players, like Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson, is forming within the Australian team.
None of Australia’s recent defeats have been one-sided. The team has not really lost its competitive edge.
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Is this the end of #1 status for Australia? 
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Originally Posted by just4kix 
New Order in World Cricket 
