Australia’s implosion – it’s not the players, it’s the situation

Australia’s implosion – it’s not the players, it’s the situation

Australia have brought in four players and nothing has changed. This series could serve as a case study for sporting depression and panic.

Rational decision-making has gone out the window at every level, from selectors down to players and it’s formed a vicious circle. Players aren’t sure of their places and are playing accordingly. No-one seems to have confidence in anyone else.

On the field, we today saw several Australian batsmen playing really ill-advised shots. Sometimes things go against you as a batsman, but you have to trust your method. In their current frame of mind, the Australians can’t recognise this. In a bid to take control, they’re trying to do something – anything – different.

It’s change for change’s sake and when the new method fails, they change again, getting another step further away from what they should be doing.

This is basically what’s happening with selectors, captain, batsmen, bowlers and fielders at the minute and it’s a unique feature of cricket how this can grow over the long hours and days of a Test series.

Changing the players won’t help. It’ll only compound the problem.