There are enough issues emerging from the recent cricket debacle to keep Hughesy tapping away at a thousand to fifteen hundred words per hour from now (7:26 a.m. if you want to be precise) till midnight, but in the interest of maintaining focus I'll try to keep it brief.

Bluntly, we've been conned by a number of factors, and not all of them come bearing an identifying cross of St George.

Many of those factors are, of course, beyond Australian control, and can therefore be pushed to one side, but before you look at the performance of a team that has displayed deep seated inadequacies, I'd point out one 'non-Australian" issue that needs to be addressed.

I've seen countless references over the years to Australian bullying, boorishness, bragging and sledging. We're frequently told by everyone else that these things have to stop.

If, however, we were to point out that all of those descriptors could be applied to the Barmy Army, we'd be accused of complaining, and advised that this is part of English cricket culture, and that the activities of this mob add to the spectacle of the game.

My response to those suggestions?

Retire to perform a physiologically impossible act of self impregnation.

Or, alternatively, be ejected from the ground and directed towards the bath tub. Preferably both.

In terms of what happens on the field rather than over the boundary rope, on the other hand, there's no aspect of the Australian performance that should be safe from deep, sustained and detailed questioning.

Those matters can't all be attended to straight away, of course. Somewhere in the morass there might just be something that's working the way it should, but it's going to take some time to identify what does work, as well as to tweak the bits that aren't quite where you'd like them, but are headed in the right direction.

So, let's start with the team. There, at least, things are fairly clear cut.

They don't score enough runs and are seriously challenged with the task of taking ten, let alone twenty, wickets.

Looking at the personnel used through the series, it's hard to see anyone who's relatively safe from criticism except Khawaja, and you'd expect, given the scrutiny his temperament and technique is going to come under between now and 2013 that he may not be part of the touring party for the next campaign.

He's a genuine prospect for the long term, but Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn all got dropped early in their careers and I have a nasty feeling that by 2013 there'll be questions about Khawaja's form that may well have him out of the party.

While you'd hope that isn't the case, I'd rather see him sitting at home in 2013 rather than being included in a touring squad because he's Usman Khawaja.

No, he's a genuine prospect, and probably the only genuine light on a rather bleak horizon.

Running through the rest of the contenders for the next test series, it's fairly easy to come up with very blunt assessments.

Simon Katich may have a short term future as an opener, particularly if we're looking with someone n the gritty opener mould.

Philip Hughes would probably go a bit better if he didn't have a partner who runs him out. Persist with him until this time next year and see how he shapes up after exposure to Sri Lanka, South Africa and India.

Shane Watson is a top order bat who can bowl, and opening with him limits the amount of work he can get through with the ball. Down the order, please, in the hope that his running between wickets won't have us one for stuff all.

Khawaja looks the goods. He'd be better served coming in at one for plenty rather than one for not much.

Ponting must not be allowed back as captain. Seriously, he's gone to England with the Ashes and come home without them twice and his suggestion that he'd like to be in charge while we set about the rebuilding process is laughable. Seriously, Ricky, you built this lot, and if that's the best you can do...

Alternatively, if it isn't the best you could do, why did you allow it to happen?

Michael Clarke is probably only a medium term prospect for the captaincy, but someone has to do it, and it's him for the time being.

Mike Hussey has to stay, but you'd have to question whether he's going to last into the medium term. May need to be moved into the opening slot if Katich isn't brought back.

Steve Smith is definitely a prospect, but one that needs a lot of work.

Marcus North may be back, but will need to have scored several squillion runs in the meantime, have taken a healthy swag of wickets and even then will need to deliver big time from the get go.

Brad Haddin definitely needs to be kept on, though there are big question marks as to whether he's the best glove man going around. Possibly pushed ahead of the pack in the quest for another Gilchrist. Seriously, we need to be picking the best man with the gloves, and if it isn't him there may still be room for him as a specialist bat.

Mitchell Johnson has to go. That's it. Full stop. Potential isn't enough, you have to deliver, and do it consistently.

If Doug Bollinger isn't fit, why pick him, and if he knows he isn't fit why doesn't he do something about it?

Peter Siddle fills the workhorse role, though there may not be room for him, Harris and Hilfenhaus in the same side.


Hilfenhaus is supposed to swing the ball. That means he has to pitch it up and give it room to move through the air.

Harris looks the goods if fit.

Lastly, the spinner. Whoever it is needs to be persisted with until around this time next year. Beer may come on in that time, and, in any case he has displayed a pretty good temperament this time around. With Sri Lanka coming up there may be room for him and Hauritz in the side.

And, having chipped in with a thousand words in an hour I have an appointment with the yard that’s a more pressing matter than watching the last rites.