FC post 2
Looking at some of the other teams competing alongside me in this rather daft game of fantasy cricket, raises a fascinating point of interest which is well worth a discussion.
The top 50 teams entered into the fantasy cricket league are very similar in their parallels. Everybody had a virtual 40 million to spend, and the majority of the teams opted to take a bulk of the 'premium' players. As you might be able to imagine the uptake for the likes of Ponting, McGrath and Pietersen was verging on fanatical.
However, those players that have achieved most in the Ashes so far, were mainly overlooked by fantasy teams entered.
Collingwood, Clarke and Clark have arguably been in the top 5 players in the first 3 tests, but why didn't anyone pick them for their fantasy squads? Was it a case of image - they're just not 'cool' enough to be in a fantasy side? Or a case of accepting an imbalanced side with a collection of excellent and poor players in it, to take advantage of an increased risk-reward equation?
In the end I opted for a fairly conservative squad, based on not wanting to get it too wrong, rather than trying to get it right:
1) Hussey
2) Ponting
3) Cook
4) Clark
5) Pietersen
6) McGrath
7) Warne
8) Giles
9) Monty
10) Jones
11) Flintoff
But this proves the point - in sport you are rewarded for bravery, and even though Colly has been one of the best cricketers for England in the last 6 months, I didn't believe that he would have the mettle or technique needed to succeed on the hard, bouncy pitches that Australian touring would dish up. But then again, I'm not sure why I thought Gilo WOULD.
However, Collingwood, like Clark and Clarke have critics and doubters. In sport, when an opportunity is presented to you to stake your claim in a team, those who take their chances are normally rewarded with faith from the selectors, and those that don't are a long forgotten memory.
These three men have shown that of all arenas, The Ashes is THE place to stake your claim to an position of invincibility in a national squad.
If only I'd known that before I picked my fantasy side, I might just have had the beating of 'Freddie is a blue' and 'BACKLANECHIPPY'
The top 50 teams entered into the fantasy cricket league are very similar in their parallels. Everybody had a virtual 40 million to spend, and the majority of the teams opted to take a bulk of the 'premium' players. As you might be able to imagine the uptake for the likes of Ponting, McGrath and Pietersen was verging on fanatical.
However, those players that have achieved most in the Ashes so far, were mainly overlooked by fantasy teams entered.
Collingwood, Clarke and Clark have arguably been in the top 5 players in the first 3 tests, but why didn't anyone pick them for their fantasy squads? Was it a case of image - they're just not 'cool' enough to be in a fantasy side? Or a case of accepting an imbalanced side with a collection of excellent and poor players in it, to take advantage of an increased risk-reward equation?
In the end I opted for a fairly conservative squad, based on not wanting to get it too wrong, rather than trying to get it right:
1) Hussey
2) Ponting
3) Cook
4) Clark
5) Pietersen
6) McGrath
7) Warne
8) Giles
9) Monty
10) Jones
11) Flintoff
But this proves the point - in sport you are rewarded for bravery, and even though Colly has been one of the best cricketers for England in the last 6 months, I didn't believe that he would have the mettle or technique needed to succeed on the hard, bouncy pitches that Australian touring would dish up. But then again, I'm not sure why I thought Gilo WOULD.
However, Collingwood, like Clark and Clarke have critics and doubters. In sport, when an opportunity is presented to you to stake your claim in a team, those who take their chances are normally rewarded with faith from the selectors, and those that don't are a long forgotten memory.
These three men have shown that of all arenas, The Ashes is THE place to stake your claim to an position of invincibility in a national squad.
If only I'd known that before I picked my fantasy side, I might just have had the beating of 'Freddie is a blue' and 'BACKLANECHIPPY'
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