No Gilo bashing here today oh no.
Now that one of the founding fathers of this almost invincible Australian squad has decided to hang up his boots, will it open the door through which many of the other players will follow?
Anything other than divine intervention will mean that Australia will regain the Ashes some 15 months after losing them in England. Of the Australian squad currently playing, Michael Clark is the only Oz to be aged under 30.
Martyn, who was a respected and senior member of the squad will be missed by this squad who have been together warts-and-all for almost a decade. His stumbling stuttering career has been littered with highlights and the last 2 years have seen Martyn play some of the best cricket of his career.
It seems though that Martyn decided to jump ship before he was pushed aside by the young colts who are snapping at the selectors heels. With most of this Australian squad aged well over 35, will the players decide that a brutal Ashes defeat over England is enough to hang their boots up with?
It is a hard call to make. McGrath and Warne are irreplacable, and Hayden and Gilchrist rank as some of the finest players in any era. A loss of even two of these players would change the complexion of the Aussie squad entirely.
It seems like the next person to go will be Justin Langer, a man who many have great admiration for. Many pressmen have ribbed him througout a career that has given the world one of the premier opening partnerships in history. He has always been playing in the shadows of the higher averaging, and higher scoring top order. The legacies of the likes of Ponting, the Waugh's and Hayden will overshadow a man who has scored more runs than Bradman, in a style that is frequently thrilling.
If Langer goes, then Hayden will surely be hot on his heels. After that, it may be difficult to stop the rot. In the meantime, let's celebrate Martyn's career, a man who could possibly be included in the top 10 most underated players of all time.
Anything other than divine intervention will mean that Australia will regain the Ashes some 15 months after losing them in England. Of the Australian squad currently playing, Michael Clark is the only Oz to be aged under 30.
Martyn, who was a respected and senior member of the squad will be missed by this squad who have been together warts-and-all for almost a decade. His stumbling stuttering career has been littered with highlights and the last 2 years have seen Martyn play some of the best cricket of his career.
It seems though that Martyn decided to jump ship before he was pushed aside by the young colts who are snapping at the selectors heels. With most of this Australian squad aged well over 35, will the players decide that a brutal Ashes defeat over England is enough to hang their boots up with?
It is a hard call to make. McGrath and Warne are irreplacable, and Hayden and Gilchrist rank as some of the finest players in any era. A loss of even two of these players would change the complexion of the Aussie squad entirely.
It seems like the next person to go will be Justin Langer, a man who many have great admiration for. Many pressmen have ribbed him througout a career that has given the world one of the premier opening partnerships in history. He has always been playing in the shadows of the higher averaging, and higher scoring top order. The legacies of the likes of Ponting, the Waugh's and Hayden will overshadow a man who has scored more runs than Bradman, in a style that is frequently thrilling.
If Langer goes, then Hayden will surely be hot on his heels. After that, it may be difficult to stop the rot. In the meantime, let's celebrate Martyn's career, a man who could possibly be included in the top 10 most underated players of all time.
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