Darren Gough: Australian cricket has 'gone to pot'
Thursday 6 August 2015 15:35, UK
Former England seamer Darren Gough says Australia’s domestic cricket system has “gone to pot” in recent years.
Gough’s comments come after Australia were dismissed for 60 before lunch on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
Michael Clarke’s side are now in danger of losing their fourth successive Ashes series in England, and Gough believes the Australian domestic game is contributing to the Test side’s poor form.
“I speak to a lot of Australians, got lots of friends who are over there, and their system has gone to pot,” said the former Yorkshire and Essex bowler.
“It used to be seven Test players from New South Wales playing against seven Test players from Western Australia. That doesn’t happen anymore.
“Adam Voges got a thousand runs for them last year but you would say he was way down the list of Test cricketers that they could probably pick, but after getting a thousand runs in their form of county cricket, they picked him. That just shows the place their at in county cricket.
“All their guys going off round the world, playing Test cricket or playing T20 competitions in New Zealand, in India or coming to England and that’s all they concentrate on. With their techniques it just shows you that their T20 cricket’s not doing their Test ambitions any good at all.
“How do they recover from that? 60 all out – they’re all over the shop. Highest score Johnson at 13? Michael Clarke, the captain, I know he’s been a terrific, terrific player.
"A lot has gone on in his personal life over the last 12 months – losing his best friend as well to that accident - but I think this will be his last series, no matter if he goes on and gets a hundred in the last Test. I think Australia need a new captain, I think they need a bit of energy."
