Nathan Astle to retire today

[alexthekidd]

Just heard on news that NZ Black Cap Nathan Astle is set to announce is retirement today. Anyones thoughts on this? I certainly wasn't expecting this until after the world cup but with his recent show of form...

[98tls]

Thank fuck for that.............wonder if fleming can take a hint.........seriously they have had there day,many thanks to both of them there has been some wonderful memories but time to go..........problem is i guess whos going to replace them.

[The Stranger:Me]

Just heard on news that NZ Black Cap Nathan Astle is set to announce is retirement today. Anyones thoughts on this?

Sure, who give a shit?

[alexthekidd]

Oh fuck wouldn't that be great if fleming could also feck off and leave Vettori to captain the team. Astle has certainly given us all some great memories .... That beautiful 222 anyone? but both way past their prime. just ashame he left it a little to late like most athletes do and tarnish what would have been a great career with a piss poor finish

[spookytooth]

He has played some great knocks over the years NZ has had a big problem with the opening spots for along time. Astle was never a opening bat but he did more than ok

[alexthekidd]

so it must be wondered now, who on earth will NZ have opening the batting?

[alexthekidd]

Official Story as it is:

The Canterbury batsmen is tipped to call a press conference about 1pm (New Zealand time) in Perth, where he may pull stumps on his 11-year international career.

New Zealand team management closed ranks when asked about the development late last night, but The Press understands Astle will be joined at the press conference by New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden.

Astle, 35, has carved out a distinguished career, particularly in the one-day arena, where he has hit 16 centuries, the most recent of which was 115 against India in Harare in 2005-06.

Astle's 16 centuries ranks him ninth equal on the all-time list behind Sachin Tendulkar (40), Sanath Jayasuriya (23), Sourav Ganguly (22), Saeed Anwar (20), Ricky Ponting (20), Brian Lara (19), Mark Waugh (18) and Desmond Haynes (17).

He has scored 7090 runs at 34.92 in one-day internationals.

The timing of Astle's possible retirement will raise eyebrows, with the World Cup in the West Indies less than two months away, but a drop in form appears to have persuaded him to quit.




Guess we wait til one oclock now

[miSTa]

...wonder if fleming can take a hint.....

Oh fuck wouldn't that be great if fleming could also feck off

Absolutely! Tits on a bull.



Be shame to see Astle go but he's had his day, time for some young blood.

[98tls]

Absolutely! Tits on a bull.



Be shame to see Astle go but he's had his day, time for some young blood.

Why are you not on your way to the coast...............?

[miSTa]

Why are you not on your way to the coast...............?

Believe me I would love to but something called work (not that I'm working at the moment)

[ManDownUnder]

Oh dear God no...

Who'll be there to continue their world conquoring form?

[Chisanga]

One down, Ten to go


NB: The above statement does not accurately reflect the authors view on this subject

[Hitcher]

Don't be too harsh on Messrs Astle or Fleming. I don't see many other New Zealand "batsmen" with a strong claim to their batting roles. And Flem's captaincy is superb.

What I want to know is why is New Zealand unable to produce batsmen? On average I would expect at least one freak (like a Brian Lara or Sachin Tendulkar) to come along each generation, and a handful who are half as good to appear over the same time. But no.

We are a country that can produce reasonable bowling all-rounders (Astle, Vettori, Styris, Cairns, Oram, Franklin, etc) but that's about it. Why can't we produce the much more useful batting allrounders like our Aussie cousins (S Waugh, M Waugh, Border, Clarke, Clark, Symonds, Martyn, etc, etc)?

[alexthekidd]

It's Now Official

The veteran allrounder, 35, announced his retirement from international cricket at a press conference at the team's Perth hotel today, seated alongside captain Stephen Fleming and coach John Bracewell.

It comes two days before the Black Caps were to play Australia here in the tri-series and just six weeks before the start of the World Cup, which would have been Astle's fourth.

Astle is yet to decide whether he will continue at provincial level with Canterbury.

Astle, New Zealand's most prolific one-day cricket centurymaker with 16, hasn't hit his straps in the tri-series as the New Zealand top-order struggled.

He scored nought and 45 in Hobart, nought against Australia in Sydney and one in their first win against England in Adelaide on Tuesday.

Auckland batsman Lou Vincent is already bound for Perth to replace Astle in the tri-series squad.

Astle made his one-day international debut against the West Indies in 1994-95 as a middle order batsman and medium pace bowler, before transforming into New Zealand's most successful one-day opener.

He scored the last of his 16 centuries against the West Indies in Queenstown just over a year ago.

Last season was a tough one for Astle, who was dropped by Bracewell, but fought back to be seemingly at the forefront of his World Cup plans.

He departs as the second-highest New Zealand ODI runscorer behind Fleming, with 7090 runs at 34.92.

His 223 matches make him the third-most capped New Zealand ODI player behind Fleming's 262 and Chris Harris' 250.

He's also left stranded on 99 career wickets, just missing the chance to become the 13th New Zealander to take 100 victims with wicketless spells in the first three tri-series matches.

Astle also played 81 tests, scoring 4702 runs at 37.02, including 11 centuries.

[miSTa]

Don't be too harsh on Messrs Astle or Fleming. I don't see many other New Zealand "batsmen" with a strong claim to their batting roles. And Flem's captaincy is superb.

Fleming reminds me somewhat of Geoff Howarth - great captain but not particularly reliable in getting consistent runs or high scores. You can only carry a captain for so long.
Flemings rather ordinary record for the last couple of seasons:

Mat Runs HS BatAv 100 50
season 2004/05 9 220 77* 27.50 0 1
season 2005/06 18 536 93 31.52 0 5
season 2006/07 10 257 89 28.55 0 2
Source

What I want to know is why is New Zealand unable to produce batsmen? On average I would expect at least one freak (like a Brian Lara or Sachin Tendulkar) to come along each generation, and a handful who are half as good to appear over the same time. But no.

We are a country that can produce reasonable bowling all-rounders (Astle, Vettori, Styris, Cairns, Oram, Franklin, etc) but that's about it. Why can't we produce the much more useful batting allrounders like our Aussie cousins (S Waugh, M Waugh, Border, Clarke, Clark, Symonds, Martyn, etc, etc)?

Could some it be the fact that we cannot produce world class bowlers consistently? If the batsmen could face better bowlers then they would become better batsmen which in turn mean the bowlers would have get better themselves. A snowball effect if you like.