Welcome to our new sporting feature – Ask Dr Sportz. Each week or whenever he is available in between high profile sporting contests, we’ll get our resident sporting expert to answer your sporting questions.
Dr Sportz – or his full name Dr Steeden Sherrin Pirelli Brosnan Sportz III – is our new regular contributor and he’s here to answer your questions relating to sport.
With degrees in Sports Psychology, Sports Administration and Business, and Diploma in coaching of Rugby League, Cricket and Broomstick Putting we couldn’t have assembled a better person to answer your queries with authority.
When Adam Scott nailed his Masters winning putts, Dr Sportz was the man he consulted no less than 2 weeks before. Before his involvement with Dr Sportz Mark Webber had never won a GP and looked likely that the only thing he’d win was the most creative DNF title. More recently it was he who had coaxed career best form out of Mitchell Johnson with his advice on fast bowling. Finally he was the man who introduced Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis over a discussion of cricket on a rain interrupted break at a local pub.
Tip of the iceberg but still impressive those achievements. And we have him exclusive here for The Gurgler Sport.
If you have a question or two, fire away to our email gurgler.chat@gmail.com.
With the Australian World Cup Squad named soon, what’s your squad?
Daley Bread, Bald Hills, QLD
A. Thanks Daley for the question, the squad is pretty much sorted with the usual suspects that pick themselves. The only left field inclusions I would demand if I were in the selection room would be as follows.
Given that he has been unplayable in the two T20 games thus far this summer, surely Brad Hogg would be a welcome inclusion for cricketing and crowd reasons. The claim that 10 overs may kill him are ridiculous, as if more overs wouldn’t be the best thing for GBH. And, surely he is a better option than Xavier Doherty, Nathan Lyon or whichever NSW fringe player is flavour of the month.
Batsmen look pretty settled, and there was a lot to like about the way we went about the second innings in Sydney to include most of those in the squad. Especially Joe Burns who looks a quality inclusion. The unfashionable Rogers is out for Finch.
All rounders are based on potential rather than current form, but if you select three of them, you may get a decent performance out of them throughout the tournament. For the record Shane Watson is included as an all rounder because neither is good enough to be a specialist and he owes us a game winning performance.
Finally the bowlers. Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris are must includes. From there they should include Behrendorf based on quality T20 form over the past few seasons. But they won’t. It will be whichever NSW quick is flavour of the month. So we’re contractually obligated to select one NSW quick.
On the subject of Clarke, you have to pick him, especially if we can dump him through injury. He’s earned the right to lead a home World Cup.
In general, it’s better to select proven match winners who may get injured, as they can be replaced, you can’t replace quality.
DR SPORTZ’ SQUAD
M.Clarke (c)
A.Finch
D.Warner
S.Smith
S.Marsh
J.Burns
M.Marsh
S.Watson
J.Faulkener
B.Haddin
M.Johnson
R.Harris
B.Hogg
J.Behrendorf
M.Starc
What would you do with Shane Watson in tests?
Tom Artosores, Norfolk Island, Aust
A. Good to hear from you Tom. Shane Watson is the most divisive figure in Australian cricket. Not that his numbers aren’t too bad, but just disappointing enough to be always on his case. Maybe it’s his state hopping, or awful Brut ads, either way everyone’s on his back.
What would I do? Select him to go to West indies, bat him at Six, and if he can’t score a century against that bowling attack, advise him that his June will be spent in the Southern Hemisphere this year. Either that or set him adrift Eskimo elder style which would be much more fun.
Should I care about the Asian Football Cup, and have you got a roughie?
Alf Abett, Ringwood, VIC
A. I’ll try and give you the ABC of the Asian Cup.
Yes, you should do what most others are going to do and care about the Australian team and the Asian Cup until they are knocked out. Allow some room for bandwagoners if the Socceroos make it as high as the semi finals. Which looks a chance after a great 4-1 first up win.
Also, there are dirt cheap tickets to games not involving Australia. $15 is the going rate for other round games, $5 if you can pretend to be a pensioner.
As for the roughie, it is clear that Japan and Australia are the front runner and deserved favourites. But big tournament don’t always play to the script, so we look for another team to follow in case Australia choke.
We choose the underrated Uzbekistan who are a tremendous $19 to win the Asian Cup right now, and have won their opening game. Also, with a great name, and nickname (White Wolves) there’s more than one reason to join the train. Don’t forget Qatar, not for their on field performance, but who would know if FIFA haven’t already rigged the tournament so that Qatar can win, just like something else that FIFA and Qatar were involved in recently.
