1994/95 World Series Cup

[bulldogtragic]

I can’t keep it in anymore, 26 years is enough, the ACB should’ve been the ones to be banned for 12 months for cheating. In the final series between Australia & Australia A (England & Zimbabwe not qualifying), selectors ‘elevated’ an in form Paul Reiffel out of AA into 12th man of the main team denying AA their best bowler for no apparent reason. AA lost both finals very, very narrowly. I was a huge fan of the AA side and Rieffel’s ‘elevation’ to not play at all was an injustice to the AA team and all it’s fans. The ‘back up’ AA squad was outstanding fun to watch. It’s probably the best ever Australian A side in our history.

Australia A:

Matthew Hayden
Justin Langer
Ricky Ponting
Michael Bevan
Damien Martyn (capt)
Darren Lehmann
Phil Emery (vice-capt)/Mark Atkinson
Merv Hughes
Paul Reiffel
Gavin Robertson/Peter McIntyre
Jo Angel/Shane George
Greg Blewett/Tom Moody (12th Man)

An Aussie Captain, two Aussie Head Coaches, lots of wickets, tons of test runs & an insane amount of centuries, and gun ODI players. Surely there’s no other AA team ever that’s been this good.

A game like this would be a great bushfire relief fundraiser. And heal old wounds if Rieffell umpires and isn’t promoted into 4th umpire.

[westdog54]

Re: 1994/95 World Series Cup

I can’t keep it in anymore, 26 years is enough, the ACB should’ve been the ones to be banned for 12 months for cheating. In the final series between Australia & Australia A (England & Zimbabwe not qualifying), selectors ‘elevated’ an in form Paul Reiffel out of AA into 12th man of the main team denying AA their best bowler for no apparent reason. AA lost both finals very, very narrowly. I was a huge fan of the AA side and Rieffel’s ‘elevation’ to not play at all was an injustice to the AA team and all it’s fans. The ‘back up’ AA squad was outstanding fun to watch. It’s probably the best ever Australian A side in our history.

Australia A:

Matthew Hayden
Justin Langer
Ricky Ponting
Michael Bevan
Damien Martyn (capt)
Darren Lehmann
Phil Emery (vice-capt)/Mark Atkinson
Merv Hughes
Paul Reiffel
Gavin Robertson/Peter McIntyre
Jo Angel/Shane George
Greg Blewett/Tom Moody (12th Man)

An Aussie Captain, two Aussie Head Coaches, lots of wickets, tons of test runs & an insane amount of centuries, and gun ODI players. Surely there’s no other AA team ever that’s been this good.

A game like this would be a great bushfire relief fundraiser. And heal old wounds if Rieffell umpires and isn’t promoted into 4th umpire.

There was a discussion on SEN about this earlier today. There is a book being written about the series and the author was being interviewed.

Even in the context of it being 25 years ago, that is still an astoundingly strong team.

It had been discussed months out from the impending tri series that Zimbabwe and a weak (at the time) England team would make the series a flop, thus 'Australia A' was floated.

[westdog54]

Re: 1994/95 World Series Cup

And on your last point, you're dead right.

Appoint two coaches, televise a live draft of sorts on Fox Sports and let them assemble their teams from scratch.

[bulldogtragic]

Re: 1994/95 World Series Cup

There was a discussion on SEN about this earlier today. There is a book being written about the series and the author was being interviewed.

Even in the context of it being 25 years ago, that is still an astoundingly strong team.

It had been discussed months out from the impending tri series that Zimbabwe and a weak (at the time) England team would make the series a flop, thus 'Australia A' was floated.

A book? Is the focus the players in the AA or just a general overview? The Rieffel ‘promotion’ deserves a whole chapter.

And on your last point, you're dead right.

Appoint two coaches, televise a live draft of sorts on Fox Sports and let them assemble their teams from scratch.

That’s got my attention. The Rest of the World game where Dean Jones scored a ton for them, was that a fundraiser?