Please go away!

Phil Jaques
Phillip Hughes
Shaun Marsh
David Hussey
Brad Hodge
Marcus North
Adam Voges
Glenn McGrath
Luke Pomersbach
Chris Rogers

Ten players who could step up and take over from Matthew Hayden with ease.

There are more.

They are talented, capable and lacking only opportunity.

There is no shortage of alternatives, so why haven't we cut the fat already? There's no place for nostalgia in elite sports.

Taxpayer money goes to funding sport in Australia.

I expect Olympic gold medals.

I expect records to be broken.

I also expect cricket selections to be based on merit. For a while now we should have been assisting new, younger players to settle in, not carrying around a dead weight in hope of a miracle.

Sorry it had to be like this Matt, but you've had your chances.

Retired crickets: more interesting than the current ones

The News tonight -

Glenn McGrath:

"I still back our boys any day so my prediction is still three-nil."

He's so funny! Except the time before the last time that happened... well, you know. I don't want to talk about it.

And then Justin Langer says he wishes he was playing in this series to exact his vengeance on Ntini.

And then they showed a shot of Michael Clarke inspecting pink stumps.

And then back to Glenn, saying how proud he is that they're renaming Ladies' Day 'Jane McGrath Day', and his surprise that something at the SCG was named after her instead of him.

Obviously no one cares what current players have to say about things. I guess when it's Michael Clarke on offer, that's no surprise.

And then there was Alastair Cook, complete with eyeliner, saying that the England players would be donating half of their match fees to the families of those attacks in Mumbai.

I'm no England fan.

But that's a cool gesture. Respect.

Therefore Cooky, it would seem, though almost as inarticulate as Freddie, has more to say than any of the current Australian players.

Interesting.

Jane's gone

Jane McGrath died today after an 11-year battle with cancer. She was 42.

Everyone here is in shock - this may have been on the cards for a while now but it hasn't been expected.

The McGrath Foundation website have posted the following:

IT is with deep sadness that the family and friends of Jane McGrath, beloved wife of former Australian cricketer Glenn and loving mother of James and Holly, must announce she passed away at her home this morning.

With Glenn and their two children by her side, Jane's wonderful life ended peacefully after a sudden decline in her health over the past week.

Jane, 42, had surgery earlier in the year and was recovering before complications set in.

Jane McGrath has left a lasting legacy through the McGrath Foundation, an organisation that is providing thousands of women hope - and support - in their fight against breast cancer.

The McGrath Family have requested their privacy be respected at this very difficult time.

Jane and Glenn set up the McGrath Foundation a few years ago (they have a very cute logo) which fundraises for the installation of breast care nurses in regional Australian centres. If you would like to donate to this worthwhile cause you may do so here.

The ABC News have also got the following:

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said that all of Australian cricket was saddened to learn that Jane McGrath had died.

"On behalf of Cricket Australia, but also I am sure of cricket fans everywhere, I offer our sincere condolences to Glenn, James and Holly, as well as to Jane's broader family and many friends," he said in a statement.

"Jane was well-known, loved and admired throughout Australian cricket and was one of the most respected and admired members of the Australian cricket team family group during Glenn McGrath's playing days.

"All of us who met her were charmed by her dignity and good humour as she tackled her battle with her illness for more than 10 years.

"We also greatly respected the work she and Glenn did through their Foundation, work which brought and will continue to bring tangible comfort to so many others.

"It was typical of her to set aside her own concerns and to offer so much energy and hope to others touched by breast cancer."

I remember Jane was devastated when Belinda Emmett died, it doesn't seem like that long ago, and I suppose that's because it wasn't.

One in eight women will get breast cancer. That's a shit statistic.

I know I speak for every cricket bloggers and readers everywhere when I say that our thoughts are with the McGrath family.

Rest in peace Jane.

And then he conquered Facebook

Everyone's favourite cricket blogger has created a quiz.

Answer seven simple questions, harass your friends (11 to be exact, sucks to be you if you've only got ten) to do the same and find out which cricketer you are.

For your information I am Glenn McGrath (I think bad hair gave me away. Or maybe my batting prowess?).

You can, and should, do the quiz here.