Buchanan: "The Art of War by Sun Tzu written to describe T20"

Yes, he actually said that. No, he wasn't on drugs. Although, what a crack thing to say. Sometimes I feel a little sorry for John Buchanan. He's played a major role in the success of Australia's cricket team, yet people always seem ready to disregard his contributions and efforts. Hi, Shane Warne.

There's an interview with Buchanan up at The Times website and it's actually quite interesting. Aside from the usual journalist bullshit of describing how firm his handshake is, it's actually quite a decent read. In it, he explains his "multiple-captain theory":

“My four-captain policy has been misinterpreted by most people and I would just like to clarify it. Basically I will not select a squad captain but will select a captain for each match."

That makes a little more sense, but it still doesn't seem any better an idea than before. Having many heads poking into the thinking process can be described as beneficial, but there's also a load of negative effects that then come into play if everyone thinks they're captain.

It's alright, though, because we soon discover this isn't Buchanan talking. He's been possessed by a mysterious man who could possibly be behind a number of ancient Chinese Proverbs, Sun Tzu:

“My favourite book of all time is The Art of War by the Chinese military genius Sun Tzu, written some 5000 years ago. I think this book was written to describe Twenty 20 cricket."

Creepy.

Buchanan also reveals what a sick bastard he is, telling us about what he made the Australian cricketers endure after their 2005 Ashes loss:

“When we lost the Ashes (2005) over there I made the players watch the England celebrations and from that moment our preparations for the next Ashes were born.”

Never mind this motivated the team to cleansweep the next Ashes series, but that is psychological torture.

"They perform better in training when I stand alongside them with a handful of cricket balls, telling them about their lack of balls."