Players have only got themselves to blame The standing down of four squad members - including the vice-captain Shane Watson - is the head coach's undeniable statement that enough is enough. Unlike England's punishment of Pietersen for those naughty text messages, the South African has shone the blowtorch on everyone in an under-performing Australian squad. Known to be intolerable towards bad attitudes or players who put themselves before the team Arthur gathered Watson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja aside, one by one, and spelled out a few home truths. Is this an early April Fool's joke? The quartet's failure to complete the task asked of them - to deliver a presentation, by email or in person, explaining their virtues - was simply the trigger, however. If the dumping of the four players - two of whom were guaranteed to feature in the third Test - seems rash, then consider this: How difficult is it for a full-time athlete, with hours of free time on their hands every day, to do what they are asked? This is tough love of the most brutal kind, but on this occasion it is the players that must be held accountable. Requesting players to put together such arguments about their selection and their value might seem wacky to many, a leaf straight out of John Buchanan's book. But whatever the case this point is inescapable. If Australia were leading 2-0, coming off a massive innings victory in Hyderabad, maybe things could be different. Yet with the Australian team in such a bad way already, less than four months away from the Ashes, they have taken appropriate action, no matter how drastic it seems. Arthur is under no illusions about how big a step it is to stand down players for a Test when the indiscretion does not involve a nightclub, a trip in a paddy wagon or a swing and a miss at the coach but even he might be surprised when he hears Watson is considering quitting Test cricket. Australia will slap together a makeshift XI on Thursday but the match itself is looming as just a sideshow. Arthur hopes this will be a reality check - his "line in the sand." Australia are in an awful mess but this may well turn out to be the turmoil they had to have. Possible XI for the third Test Ed Cowan, David Warner, Phil Hughes, Michael Clarke, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, Moises Henriques,Glenn Maxwell, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Xavier Doherty.