Swann will have Aussies reeling, says Botham
By James Dampney, 11 Nov 2010 James Dampney is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, England cricket, Graeme Swann, Ian Botham
English cricketing great Sir Ian Botham has nominated off-spinner Graeme Swann as the key to what he predicts will be a comprehensive Ashes series victory over a vulnerable Australia.
The allrounder, part of the last English side to win an Ashes series on Australian soil, in 1986-87, tipped the visitors to win the five-Test series by at least two matches.
Botham said England had form, confidence and enough lead-up matches to fully prepare, while Australia were bereft of form and seemingly unsettled.
“England are on a roll, they’re full of confidence, Australia are doing a little bit of bickering at the moment, a little bit of in-house fighting, which is always good from my point of view,” Botham told AAP on Wednesday.
“To be quite honest the more problems Australia have the better it is from our point of view.
“We’re just very happy to get on with it and see what happens.
“England are doing what they have to do, their preparation is good, they’ve got another game starting tomorrow in South Australia, then they’ve got a couple more games, so they should be well and truly acclimatised.”
He said Australia were struggling to adapt after the retirements of some greats in recent years, such as Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist.
“It’s really a matter of who you’ve got to replace them and that’s obviously the crux of the matter. Australia are rebuilding and England are settled.”
While Australian captain Ricky Ponting has speculated that a bouncy Gabba pitch might trouble the visitors in the November 25-29 first Test, Botham said if anything it would help.
“The English bowlers will relish it, they’re tall, they’re quick and they bowl with good discipline,” he said.
But he labelled Swann the trump card, expecting him to prey on what he believes is Australia’s biggest vulnerability.
“He’s the best attacking bowler in the world at the moment, Graeme Swann,” Botham said.
“Regardless of all the stuff we hear from the Australians, their record against off-spin isn’t good, it hasn’t been good against finger spin for a long time.”
While Swann is being touted as a weapon, Australia’s off-spinner Nathan Hauritz had a day to forget, representing NSW on a rain-marred opening day of the Shield match against Victoria at the SCG.
He was belted for more than six runs an over, taking 0-57, although David Hussey, who was unbeaten on 102, praised his efforts.
“I thought he bowled really well, just drifted nicely,” Hussey said.
“Bowling on a first day wicket is always hard for a spinner.
Another Australian spin prospect Steve Smith only bowled three overs and had 0-11, while Bushrangers quicks Clint McKay and Peter Siddle will have to wait for another day to show their wares.
In Tasmania, Queensland’s Ryan Harris boosted his chances of an Ashes call-up, taking three of four wickets to fall in another rain-affected Shield match at Bellerive Oval.
Continuing his comeback from knee surgery, Harris took 3-50 from 18 overs.
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
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The Crowd Says (9) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
- Explore:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, England cricket, Graeme Swann, Ian Botham
November 11th 2010 @ 8:18am
Frankie Hughes said | November 11th 2010 @ 8:18am | Report comment
Botham in an idiot.
Better spinners than a journeyman like Swann have struggled in Australia. Guys like Kumble, Murali and Harbhajan.
Botham seems be forgetting that most of Swann’s wickets have come against Bangladesh, West Indies and a match fixing Pakistan.
Swann will be pounded into retirement by the mighty Australia.
November 11th 2010 @ 10:27am
Fisher Price said | November 11th 2010 @ 10:27am | Report comment
Ah, but would those spinners struggle against this Australian team?
By the way, Swann did very well in South Africa.
November 12th 2010 @ 6:28am
Frankie Hughes said | November 12th 2010 @ 6:28am | Report comment
South Africa are ordinary players of spin, hence why they believe Paul Harris is a Test match bowler.
November 12th 2010 @ 9:49am
dasilva said | November 12th 2010 @ 9:49am | Report comment
I don’t think so
South Africa have a pretty good record in the subcontinent especially when you compare it to Australia.
November 11th 2010 @ 12:04pm
jameswm said | November 11th 2010 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
Swann’s a good player.
The question is, will the Aussie batsmen facing him be attacking him from an attitude of confidence, or will they let him dictate to them because they’re in a defensive mindset battling for their spot?
He’ll obviously fint id harder coming on to bowl at 34 overs 1 for 129, with Watson on 78 off 112 and Ricky 20 off 33.
Swann likes bowling to left handers, doesn’t he? He cold have a field day with a pottering Hussey and North. And Johnson.
And Botham is an idiot, though.
November 11th 2010 @ 9:11pm
Danno said | November 11th 2010 @ 9:11pm | Report comment
Botham may be an idiot but he’s right.
Swann will rip through Australia, Paul Harris has done it and he’s rather average.
This Australian team is a re-run of the mid eighties, some tough scrappers, some over-rated flashy talent, a flashy keeper- bat who’s more bat than keeper, a line-up of first change paceman, and a tough, not quite good enough offie, who’s handy with the bat.
Look at this way for Boon, Swampy Marsh & Border, we have Katich, Ponting & Hussey. For Greg Ritchie, Dirk Welham, et al we have Clarke & North. For Wayne Phillips we have Brad Haddin. For Lawson, Rackeman, Dymock, Chris Matthews, Simon Davis, Tony Dodemaide, Mike Whitney etc etc. We have Hilfenhuas, Johnson, Siddle, McKay, Hastings, Harris etc etc.
For Greg Matthews, Peter Taylor, Murray Bennett, Ray Bright, we have Hauritz, Doherty, & Krezja.
Australian cricket is about to enter a very dark place, and it will be 5+ years before we get out.
Sadly the Poms will wipe the floor with us.
November 12th 2010 @ 8:26am
Bayman said | November 12th 2010 @ 8:26am | Report comment
I’m sure Sir Ian just loves an opportunity to stick it to the Aussies but the tragedy is, he’s right. Swann is a very good bowler and better than anything we have by a factor.
It seems almost nostalgic now to look back at the days when any self-respecting Aussie bat firmly held the view that off-spinners could not bowl. Those days, unfortunately, are long gone.
Curiously, Swann has an amazing record of taking a wicket in his first over of a spell. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues this series. If it does, we’re in trouble.
November 12th 2010 @ 9:09am
jameswm said | November 12th 2010 @ 9:09am | Report comment
That was Mark Waugh – he said he never rated any off spinner and they were all there to be hit around. And he was true to his word most of the time.
November 12th 2010 @ 11:29am
Danno1 said | November 12th 2010 @ 11:29am | Report comment
Funny thing was that whilst Mark Waugh & Dean Jones were the ones most outspoken about how crap offies were, that was what they both finished up bowling. Waugh to a considerably better standard than Jones.