It’s very easy to jump on the bandwagon when things are going well, as it is too jump off it as well. But a couple of home truths are starting to hit home in the lead up to the 2010/11 Ashes series.
First, I am hoping to be proven wrong, and let esteemed judges know this as they read along. But stating that Australian cricket is at its nadir would be simplifying matters. If such simplicity existed on the cricket field instead of the press, then this predicament could have been avoided.
But the mob which we hope to bring home the Ashes in little over a month looks a group completely void of confidence. Press statements and glitzy launches cannot fool anyone when negative body language is in the air.
This is an Australian side that plays without belief, where attacking brash cricket has made way for a safety-first approach. That works fine if puppet-masters like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are on your side. When you substitute that for Nathan Hauritz and Mitchell Johnson, then problems are imminent.
As depressing as it sounds, this Australian side is ridiculously similar to the mediocre English teams of the mid-to-late 1990s. While classy cricketers like Graeme Thorpe (Ponting), Darren Gough (Hilfenhaus), Michael Atherton (Clarke) and Alec Stewart (Haddin) were keeping it competitive, others like Robert Croft (Hauritz) and Andy Caddick (Siddle) were more than sufficient ornaments to keep England floored.
All due respect to all men mentioned above, but Australian cricket has never played as a side not knowing its bearings – at least not for 25 years. It’s been a side that would attack its way out of trouble by playing an expressive brand of cricket that would both captivate yet frustrate its fans. The captivation factor has been compromised, as frustration grows at how negative Australian cricket has become.
Compare this to England’s preparation right now, and everything about them exudes belief. Having the best spin bowler and a potentially lethal battery of fast bowlers does help, but so does a game plan that encourages risk for reward, rather than treat with kid gloves.
Brisbane will be a true indicator of both sides and where they lie. As Australia’s “gabbatoir”, they’ll need to unhinge England’s self confidence from the get-go. Otherwise, a long summer awaits, as many English fans from yesteryear will attest to.
Since the end of the last home Ashes series, Australia has played 38 Tests, winning 20, losing 11 and drawing seven. In terms of winning percentages, that is still only second behind South Africa.
The worrying stat is the opposition the losses have come against. Five against India, three against South Africa, and two against next week’s opponents, with a tight loss to Pakistan in the mix.
In that same time, only two wins have come against India (including an unforgetably dubious affair at the SCG), three against South Africa, and one against England.
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