The Barmy Army have been busy penning the latest anthem intended for the next Ashes series, which takes place later this year.
There certainly has been plenty of material for their taunting chants and banter towards the Aussies lately.
Of course I am talking about the dropping of four team members for not completing an ‘assignment’ set out for them by the team leadership group.
There has been plenty of commentary around why an assignment was set in the first place, whether this is appropriate for a senior level team.
There has also been speculation about the supposed feud between Michael Clarke and Shane Watson.
While all this is great material for chats around the water cooler at work, it highlights the dire straits Australian cricket is in.
I think we have all lost focus on the fact there is a Test match series under way, and there is still a chance for Australia to salvage something from the tour.
The Australians have lost the first two Tests, in difficult Indian conditions and pitches, but do they not still have a chance at drawing the series by winning the remaining Test matches?
While they have been beaten convincingly in the first two Tests, I would argue that the team would feel a lot more content and confident if Australia show some fight and form in the last two Tests.
They started ok yesterday, with Ed Cowan and Steve Smith fighting hard to bring Australia towards a comparatively respectable total.
I don’t think we should forget that just over two months ago, Australia beat an unconvincing Sri Lanka outfit easily in a Test series and prior to that had quite an intense duel with the number one South African team.
Sure, let’s enjoy the hilarious material Australia cricket are producing at the moment, and the hilarious tweets (particularly from ex-england captain Michael Vaughan) coming from the Barmy Army.
However, let’s also not forget how irritating it will be if England win the Ashes – those tweets will turn from funny to infuriating.
I say get behind the obviously confused Aussies, because a few good performances from one or two individuals can soon turn the team spirit around.
Nick Richardson
Roar Guru
Yes Dublin, it will become hard on the nerves if the English win the Ashes. But we have a chance. That slim chance is our pace attack which the English have been overlooking. Harris and Starc showed that they are unplayable at times, Bird is consistently on the spot, Pattinson looks like he wants to break through the oppositions defence, Johnson looks like he breaks bones for fun, Cummins looks like he'll find the edge for enjoyment, Sandhu looks like he will not stop taking wickets, and Siddle is ordinary.
Dublin Dave
Guest
"However, let’s also not forget how irritating it will be if England win the Ashes – those tweets will turn from funny to infuriating. " Look on the bright side. Just think how overbearing Aussies will be if they manage to win both the Ashes and the Lions test series. Which, given the presence of so many likely key players for the Lions on the injury list at the moment, you might just do. Pocock or no Pocock.
James
Guest
7 years ago was the last time and thats a decent amount of time. and in order for things not to go englands way then 3 or 4 players on the england team will have to begin playing completely and utterly shite because they dont just rely on one or two guys.
Adrian
Guest
the poms can sing all day long it wasnt that long ago the auusie team used them as a instrument of humiliation it can so often change so i hope they have a back up song if it dosnt go thier way
Chui
Guest
The Barmy Army's boring repitition will be a perfect match for Australia's middle order capitulations I'm afraid.
Bedian
Guest
The Balmy Army will have many a field day during the upcoming Ashes. For a start Mickey Arthur should have used a different phrase for his woes than "a line in the sand" for 2 reasons. The last well known person to draw a line (Gillard) had it backfire on her badly and secondly, with only 'pebble and stone' beaches in the UK Mickey will find it hard to draw a line if things go belly up over there..
buddha9
Guest
Songs or no songs won't make any difference -- just finished watching Oz/India and England /NZ -- England are an entirely professional test outfit with organized and disciplined talent in all departments honed by experience they're led very well -- they have batsmen used to making big hundreds - they have a short tail unlike australia and when they bowl they bowl to weaknesses with a disicipline that only SA rival -- England bat & pitch looks relatively benign even though NZ bowled tightly but when England bowl pitch looks utterly different and though NZ bat alright one mistake and they're gone -- its the difference between men and boys and the Aussies are the weakest of those four test teams by a stretch -- i think NZ in NZ would probably beat Australia currently -- so songs aren't going to matter, except Australia hasn't got one -- 3 or four nil in England and 2/3-1 in oz Also i'll make a bold prediction here warner, hughes and smith won't be playing test cricket in 18 months