Hysterical bias married with a good helping of gamesmanship always accompanies the term ‘The Worst Ashes Squad Ever’, with it more often than not leading to egg being left on the faces of the ones so eager to exalt it.
The sad reality of the upcoming Ashes series from an Australian point of view is that it is not only the British using this to mock our chances, but even expert voices on our own shores bemoaning it as an accurate depiction of our team.
This reality is inescapable, with the Ashes being very much set up as a David versus Goliath affair, with England expected to crush us into oblivion. As in that analogy, England with its might and power should lord it over us, but if we think smart and outside the square then we have an outside chance to take them out in what would be an upset for the ages.
The stone in the pouch of the Aussies is their pace bowling line up, which has an unwanted ‘sick note’ fragility as well as a threat. When they are fit, they could be a factor that is so decisive in the Ashes that it could conceal the rest of the team’s gaping flaws. The key for this is in the selection of the team so as to accentuate the pace corps’ chances, allowing them to carry the rest of the team on its back.
To aid in making this a reality, the selectors must admit that variation for the sake of variation is a fundamentally flawed concept unless the choice is able. This means that the innocuous spin of Nathan Lyon must be sacrificed.
Fans of Lyon will be outraged by this suggestion and will automatically point to his chances of success in the Ashes, with the English batsmen having a much-publicised weakness against spin.
The point has merit going on their performances against spin, but they can easily be dismissed when you realise that most of their struggles have been in unpredictable Asian conditions and against unorthodox spinners.
In these conditions, the English are made to do what they are adverse to doing with regard to using their feet to the tweakers rather than their more trusted practice of playing off the back foot, knowing the bounce is always true in England.
A look at recent performances by spinners in English confines supports the view on Lyon:
Imran Tahir: 8 wickets at an average of 47.25
Harbhajan Singh: 14 wickets at an average of 49.78
Anil Kumble: 36 wickets at an average of 41.41
Danish Kaneria: 20 wickets at an average of 51.4
Aside from Tahir, all of these bowlers have much greater skill and respect than Lyon, but still have struggled mightily in England. In comparison, as you run the rule over Lyon you come to the conclusion that he is a bowler with great heart, but is very limited in his variety and subtlety in deliveries.
In a sense, he is a bowler in the infancy of his career, one who lacks the know-how that is so necessary in the art of spin. He would be a recipe for disaster in England because he would not only pose little threat, but also struggle to represent a defensive aspect within the attack to compliment the attacking bowlers.
In the process, he would be undermining Australia’s greatest hope for success in the potential might of its pace battery.
If Australia finds the courage to sit Lyon, it gives them a ‘have their cake as well as eat it’ potential in their line up in regard to being able to solidify their batting as well as accentuate their bowling potential. Automatically, people will assume this is a move to accommodate five pace men in the attack, but five is superfluous in conditions that should favour ball over bat.
The key in this plan is Shane Watson deciding to bowl, allowing him to be the defensive bowler in the attack and letting the likes of James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc bowl in short and sharp spells.
Then, the swing man would be Ryan Harris, who is a bowling workhorse able to bowl long spells that exude a consistent excellence in the precocious threat that he poses. He could also dry up the scoring rate like a thirsty sponge.
This bowling attack, if it performs to its potential, would trouble any batting line up in the world, meaning the batting would have the benefit of the scoreboard on its side. Additionally, with the dropping of Lyon, and his place being taken by a batsman, it would also provide a chance to potentially strengthen the team’s Achilles’ heel, its batting.
Having six specialist batsmen, and with Watson employed as a bowling all-rounder at seven, would give the team greater batting depth, with Brad Haddin to come in at eight. Thereby, the team would have its greatest chance of success in the Ashes.
Your thoughts?
Harry from Floreat
Guest
Not even comparable mate. Comparing Headingly to the Oval is like comparinh the WACA to Adelaide.
Mich the clown
Guest
He is not the best we have. In the lead up to the Indian tests there was a trial with 2 other spinners, and Lyon was the 3rd best. He got selected anyway. He has the worst ever figures for an Australian bowler in an innings of a 5 day test. EVER. He consistently failed to take wickets in the final day against Sri Lanka and South Africa. The Belreive test is etched deep in the memory, whereby he bowled through the first 2 sessions on the final day for no wicket and when he was pulled, the quicks took the remaining wickets in the final session. Lyon when he first came on the scene was the best we had. But he is but a shadow of what he was. This summer he oscillated between woeful and mediocre. Is he related to someone on the NSP or he must have compromising photons of someone.
twodogs
Guest
Hey Tim, after reviewing these responses,there seems to be a fair amount of responders questioning your viewpoint. I lean very closely to your angle. My reasoning is 1. Lyon is not (least not yet) top shelf. 2. Our pacemen generally fare well over there. 3. We are on the cusp of pace dominance (truly) 4. We MUST attack at any cost - we have not sunk so low that all is left is survival eg: early border period. In my mind's eye, this is a vital point. Two main pivotal points lay etched in my mind regarding ashes: Terry alderman 1989 and Warne 1993. Alderman gave a leg up - I can still see botham shakin' in his boots. Warnie began an unheralded period as the greatest ever spinner.( yep,arm straight every delivery) these are the moments which instill doubt in the opposition and this is why Lyon should only be used on favoring conditions. Also why I think gurinder should at least be on tour. This guy is tall, strong and fit. He can gain frightening lift off a good length.well if not him, I hope the guys do well and improve as a unit. Oh yeah Tim, can you check out elisha's column and have a rant- if not already done so?
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
His record is impressive, but figures are like a Womans skirt in regards to concealing more than they show. I think his career has been aided by Clarke using him as a situational bowler. By this i mean , Clarke will use him when the team is on top allowing Lyon to have the benefit of pressure on his side. When lyon has been expected to take a more primary role he has struggled mightily- take the miraculous Adelaide test last year with every thing in his favour , but he could not get it done or worse he could no even strike a blow and looked stricken with stage fright. He struggles with the pressure of expectation in my view with it making him question his belief I just cannot see him lasting very long before he is belted into the post Warnie line up of Spinners tried and discarded... But this is just my view and it is amongst many views of the peanut Gallery :)
Nudge
Guest
Tim do you not see his recordor do you choose to ignore it. He is going better than swann was at the same stage. You been watching Warney too long mate.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
I admire your optimism Nudge, but I think the English will end his time in the Aussie team... i hope your view is what happens for I like Lyon and admire him for his heart, but just cannot see it happening
Nudge
Guest
Tim he will take his 100 th test wicket probably at the gabba. That will be achieved in spot on 2 years a bloody fair achievement I say especially for some one with no talent. 4 more years at that pace equals 300
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
I know this is a fundamentally flawed response Bob, but i would argue that the NZ tour was very much an aberration for the English, and come the Ashes they will be primed to be at their best. The results of Martin showed the quagmire they were in allowing him relevance and even threat. I cannot see Nathan Lyon being given the same free ride thanks for the comment too
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
Great comment Aussie, but i think using maxwell as an example is hardly supportive of its flaw when you take into account he is a Club player at best. And as for the idea it was more the case of emploting Twatto as an all rounder at 7 with Haddin at 8 with 6 specialist batsmen Thanks for the comment
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
I love your Pi$$ take Nudge, and I hope Lyon indeed achieves that respect, but I think their is more chance of me waking up in a big bed with Stephanie Rice on one arm and Natalie Imbruglia on the other :P
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
If Faulkner can be relied on to contribute with the bat I would be over joyed to see the back of Twatto
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
I actually remember that match big time Harry, but not for the absence of a spinner, but because of the atrocious Aussie batting. And while we are on that series- what happened in the previous match with an all pace assault? An aussie win by an innings.............................. thanks for the comment too
Harry from Floreat
Guest
+10000 remember the Oval in 2009. Ludicrous
Nudge
Guest
Cheers Mitch good show too
Disco
Roar Guru
They are better than Australia, as evidenced by the radically different results achieved in India. Basically, England has a better batting lineup than Australia's.
Mitcher
Guest
Nudge, you were great in Hey Dad and I love your comment. Well done.
Bob
Guest
You guys need to look at the recent Eng/NZ series played on batter friendly wickets. NZ has very poor spin bowler stocks Patel has lost all form and Vettori injured. They bought in 32 yo Bruce Martin who has a moderate FC record. He bowls accurately but is no world beater. Because he was able to bowl long spells without being hammered, Martin did a great job supporting their pace bowlers in a series where the same batsmen vaunted here had to desperately struggle to 0-0 series draw. An accurate slow bowler who bowls long spells is essential. This current English lot are no better against accurate spin than anybody else.
Nick Richardson
Roar Guru
I think you are right in the fact we need 4 fast bowlers but it's Wade/haddin at 7 and faulkner at 8.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Watson has a horrific injury record, almost exclusively due to his bowling. I think asking him to be the fourth seamer in a four bowler pace attack with no spinner is an absolute recipe for disaster. He's not that type of bowler. At worst he'll get injured, at best he'll be ineffective, put too much pressure on the other three bowlers, the over rate will be appalling, and we'll have no variation. Not to mention asking Pattinson, Harris and Starc to bowl long spells, or lots of overs. I'm all for thinking outside the box, but I just think that line-up is nothing but trouble. You also forgot to mention that Tahir bowled 117 overs in that series! And it was only a 3 Test series. That's a lot overs the quicks didn't have to bowl.
aussie1st
Roar Pro
Our batting is in the shits but proping it up with another batsmen at 8 has hardly ever fixed things. We have seen this being done so many times in the past and all I have seen from it is a loss with the latest being in India when we tried Maxwell at 8. If we want to bench Lyon then a paceman should come in. Bird has to be one, Starc has always been my pick if going for a 4 man attack but Faulkner is also an option. Then Pattinson and ideally Harris rounding it out.