In news sure to rock all Australian cricket fans, the home Ashes series has been usurped by a higher power than arch enemies England, as Australia prepares to face off against the might of World XI.
To work around any issues with Australia facing off against a side not from the British Isles for the Ashes, the touring World XI will be playing under the crafty name of E.N.G. (Every Nationalities Great) – Land.
Incorporating a handful of token Pommies, amongst the team to be the mouthpieces, will also assist them in projecting a somewhat English vibe, to at least keep some semblance of tradition alive.
Kevin Pietersen, despite his well-known staunch loyalty to his adopted home of England, said he has no problem padding up for the World XI and is happy to see such a strong South African contingent with his countrymen Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior also included in the E.N.G.-Land squad to tour Down Under.
Fellow African and former Zimbabwe U/19s player, Gary Ballance was said to have been devastated by his omission from his native country’s recent Test victory, but believed that World XI selection alongside his fellow mercenaries was a nice consolation prize.
Spare a thought for Australian Sam Robson, named in the E.N.G-Land development team squad, but just missing out from going up against his home nation.
A strange omission by the World XI selectors, as an Australian would be able give them an intimate knowledge of what winning Ashes series is all about.
Fast bowler Boyd Rankin is no doubt excited about playing Test cricket for E.N.G-Land after some promising one day performances for Ireland, proving that your home nation not having Test status isn’t a barrier in making it to the Alistair Cook captained World XI.
In fact, there are almost no barriers to getting selected in this squad. If you’re good enough, you’re E.N.Glish enough, or as the saying goes.
Bayman
Guest
Johnno, On balance, I think I agree with James...
Homer Gain
Guest
Ah there's that luck thing again. I recall after the 2009 Ashes Aussie fans maintained that by all rational calcualtions they should have won but that they were denied by "bad luck". Seems the same narrative is running this time. I wonder if the 13/14 sequel will follow the same lines as 10/11, or do Aussies think that their "luck" will turn and their innate superiority will re-assert itself?
ChrisUK
Guest
Yep. And in England's case it's now 7 years - presumably a recognition of how attractive an option it is and an attempt to dissuade people from doing it.
James
Guest
dont you have to have lived in another country for something like 4 years before you are eligible to play cricket for that country? its not like they are turning up and being picked for the team before they have a passport.
ChrisUK
Guest
When you say recently, you mean the last 40 years, right?
David
Guest
Agree. However, everyone says the problem with Smith is his consistency. He is a leggie and there have been very few leggies who have been consistent (in fact it's almost a misnomer to use the words consistent and leg spinner in the same sentence). Smith's bowling is ok, considering he's in the team as a batsman. Every now and then he'll take 3/30 and he may often take 0/40 off 6 overs - you have to live with that with leggies - at all levels.
Hookin' YT
Guest
I'm not aggressive off the cricket/rugby pitch. Am a cynical pragmatic realist though.
Hookin' YT
Guest
Grade cricket in the 80s and 90s with and against Shield and Test players (ex, current and future at the time). Never bowled in grade cricket, batsman who alternatively stood in slips poking fun at people. Kept wickets on the way down.
T200
Guest
It's no wonder Cricket is slowly dying off here and a lot of places. It's international level has zero credibility. England would want to be very careful. They go on about how much they love Test Cricket but this kind of stuff is going to help kill off Test Cricket. Test cricket is already well and truly losing its appeal with the younger generation, this kind of stuff of a national team filled with foreigners is hardly going to help its credibility is it. The IPL and BBL are the future
cantab
Guest
Given that he only has one seat, it can't be to hard to work out.
ChrisUK
Guest
He didn't - not they didn't. Sorry, typo.
ChrisUK
Guest
I understand what you're saying, but it is a bit different. Those girls didn't move here as youngsters nowhere near the national team, qualify and then be available for selection for England/Britain. They were top (ish) level competitors who changed their nationality to go directly into the national team of a country they don't live in. It's just not the same. Pietersen moved over here when no one had ever heard of him, and learned to bat here - not in South Africa. Six years he was here before he played for England by the way. There's another point - as he was developing he could at any point have gone back to South Africa, and said "here I am, I'm rather good" and they'd have picked him most likely. They didn't. Bear in mind his first appearances for England were against South Africa in ODI cricket, and the reception was hateful - precisely because it was apparent by then that he was more than useful, and that he'd refused the entreaties to come back. Essentially, he emigrated.
expathack
Guest
He'd only been here what 3 (maybe 4?) years when he was first selected from England though. Obviously now it's a bit different, but when he first started out he wasn't much different from the athletics girls.
ChrisUK
Guest
He's spent nearly half his life here. At what point do you accept them? When they're buried here? Allan Lamb is in the same position, this is his home. Pietersen was an off spinner when he got here, it's not like he was ready made to go into the Test side. He has an English mother, had a British passport since birth. He had the choice of who he played for - if good enough. The difference between him and the two athletes is that thisishis home.
expathack
Guest
Really enjoyed watching Fawad Ahmed in the Ashes.... oh wait, what????
expathack
Guest
"As for the poms how about lifting our football team above ‘making up the number’ status at the FIFA world cup?" You obviously haven't been watching the English Football team all that recently.....
expathack
Guest
Find it odd that you don't have an issue with Pietersen. In my mind he's a straight out mercenary. Saw his international path blocked in South Africa, so moved to England to expand his opportunity. Can't see much difference between him and the athletes you're bagging. Assume that Tiffany Porter (100m hurdler) and Shana Cox (400m) are the athletes you're talking about, the two who grew up in the US before they started competing for GB. Tiffany Porter is in exactly the same boat as KP, 1 English parent, born overseas and spent all her child- and young adult-hood there. And both Shana Cox's parents are British so she's arguably more British than KP, even though for many she was the archetype of the 'Plastic Brit' in the lead up to the Olympics. Ben Stokes is obviously a completely different kettle of fish. Family moved to the UK when he was a kid. As you all point out noone really has any issues with that...... only ever gets mentioned because it makes the already easy jibes (because of KP, Trott) even easier!
ChrisUK
Guest
Yeah, it's a good point, and it's very dependant on the person. Never had an issue with Pietersen for example, let alone Ben Stokes. But you get runners who fail to make the US team and then discover their British granny having never been here before. That's not right. There was an odd one at the Olympics where someone who had never been here before, but was absolutely entitled. She was from Anguilla I think, and they aren't members of the IOC as an overseas territory. Ironically, Britain really was her country for sport, she couldn't compete for anyone else. It was one of those where you think about it and then go "oh I see. Fair enough!".
ChrisUK
Guest
Mo Farah is a good example of that. He was asked after the Olympics if some small part of him wished he'd been representing Somalia. His brusque "this is my country mate" said it all, and I for one am very proud of him.
ChrisUK
Guest
I think I vaguely recall her. She sounded pretty Australian too. It's not something I'd lose sleep over, it's her home, so fair enough.