At one stage not too long ago, during the captaincy of Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh, the Australians were riding roughshod over anyone in their path.
Over in this part of the world, we stared enviously at all things cricket, even though they were 12,000 miles away.
They’ve got a productive academy, why don’t we do the same?
They’ve got a match-winning leg-spinner so let’s look for one of those, available or otherwise.
This grade cricket system, apparently, is really good, so we should embrace two-day club cricket.
Hasn’t the Sheffield Shield only got six teams? That must mean we’ve got too many sides and too many players.
And so on and so on.
We stopped short of going fully Australian. That is, encouraging workmen to sit in the pub of an evening in just their high-visibility vest, skin-tight Rugby League team of choice shorts and boots, but we weren’t far off.
No thought given to culture, climate, history, demographics and numerous other factors, just a myopic ‘they do it, so we should imitate.’
As with all very successful teams and systems, the Australian model had plenty going for it. Some of the elements were well worth trying to emulate, but it got quite giddy at one point.
Then, things started to change.
The England team had proven to be not all crushing defeats and gallant dead-rubber victories. Their antipodean counterparts had been shown to possess a few cracks of their own.
That, however, was the case prior to Mitchell Johnson finding his range in Brisbane and the rest is, as they say…well, you can add your own description here.
Now, the Australians are back towards the top of the tree. The English have just taken their first steps on the rebuilding ladder by appointing a new coach in the shape of Lancashire’s Peter Moores.
If the decimation of an excellent side – I reckon seven places will have to be filled for the first Test against Sri Lanka in just under two month’s time – was the result of the on-field drubbings handed out, the toppling of the coach was the damage inflicted by the shockwave.
Before the Ashes started, a good case could’ve been made for it being a final stand in England colours for a handful of players, but the coach would’ve been deemed almost untouchable.
But defeat doesn’t limit its impact. Here we are with Moores being handed a second chance at the job which was snatched from him a few years ago.
And this leads back to the aforementioned point about copying the Australians.
My jury’s out regarding Moores’ appointment. He’s well regarded as a coach, you’ll find few who have a bad word to say about him and his record in charge of Sussex and Lancashire is good.
But there’s a sneaking feeling that a chance has been missed, that by harking back to the past and a coach who was unceremoniously dismissed from the position, the England hierarchy have potentially hindered a clear path in the future by being overly conservative.
A virtually clean slate has been presented by the debacle of the winter months, yet when the opportunity arose to cap it off with a fresh face, the bait couldn’t be taken.
Hark back to last summer (the English one) and the Cricket Australia’s decision to jettison Mickey Arthur and bring in Darren Lehmann.
A side at a very low ebb in need of real direction, the recognition of a malaise that couldn’t be allowed to stretch any further and a gung-ho selection.
It could’ve been foolhardy or even plain daft, but there was a bull on the loose with horns to be grasped.
The England of the recent past had got away from the leash and yet, and yet…
However, that’s the way it is, there’s a big task to undertake and Moores will have the green light to tackle it head on.
And after watching a battered carcass of a team being dragged around the five Test centres last winter, I just want to see that stopped.
I wish him well.
Rowdy
Guest
tomjas, surely you're not suggesting that the ECB is largely made up of hidebound old duffers, are you? I'm shocked! Captaincy's a tricky one, as there isn't an obvious alternative - KP had a pretty unsuccessful go at it already.
eee
Guest
Shhhh
Beauty of a geek brains of a bimbo(atgm)
Guest
I think alec wud of been a better choice?
Pete
Guest
"Nothing much is left. Broad is probably the only world class(when he decides to be) player they have left. He should be averaging under 30 with the ball and at least 30 with the bat" Nah, Cook is still better than Broad, and Bell might be too. As a Kiwi I'd love to have Cook in our side, but not Broad - I'd pick Southee and Boult any day.
Silver_Sovereign
Guest
KP was the only batsmen who turned up in 20062007 and the same of the recent tour as well. And both times his totals could have been far higher had he not been stuck with the tail and been forced to hit out. Now back to old coach, with same boring captain, it will be like England in the 90s all over again. Horrid to watch. KP was the only player you would pay to see. Even Swann was a character, even though I wasnt much of a fan of his. With him and KP gone. Nothing much is left. Broad is probably the only world class(when he decides to be) player they have left. He should be averaging under 30 with the ball and at least 30 with the bat
The Magic Man
Guest
Australia is ranked the number one team overall in Test cricket in terms of overall Test wins, Test win-loss ratio and Test cricket wins percentage. That's not really a flash in the pan record... instead success in Test cricket has been a wonderful ingrained journey for all Australian's. Australia is Test cricket. We are consistently the best. We are the most aggressive... And the rest can lean on their ordinary collective records and mind numbing slow run rates. But England... you can savour your most recent flash in the pan... because as any realistic England fan can see... another 20 years of sustained mediocrity awaits.
Alec Swann
Expert
Pope Paul I agree with that. I'm not against Moores' appointment but neither am I wildly in favour. As long as they're all singing from the same hymn sheet then the new man has to be given the chance, now that's he's been picked, to show what he can produce.
Samuel Gates
Roar Pro
Wow, I agree with so much of this. I'm not a massive Pietersen fan but he sure was one of the most talented cricketers England (or South Africa) has produced in a while. Without him you had guys like Stokes coming in at three in the ODI team. Talk about a weak batting line-up!
pope paul v11
Guest
Dunno Alec. I suggest whomever England pick, that they fight as a unit. Something totally missing from the 2013/14 series, although to be fair Johnners absolutely ripped them apart. On the brightside the 2006/7 team was much much worse.
Axle an the guru
Guest
One thing they carnt take away from KP, is the history books will always say 8000+ runs and former England Captain. PA Downtons career willnever be spoken of in the same breath, and Moores, ive never even heard of him playing test cricket. Those facts must hurt them, as its something they can never take off the man, he will always be better.
tomjas
Guest
An English journo made a good point today - in the aftermath of arguably the worst tour ever undertaken by an England side, the only 2 people to be sacked are the team's best batsman and the coach of the shorter format teams In contrast, the coach who presided over this disaster was given a cushy job near home (and apparently chose his successor) whilst the totally incompetent captain has had his position entrenched by management punting the one player who could challenge his authority Now the ECB has chosen Moores as coach despite the fact that he was a failure first time out whilst also managing to alienate almost every senior player in the process You honestly couldn't make this stuff up and it will be sweet justice if England cop a hammering all summer
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
I have found it remarkable how the Aussies winning in SA has somehow been seen as evidence of them being not as good as they think they are. I've read that so many times now. Beating the no 1 team in their own backyard means nothing nowadays as anyone can do it apparently.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Depth is an illusion at the best of times. It's about the top players - the ones already picked in the test team - performing to the best of their ability.
Broken-hearted Toy
Guest
Agreed. Talent just surging through every county obviously. Moores has been chosen at least in part as the last nail in KP's coffin. I've never seen such an open 'up yours' to a player as this latest ECB move. You can only hope it pays off.
twodogs
Guest
Moores won't last, Pietersen may well get the 10,000 he desires.
Birdy
Guest
I'm assuming you're an Aussie Cadfael; it would fit. Two good series against sides who for different reasons and to different degrees were in a period of transition (or turmoil in England's case) and we have an immediate return to Aussies pontificating on other nation's teams from the top of Mount Olympus. How quickly the humiliations of the last few years can be forgotten in the land of the selective memory. Hope you handle the impending major clear out of your oldest (and best performers). It would be a 'tragedy' if these two series were a flash in the pan given all the mouthing off that has ensued. To top it off we trot out the tired old nationality drivel - this from a country that distorted its own immigration laws and parliamentary processes to fast-track a kid (Fawad Ahmed) who couldn't have placed Australia on a map 3 years ago, in what is probably the most cynical example of nationality manipulation in modern sport. Not to mention the 'Aussie' rugby team where to be born in Australia to parents who were also born in Australia puts you in a minority.
Axle an the guru
Guest
Its Englands choice not to play Pietersen. I dont know what there worried about, they must have heaps of talent over there if they can sack the likes of Pietersen.
Samuel Gates
Roar Pro
I would like to see the likes of Sam Robson, Moeen Ali, Gary Ballance and Chris Jordan push into the England sides in the coming seasons. Chris Jordan looked quite sharp when he came out to Australia for the ODIs. England don't seem to have the same depth as Australia in First Class cricket at the moment though.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
England appears to be in a similar position to what they were in the 1970s. In this period, the top batsmen and bowlers in county cricket were all paid overseas players. Look at the recent team with players from SA, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Eire, West Indies and Australia. No problems with players like Strauss and Prior who came over as children but others have played first class cricket in their countries and even represented their countries in international U19s fixtures. England is jokingly called the Commonwealth team. Even old timers fit in, with Gubby Allen being a Sydney boy. Seriously, England needs to look to their own.
Samuel Gates
Roar Pro
Some of the remaining senior players badly need to step up now. Ian Bell needs to move from six to three. England badly need to find more class batsmen. Pietersen and Trott have left big holes.