On the 5th of January 2014, Australia completed a whitewash of England, only the third time an Ashes whitewash had occurred.
Amazingly, Australia was ranked fifth on the ICC Test cricket ladder only a matter of months prior.
Not only that, they had just suffered a 3-0 loss to England, with the first XI constant chopping and changing, and South African coach Mickey Arthur being sacked two weeks out from the opening Test at Trent Bridge.
Australian cricket was in disarray.
Australia’s supposedly first choice spinner, Nathan Lyon, was dropped for 19-year-old Ashton Agar. A handful of games for the Western Warriors and an impressive start to his first class career had earned him a spot in the national side.
When Australia was 9-117, Agar teamed up with Phil Hughes and created history. The two of them put on a world record last-wicket partnership of 163 runs. However Agar couldn’t manage to pick up wickets, which he was in the side for. Lyon came back for the third Test.
But by then England were 2-0 up and Australia had to win every match to regain the Ashes.
To think that now we are number one in the world!
I wrote an article on how Australian cricket would return and we would become world beaters again. However, this wasn’t what the people who had, like me, spent all night sitting up and watching Australia have yet another batting collapse wanted to hear. Comments like “you’re crazy, fan boy” and “we’ll be the next West Indies” were a regular occurrence.
I admit it was a rubbish article. However I have leant a lot about writing since then, and I’ve decided to write about how the future looks bright for Australian cricket slump again.
Australia have a lot of excellent players in Shield cricket at the moment. Young batsmen such as Ryan Carters, Chris Lynn, Joe Burns, Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja and Jordan Silk. We have a bevy of fast bowlers at our disposal and the once-dry pool of spin bowling has refilled with the likes of James Muirhead, Stephen O’Keefe and even Agar, who is getting the ball to spin further.
Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner lead the way as replacements for the injury-prone Shane Watson, with Mitch Marsh and Luke Butterworth on the outer of all-rounders.
The wicketkeeper’s job is an exiting prospect for Australian cricket. Pick Tim Paine or Chris Hartley, who would offer experience and reliability, or pick someone who is young and has potential, like Sam Whiteman?
It’s a difficult choice.
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