For several years cricket teams have been criticised for being good only good at home and for being incapable of mastering foreign conditions.
Every time a team reaches number one status after an extended home season they get their socks beaten off on foreign shores. England in India, Australia in Sri Lanka, South Africa in India, India in England – the list just goes on.
In 2015, with the exception of Pakistan defeating both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Australia prevailing over the West Indies, India overcoming Sri Lanka and England putting one over South Africa, no touring party won a Test series. That is five wins for visitors in 19 series played that year.
In 2016 New Zealand and Sri Lanka prevailed over Zimbabwe, India beat the West Indies, South Africa beat Australia and Australia in turn rolled New Zealand. That was five successes in 18 overseas series.
In 2017 South Africa best New Zealand, both India and Pakistan put one past the West Indies, South Africa defeated New Zealand and Sri Lanka prevailed over Pakistan. For the second year running the score was five of 18 and for the third successive year only five series were won by a touring country. In all these years even fewer teams won warm-up tour matches.
But next year that’s all about to change.
Cricket Australia has found the Holy Grail, the Shangri-la, the Godot. It has discovered a way to emulate the Invincibles of 1948. Never again will touring teams despair about not winning in foreign destinations.
In the English summer of 2019, when Australia travels to the mother country for the much-awaited Ashes, it will occupy double the normal number of seats on the Qantas Airbus A380, for there will be not one but two Australian teams flying to the British Isles.
The Australian Test side will clash with its own A team in the only warm-up game before the Test series starts. No matter what Joe Root and his boys have in store for Justin Langer’s boys, at least one Australian team will in all likelihood come away with a victory under its belt.
With one master stroke Cricket Australia has forever banished the prospect of a winless away series.
Let the games begin.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
It often goes unnoticed that South Africa has done very well over the last ten years away from home winning nine series, including 2 each in Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies and New Zealand, one in England plus two draws (no losses) vs Pakistan in the UAE and one draw in India and one draw in Bangladesh. It’s true they were flogged 3-0 on their last try in India in 2015, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen pitches that were doctored worse to favour spinners from day one than in that series. (I’m not Sth African by the way.)
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
What if Australia A beats the full strength Australia?!
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
Very true. That Number One ranking clearly has little meaning.
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
Of course it’s satire guys! Loosen up! Too much serious cricket discussion is very bad for our health ???? I love the idea of course with every host refusing to put up serious opposition for the warm up games. The Essex team when india went to England was an absolute joke.
Paul
Roar Guru
What ever helps to win the Ashes I'mall for - as long as it's legal and within the spirit of the game. By the way, I'm not surprised at how difficult it is to win away from home when you look at the ICC Test rankings. There's only 15 points separating the top 7 teams, which would imply any one, on it's day is capable of beating another side, especially at home.
Paul
Roar Guru
That was my take as well Kopa.
Kopa Shamsu
Guest
Umm, was it sarcasm? Confusing. How come A games can end overseas loosing streak?. Normally A games are of 3 days and end up in draw. And for win,if i remember correctly they lost 3-2,that means they had 2 "victories under belt". In fact as far as i can remember, i do not remember England whitewashing Aussies in last decade or so in either country.
SDHoneymonster
Guest
In fairness, I can understand the logic behind Australia's thinking here. Usually touring sides come over here and get to play a couple of county XIs that are made up of second teamers, academy kids and the odd ringer, with the county electing to rest their first choice players with an eye on the gruelling demands of the county season. Therefore a game in English conditions against a fired-up A side looking to prove themselves to the selectors and management could well prove to be a more useful exercise than one against a side for whom the game is little more than a nuisance in an already too-busy season. Also don't forget that the World Cup comes first, so many of the Australian squad will likely have been getting acclimatised already, albeit in a different format. It's still not really ideal preparation, but which side gets that anymore? The last touring team I can think of that truly thought it through and reaped the rewards was England all the way back in 2010, and even then they had a major wobble on the opening morning at the Gabba.
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
Haha precisely !
Naresh Sadasivan
Guest
If athletics can do, if table tennis, and tennis, and squash, and badminton can do, why not cricket, argues Australia. This one is just a prelude to the real thing in 2021, when Australia will tour England for a full 3 months to play Australia. That will truly and memorably be an Australian whitewash on English soil.