Former England captain turned commentator Michael Vaughan isn’t giving them much chance of regaining the Ashes, after the summer’s series was given the all-clear by the England Cricket Board.
After much speculation over whether the tour could be cancelled due to concerns over Australia’s mandatory quarantine restrictions – and uncertainty over whether their families would be permitted into the country – the series was officially agreed to by the ECB. But speaking to ABC Grandstand’s Corbin Middlemas on Saturday, Vaughan said the visitors will have a tough time returning home with even a solitary victory.
“I’ll be totally honest with you – this series could be 5-0,” Vaughan said.
“You’ve got to be realistic. The last four tours of Australia, England have lost 5-0 twice, 4-0 once, and obviously they won in 2010-11.
“This England Test match team are the kind of side that, if they get on a roll and get playing well, they’ll be fine. But if they start badly – so if they go out of Brisbane having gotten a hammering, it is going to be a long tour for them.
“They do have it in them to beat good sides, but they also have it in them to lose against anyone.”
With talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes all but ruled out of the tour after undergoing finger surgery, their chances for an upset victory rest on the shoulders of captain and gun batsman Joe Root, according to Vaughan.
Root has enjoyed a career-best 2021 so far. In 12 Tests, he has tallied an eye-watering 1455 runs at 66.13 for the year, including six centuries and two double-tons, to have Pakistan great Mohammad Yousuf’s Test record haul of 1788 runs in 2006 within reach.
By contrast, there has only been one other triple-figure score made by an Englishman this year – 132 by opener Rory Burns against New Zealand at Lord’s.
“If Joe Root can somehow install some of his methods into a few of the others, of course they can be threatening,” Vaughan said.
Joe Root celebrates a Test ton against India at Trent Bridge (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
“They’ll massively miss Ben Stokes’ runs, so Ollie Pope will get that slot. A very promising young player, but he’s yet to really step up… this is the ultimate challenge.
“And then you look at the likes of [Jonny] Bairstow and Jos Buttler: dangerous players, but very inconsistent.”
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However, Vaughan has spied a glimmer of hope for England fans heading into the series, claiming the favourites are ‘vulnerable’ when things start to go against them.
“I don’t think they are anything like an Australian side of old. I think they are a good team with a very good bowling attack, but they’re certainly vulnerable,” he said, pointing to the Aussies’ 2-1 loss to an injury-riddled India last summer as evidence.
“Going 1-0 up; bowling India out for 36 at the Adelaide Oval; [Indian captain] Virat Kohli going home, and then not to win that series — it tells me they are a vulnerable team.
England had previously suggested the Ashes would be cancelled if they were unable to send “a squad befitting a series of this significance”, with several senior players reported to be reluctant to tour. However, with captain Root now all but locked in, it appears the rest of the players will follow the leader down under.
Vaughan also expressed his disappointment in Australian Test captain Tim Paine’s comments on SEN Hobart, over which he has been accused of lacking empathy for England players unwilling to head into another ‘bubble’ environment now part and parcel of international cricket in the COVID-19 era.
“The First Test is on December 8th — whether Joe (Root, England captain) is here or not,” Paine said. “No one is forcing any England player to come. That’s the beauty of the world we live in — you have a choice. If you don’t want to come, don’t come.”
Vaughan accused the skipper of lacking ‘class’ in his comments, pointing out that Australia haven’t played an overseas Test since the beginning of the pandemic, while cancelling a number of tours of their own in the process.
“As a Test match captain, you have to show a bit of empathy,” Vaughan told ABC Grandstand.
“In the last two years, he hasn’t taken his team overseas. He hasn’t had to go through what these England players have gone through. He hasn’t gone through what Joe Root has gone through. He plays only one format of the game. I do believe he showed a bit of lack of class.”
“I don’t think that went down well with the players. And particularly, anyone that’s captain of an international side, I personally think he didn’t need to say what he said.
“I’m not too sure whether in time Tim Paine will look back at those comments and think, ‘Maybe I got that wrong.”
(Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Vaughan also targeted Paine’s captaincy, which has drawn criticism from fans and analysts alike throughout his tenure, as a potential road to victory for England.
The wicketkeeper was roundly savaged for several blunders throughout the successful 2019 series in England, in which he spurned a crucial review late in the dramatic Headingly Test and controversially opted to bowl first in the dead-rubber Fifth Test. Both ended in Australian defeats.
“When the pressure’s on, and I think that’s the message I would say to England: get Australia into days four and five when they know they can lose and get them in a tactical battle,” Vaughan said.
“It’s been proven of late that if you can get Tim Paine into a tactical battle… I do think you can get Australia.
“If you can get Tim Paine thinking, and get him into that pressurised zone… anything’s possible in cricket these days.”
The first Ashes Test is scheduled to start on December 8 at the Gabba.
Craig
Guest
Surely you can't be serious.
Simoc
Guest
It was Paine that put England into bat in the last test in the last Ashes. Scarcely believable in the circumstances but drawing the series was all he wanted. No doubt he'll throw in another gem decision this series and rely on the team to dig him out of the hole.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Bring back Funky Miller!
Lukestar
Roar Rookie
"Good luck. We're all counting on you."
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
Micheal vaughan doesnt know know what he is talking about.You never make silly predictions like that ,anything could happen in Ashes series.I think you should be a close one.Never count your chickens before they hatch.
Ace
Roar Rookie
Fleming would be a fool to not read and post any further articles particularly with an ally such as yourself on his side Micko :happy:
Dave
Guest
It's more of a problem not to play many Tests. Not like form was good before the break.
Dave
Guest
Pre-Warne, May was very average - in and out of the side along with Taylor, Sleep and Matthews. With Warne, he bowled well in a few innings. I think Lyon is overrated but streets ahead of May.
Dave
Guest
TP is a mouth who likes tabloid radio. And a competent Test #7.
Paul
Roar Guru
I find it very difficult to accept criticism from Vaughan to another Test captain when this guy presided over the ball tampering which ulitmately helped England win the 2005 Ashes. If he wants to talk about acts on the field "lacking class", that's got to be up there. That said, Paine's comments are predictably coming back to bite him. I also wonder when planet Vaughan lives on after this comment. “If Joe Root can somehow install some of his methods into a few of the others, of course they can be threatening,” Root has been in charge of this team for 56 matches, including the past 17. How is he magically going to install(?) some of his methods into his players now, when he clearly hasn't be able to do so over the past 4 years? Vaughan's also made an assumption that if England gets into a day 4 or 5 with Australia, they'll be level or in front on the scoreboard. They could well be chasing 500 to win on the last 2 days or needing to bat time to save a Test.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
The other thing about sending them in at the Oval is that the last time the team batting second won an Ashes test there was 1972.
Jak
Guest
Oh PO Vaughn. The excuse that “Australia haven’t traveled” is wearing thin. They bailed your ECB out to the tune of $150 million. If the ECB schedule 18 tests a year that’s their problem.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Jeff there are already huge questions on paines captaincy both on and off the field and many commentators held their toungue after starting to lay in to him during the indian series for inept decision making let alone key moments in the UK ashes . Respectively I have to agree Paine has severely contributed In costing Australia key results in series against India at home and england abroad and many will agree with that assessment as per this article including Australian test players who progress carefully with PC stances around their commentating duties . Healy warne border have all made comment about paines poor decision making at times only to then make neutral comments after . Paine has made careless to dangerous comments off field against Afghanistan and now England during the pandemic
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Spot on micko I can list more Paine mistakes at lord’s final day and at mcg against India but he was dire as captain at headingly . Not to mention sending England in to bat at the oval first (after we had just been out in the field bowling the test previous ) . Mistake after mistake as captain and we drew and lost key series that we could have won and or drawn respectively . Alot was down to paines inept decision making tactically , so many poor drs decisions and crumbling under pressure with panic decisions. He took way to long to bowl labuschsnge too at the Manchester win from memory where the ball was turning
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Micko I made the calls about starc lyon going in to Sydney and Melbourne tests but got lambasted after I said they are weaker grounds at times for both and that they hadn’t fared well against quality teams at mcg and scg (their averages are much worst at both grounds and got bolstered by Pakistan white wash. their averages at those grounds were nowhere near as good as Adelaide Perth and Gabba where bounce deck and movement suits both . Pink ball really suits starc in evenings . They refused to bring Pattinson at mcg who is a machine there and we lost there and refused to bring neser in to the mix at scg and Gabba in particular . As for paines captaincy the decisions and results speak for themselves
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Yeah maybe ... he's one of quite a few from our golden era who were born 1970 and 71 .... Ricky Ponting was the first younger than me to debut for Australia in test cricket. Michael Kaspowich and Andy Bichel were to my knowledge the only Aussie test cricketers born in my 1972 year to play for Australia but both debuted after the Little Tozzie Legend who was born in 74. It seems there are none born 73, though 74 also has Martin Love and Brad Hodge. 75 has Symonds, Gillespie, Hussey and someone else who I forget. 76 has Brett Lee and I can't think of too many between 1977 and Michael Clarke and Shane Watson 1981.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Not sure Bernie. I'm guessing he will read it more now since he has a vested interest though.
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Hey Micko do u reckon the bowlologist reads the roar regularly?
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
Yes I noticed that too but in the style of Flying High ‘That’s not important right now’.
The PTA has disbanded
Guest
The article got a minor point wrong. England are looking to regain, not retain the Ashes. Australia has the ashes at the moment.