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Australian cricket’s current ‘crisis’ is nothing new – it’s the third such panic-stricken period in the past six years.
We heard similar claims about Australian Test cricket being ‘dead’ and talent reserves being ’empty’ after the Ashes losses of 2010-11 and 2013. Yet both of those series were immediately followed by periods of heady success for the Australians.
After being beaten by England at home in 2010-11 for the first time in what seemed like thousands of years, Australia went on a hot streak. Over the following two years, they recorded a dominant 12-3 win-loss record. The highlights were series wins in Sri Lanka and the West Indies, a series draw in South Africa and a 4-0 pummelling of India at home.
After the 2013 Ashes, which marked a streak of nine Tests without a win for Australia, the team rebounded in venomous fashion.
First, they humiliated the Poms 5-0. Then they travelled to South Africa to secure a rousing 2-1 victory over a wonderfully-talented Proteas line-up.
Both of these periods of resurgence ended with a thump and on each occasion, it was a trial-by-spin in Asia which spoiled the party.
Across 2011 and 2012, Australia climbed back up the Test rankings thanks to some phenomenal batting and inventive captaincy from Michael Clarke. In the two years after the 2010-11 Ashes debacle, Clarke piled on 2247 runs at 73, including eight tons from just 20 Tests.
Australia, at that stage, had a line-up that was thinner on talent than its current Test XI. The only batsman aside from Clarke who was a solid contributor was Mike Hussey, who was 36-years-old.
On the bowling front, Ryan Harris had obvious class but was constantly injured, Mitchell Johnson had the yips, Ben Hilfenhaus was trying to remodel his action, Mitchell Starc was raw and Peter Siddle was merely steady. Having churned through countless tweakers since the retirement of Stuart MacGill, spin bowling was a massive weakness for the Australians.
At that point, Australia had only four players who were automatic picks – Clarke, Hussey, Siddle and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Australia’s golden two years after the 2010-11 Ashes ended in horrific fashion when they were obliterated 4-0 in India.
To make matters worse, Australia also had significant off-field problems.
The team was fractured and the infamous homeworkgate only exacerbated the situation. Such was the panic around the team in the months that followed, coach Mickey Arthur was replaced by Darren Lehmann merely days before the first Ashes Test.
By the end of that series Australia had played nine Tests without a win. The outrage, scorn and hysteria among the Australian media and fans was identical to what emerged in 2010-11, as well as what we’re witnessing currently.
Just like right now, there were calls for virtually everyone in the team to be dumped. Blokes who had scored a ton or taken a five-for at some point in the preceding 12 months were put forward as Test candidates. Test line-ups featuring seven or eight or nine new faces were being suggested by Australian followers.
Many people seemed convinced that Australia’s winless streak would extend well beyond nine Tests, perhaps to ninety, such was the exaggerated pessimism.
Apparently Australia had not a single talented young player.
David Warner? A mouthy nothing. Steve Smith? Worst technique since World War II. Nathan Lyon? Prospects thinner than his hair. Mitchell Starc? Mitchell Shite.
In late 2013, negativity inundated Australian cricket like a typhoon.
It took just two days in November for the weather to clear up. By stumps on day two at the Gabba, Australia had already sewn up the first Ashes Test.
They were 0-63 in their second dig, holding a commanding lead of 222. Earlier that day, England had collapsed in terror in the face of some extraordinarily hostile bowling from the once-ridiculed Johnson.
Just four months later, Australia had rocketed to the number one Test ranking, having gone 7-1 against England and South Africa combined.
Over-the-top pessimism had been replaced by wild optimism. Many of the same people who in October had read the last rites of Australian cricket, were now proclaiming the Test side to be the world’s best.
While it was hard not to get caught up in the emotion of those months, I still felt Australia didn’t deserve top billing.
To truly earn the undisputed number one ranking, they would need to play well against both Pakistan in the UAE in late 2014 and in England in mid-2015. Australia flopped in both series, with the second loss leading to the retirement of six veterans in the space of just a few months.
Just like that, Australian cricket was stuffed again. Leading into last summer many pundits and fans thought Australia were a big chance to lose both at home and away to a solid New Zealand team. Without Harris, Johnson, Rogers, Haddin, Clarke and Watson, Australia was remarkably green and vulnerable. Their new line-up was rubbish, apparently.
Many of those criticisms were swept aside as Australia trounced the Kiwis 4-0 home-and-away, flogging the woeful West Indies in between. Hopes were high heading into the winter tour of Sri Lanka. Then the worm turned once more.
Australia was flogged. The critics returned en masse. Maybe the home summer could save Australia as it had done so many times in the past?
No. South Africa rolled through them with ease, descending Australia further into the pits of despair.
It’s a cycle which has been repeating itself for six years now. The one advantage Australia have this time around is that they have a strong core of players who are all aged 30 or younger, compared to the ageing teams of 2011 and 2013.
The question now is whether Australia has already bottomed out like they did with the 2010-11 and 2013 Ashes, or is there more pain to come over this home summer?