Gabba holds no fear for England

Skipper Alastair Cook accepts England will probably need to raise their game a notch or two to win a fourth straight Ashes series but almost scoffed at suggestions the tourists were running scared.

Despite the first Ashes series of the year having concluded so recently, the war of words before the second five-match encounter has been as intense as ever and Australia’s David Warner said this week that he detected fear in the tourists.

England have good reason to feel confident having dominated the home Ashes series 3-0 and Cook said his experienced side were taking all the pre-match hype in their stride.

“We certainly don’t fear anyone, that’s quite clear by the way we go about our business,” he told reporters at the Gabba, where the first test gets underway on Thursday.

“We’re a very competitive side and there’s no reason to fear any side out there. We don’t really concentrate on what people say about us, it’s about how we play in that first hour tomorrow.

“There’s been a lot of words said, but when it comes to 10 o’clock tomorrow morning, that’s all irrelevant.”

England’s one injury concern before the first test is the strained calf of wicketkeeper Matt Prior but Cook sounded reasonably confident that stand-in Jonny Bairstow would not be required.

“He’s (Prior) got the last part of his fitness to go now, yesterday he trained really well and came through all that we asked of him,” he said.

“With leg injuries, it’s usually about how you pull up the next day after a rigorous session. We’ll know pretty soon.”

Vice captain Prior, with his leg heavily strapped but clearly mobile, remained on the Gabba pitch training long after most of his team mates had packed up on Wednesday.

Prior and Cook were key members of the England line-up that contributed a torrent of runs three years ago when England won the Ashes in Australia for the first time in 24 years.

GOOD PLACE

Cook alone contributed a remarkable 766 runs at an average of 128 but was less spectacular in the first Ashes series of this year as England’s top order rarely caught fire on the slow pitches back home.

“That’s an area where we know we have to get better, we were 30 for three several times in that series and I was part of that,” he said.

“I’m happy with the way I’ve played in these warm-up games. Who knows what’s going to happen, but I feel in a good place right now.”

The feeling that England won on home soil with something to spare is one of the reasons for their confidence coming into this series and Cook suggested Australian conditions might suit their vaunted batsmen better.

“We know how important first innings runs are in Australia, if you want to set the game up, you have to score big,” he said.

“The wickets here are slightly easier to score runs on than in England, it’s the job of the batsmen to set the game up.”

Cook’s brilliant 235 not out at the Gabba in 2010 only contributed to a draw for the visitors as Australia maintained their record of not having lost to England at the ground since 1986.

Australia consider the Gabba their test match fortress and England can expect a less than welcoming reception from the Queensland public on Thursday.

That will be especially the case for paceman Stuart Broad, whose refusal to walk at Trent Bridge in the opening test of the first series infuriated many in Australia.

Cook, though, was confident the barracking would only spur on his team mate.

“He’s a very combative character, he’s an in-your-face kind of cricketer, I like that about him,” Cook said.

“Every time you give him a challenge… he’s stood up and delivered. He’s done that a number of times for England, a magic spell of bowling.

“He’s got the ability to change games. He looks in fine fettle with the ball and he’s raring to go.” 

 

Clarke gives nothing away on Ashes eve

Australia captain Michael Clarke said he was not going to promise his country “the world” on the eve of the first Ashes test.

In fact, the 32-year-old offered almost nothing by way of insight into Australia’s preparations in his final news conference before the battle with England resumes at the Gabba on Thursday.

Clarke would put to shame many politicians with his ability to talk without giving much away and his caution is perhaps understandable given he leads a team which has lost seven and drawn two of its last nine tests.

England were responsible for three of those defeats and shared the two draws in the opening rubber of the unique Ashes double-header earlier this year to retain the coveted urn for the second successive series.

So, despite a palpable sense of renewed optimism in the Australia camp, Clarke was not going to be drawn into leaving any hostages to fortune.

“I’m not going to sit here and promise the world and tell you everything’s going to be different,” Clarke told reporters.

“It’s going to be a tough battle like it was in England, we have to play our best cricket to have success no matter what conditions we’re playing in.”

Clarke swatted aside any questions about the England team with the same briskness he will hope to punish any loose bowling from the English over the next seven weeks.

Australia named a 12-man squad for the test last week and, with better news about Shane Watson’s ability to bowl, the only question is whether they go with a fourth paceman in James Faulkner or a spinner in Nathan Lyon.

Clarke made it very clear that as he is no longer a selector it would not be his call, but strongly suggested Australia should go with Lyon at the Gabba, where England have not won a test since 1986.

“The wicket looks fantastic, I think it’s a really good pitch, I think it’s going to offer pace and bounce for the bowlers, and that includes spin,” he said.

“I think spin’s had success at the Gabba because of the bounce rather than the spin.

“It’s one of the best wickets in the world to play test cricket on because it does offer good pace and bounce so your bowlers are always interested … but once you get in, it’s as good a place to bat as anywhere in the world.

“I wouldn’t imagine the conversation is about the conditions, I think it’s probably about choosing the best 11 to help us win this test match.”

As for Watson, Clarke said the all-rounder was making good progress with his recovery from a hamstring injury and would probably contribute something with the ball during the test.

“I don’t think he’ll be 100 percent and can bowl 25 overs in the first innings of a test match,” he said.

“But as we’ve seen Watto’s improved every day and I’m really confident he’ll be able to bat at his best and do a job with the ball for us.”

As for his other comments, Clarke offered that the uncapped George Bailey “was a great guy to have around”, while his take on the influence of coach Darren Lehmann was the revelatory insight that “Boof’s Boof”.

A ripple of expectation went around the room when Clarke said the batting order had been decided but he dashed the hopes of the media when he said it would not be “right” to announce it before the team was named at the toss on Thursday morning. 

 

England Look For Changes

England will be without the likes of Andrew Flintoff and Matt Prior when they play West Indies in hope of leveling the series during the third Test in Barbados on Thursday.

Star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been sidelined due to a strained hip muscle he sustained during the drawn third Test. Matt Prior will be on a maternity leave to England to see his wife and just born son.

andrew-flintoff

Flintoff’s presence at number six allowed England to add another bowler in all the three Tests – second Test was abandoned due to unplayable conditions at Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua, but in just two days time another Test was added to the schedule and was played in the near by Antigua Recreation Ground, which turned out to be a belter – West Indies managed a draw in the final hour of match.

To replace the talent of Andrew Flintoff will impossible for Andrew Strauss but he has got substitutes to fill the big shoes in Barbados and the replacement will be either freshly arrived Ravi Bopara or Ian Bell.

England might go with Bopara who hasn’t played a Test match for England from last 14 months, but considering the form of Bell, Strauss might favor the all-rounder candidate.

For complete Feature And Latest Updates Visit: www.octansports.com/cricket/cricket-news/1619/England-Look-For-Changes.htm

A Recipe for Disaster

So where is England cooking wrong? Is it the medley or inspiration? To get to the bottom, you have to check the functionality and psyche of English team. And when you see the underneath, rightly said by Sir Ian Botham, it is “Recipe for Disaster.”

Andrew Strauss

English national team lives with a vast backroom staff, wiping it down for players, who literally don’t think for themselves. Everything is supposedly solved on computers and they are perfect on cards. But when it meets the rubber, 51 all out is what you get! It is not coaching staff who will sort it for players, but players have to do their own soul searching and hit the blind spot.

Easy Grabbing

There is also a bunch of players who don’t deserve to be in the squad, at least if you judge a team for performance and motivation. Look at Ian Bell. Agreed, he has one of best techniques in the game, but sorry to say Mr. Bell, you don’t carry the greatest of playing heads. His shot selection is pathetic, which reminds of rat, who can’t resist cheese. Right hander scores exactly when another failure means goodbye.

England and Bell have to resolve this No.3 fiasco before it is beyond redemption.

Staying at top, Alaistar Cook fits more as spokesperson for Lions. Behind mikes he seems well guarded, while on the pitch, he has taken oath of not improving. Otherwise, his prolonged vulnerability just outside off would have at least improved, if not vanished. It’s not long, when cricket teams hire him for improving their butter figures in slips.

If Kevin Pietersen and Peter Moores saga would not have unfolded, it would have been another four months of consist performances to guarantee Strauss a certain berth in Ashes. But, he is captain now!

Team is battling on-field and off field issues, to manage players in these conditions and also concentrate on own game – too much of an ask from the cool left-hander. Hope he proves us wrong and emerges triumphant in testing state of affairs.

KP Dependency

England’s biggest problem in the middle order is its heavy reliance on Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff. No doubt, they are the best in English lot, but England only scores when two stay on pitch, particularly KP. His attendance becomes a type of moral booster and when he fails which is obvious (even Bradman used to) team crumbles. Just like that, why is Paul Collingwood sandwiched between the two? He is just another Bell down the order. Scores only when his place is at maximum risk.

Kevin Pietersen

The problem doesn’t end with batting. Steve Harmison, himself doesn’t know what to do? How can you expect a player so unsure about his commitment, playing for the nation? Monty Panesar keeps on bowling six similar delivers in an over, and repeats it again in the next. Stuart Broad should think whether he is a bowling all-rounder who can also contribute with bat or the other way round. He has to set his priorities. If you are a bowler your job is to take wickets. Pat Symcox scored a Test century for South Africa down the order, but was dropped from the next game; his job was to take wickets and not scoring centuries at number 8. If you are playing as a bowler you have to take wickets. If you score runs that’s a bonus not the basic.

Oh! What about Matt Prior? He just started improving!