The squad we sent out there was never strong enough to mount a real challenge to the Aussies unless a couple of individuals hit world class form throughout the series. It especially wasn't strong enough when they got no practice at all before the First Test.
It did not help that we insisted on a fieldling one opener whose idiot stance prevents him ever rising any higher than county standard, and another who tries to disguise the teenage frailty of his look with a ridiculously manly beard and holds onto his bat as if he's starring in The Life of Pi and it is his last hope against the tiger. So we select seven batsmen to give us strength in depth, but in reality we've only got five. Then to ensure failure we note the opposition is full of left-handed batsmen so we select a fairly ordinary finger spinner to tempt them to go into the attack, which they do with gusto, taking him for almost 9 an over! We achieve this by leaving out one of the most experienced and successful bowlers in world cricket, who is known for his ability to get lefties out! Joy of joys. So we've got eight men max and our best player Stokes has not only not played for months, but is also known to be mentally fragile and that fragility seems to be becoming increasingly physical ........... Our fastest bowler breaks down more often than an achey breakey heart. Our best spinners don't want to play Test Cricket now. And when we have an obviously test-class cricketer in Liam Livingstone we treat him as if he is a white-ball specialist in order to discard him.
At least in the days when the team travelled to Australia by boat we'd have months in which to mull over our stupidity before the debacle unfolded before our eyes. Can't we just shovel a load of Omicron over there sharpish and organise a lavish Downing Street reception for both teams. Series abandoned at 1-0 to Australia due to Pandemic - that should satisfy Wisden.
It did not help that we insisted on a fieldling one opener whose idiot stance prevents him ever rising any higher than county standard, and another who tries to disguise the teenage frailty of his look with a ridiculously manly beard and holds onto his bat as if he's starring in The Life of Pi and it is his last hope against the tiger. So we select seven batsmen to give us strength in depth, but in reality we've only got five. Then to ensure failure we note the opposition is full of left-handed batsmen so we select a fairly ordinary finger spinner to tempt them to go into the attack, which they do with gusto, taking him for almost 9 an over! We achieve this by leaving out one of the most experienced and successful bowlers in world cricket, who is known for his ability to get lefties out! Joy of joys. So we've got eight men max and our best player Stokes has not only not played for months, but is also known to be mentally fragile and that fragility seems to be becoming increasingly physical ........... Our fastest bowler breaks down more often than an achey breakey heart. Our best spinners don't want to play Test Cricket now. And when we have an obviously test-class cricketer in Liam Livingstone we treat him as if he is a white-ball specialist in order to discard him.
At least in the days when the team travelled to Australia by boat we'd have months in which to mull over our stupidity before the debacle unfolded before our eyes. Can't we just shovel a load of Omicron over there sharpish and organise a lavish Downing Street reception for both teams. Series abandoned at 1-0 to Australia due to Pandemic - that should satisfy Wisden.