Perth : Preview
With what feels like an eternity since Adelaide, we’re finally going to start playing cricket again. The stakes in this match couldn’t have been more widely attested: England must win to stay in with a chance. A draw here would be sufficient, but a win would do wonders. 2-1 behind with 2 to play doesn’t sound quite so bad. The Ashes could, however, be decided here - if Australia win then they regain the Ashes and the series is a dead badger.
Ahead of the game, the usual PR machines have been working overtime, especially in the England camp. The majority of the press has covered the selection issues, and specifically the debate over Giles and Panesar. Fletcher has taken an almighty amount of stick, and despite Graveney and Flintoff, and a good few other people, sticking up for him, it still hasn’t suppressed the calls for him to leave. The big question, though, has been whether Fletcher would stick with his original plan and maintain his side, or switch things around and swap any of Panesar for Giles, Read for Jones, perhaps Anderson for Mahmood. He is quite obviously in between an enormously big rock and the hardest hard place you can imagine, since if he doesn’t make the changes and the team loses again (and the series) he’ll be publically beheaded, but if he makes the changes and the team wins, then he’ll be questioned why he persevered with his original plan. Ultimately therefore he’ll either want to make the changes and see the team lose (so he can shout “HAHAHAHA, told you so” to everyone) or to not make the changes and to see the team win (so he can shout “HAHAHAHA, told you so” to everyone). But the former scenario wouldn’t make him much of a coach (and he’d still lose the series) and on the basis of recent performances the latter scenario is never going to happen. He faces an impossible task, for which I have some sympathy, but only some, seeing as he brought this situation on himself. Ouch.
From Australia, the majority of the media has been concerned with Damien Martyn’s untimely demise and the selection issue that it caused. But in true Australian style there was barely any messing about, it was more a case of
“Ah well cobber, fair dinkum Damo’s gone walkabout, howsabout giving that Symo bloke a chance?”
“Ahhh yeh, no worries mate. Bonzer.”
“Sick mate. Let’s get a couple of tinnies and spark up the barbie.”
not that I’m stereotyping at all, of course, but it does seem like Australia have a much more straightforward approach to selection. McGrath is fit, Warne is fit and they’re shaping up to be the same side that destroyed England in the previous matches of the series. In fact, Australia have already been looking ahead to the World Cup and one wonders whether they’ve taken their foot off the pedal and lost focus on the series. The Ashes are not quite won just yet.
Enough talking though, it’s time to settle this. (Sort of.)
UPDATE: England team announced
Fletcher and Flintoff went some way to fulfilling my predictions, above, and have dropped Giles and Anderson, in favour of Panesar and Mahmood. I’m not so sure about the Mahmood choice, but agree wholeheartedly with the Panesar choice. He absolutely deserves a chance. What remains to be seen is how well he copes with the massive amount of hype and pressure surrounding his place. Can he shape England’s fortunes?
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