Here’s a hypothetical question for England fans out there: if England were to lose every Test match and one-day international from now until 2009, but then win the Ashes back, would you take it? Be honest, now.
Much has been talked and written about the indifference of the English to one-day cricket. But meaningless one-day bashes are, if anything, merely the tip of the indifference iceberg. As England fans, there’s a whole host of other things we don’t care about, from Twenty20 internationals, through the regular thrashings of Bangladesh and the West Indies, right up to – sharp intake of breath – the upcoming winter tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Oh, of course we’ll check the scores from time to time. Perhaps even watch a bit if we have Sky and remember to set the alarm. But I don’t know too many people from outside the game who have very much of an emotional investment in the outcome at all, just as long as it’s not a humiliation. England series these days feel like part of a two year-long hors d’oeuvres to the 2009 main course.
Just as Australia’s sights were fixed on the 2006-7 series from the moment they walked off the field at The Oval, the year 2009 is seared indelibly into our consciousness. It’s everywhere: in the press, on the messageboards, and very possibly in selection meetings (“I mean, Sidebottom’s accurate, but will he trouble the Australian top order?â€). And as for the detritus in between; well, the disappearance of cricket from terrestrial TV has made it a lot easier to ignore. The fact that England barely hit top gear all summer should be a point of grave concern. But to me at least, it doesn’t seem to have been.
There’s a parallel with the rugby here – the English descending on Paris this week care not one jot about the Six Nations humiliations and Antipodean kickings to which England have been subjected over the last four years, but about their performance on the stage that matters. For ‘World Cup’, substitute ‘Ashes’. I suspect most England cricket fans will willingly endure two more years of anguish if there’s a little red urn waiting at the end of it.
Interesting observations, Jonathan.
From an Australian viewpoint there is a fair degree of interest in just about every series – I think because fans are interested in seeing that the general dominance is maintained.
2009 will be of particular interest because of 2005. Suddenly England on home turf cannot be trusted to lie down against the old foe.
But Aussie fans are also interested in any worthy opponent – S.Africa and India in particular seem the most capable of threatening genuinely. Although if Australia gains an ascendancy, opposition often tend to fall away dramatically.
It is interesting that perception that the same interest isn’t there when England plays others than Australia.
I guess, in a way, it used to be that way in Australia. We used to be almost exclusively interested in the contests against England and the West Indies. I’m glad that has changed – for me, at least…
I didn’t know the indifference to cricket ran this deep in England! I wonder what it implies for the world of cricket.
Consider this:
The Windies are a shadow of their former selves, Zimbabwe is in disarray and Bangladesh haven’t really shown themselves to be “test-playing” yet. Given that people in England dont really care about “random” ODI’s:
It looks like there are only 6 real cricket-playing+cricket-loving nations left in the world! (Oz, Ind, Pak, SL, SA, NZ)….
And then people wonder why so much power is in the hands of the “Asian bloc”!
I have to disagree with SpryCorpse here- the Australian focus remains heavily on England. Last summer, the Ashes were played to packed houses, which would have been packed if there had not been a solitary English tourist. This summer, with Sri Lanka and India in town, the stadiums will be only semi-populated.
The Australia-England rivalry is still far more important then any other, in my view. Most of my cricket thinking is geared around 2009 as well; I want the new bowlers picked for the First Test to be of the sort that will give England headaches.
| 
Posts and words
Loading ...
