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By Richard Seeckts last year, mid-March Add your comment below
Not long ago it was possible to dream of a close fought Ashes series this coming summer. Since the turn of the year, however, the gap between Australia and England has grown like a crevasse in the melting ice caps; Australia’s young pups comfortably filling the boots of their retired predecessors while England have tried all manner of bowling options without finding a winning combination.
Philip Hughes is right up there with Archie Jackson and Neil Harvey for precocious talent, so will have a big part to play in the Ashes despite his lack of experience in English conditions. The problem is that Middlesex have signed him for the first six weeks of the season. At Lord’s in April and May he will learn how best to play English bowlers in English conditions. Come July, he will return to HQ in his baggy green and, quite probably, tonk England’s finest to all parts.
It’s happened before, but that does not make it clever. English cricket continues shoot itself in the foot. The chances of an Australian State employing, say, Stuart Broad for six weeks prior to the next Ashes series down under are, I suspect, nil.
Would Middlesex consider politely changing their minds about employing young Hughes? It would be uncharacteristically magnanimous for any county to make such a gesture, and be warmly applauded here.
Tags: Archie Jackson, australia, england, Neil Harvey, Philip Hughes, stuart-broad |
The other favourite trick was to give Australia a warm up match at Canterbury (sloping wicket) the week before the Lords test (on a sloping wicket).
Then there’s the fact that we always play a test at Lords – where England haven’t won since 1934. Do you reckon we’d always have a test at Sydney in the same situation? More likely the SCG would have been bulldozed to the ground!
Come on Richard I thought you guys would be more confident than that…England will be up for the Ashes and on home turf I think they will be hard to beat. Punter and his men will be hugely confident however, considering our magnificent win in SA.
It might do England’s selectors some good to see English bowlers having a go at Philip Hughes (though perhaps he could mess with the selection by deliberately playing reckless shots to become Darren Pattinson’s bunny).
I suspect, in light of England failing to take 20 West Indies wickets in four completed tests, that it is a moot point either way.
Angus Fraser says that it won’t make any difference to the Ashes if Phillip Hughes plays or not. But then he is employed by Middlesex…
Richard
Talk about sour grapes! better change that “ad” for Australian whine to Pommie whine.
Does it not occur to you that it works both ways? that Hughes playing for Middlesex gives you a chance to know all his weaknesses, and how to play him?
Typical English inablility to see the bleedin’ obvious.
Have English cricket fans become that paranoid that the thought of Hughes playing 6 weeks of cricket for Middlesex is considered a disaster?
When it was first mentioned I immediately had the same thought as Steve … it can work both ways. English bowlers will have the chance to view Hughes up close, and figure out his weaknesses. Take that into account and both sides would seem to be able to prosper from Hughes’ stint playing county cricket. The winner – Phillip Hughes or England’s bowlers – will be the one that plays the better cricket come Test Match time.
After further consultation with English and Aussie folk in England the unanimous reaction is that the reverse (a Pom playing for a state side pre- Ashes tour) is inconceivable. Fraser the bowler and Fraser the journalist would have been grumpily kicking the turf at the thought of grooming the opposition for a big Test series, but Fraser the Middlesex chief has dropped all his principles for a few cheap championship points and his salary. Read his limp justification and the chilly reception to it here:
http://sport.independentminds.livejournal.com/638446.html
Now Kent are at it with Stuart Clarke. Pathetic.
Who else is going to make runs for County teams if the Aussies aren’t there? Mitchell Johnson would slot into No. 3 for almost any team at the moment. Not sure what he’s like against the new ball though but with the way Australia has been batting lately the ball still has a bit of shine on it when he comes out to bat.
I wish England all the best trying to bowl to Hughes – I believe that he will prove himself to be the greatest of all contemporary Australian players – his footwork and reflex are amazing and he has the eye of a cat. I would suggest that his training/coaching must be something out of the ordinary. Neil D’Costa is reputed to be extraordinary as a coach hence the Indians have got him helping their best – this would have only added to the outstanding quality of Hughes.
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