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Loading ...It is very important to preserve history but not at the cost of future. World cricket needs to preserve test cricket but not at the cost of t2o. Alec stewart is right, England and Australia should concenterate on T20 world cup also.
Ashes to Ashes by Marcus Berkmann
By Will last year, at the end of May Add your comment below
Marcus Berkmann, who wrote one of my favourite books, Rain Men, has scribbled a new one called Ashes to Ashes
In summer 2009, by far the most popular event in the cricketing calendar comes round again – the Ashes series between England and Australia. The anticipation will be intense, the hype absurd, the sense of expectation never remotely likely to be satisfied, for two good reasons. England won in 2005 by a whisker. We can’t expect anything so good again, possibly for the rest of our lives. The second reason is even more brutally realistic. For the truth is that, over the past twenty years at least, Australia have usually won very easily. We begin with hope, we end in despair. For the many of us who follow English cricket closely, it’s a strange and terrible form of biennial punishment for crimes we didn’t know we had committed. ‘Hell is other people,’ said Jean-Paul Sartre, and as so often he was completely wrong. Hell is Ricky Ponting winning the toss on a perfect batting strip on a glorious sunny day. Hell is what happened in Australia in 2007, when the home side won 5-0. Of course we look forward to 2009. But we also dread it, as we would dread exams or major surgery. We would be foolish to do otherwise.
You need to buy it immediately. There are a torrent of Ashes-related books coming out, as you’d expect, so keep your eyes peeled on Amazon
Tags: ashes, ashes to ashes, ashes-books, book, books, cricket-books, Marcus-Berkmann, the-ashes |
6 Responses to “Ashes to Ashes by Marcus Berkmann”
May 27th, 2009 at 3.26 pm
May 27th, 2009 at 3.56 pm
What, pray tell, are you on about?
May 27th, 2009 at 9.59 pm
Self belief is important if England are to compete. Marcus seems to be pouring cold water on the expectations of English fans. You have to fight fire with fire if England are to reclaim the Ashes.
Douglas Jardine waged a war with his Bodyline barrage. Heat seeking missiles directed at Bradman’s body. Broad and Flintoff can shake up the Aussie batters. They have to believe they can win or they may as well not turn up.
The fact that England have only won one Ashes series since 1987 is history. The 2009 team can either add to the sorry results or create their own legacy.
Except for the two P’s, Pietersen and Ponting,every other player has a point or two to prove. Strauss..is he the right captain? Flintoff…is he fully fit? Brett Lee…can he come back stronger? Stuart Clark..has he lost it? Philip Hughes..is he the real deal? Bopara..will he make the no 3 his own? Michael Clarke..does he covet Ponting’s captaincy?
This battle will be won by the team that dares to attack. The team that does not fear its opponent. The smell of fear is tangible .Australia will come hard. England have to counter attack. We shall see.
May 28th, 2009 at 7.19 am
Spot on Vinay, England have to take an agressive, attacking attitude into the series and back themselves to match the Aussies. South Africa were successful with this mindset and played themselves out of some tough situations by backing themselves when they won in Aus. I did predict ‘toungue in cheek’ that the Poms have no chance but I honestly think it’ll be a close contest, provided England start and continue the series with the right attitude.
May 29th, 2009 at 2.57 am
His comments on hype are interesting. Love the Ashes, about to spend 20 hours on a plane to get to them, but thought this line on cricinfo was a bit much:
“The Australians’ low-key arrival into Birmingham on Thursday belied the enormity of the summer that lies in wait.”
Makes it sound like they’re about to go to war or something. And the Australian papers are, of course, even worse.
Well, sounds like I’ll have some interesting books to read on the plane, anyway.
May 31st, 2009 at 4.35 pm
I’ll be reading this then. His guide to cricket in the 80’s with the help of the (then) Deloittes ratings is one of the funniest books about cricket I have read.
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