| 
Posts and words
Loading ...
wisden-cricketer-magazine
The 2005 Ashes. Remember it? Read this
By Will last year, mid-January, 17 Comments »
My mate Dan, who continues to claim he works for The Wisden Cricketer magazine when we all know he’s much too small to hold such a prestigious position, needs your help. Don’t worry, nothing like that. Cast your mind (or minds), Britons, back to 2005 when the country was gripped in Ashes fever. He’s kindly asked for your assistance. From his high-chair in a posh part of London, he reached forward with all his Norfolk might to the keyboard and thus wrote:
“The world’s leading cricket magazine (yes, really) wants to hear from you or your friends for four very good reasons:
- Those who got into cricket (or back into cricket) through the 2005 Ashes.
- They’d want to hear your stories and reasons and be available for a phone interview throughout March.
- Those who got into the Ashes 2005 but have paid no interest to cricket since (everyone has a friend like this). (Dan, this is you. WL)
- Those who skived off work to watch the series or spent far too much time following it online at work.
- Those who were at the parade.
Always the skinflints, TWC do not pay for interviews but they are very nice to you”.
I can confirm the last sentence is emphatically correct on nearly both instances. So, leave a comment with a brief memory or five about how you felt during the series, how you followed it, and Dan’ll be in touch
17 Comments »England a ‘one man team’?
By Scott 4 years ago, mid-April, 6 Comments »
Actually that is a simplification of remarks that Matthew Hayden made in an interesting interview to The Wisden Cricketer magazine. I think if you challenged him on that score, what he would agree is that Andrew Flintoff is the player that made the difference between the two sides. He does add tremendous depth to England’s cause and I doubt England can be a real force in cricket without him.
Not that the likes of Simon Jones, Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick are not great cricketers. It is just that Flintoff completes the team, instead of just having a collection of useful cricketers.
It’s notable that Flintoff made an impression on Australia; indeed, so much so that selectors immediately started looking around for their own version. They invested hopes in Shane Watson, and he’s got a bit about him; a hard hitting batsman and a fast bowler that can get the ball up at around 140 kmph. However he injured himself in the Test against West Indies at the Gabba and his place has been taken by Andrew Symonds. Symonds has proved himself a modest cricketer at this level, and is no match for Flintoff, at least in Test cricket.
And sadly Watson’s comeback plans have been thwarted again. He scored 201 before retiring hurt in Queensland’s win in the Sheffield Shield, and that injury has now kept him out of the ODI leg of the Bangladesh tour. Australia will have to look elsewhere to find a match-winning all-rounder.
6 Comments »