Pre Ashes Thread

[vamos_rafa]

Botham happy with Ponting-Warne spat

Legendary all-rounder Ian Botham "loved every second" of the public spat between Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting as he feels the "turmoil" in the Australian camp has enhanced England's chances of winning the Ashes next month. "Oh, yes, I've heard all about Warnie and Ricky Ponting and I'm loving every second of it," Botham told 'The Sunday Telegraph'. "That is turmoil, and the more turmoil Australia are in, the better it is for us. It's great when the Aussies start whingeing among themselves. "I don't blame Warnie for what he said and I don't blame Ricky for his reaction. But something obviously isn't right down there for it to happen in the first place," Botham added. Legendary spinner Warne had questioned Ponting's tactics during the Bangalore Test against India, especially the use of spinner Nathan Hauritz during the match. Subsequently, reacting to Warne's comments, an upset Ponting said, "Every field Nathan (Hauritz) had, was as per his request. That's the field he wants to bowl with, unfortunately it doesn't appear that Shane would take his time to ask anyone about it; he has his opinion out in the public at the moment. It's a personal opinion, I guess." He went on to add, "The thing about international cricket is that different people say different things at different times. We don't agree with all of them. There is no doubt that we will face some criticism having lost, it would have been nice if he was more informed before making such comments". Botham said that he could not believe that there were knives thrown at the Australian captain before the start of the Ashes series. "If someone feels like they're making a constructive point that he feels is right, he's entitled to his opinion. Warnie is one of the best cricketers who ever lived, so why shouldn't he be able to say what he thinks? "Whether it's Ricky Ponting or anyone else, he's allowed to speak his mind. But then Punter is allowed the right of reply. Like I said, this is all great for England," Botham said. "What's going on down there? Keep it going. "I think it's great they're all squabbling and arguing and telling each other what they should be doing. Someone says let's do this and someone says, no let's do that. "Someone says we should be going this way and someone else says we should go the other way. It really is brilliant. Keep it up boys, I'm loving it." The Warne-Ponting disagreement made big news in England for 24 hours. It also portrayed that Australian cricket team is at an all-time low and falling apart. When Botham was asked if he was confident that England would win their first series in Australia since 1986-87, Botham said, "I'm not worried about England at all." "There's not one thing I can come up with that gives me any concern. England are in great shape.

:hysterical: :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[vamos_rafa]

Broad vows to keep emotions in check

Stuart Broad, the England allrounder, has said he will keep his emotions under control on the tour of Australia, in what is expected to be a heated atmosphere in front of big crowds during the Ashes. Broad has had his share of troubles on the field with regard to discipline. Most recently, in August against Pakistan, he was fined by the match referee for hurling the ball at the batsman Zulqarnain Haider out of frustration. "I know the lines that are there and not to cross them," Broad told BBC Radio 5 Live. "I did cross that once this summer and got punished for it, but I've learnt from my mistakes and hopefully this winter all will go to plan." Broad, who will be on his first Test tour of Australia, sought inspiration from his father's exploits - Chris Broad scored three centuries - in 1986-87 when England last won an Ashes series in Australia. He's picked up 97 wickets in 32 Tests so far and said he'll remain aggressive while ensuring he stays calm. "I'm a passionate player when I pull that England shirt on; it's a very special and proud moment for you," he said. "There's a fine line to it. I don't want to lose any of that passion for the game; as a bowler I need to have that real desire to get the batsman out and be in their face and be aggressive. "You have got to try to make the batsman feel a bit uncomfortable to get him out. "It's just important to try to keep a cool head and stay logical rather than emotional. But then again you have to keep that balance between not becoming too logical because you need to have that passion in order to play to 100% in the game." The key to England's success in Australia, Broad said, was for the batsmen to score big with a strong bowling line-up to back them. "Runs on the board is the key," he said. "We've got a bowling attack with a lovely balance to it - two tall bowlers [broad and Steven Finn], a fantastic spinner [Graeme Swann] and James Anderson who can swing the ball. "We all know that scoreboard pressure creates wickets. So if we go and get 400 in the first innings - which is what we target every time - it puts huge pressure on the Australians. Big first-innings totals are something we need to produce." A worry for England over the past few months has been the form of Kevin Pietersen, who averaged 27.75 in the four Tests against Pakistan. Pietersen has not scored a Test century since March 2009 and was dropped for the ODI series against Pakistan. He then went to South Africa to play some first-class cricket in preparation for the Ashes, but has, so far, failed to impress. "The Ashes is set up perfectly for him to fire back into form," Broad said. "He's a big-game player and I have no doubt that he'll step up and perform for us in Australia."

Someone please get some work for these verbal diarrhea inflicted Poms

[Bradman99]

this guy.. he's the one making a big deal out of it haha

[99.94]

england no gonna to win at australia,:--D punter no need to take reirement,:two_thumbs_up:

You said it

[99.94]

He picked up a broken rib in their recent "boot camp" where they also practiced boxing. Apparently some guy punched him quite hard and broke a rib!! :hysterical: I never want any player to get injured but this is pure comedy. I wonder if it was one of the reserve bowlers who saw his chance for a place in the test side and got a bit excited!

They tried to copy Australia's boot camp idea and it failed quite badly.. :haha:

[mastana]

lol @Botham. Let him be happy, fact is Aus gonna whoop Eng's sorry a**.

[Sachinism]

Keep what emotions in check? I've seen his wrap sheet, pretty clean record, must be a nice guy

[King Tendulkar]

^:giggle:

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England Ashes bootcamp organised by Australian special forces Fresh questions are being asked of England's boot camp after it emerged their calamitous boxing session was organised by Australian special forces. More...

[Hindustani]

lol @Botham. Let him be happy' date=' fact is Aus gonna whoop Eng's sorry a**.[/quote'] I will reserve my opinion, Aussies need to get their act together, though they do have home advantage

[Sachin2210]

I'll cheer for England,I've never supported Australia and this time it will be no different. This series might prove to be closer than most of you expect it to be.Australia aren't as good as they used to be,Yeah I know they are playing at home but it would be a mistake to write England off even before the first ball is bowled.England have a decent squad and if they can be at their very best right from the start,then they do stand a chance against the home side.

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Australian spinner Nathan Hauritz unlikely to be picked for first Ashes Test against England at Gabba Australia are likely to overlook besieged off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for the first Ashes Test and welcome him back later in the series. More... Australian spinner Nathan Hauritz unlikely to be picked for first Ashes Test against England at Gabba By Will Swanton From: The Daily Telegraph October 18, 2010 Not required...Nathan Hauritz. IT'S not you, it's the pitch. Australia are likely to overlook besieged off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for the first Ashes Test and welcome him back later in the series. The Gabba, venue for the first Test against England, will have its traditional pace and bounce and with Australia's speedsters a team strength, the hosts are expected to load up on the heavy artillery. Captain Ricky Ponting will have Marcus North to fall back on for spin, while Michael Clarke and Simon Katich can also deliver some slow stuff. Unless something goes awry with the pitch preparations at the Gabba, Hauritz is likely to be carrying the drinks. It will be the match conditions rather than his unflattering returns in India that cause him to be temporarily pushed aside. Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson, who has already signalled his intention to knock Kevin Pietersen's head off, will lead Australia's pace attack. Peter George, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris and bolter Mitchell Starc will be in the hunt to make Australia's final XI. Hauritz was hoping to use the one-day series to bounce back from the unflattering figures he racked up in the Tests, but the opening match at Nehru Stadium yesterday was washed out before a ball could be bowled. The Australian players didn't even leave their hotel. However, India captain MS Dhoni took the opportunity to say Hauritz bowled better than most people gave him credit for in the Tests. Dhoni said his own spinners, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha, would have struggled to contain Sachin Tendulkar and Australia would be making a mistake by shunning Hauritz for good. "He did decently well," he said. "He's a good bowler." The next one-day match is on Wednesday.

[VRV Singh]

I get the feeling a lot of this verbal diarrhoea from the Pom side will come back and bite them...Beefy thinks the series is a foregone conclusion :cantstop: You'd think the series is against Bangbros In this respect it would be quite funny if England get spanked. OTOH :punter: losing means he'll never be seen again, probably. Vin vin

[DIAMOND]

Me- for once, with the Aussies (underdogs??), English cry babies gonna loose by a 2-3 test margin, i say.

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Andrew Strauss has no regrets over Ashes boot camp, despite James Anderson's rib injury Andrew Strauss is adamant that England’s controversial ‘boot camp’ was a risk worth taking even though it ended with Jimmy Anderson suffering a potential knock-out blow.More... Andrew Strauss has no regrets over Ashes boot camp, despite James Anderson's rib injury By Paul Newman 19th October 2010 Andrew Strauss is adamant that England’s controversial ‘boot camp’ was a risk worth taking even though it ended with Jimmy Anderson suffering a potential knock-out blow. Anderson suffered a broken rib in a boxing match with fellow fast bowler Chris Tremlett during a five-day bonding trip to Germany that will go down as the first serious mistake of the Andy Flower-Strauss regime. Strauss yesterday insisted that the England strike bowler will be fit for the first Test in Brisbane on November 25 and defended the reasons for taking the Ashes squad out of their comfort zone ahead of the biggest tour of them all. Fist of fury: Anderson ‘This camp was about testing us as a group and going through a shared experience that wasn’t easy and the reason we did that is we’ve got some tough times ahead,’ said Strauss. ‘It would have been easy to sit on our sofas saying “we’ll be fine” but it was important we prepared as well as we possibly could.’ Strauss claimed that a condition of the trip was that the possibility of serious injury was slight but that did not stop England pitting the middleweight Anderson against the 6ft 7in heavyweight Tremlett. ‘It wasn’t designed to be overly physical and we just had 30 seconds of boxing,’ said the England captain. ‘Jimmy just happened to get one during those 30 seconds but if you worried about doing something you would end up not doing anything. The reason the trip was held at the end of the season was to give us plenty of time if something did go wrong. Thankfully Jimmy should be OK.’

[Bradman99]

Australia's Test cricket team needs a personnel change after their recent form slump, foxsports.com.au users say, with Usman Khawaja receiving a groundswell of support to play in the first Ashes Test. In a recent blog asking users to name their Ashes XI, cricket fans voted in numbers for Khawaja to come in to the team at the expense of Marcus North or Mike Hussey. Joshua Laufer was one of many users who selected Khawaja in his first Test team, and his summation also echoed the thoughts of fans who are ready to see fresh faces in Australia's team. "Khawaja could be our next great player," he said in the blog. "The sooner he is in the mix the better." Khawaja, 23, realises he is edging closer to his boyhood dream, but he is doing his best to contain his excitement and keep his feet on the ground. "If I could just play any game for Australia, whether it be in the Ashes or anything, it would be freakin' awesome," Khawaja told foxsports.com.au. "But if I think too much like that, it might not happen at all. "You pretty much have to block out those distractions because we are not only playing four-day games. I still have to perform for the Blues in the one-dayers and Twenty20s, and worry about that first. "The season has only just started and between now and the Ashes, there are still a few games. "So even if something happens, I still have to keep putting my hand up and scoring runs. "And even if I keep doing that, the guys in the Aussie team have been there for a while and cemented their spot by playing well for Australia over a long period of time." Many users who selected Khawaja pointed to his young age and prolific run-making at first-class level as reasons why the left-handed batsman should be rewarded with a baggy green. Khawaja averages 53.9 in his 21 first-class matches to date, and he staked his claim for Ashes selection by hitting a double-century against South Australia in New South Wales's opening Sheffield Shield match. His impressive start to the season comes on the back of a fruitful 2009-2010 season, in which he amassed 698 runs at 63.45 in seven matches, streets ahead of North, who scored 294 runs at 24.5 from the same number of matches. But does Khawaja have the belief to repeat his run-scoring form in the pressure-cooker environment of an Ashes series. Khawaja says his selection for Australia on the recent tour of England to play Pakistan gave him a huge boost in confidence. "I realised (on the tour) the way they do things is very similar to the way I do things, and how they think is how I think," he said. "So it kind of humanised the Aussie guys a bit, and makes you realise that if a chance comes then you're not too far away. "I believe in my own game, I feel I know my own game, and I sort of feel like I've had that first-hand experience with the Aussie guys over in England. "I think Australia has got the best domestic competition in the world so I think if anyone is ever going to be ready to make it at international level it seems like it will be Australia. "I think that’s why we have done so well over a period of time." The foxsports.com.au users have made their decision, but Khawaja knows all too well that nothing in cricket is ever certain. "It's a funny game, cricket," he said. "Some days you think 'I am not going to make it to tomorrow', and other days you feel on top of the world. Over the last couple of years, it has been a bit of a roller-coaster ride emotionally." "But there is always a goal and I am getting closer and closer. "But I am not there yet so I have got to keep doing my stuff."

[99.94]

Drop North who just scored a century in the last test? Funny that when North scored a hundred I asked how long it would be 'til people asked for him to be dropped I got this response. "I give it one Test. Possibly even this Test if he gets a low score in the second innnings. The Sydney media especially will have to get their spin into overdrive to talk this hundred down....got to keep pushing for their home town Wonderkid Smith. " Typical NSW bulls**t, now they're pumping up Khawaja to replace North?

[vamos_rafa]

This is something similar to what Guru Greg did when he first took over the reigns. He had conducted an Army style coaching camp for the indian players. But I don't think it made any kind of a desired impact as neither did we bind together as a team nor did it make us strong.

[Bradman99]

Drop North who just scored a century in the last test? Funny that when North scored a hundred I asked how long it would be 'til people asked for him to be dropped I got this response. "I give it one Test. Possibly even this Test if he gets a low score in the second innnings. The Sydney media especially will have to get their spin into overdrive to talk this hundred down....got to keep pushing for their home town Wonderkid Smith. " Typical NSW bulls**t, now they're pumping up Khawaja to replace North?

I know you're a fan of North.. I'd still rather Khawaja.. Maybe it has something to do with me being a NSW fan :--D

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Lee urges Aussies not to stir Pietersen Former Test spearhead Brett Lee has warned Australia's planned assault on England batsman Kevin Pietersen could backfire spectacularly and cost the hosts any chance of regaining the Ashes. More...