Steve Waugh says England's killer instinct is gone
Steve Waugh thinks England lack the killer instinct and will struggle in the Ashes. Waugh is one voice in a wave of criticism after England lost to Sri Lanka to level the home series. It's got to the point where grizzled ex-players are predicting a one-sided affair with Australia thrashing England on home soil. Conversely, Shane Warne thinks England will bounce back although I think he's more interested in getting in the news to promote his new website pokercricket.com.
While I'll always delight in an England loss, I don't read too much into their current form. The current team is vastly different to the one that won back the Ashes. Andrew Flintoff's old ankle injury has returned, Vaughan just had knee surgery, Giles has a hip injury, James Anderson has a bung back, Kevin Pietersen has a hamstring tear and Simon Jones is perpetually injured to the point where his 4 consecutive Ashes Tests in 2005 were the exception, not the rule. A large difference between the losing England of old and the current squad is the timing of their injuries. Previously, all their injuries seemed to happen just before or at the start of an Ashes series. It was so prevalent, a suspicion grew that the players were willing themselves injured just to escape another humiliating series.
However in 2005, England fielded the same XI for the first 4 Tests, losing only Simon Jones in the 5th. An inspired decision was to not drop any players after the 1st Test loss. And with the loss of Jones at the Oval, you could see the break in the rhythm of their bowling attack. The team is plagued with injuries at the moment but you get the feeling they could patch themselves together by November. Pietersen's hamstring tear is temporary, Vaughan is cautiously returning to county cricket, Giles is recovering and even Flintoff should have time to get his ankle right in time. It was Glenn McGrath's injury that was the difference in 2005. How the injuries fall in 2006/2007 will play a large part in who takes home the urn next time around.
| Posted by JC on Thu 8 Jun |  3 comments |
My only concern is that England don't have enough to regroup the best team before the Ashes. There's only really the Pakistan test series left, and I doubt we'll be back to full strength by then.
Posted by Matt Thornton on 2006-06-08 05:56:05
Posted by Matt Thornton on 2006-06-08 05:56:05
Plus the news just came out that Simon Jones is out for 5 months meaning the Ashes is unlikely for him - big blow for you guys. I hope the England team does get close to full strength - when we cream you, it'll be all the more satisfying against the best possible side
Posted by JC on 2006-06-08 20:46:11
Posted by JC on 2006-06-08 20:46:11
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