Former Australian captain Steve Waugh thinks Ausatralia shouldn’t be underestimated during the upcoming Ashes series. Photo by: Lynne Sladky
Steve Waugh raises an eyebrow when asked whether it would be a permanent blow to the Australian ego if England were to win their third Ashes series in a row this summer.
‘Sure,’ he says, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. ‘You caned us in the Olympics as well. Behave yourselves — it’s all getting a bit out of control.’
The former Australia captain was in London’s Olympic Stadium on Super Saturday last August and has just been discussing the ‘damaged’ state of Australian sport, yet is still managing a laugh. But only just.
Waugh is far more confident when discussing how Australia — the fourth best Test side in the world who have just been thrashed 4-0 in India and dropped four players for not doing their homework — will relish their role of underdogs when the first Ashes Test begins at Trent Bridge on July 10.
‘It’s much the same as when I first toured in 1989 and they said we were the worst team ever to come over and we won 4-0,’ says Waugh, who scored 506 runs in six Tests on that first trip to England. ‘We would have won 6-0 except for the rain.
‘You play with more freedom when you’re the underdogs, and if things go wrong, you don’t get criticised as much because people predicted that anyway. You can play with a sense of freedom.
‘I don’t think we’ll be that much the underdogs by the time it comes round, though. The Ashes will be a lot closer than people are saying.’
This is more like it. Waugh declines to go down the Glenn McGrath route and predict a 5-0 victory for Australia, but admits he ‘would not be surprised’ if his countrymen can wrestle back that precious urn in England this summer.
The prospect of a second consecutive England victory in Australia at the end of the year is, though, unthinkable.
‘England are entitled to be favourites in the first series,’ says Waugh. ‘But we can win in Australia, definitely. My gut says you guys might win in England and we might win in Australia.’
Articulating that last sentence must have been particularly tough, but Waugh retains plenty of the grit that seems to have abandoned the current crop of players who wear the baggy green cap.
He believes England lack strength in depth, and that although Australia have a ‘hole’ in their batting since the retirements of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey, they still possess a bowling attack capable of turning a Test. Waugh’s insistence that Peter Siddle, Mitchell Johnson and 19-year-old fast bowler Pat Cummins, who is recovering from a back injury, rank alongside the best Australia attacks of the last 30 or 40 years is, however, surely a matter for debate.
‘I’m a bit surprised England have not kicked on from reaching No 1 in the world,’ says Waugh. ‘You’ve got to have a really good squad with good depth these days, with 15 or 20 players, because you’re playing so many forms of the game. The great sides have depth.
‘England are a strong side, but the Ashes won’t be one-sided for you guys. England have played pretty well, but their form has been hot and cold over the last year.
‘There are weaknesses in the England side. Jimmy Anderson is a key bowler. If he’s injured, that makes a huge difference. People will see our bowling and they’ll realise this is a quality attack that can take 20 wickets and when you do that you can win any game.’
But Waugh admits England will land a killer blow if they can successfully target Michael Clarke, who missed the fourth Test in India and will sidestep a lucrative contract in the Indian Premier League to protect hamstring and back injuries ahead of leading Australia for the first time in an Ashes series. Waugh believes England’s batting line-up can cope without regular contributions from Alastair Cook, but that Australia will be exposed if Clarke fails.
The 47-year-old also concedes that Australia’s weak displays in India have harmed their chances of success this summer.
‘To go away having lost 4-0 is pretty damaging for a lot of players — particularly the batsmen,’ says Waugh, speaking on behalf of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. ‘Some of those guys are going to have big mental scars going into the England series.
‘But you’ve got to hope the Ashes are going to be close series. If you’re playing 10 Tests in a row and someone dominates, it’s damaging for the game.’ There is still time, though, for a final volley.
‘Ten Tests is almost overkill,’ says Waugh. ‘People will turn off and not watch it — if Australia are losing, of course. If Australia are winning you’ll watch it all the time.’ – Daily Mail
