ENGLAND SHAMED BY PANTOMIME

E-mail this Article

Print this Article

Subscribe to RSS Feed

Flintoff - makes the dreaded walk at the MCG.

By Frank Malley, PA Chief Sports Writer

Andrew Flintoff had just watched Shane Warne being carried around the Melbourne Cricket Ground like a triumphant gladiator on the shoulders of two team-mates.

He had just seen his England side pulverised for the fourth time by an Australian team intent on exacting every ounce of revenge for their Ashes defeat in 2005.

And then Flintoff gave his verdict.

"I don't feel powerless," he said. "We have a talented bunch of lads. There are not too many cartwheels at the moment. But a lot of people still believe in us."

It sounded a bit like Sven-Goran Eriksson trying to convince the nation that England's football team were still world-beaters after they had exited the World Cup on penalties against Portugal in the summer.

Standing in the Gelsenkirchen arena that evening it was difficult to conceive of a sporting occasion which could match the disappointment of that tournament exit.

A team which had departed England accompanied by such hype and expectation had been stripped bare, shown to be sterile, unimaginative and poorly led; a team which talked a good game but never looked like playing one against decent opposition.

The more this Ashes twitches towards what appears an inevitable whitewash the more English cricket mirrors English football.

And the hardest thing to stomach is the delusion.

The sort which sees England cricket's management and coaching staff still maintaining the team were sufficiently prepared when if they had been a piece of meat even the French would have deemed them undercooked.

The truth is the itinerary and the initial selection - two players in Ashley Giles and James Anderson having played barely any cricket for a year - were desperately flawed.

Until England admit that the chances of moving forward and learning from the debacle of the Ashes 2006-07 are slim.

But worst of all in this fourth Test was the lack of fight.

England have not been unnused to losing in Australia down the years but rarely have they done so in such feeble fashion.

By an innings and 99 runs. In less than three days. And that after promising the thousands of travelling supporters, prepared to roar them on despite the Ashes already being lost, pride and passion.

Sure, they were up against the best team in the world and let us acknowledge a brilliant bowling performance from Australia's four front line bowlers, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Stuart Clarke and Brett Lee.

But where was the stubborness of a Michael Atherton or a Geoff Boycott or a Graham Gooch, miserly batsmen who in days of yore would no more give away their wicket than buy a round for the 90,000 packed into the MCG?

The current England side are bereft of such characters. Australian captain Ricky Ponting put it best: "Every match you play for your country you've got to play as if it is your last."

Not one English player could say he has done that throughout this series. Not one on form would currently get in to the Australian side.

Not Kevin Pietersen, England's best batsman but who looked uncomfortable with his impromptu elevation to number four the order.

Not even Flintoff, whose bowling has been hampered by his injured ankle, whose batting has been less than ordinary and whose captaincy has not been in the Michael Vaughan mould.

He would never admit it but Flintoff's daring nature has not travelled comfortably with the burden of office, although it should be said in defeat he has been dignified and generous.

So the sorry show goes on to Sydney where at least England have some encouraging memories, having won there after being 4-0 down in the last Ashes series Down Under.

This time, however, they face Glenn McGrath in his last Test on his home ground, Warne in his last Test on a spinners' track one wicket away from 1000 international dismissals and Ponting determined to grind the 'Poms' into the Sydney dust.

Yet Flintoff insists: "A lot of people still believe in us."

And the pantomime cry came to mind: "Oh no they don't!"