A timely reminder of who holds the Ashes
Martin Johnson, writing in The Daily Telegraph , says that England's win at Old Trafford was just what was needed to remind the Australians that, injuries permitting, this winter's Ashes might not be entirely one-sided:
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
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Martin Johnson, writing in The Daily Telegraph, says that England's win at Old Trafford was just what was needed to remind the Australians that, injuries permitting, this winter's Ashes might not be entirely one-sided:
"The Australians, in that endearingly smug way of theirs, have been so busy airbrushing history since last summer that half the population still think they hold the Ashes. Their opening batsman, Justin Langer, was recently floating the suggestion that his team had become so bored and complacent with constantly sticking it up the Poms that getting beaten was actually a brilliant idea."
Not content with only upsetting one country, Johnson then turns on Pakistan's batsmen, whose bravery he questions:
"Their coach's plan to get them ready for Harmison by pinging a cricket ball at a marble slab would have been better served by cutting a hole in the practice net in the general area of square leg in order to provide them with an escape route ...
"This is a team who congregate for five prayer meetings a day, and Harmison at full throttle on a bouncy pitch is certainly no impediment to acquiring religion."
Martin Williamson is executive editor of ESPNcricinfo and managing editor of ESPN Digital Media in Europe, the Middle East and Africa