Australia stronger than 2005, but so are England
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
Paul Harding/Action Images
We will definitely be stronger than we were in 2005 but, as I’ve said before, I think the same applies to England, writes Shane Warne in The Times.
The idea that Glenn’s 5-0 prediction has put more pressure on us is rubbish. We just think of it as Pigeon Talk, from his nickname, roll our eyes and smile. He is a very positive thinker and he can’t imagine Australia losing a game. He expects us to win them one by one, and at the end of the series that adds up to five. There’s nothing deep about it.
It will occupy a £6,000 business-class seat and spend the journey hand-cuffed to a museum curator. The metal container that it will be packed in took a whopping 18 months to make. It isn't the crown jewels we're talking about but the ceramic urn that contains the Ashes. Andrew Culf tells us more about the journey.
"The Ashes urn is so delicate and irreplaceable that you need a cast of dozens to take it out of its case, repair it, insure it, and then guard it against accident, fire or theft," writes Simon Briggs in The Daily Telegraph.
Meanwhile Ashley Giles is with England's Champions Trophy squad in India for the final part of his rehabilitation from surgery as he strives to be fit for the Ashes. Richard Ashley of The Guardian caught up with Giles in Delhi.
"This time last year some people didn't even think I was good enough for county cricket," Sajid Mahmood tells Donald McRae in The Guardian.
Such honesty is an example of Mahmood's ability to overcome disappointment - and he relishes explaining how he rediscovered himself in the wilds of second-team cricket.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo