Beat Swann, beat England
In the Guardian , Duncan Fletcher writes that despite the success of England's swing bowlers against Pakistan, the key bowler for the Ashes tour will be Graeme Swann.
Brydon Coverdale
25-Feb-2013
In the Guardian, Duncan Fletcher writes that despite the success of England's swing bowlers against Pakistan, the key bowler for the Ashes tour will be Graeme Swann.
If England are going to become the top Test team in the world they need to be able to win on flat pitches in conditions that will not suit Anderson nearly as much as those at Trent Bridge. In Australia and India, Graeme Swann will become the key to the balance of the side. He will have to keep it tight at one end while the quick bowlers rotate at the other. If the opposition can discomfort him, suddenly England's attack is not going to look nearly so effective.
Swann has already proved his worth, but he is going to have to do that again and again as England go forward. Because if I was coaching a team who were playing England, he is the bowler I would be looking to undermine.
The Independent's David Lloyd argues that England's new bowling coach might just be the man to help the fast men thrive in Australia.
The million-dollar question is whether Messrs Anderson, Broad and Finn will be effective enough when they are operating on generally batsmen-friendly surfaces in Australia with a Kookaburra ball that swings less, and goes soft more quickly, than its English, Duke, equivalent.
Why not? That is the optimistic way to look at three young bowlers who appear to enjoy hunting as a pack and are apparently blossoming under the guidance of England's still new bowling coach, David Saker. And, if Mr Saker, born in Melbourne and of Victoria and Tasmania fame, cannot give them a few pointers about succeeding Down Under then who can?
Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here