England revel in Australia's 'failings'..
Date January 25, 2013
RETIREMENTS and selection intrigue in Australia have heightened England's Ashes optimism.
Angus Fraser, the former England paceman embedded in the county system as director of cricket for Middlesex, says the effect has been to create a perception in England that Australia's batting is vulnerable and their bowling fragile.
Every development in Australian cricket this summer has been scrutinised by the Ashes foes, from the departure of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey to the return of Phillip Hughes and Mitchell Johnson, injuries to fast bowlers and the threatened middle-aged comebacks of Shane Warne and Brad Hodge.
''I believe England are in a far stronger position than Australia at this moment in time,'' Fraser said.
''England has a core of players now who they believe are the best around, so selection seems quite a simple thing. But when you're chasing wins and trying to get where you were before, which is going to be very hard for Australia, you're constantly searching for the next Shane Warne or the next Glenn McGrath and these players don't turn up very often.
''[England] have got a settled side.''
Nick Compton had come in to replace Andrew Strauss at the top of the order, but Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann had been around for four or five years and were hardened, successful Test cricketers.
''Australia, at this moment in time, don't possess players with a similarly proven track record,'' Fraser said. ''Yes, Michael Clarke is an outstanding player and Peter Siddle is a consistently good bowler, but everyone else, really, because of Hussey and Ponting going, you can't be sure.
''You'd like to think you will get a consistent level of performance from those England players; Australia could be excellent or they could fall down in a heap.''
England rested some of their best players during the ODI series in India, with Anderson, Swann and Trott absent from the series loss. But the Test team is comparatively settled.
Of course, fortunes can change quickly. Only six months ago England lost at home to South Africa, Pietersen was exiled for his destabilising behaviour and Strauss - a respected figure and two-time Ashes-winning captain - abruptly retired.
However, Fraser believes England's attack fancies its chances.
''With two major figures retiring this close to the Ashes in Ponting and Hussey it does fill England with a bit more confidence, because while Australia have got some talented batsmen, they don't seem to be of the same calibre of those who have gone,'' he said.
''Australia's batting order with the likes of Phillip Hughes and David Warner in it, they're talking about [Usman] Khawaja, [Matthew Wade], there are a lot of names that are not strong names around England, so there is a vulnerability, and with young cricketers there is inconsistency
I certainly think there is a batting line-up there that England would believe they can bowl out two or three times relatively cheaply in the forthcoming Ashes, and if you can bowl a side out three times for under 200 in an Ashes series it gives you an excellent chance of winning a couple of Test matches.''
Johnson endured a traumatic Ashes in 2009 so his comeback has been greeted with scepticism in England, despite his yielding 15 wickets at 22.33 in three Tests against South Africa and Sri Lanka this summer.
Fraser said Australia's bowling was fragile, with James Pattinson and Pat Cummins injured. Jackson Bird was looking impressive, Mitchell Starc was making a lot of progress and Johnson had got some work to do.
''He seems to be bowling pretty well again, but you just wonder,'' Fraser said.
"England played some quite good cricket between Test series against Australia but there was a mental barrier that we failed to overcome in Ashes series and you wonder whether someone like Mitchell Johnson has got an extra hurdle to overcome. One, he's got to bowl well. Two, he's got to cope with the knowledge that England's cricketers have got the better of him. Whether there has been a bit of psychological damage for him
Whether he is going to be in the strongest side Australia pick in that series is questionable.''
As Australia prepare for four Tests in India, England's next assignment is in New Zealand.
