It all kicks off again this week, the oldest and fiercest sporting rivalry: England v Australia on a cricket pitch - at stake, a small urn and the most important bragging rights ever known to man.
As a cricket lover whose lived in Australia and taken all the flack, to be at the Oval for the final three days of the 2005 Test Series [pictured] and witness England win the Ashes back after 18 long years pitted against the most gifted generation to ever play the game was a great release.
Then something classically English happened: they thought they’d made it. The media feted them, politicians (who demolish playing fields for fun) suddenly wanted a piece of the action and Paul Collingwood – ridiculously – bagged an MBE after scoring just 17 runs in the one test he played.
While I never want to see England lose a match – especially to Australians, who I find often to be ungrateful winners and bad losers – the one positive from the following series downunder was that the 5-0 scoreline might just have woken that star-struck team to its senses: In 2006/7 it wasn’t 2005, and this summer, again, it is NOT 2005, and I’m worried about the way people are still talking about it.
There’s a direct comparison here in another sport where the national team has been a complete and utter inexcusable embarrassment, and that’s football. People still crow about 1966 as if winning the World Cup (at home) in the black and white era is still worth talking about. It’s not. The national team has done nothing since while even Denmark and Greece have bagged the European Championship. The World Cup’s not even the same trophy anymore. 1966 is DEAD. 2005 is DEAD.
It’s 2009 now so the national team, the press, the public should all focus on this summer. On paper, it’s a close one, but the Aussies have an infinitely better mindset when it comes to these tournaments and that – if England aren’t careful – could be the deciding factor.
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