Top 10 Desperate Aussie Pre-Ashes Mind Games
Australians are known for it and they have not disappointed ahead of this winter’s Ashes series with the usual barrage of blowing their own trumpet and disparaging the opposition. Fortunately for England all this ends on 21st November and they can get on with retaining the Ashes. Again. Here are the 10 best comments the Aussies have come up with of late.
10. Shane Watson has cracked the winning code ahead of the series; score lots of runs.
"That is the way we are going to win the Ashes.
"As a batting unit we are going to bat for a long period of time, especially in the first couple of Tests. We will see where they are at physically and mentally. That is one of our biggest goals.
"We have no doubt they will keep coming but at what level? We haven't been able to challenge that level. Keep them coming back, get them fatigued and try to keep them that way as well. Don't let them off by batting badly and getting a rest.''
9. Shane Warne makes his first appearance on this list with his most sensible point but still tries to upset the England bowling attack in the same breath.
“I think they’ve really missed a trick in not picking [Graham] Onions.”
8. Glenn McGrath hopes the weather will come to the Aussies’ aid after a rain affected second tour game for England, just before they romp to victory in their final warm-up match.
“They would be under-prepared if this weather carries on. They will want to play as many games as possible. Their match in Perth probably didn’t go as well as they would have liked. This one started well for them but they’ve only had two batsmen have a hit.”
7. Peter Siddle attempts to knock England’s all-conquering bowling attack and suggests Michael Clarke and Steve Smith give the Aussies the edge in that department.
"If you look at England's line-up over the past two, three, four years they've only used four bowlers. We've got the strength and the variety – with the two righties, lefty and a spinner – to cover all bases. You've got 'Pup' [Clarke] and 'Smithy' [Steve Smith] that can bowl a bit of part-time spin as well if 'Watto' doesn't bowl.”
6. Shane Warne is back putting some more pressure on the England camp.
“I think England have to play the best cricket they can possibly play to win. If they don’t play as well as they can, I think Australia will win the series.”
5. Mitchell Johnson comes out with some old-school bully boy tactics by threatening Jonathan Trott’s well-being.
"Trott has come out and said he is not worried about the short ball. If I can get a few of those rearing balls towards the ribs, or a throat ball, it is his fault if he gets in the way.”
4. Ricky Ponting gets in on the act suggesting England are past their best. The words pot, kettle and black come into mind.
“I think the England team might be slightly past their absolute peak, I just think they're getting to that stage where a lot of their guys have been around a long time and they've been at the top or near the top for a while. Some of their players would say the same, that they're probably just tapering off a fraction and our boys are on the way up.”
3. Warne returns with some more carefully worded “banter” as he has a go at uber-successful England skipper Alistair Cook.
“I think Alastair Cook needs to be more imaginative. If Australia play well and he continues to captain the way he does, I think they are going to lose the series.”
2. Darren Lehmann got into the spirit early on as he riled up his compatriots over the summer.
“I just hope the Australian public give it to him [Stuart Broad] right from the word go for the whole summer and I hope he cries and he goes home.”
1. Michael Clarke sinks to a new low by breaking all bonds of etiquette and reeling off the England team for the first test which apparently Cook let slip.
"I saw Alastair Cook yesterday at a Remembrance Day ceremony in Sydney and fortunately enough he gave me their team as well for the first Test match, I know he hasn't announced it yet but I thought this was a good opportunity for me."
Australia are a best price of 7/4 with Stan James to win the forthcoming Ashes series.