Ashes Diary: Hopes and fears

Ashes Diary / Ed Hawkins / 26 December 2010 /

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A grumpy Ian Chappell

"Ponting was a genius with a willow in his hand. His decline is sad, but inevitable"

As the end of the Ashes series approaches, Ed Hawkins picks out his top five hopes and fears for the future

1 For whoever wins, or retains, there must be perspective. If Australia produce something remarkable and regain, then we will congratulate them heartily. But let's not bill them as some sort of champion side or nation of sporting geniuses. They will have proved themselves capable of beating an average side. Likewise for England. Yes, winning Down Under for the first time since 1986-87 is an achievement but they are not 'heroes', deserving of MBEs or an 'audience with...' TV programme.

2 I want all our 'alive' bets to win. In no particular order: 2-2 to be the final score (or 2-1 England), Ryan Harris to be top Australia bowler and leading series wicket-taker, Graeme Swann to be top England bowler. I want all my future bets to win, too. At the moment most of those look likely to centre around Phillip Hughes failing to make a 50 each time he goes to the crease. Actually, scrub that. Would it not be better if he scored some runs in the second innings at the MCG in order to earn a stay of execution, therefore allowing us more potential wagers in the future? Confusing.

3 Ricky Ponting to be remembered for what he did in a 15-year Test career, rather than what he did in its last few months. Ponting must surely step down after this series, regardless of the result. Before going out to bat at the MCG, he averaged 29 in his last nine Tests. To say his batting is not what it was is an understatement. Only Sachin Tendulkar has scored more Test and ODI centuries and only the Little Master has scored more Test runs. Ponting was a genius with a willow in his hand. His decline is sad, but inevitable.

4 Paul Collingwood to retire from Test cricket. Collingwood is a great bloke, an admirable fighter and renowned team man. So he deserves to pick his time to go. Whether England win, draw or lose, that time has arrived. It would be much better to walk away rather than try to eke out another summer, having to put up with more stories about his place being under threat. By the end of the Ashes he will have played 67 Tests. That's 67 Tests more than he would ever have imagined he'd play.

5 Grumpy old men. Do away with them. Sirloin of Beef is one of the worst, bemoaning that 'it wasn't like this in my day' at every opportunity. Get over it Ian, just because you were capable of supping champers until the early hours on the eve of the Boxing Day Test in 1986 - and then take five wickets the next day - doesn't mean that it will work for today's players. Ian Chappell is another. Listen to this rant about preparation. "There's so much crap that goes on now, I'm amazed cricketers tolerate it," he screams. "You get to the ground two hours before the start, for what? To play football and throw Frisbees."

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