Ashes to Ashes

Australian cricket’s fearsome tradition of toughness may be coming to an end

This is not wise. In fact, it is madness. For me, as a former professional cricketer, it is a hostage to fortune. For England, with the Ashes fast approaching, it could be worse: I am tempting fate and inviting revenge. It would be risky to whisper it at dinner, let alone spell it out in print. The timing is abysmal and I am not even sure I am right. But the idea will not leave me alone. A sneaking question keeps coming into my head: are Australia losing their cricketing edge? And I don’t just mean the Ashes. I mean the whole legend of the Aussie battler that has been constructed over decades of flinty toughness.

Australia have lost their past four series. But it’s deeper than that. At home, they face accusations that they have softened. Australia has been told for decades that their cricketing culture is the envy of the world. Has glory made them lose their edge? Do England now have the opportunity to push them into decline?

I don’t want to gloat. I owe my love of cricket as much to Australians as to Englishmen. It was an Australian Test cricketer, John Inverarity, who gave me my first cricket bat. Aged five, I was taken to meet Don Bradman in Adelaide. Later, I learnt more from a drink or two with Rodney Marsh than I did from countless hours in the nets.

Australia has an astonishing sporting culture. Take their success at rugby union, despite last Saturday’s defeat. Start with a small population (20 million). Chip off the population of four of the six states (only New South Wales and Queensland excel at rugby).