Zimbabwe News Update
zifmstereo
11 min read
Perth — england’s arrival in australia last week was met with the expected hostility, at least from one local news outlet. Yet the tourists are attempting to kill their hosts with kindness in the build-up to next week’s opening ashes test.The west australiannewspaper set the ball rolling last wednesday with their front-page image of captain ben stokes walking through perth airport, or as they put it “sauntering”.
Headlined “baz bawl”, the piece branded stokes “england’s cocky captain complainer”.They were at it again the next day, with the front-page headlined “sitting duck” above a picture of stokes having a rest during training.This non-story started: “only under-the-pump skipper ben stokes and a couple of his no-name mates bothered to turn up to the first training session ahead of the ashes, indicating england are either complacent, arrogant or too scared of what will confront them in a couple of weeks.”england’s ‘cocky captain complainer’ (photo: getty/the west australian)england’s full squad only got together for the first time on sunday night, but monday’s edition ofthe west australiansplashed with a picture of joe root arriving at perth airport the evening before underneath the headline “average joe”.Root, who has more test runs than any australian living or dead despite never having scored a century down under, was called a “dud”.This sort of knockabout stuff is par for the course on ashes tours.
Still, england were surprised when asked for comment bythe western australianabout the reaction back in the uk to their cheap-shot front pages. None came.It is indicative of an approach by england not to be drawn into a pre-ashes war of words ahead of the series. Instead, they will greet any barbs, or provocation, with laughter and smiles.More came on tuesday after the team trained at lilac hill, where england are expected to play their strongest xi in a three-day warm-up game against the lions from thursday.Assistant coach marcus trescothick was asked by a reporter fromthe western australianabout how he used mint-infused saliva to shine the ball during the 2005 ashes.
This is something he admitted in his autobiography that was ball.Still, referencing the barmy army’s apparent promise to target stand-in australia captain steve smith over the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in south africa, it was asked whether this was “hypocrisy” from england?“i think those days have sort of changed,” said trescothick. “ashes cricket is great fun, isn’t it? So let’s keep it at that.”not rising to the bait was in evidence again when england put up mark wood for the local media in perth last friday.Are england still smarting from alex carey’s stumping of jonny bairstow at lord’s in 2023?
Would the team be as aggressive on the field as they were against india last summer?Wood’s dead-bat responses would have made geoffrey boycott proud.The west australian’sheadline forlornly concluded: “england fast bowler plays down rivalry in uninspiring press conference.”this might not make great copy, but it’s smart.
England know the whole country will be gunning for them over the coming weeks and there’s no need to pour petrol on the flames of aussie indignation.Riled by england’s talk of wanting to save test cricket since brendon mccullum took over as coach in 2022 and the “moral victory” referenced by harry brook at the end of that last drawn series in england two summers ago, the australian commentators and public are harbouring culture-war levels of vitriol.So why poke the bear?As trescothick put it on tuesday: “it is what it is. You know when you come out here you expect a little more frenzy around us rocking into the airport, going for dinner one night.“it’s front page news, rather than the back page we get in england.
It is very different, the hype and everything that goes around it, because it is ashes cricket. They look for every angle, but you know that is what it’s going to be.”this scrutiny has proved too much for england on the past three ashes tours, when a siege mentality was allowed to develop.
It couldn’t be helped on the last one in 2021-22 given the squad were literally isolated in their hotels for long periods because of covid restrictions.In 2017-18, the players were subjected to a strict curfew after stokes’ bristol street fight that saw him left out of the squad, while in 2013-14 andy flower’s end of days as coach was accompanied by a disintegration of the dressing-room spirit.England lost 13 out of 15 tests across those three tours.This time the mantra of using charm rather than inflicting self-harm bodes well given it echoes the attitude england took the last time they won in australia in 2010-11.Back then, also under flower, england did their talking on the field as they won 3-1.
Stokes and his players will be hoping to emulate that feat over the coming weeks.It will be tough, make no mistake. But it might be a little easier if they can win a few aussie hearts and minds before a ball is bowled.Source link perth — england’s arrival in australia last week was met with the expected hostility, at least from one local news outlet. Yet the tourists are attempting to kill their hosts with kindness in the build-up to next week’s opening ashes test.The west australiannewspaper set the ball rolling last wednesday with their front-page image of captain ben stokes walking through perth airport, or as they put it “sauntering”.
Headlined “baz bawl”, the piece branded stokes “england’s cocky captain complainer”.They were at it again the next day, with the front-page headlined “sitting duck” above a picture of stokes having a rest during training.This non-story started: “only under-the-pump skipper ben stokes and a couple of his no-name mates bothered to turn up to the first training session ahead of the ashes, indicating england are either complacent, arrogant or too scared of what will confront them in a couple of weeks.”england’s ‘cocky captain complainer’ (photo: getty/the west australian)england’s full squad only got together for the first time on sunday night, but monday’s edition ofthe west australiansplashed with a picture of joe root arriving at perth airport the evening before underneath the headline “average joe”.Root, who has more test runs than any australian living or dead despite never having scored a century down under, was called a “dud”.This sort of knockabout stuff is par for the course on ashes tours.
Still, england were surprised when asked for comment bythe western australianabout the reaction back in the uk to their cheap-shot front pages. None came.It is indicative of an approach by england not to be drawn into a pre-ashes war of words ahead of the series. Instead, they will greet any barbs, or provocation, with laughter and smiles.More came on tuesday after the team trained at lilac hill, where england are expected to play their strongest xi in a three-day warm-up game against the lions from thursday.Assistant coach marcus trescothick was asked by a reporter fromthe western australianabout how he used mint-infused saliva to shine the ball during the 2005 ashes.
This is something he admitted in his autobiography that was ball.Still, referencing the barmy army’s apparent promise to target stand-in australia captain steve smith over the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in south africa, it was asked whether this was “hypocrisy” from england?“i think those days have sort of changed,” said trescothick. “ashes cricket is great fun, isn’t it? So let’s keep it at that.”not rising to the bait was in evidence again when england put up mark wood for the local media in perth last friday.Are england still smarting from alex carey’s stumping of jonny bairstow at lord’s in 2023?
Would the team be as aggressive on the field as they were against india last summer?Wood’s dead-bat responses would have made geoffrey boycott proud.The west australian’sheadline forlornly concluded: “england fast bowler plays down rivalry in uninspiring press conference.”this might not make great copy, but it’s smart.
England know the whole country will be gunning for them over the coming weeks and there’s no need to pour petrol on the flames of aussie indignation.Riled by england’s talk of wanting to save test cricket since brendon mccullum took over as coach in 2022 and the “moral victory” referenced by harry brook at the end of that last drawn series in england two summers ago, the australian commentators and public are harbouring culture-war levels of vitriol.So why poke the bear?As trescothick put it on tuesday: “it is what it is. You know when you come out here you expect a little more frenzy around us rocking into the airport, going for dinner one night.“it’s front page news, rather than the back page we get in england.
It is very different, the hype and everything that goes around it, because it is ashes cricket. They look for every angle, but you know that is what it’s going to be.”this scrutiny has proved too much for england on the past three ashes tours, when a siege mentality was allowed to develop.
It couldn’t be helped on the last one in 2021-22 given the squad were literally isolated in their hotels for long periods because of covid restrictions.In 2017-18, the players were subjected to a strict curfew after stokes’ bristol street fight that saw him left out of the squad, while in 2013-14 andy flower’s end of days as coach was accompanied by a disintegration of the dressing-room spirit.England lost 13 out of 15 tests across those three tours.This time the mantra of using charm rather than inflicting self-harm bodes well given it echoes the attitude england took the last time they won in australia in 2010-11.Back then, also under flower, england did their talking on the field as they won 3-1.
Stokes and his players will be hoping to emulate that feat over the coming weeks.It will be tough, make no mistake. But it might be a little easier if they can win a few aussie hearts and minds before a ball is bowled. Perth — england’s arrival in australia last week was met with the expected hostility, at least from one local news outlet. Yet the tourists are attempting to kill their hosts with kindness in the build-up to next week’s opening ashes test. The west australiannewspaper set the ball rolling last wednesday with their front-page image of captain ben stokes walking through perth airport, or as they put it “sauntering”. Headlined “baz bawl”, the piece branded stokes “england’s cocky captain complainer”.
They were at it again the next day, with the front-page headlined “sitting duck” above a picture of stokes having a rest during training. This non-story started: “only under-the-pump skipper ben stokes and a couple of his no-name mates bothered to turn up to the first training session ahead of the ashes, indicating england are either complacent, arrogant or too scared of what will confront them in a couple of weeks.” england’s full squad only got together for the first time on sunday night, but monday’s edition ofthe west australiansplashed with a picture of joe root arriving at perth airport the evening before underneath the headline “average joe”. Root, who has more test runs than any australian living or dead despite never having scored a century down under, was called a “dud”.
This sort of knockabout stuff is par for the course on ashes tours. Still, england were surprised when asked for comment bythe western australianabout the reaction back in the uk to their cheap-shot front pages. None came. It is indicative of an approach by england not to be drawn into a pre-ashes war of words ahead of the series. Instead, they will greet any barbs, or provocation, with laughter and smiles. More came on tuesday after the team trained at lilac hill, where england are expected to play their strongest xi in a three-day warm-up game against the lions from thursday. Assistant coach marcus trescothick was asked by a reporter fromthe western australianabout how he used mint-infused saliva to shine the ball during the 2005 ashes.
This is something he admitted in his autobiography that was source: zifm stereo
