Warne on the Ashes

[Beny]

England is talking up Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff as if they are world beaters. Are they? Yes. Harmison is as good as anyone in the world. His pace, height and bounce will trouble anyone in the world. If England don't have Harmison and Flintoff for the Ashes next year, it will be a clean sweep for the Aussies. If those two are fit and firing, we will have a real battle on our hands for the first time in 17 years.

[Zainub]

I think the Aussies will be fooling no body but them selves if they under estimate England this time, I can bet it wouldn't be a clean sweep. For me the most noticeable difference between this England side and ones in the past is not that of Steve Harmison or Andrew Flintoff, or even an improved Graham Thorpe and Marcus Trescothick but much greater self beliefe, for the first time in a long, long while an English side is going to enter the Ashes knowing they are in with a realistic chance.

There will always be a lot of talk about Freddie and Harmy but the fact remains for me that England are not a two man team , there are 9 others players in the team and 5-6 within the squad that are all part of the set up. People like Mathew Hoggard have come a long way since the last ashes, and are now for me up to world class level. I would be surprised if he doesn't trouble at least some of the Aussies this time. Graham Thorpe is also a changed man, with his personal problems behind him, his full focus is now directed on his career, and the effect of that can be seen in his returns. Then Micheal Vaughan always pushes up a gear when he's playing Australia, you never know with Mark Butcher; Giles has also made great strides in the recent past.

If you look closely there is a lot more to the threat posed by England interms of the next ashes other than just Harmison and Freddie. I beleive England will compete well even if they aren't playing.

[R W S]

Wow Shane Warne can talk sense! Without GBH & Freddie we would certainly be struggling to give you a decent game. Our reserve bowlers - Saggers. Kirtley, Anderson et al are not going to trouble the strong Aussie batting line up anywhere near as much and you need to take twenty wickets to WIN a test match. This England team do not have the mental scars of previous performers and that certainly makes them less vunerable to the finely tuned psycological warfare perpetrated by the aussies (like their rugby counterparts).

There's plenty of cricket between now and the ashes with the mouthwatering Border/Gavaskar trophy tests and Englands series away to the Saffers. It's too early for me to pin my colours to the mast.

[Nikhil]

I think Warne is saying what everyone else has said for so long. All know the next Ashes is going to be a well fought series between to competitive sides. Aussies will not have it easy by any means. Harmison and Flintoff are going to be the forces they have to take care of. But still, I think Aussies should win a closely fought battle.

[Rachael]

I see, as everyone does, that Harmison bowling well would be something that would help massively in our efforts to contest the Ashes.. but to be honest.. that will be worth nothing unless he gets decent support: there's no point in having a McGrath one end without a trio like Gillespie, Warne and Kasprowicz the other.

If we're to contest the Ashes I reckon it's going to need someone OTHER than Harmison to get the plaudits: it will take Hoggard being unplayable through controlled and well disguised late swing.. or Giles bowling 35+ overs a day to spell the seamers and build pressure... or some final realisation of the "promise" of Anderson and Jones.

Flintoff? In terms of INDIVIDUAL glory I'm hoping he has already had his days in the sun. That's not so say I'm expecting his performances to do anything other than improve (I'm sure his best is yet to come).. but if we continue with his performances (with bat OR ball) consistently proving critical to our success then this side will - basically - not be ready to contest the Ashes.

For my money... our ability to contest the Ashes is going to depend on a bit more class than Freddie with both bat AND ball: he's (ideally) got to do a job and bring some balance to the side.. but it's Vaughan and Thorpe, the two real class acts, who (assisted to the best of their abilities by the rest) need to keep us in the games with the bat.