Alastair Cook makes a big statement regarding the upcoming Ashes
The forthcoming Ashes series will have to contend with a number of problems before it even begins. On the subject, former England captain Alastair Cook has expressed his thoughts. According to him, all of the external commotions is something that no team would want to deal with before to entering a mega-series like the Ashes, which begins in December and should showcase some great cricket.
It should come as no surprise that the Ashes often create high-intensity on-field animosity and the best live cricket. The teams, however, are faced with some bad circumstances even before the event begins this year. Tim Paine made the decision to quit his position as Australia’s Test captain recently. His decision occurred in the middle of a sexting incident involving a Tasmanian female co-worker.
The United Kingdom, on the other hand, has been the target of allegations of institutional racism. Cook believes that the lack of a well-established captain is a source of distraction for the squad. He also said that this would have the effect of unseating the team’s dynamic.
It is the type of external noise that a team does not want to deal with at any point in time: Alastair Cook
“It is the type of external noise that a team does not need when it is about to go on such a significant series. Speculation has circulated that Paine’s absence will help Australia become more powerful. In such circumstances, it is conceivable that his successor… maybe a superior wicketkeeper-batsman, maybe the removal of an established captain is a distraction that will only serve to destabilise the team’s dynamic,” Cook remarked, as reported by cricket.com.
With the appointment of Pat Cummins as Australia’s new Test captain and Steve Smith as his deputy, the squad has a fresh look. After a long absence from the leadership role, the latter is returning to it for the first time in quite some time. He had already been barred from holding any kind of leadership position as a result of the sandpaper incident that occurred in South Africa in 2018.
What Shane Warne said about the same matter related to the Ashes
Smith had earlier predicted that his appointment would not go down well with certain people because there would be a lot of negativity around his appointment. As a result, Shane Warne, Australia’s former spinner, has spoken his thoughts on Smith’s nomination as vice-captain. A batsman should have been disqualified from consideration for the job, according to him.
“In my view, appointing him as vice-captain exposes Cricket Australia to mockery and criticism,” Warne said. “His second opportunity is getting to play for Australia again,” Warne said.
Three and a half years after the ball-tampering fiasco in South Africa, former Australia captain Ian Chappell has expressed his disappointment with the selection of Steve Smith as vice-captain of the Test squad.
Further afield, England Ashes’ champion Steve Harmison has said that selecting Pat Cummins as Australia’s Test captain is a “huge bet” that may backfire during the Ashes series.
Michael Clarke has also lobbied selectors to choose Alex Carey over Josh Inglis, while England director Ashley Giles has said that his players would be supported if they refuse to continue playing if they encounter racist abuse from fans this summer.
Which team will produce the results in the upcoming edition of the Ashes?
Both teams have looked good in the recently concluded T20 World Cup. However, that was a different format altogether. Winning that tournament could be a morale booster for the Aussie side. Despite that, there have been some major changes right at the top.
Pat Cummins is the new skipper of the Australian side. He will be leading the team in these Test matches. It’s not been seen often that a bowler (mainly, though he can bat a bit too) becomes the skipper of the team. Keeping that in mind, this will be a challenge that he is willing to undertake.
To add to that, Steve Smith will be his deputy as the vice-captain of the team. Both the players will be expected to lead the team to “Ashes glory”. Let’s wait and watch what they manage to do in the upcoming series against a really strong English side, once they do make the trip.
