After a defeat like the one suffered at Trent Bridge, Australian cricket will be doing some soul-searching. While being bowled out for 60 on the first morning of a Test match is frankly unacceptable, if mistakes are acknowledged and lessons are learned then good can come out of it.
But firstly, congratulations to Alastair Cook’s England side. For an Aussie, seeing the Ashes snatched back hurts badly but it is no secret that, as head coach at Yorkshire, I have had a foot in both camps this summer and seeing a number of our players enjoy success has been satisfying on a personal level.
Part of our job at county level, as well as targeting domestic success, is to prepare players for international cricket. Our responsibility as coaches is to forge winning teams but always with one eye on the crystal ball, looking into the future of the side.
It is a similar task facing Australia in the aftermath of this series; they must find the balance between winning games of cricket in the here and now, while identifying and investing in cricketers who can take the team forward long term. This tour saw a squad picked solely for the present and it has not worked.
I said at the start of the series that one of the biggest challenges for their head coach, Darren Lehmann, long term will be overseeing a transitional period. Boof rightly set about reversing a losing streak and won an Ashes series and a World Cup in a short space of time, but he will know his job is to rebuild.
That the Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland has said Lehmann will continue is good news for the team. With Michael Clarke standing down as captain and retiring at the end of the series, Boof’s presence alongside Steve Smith, who I believe is ready to step up and lead a rebooted side, will provide stability.
Clarke’s legacy as one of the greatest batsmen to play for Australia is assured. He has led from the front. His back problems meant he was unlikely to play deep into his 30s and so to get to 115 Test caps, as it will be after the fifth Test at The Oval, is a great achievement.
He captained Australia with flair, enjoyed success in both the Ashes series whitewashes, and the World Cup, and led the nation through the tragedy of losing Phillip Hughes late last year. And don’t underestimate the impact that had on Australian cricket. Phillip remains in all our thoughts to this day.
Looking ahead, with Chris Rogers aged 37 and looking set to stick to his plan of retiring this year, Smith and David Warner are the only two batsmen locked into the Test side’s top six at present. Who steps up to join them is the big question.
Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja are two previously capped players who will come into the thoughts of the selectors, and there is talent waiting in the wings in the shape of Cameron Bancroft, Chris Lynn and Nic Maddinson, as well as a few more.
But these players need to get stuck into first-class cricket and start scoring the runs that demands their selection. Adam Voges was picked ahead of them at 35 years of age because he scored 1,358 runs in 11 matches for Western Australia during the most recent Sheffield Shield, at an average of 104.46.
The young batsmen I mentioned have to emulate this, they can’t sit in hope that talent alone earns them a Baggy Green – they don’t just get handed out. It is something for the administrators to think about, too, because in this age of Twenty20 cricket, players still need to get enough first-class cricket under their belts.
Australia are always strong at home but the bare facts are that on the road – particularly against the spinning ball on the subcontinent and the swinging, seaming conditions of England – they have been found wanting.
The modern nature of tours is making it hard to build up the experience needed that way. Matthew Hayden was part of the 1993 Ashes tour and scored 1,150 first-class runs in 13 matches on that trip despite not playing in the Test side. But this year they have had four tour matches and one, against Northamptonshire this week, comes after the Ashes are lost.
So these young players, with the help of those running the game, are going to take a long-term view and identify periods when they can increase their exposure to red-ball cricket both at home and abroad.
Glenn Maxwell is a good example of a player looking to do this and is another who will be pushing for a Test recall down the line if he continues on his current path.
Maxie has come to Yorkshire this season and has at times played second XI cricket because he is determined to improve his skills. Sure, he can attract well-paid Twenty20 deals but he is not just thinking about this, he wants to excel in all formats.
More power to young cricketers who want to do the same. Play as much first-class cricket as you can, learn how to adapt to different conditions and score the runs that, like Mike Hussey back in 2005, means the national side cannot overlook you. As I always say, you are your best selector.
