It's an obvious and hack thing to say that the recent calamitous Ashes is a repeat to that of six year ago, not least because the score lines are the same (it's probably more hack to write a blog post about it). But given a closer look, the similarities are even scarier. I'm going to list them, then try to compare England's position now to 2007.
The most prevalent similarity is the removal of the once deified coach. Duncan Fletcher turned England around, brought in stable central contracts for players, and won the first Ashes series victory in 18 years. By the end of the 2006/07 tour he was being torn apart in the media and was essentially banished from the country. Andy Flower will leave on more harmonious terms, but may not be remembered as the coach to bring England's first global limited-overs trophy or climb to Number 1 in the test rankings, but as the one who ruined said great team.
Both series also saw the stagnation/ending of numerous bowling careers. An injury plagued 2006 meant that players such as Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood were thrown in at the deep end far too early, with only a handful of tests each under their belts. Both suffered, both failed, and particularly in Mahmood's case, never regained top form. Tremlett and Rankin were the unlucky ones this time. Picked for their height and apparent pace, both appeared undercooked. Tremlett's plethora of injuries seem to have finally taken their toll, where as Rankin simply looked like the drinks carrier he was for most of the series.
Matthew Hoggard was shadowed by James Anderson in being the over-worked leader of the pack, both putting in the expected good performances, but were all too often the only choices for their respective captains. Hopefully Anderson's career won't be halted only a year after this series like Hoggard's was, wrongly in my opinion.
Stephen Harmison was also paralleled by Steven Finn in getting 'the yips', allegedly not being able to hit the cut strip in the nets; and everyone will remember that first ball at Brisbane by Harmison. He managed to regain his place and play a role in the 2009 home series, so hopefully the younger Finn will be able to do the same.
Last but not least in the bowling department, both series saw the departure of the previously reliable spinner. Both Giles and Swann came into the series after operations, and both found the flatter Australian pitches harder to bowl on, struggling to contain aggressive batting line-ups. Both were dropped (yes Swann was about to be dropped) mid-series, to make way for the same player in Monty Panesar. It was with expectation and public outcry that forced cult hero Panesar into the team at Perth in 2006, compared worryingly with the last-chance-saloon feel that accompanied his (potentially final) appearance last month. Even more worrying is that the same bowler played both times with no discernible improvement - it was noticeable how flat Panesar bowled in Melbourne with no spin being generated, alongside many bad deliveries akin to a less experienced bowler. I think in the future the national side will be faced with similar spin department struggles that 2007 England faced.
In the batting, both series saw the return of the good old fashioned English collapse after periods of relative stability in Tests. The 2006 Adelaide test is still the most ridiculous and unprecedented toppling of a team i've seen in cricket. Unfortunately, most of the 2013/14 series will be remembered for Mitchell Johnson scarring the batting technique out of the majority of tail-enders. There were also less highlights this time around, with batsman supposedly at their peak falling to rash shots, lacking the grit given by Paul Collingwood six years ago. Jonathan Trott's tragic departure due to mental illness also brought back memories of the tough time endured by Marcus Trescothick. I join everyone in wishing Trott all the best, and hope he can find peace and return in the way Trescothick and fellow sufferer Michael Yardy both have. The current England team certainly have a lot more question marks over them, which will no doubt be answered in the upcoming English summer.
Finally, Both teams saw a switch in their keepers after Perth. Chris Read took over from the ever declining Geraint Jones after his poor form became embarrassing. Prior suffered a similar if not more meteoric dip in fortunes. Read was a more obvious replacement, having virtually hammered down the door after years of consistent brilliance in County cricket. Bairstow on the other hand is not a keeper. He is barely a test batsman, and I feel his future route into the team will be via the top six, unless his glovework drastically improves. Ironically, the long term solution in both circumstances could still be Matt Prior. He is only 31, and given some runs and a bit of confidence may return to the team and offer much until a youngster like Butler or Kieswetter is good enough to take over.
Most importantly I feel that both series highlighted what un-preparedness, arrogance, and undue expectancy can do in sport. 2006 England had half their best XI out injured but still expected to rock up and win, with the 2013 group, not having played on any bouncy surfaces in 2+ years, still high and cocky from their recent win. Let's just hope the next time England find success it won't be followed by them going half way around the world and thinking nothing's changed...for a third time.
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