1. Learn from the past to deal with the present and enhance the future
- I was coach when we lost the Ashes in 2005, and there have been 3 successive losses in England since
- Learn from history about how best to play in England from senior players and coaches
- Use that knowledge & experience in all preparations for future tours
2. Have young Australian players play in England
- With increasing restrictions on overseas players playing long form county cricket, send Australia A and youth teams on extended tours of England to play 3 & 4 day cricket
- Place young players in Minor counties cricket
- Enhance the exchange program that Australia have negotiated with Hampshire
3. Allow the Coach to totally manage the team
- Cricket needs to move to a model that resembles many other professional sports, eg EPL, MLB, NFL, etc where the Head Coach is totally accountable for team performance
- No selectors, however rely on coaches of domestic teams to provide input about players to head coach
4. The team looked under-prepared which was similar to us in 2005
- There is little doubt that such an important tour requires far more cricket to prepare players for at least the first couple of Tests
- Australian teams need to factor in more long form cricket, against tougher opposition in future tours – back to the future by having longer tours
5. One of the reasons for our successful tour to SL in Mar 2004, India Oct 2004 , and not England 2005 was that we prepared our batsmen & bowlers for the conditions
- In SL we undertook to counter Murali. Each batsman worked out his plan and stuck to it, and we won the series 3-0
- In India, each batsman had learnt lessons from previous unsuccessful tour in 2001, and as well we developed a 3 strategy bowling plan which everyone stuck with, and we won the series 2-1 first time in some 37 years I think
- In Eng 2005, we did not do either, but relied on the individual brilliance of each player to win us the series. While it was one of the most exciting series for the viewing public, individual brilliance will rarely win a tough 5 Test series.
Please give us your thought and comments below!
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