Broadcasting and media legend, Jim Maxwell, has expressed his thoughts on the imminent Ashes series, every ball of which you can share with Guerilla Cricket on YouTube or right here on our player.
Maxwell voices his concerns for Australia’s stability and appreciation of England’s quality, whilst admitting that the Australian public are “sick of cr*p English teams turning up here.
Having recently surpassed his 350th Test Match on commentary, ‘calling’ for both the Australian Broadcasting Company and Test Match Special, Maxwell is “not sure that I’ve seen Australia as potentially destabilised before a series begins” – heading into the series opener in Perth.
Speaking on the ‘Sunday Service with Church and Vickers’ podcast, Maxwell discussed selection issues; “They’re not sure who is best to open. They’re banking on Weatherald, obviously, but they are giving themselves insurance in case Cameron Green is not able to bowl”.
But the ‘Baggy Greens’ have potentially greater concerns, as skipper Pat Cummins has been sidelined for the first Test in Perth, due to a lumbar stress injury. It is presumed that the captain will return for the second Test, but with rain probable during the day/night match in Brisbane, the series’ opener holds even greater importance in the context of the summer, making the 32-year-old’s absence even more significant.
“He’s got (Joe) Root out 11 times – that’s a hell of a record, so they’re going to miss him. (Scott) Boland’s a good bowler, but he’s not Cummins” noted Maxwell.
Steve Smith’s reinstallation as the interim captain softens the blow in terms of leadership, yet the injured skipper’s dexterity with the new ball will be sorely missed, as “the battle with the new ball on both sides is going to be very very meaningful.”
Maxwell, who was awarded a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by Sport Australia in 2020, highlighted that the importance of the new ball has increased with the developing composition of Australian wickets, requiring an early impact on potentially seaming pitches – “the first two days in particular”.
“We’ve gone from mainly some fairly flat pitches in places, to pitches that help the quicker men. That’s where England have a big advantage: if their best bowlers stay fit, turn up, and are damaging like the men of yesterday – Jon Snow, Frank Tyson – England’s best series have been when they have had good, fast bowling.”
England good enough to win the series
Having previously been a ‘Bazball’ sceptic, Maxwell was complimentary of the England squad that has recently assembled at Lilac Hill; “They’re good enough to win the series, I don’t think there is any doubt about that. It’s how they go about it.”
“You can’t go ‘Bazballing’ on Australian pitches and hope to get away with it more than spasmodically, I think. But that said, that’s what England will want to do. If they sniff the breeze and it’s going their way, they’ll go after people like Nathan Lyon. I don’t think they’ll let him settle” he surmised, adding that he believes Lyon to be in the ‘twilight time’ of his career.
“I hope England go about their most robust game. But the quality of the bowling and the condition of the pitches might dictate a slightly more sober approach.”
Whilst appraising the visitor’s strengths, the voice of Australian cricket was happy to recall that “England have lost 14 of the last 15 Tests that they have played in Australia – that’s not a very good record”, and that that “Most Australians will be looking forward, with a lot of anticipation, to what will be a really strong contest. They haven’t seen one for a while, let’s face it.”
“We don’t want any more bullsh*t about moral victories, please. We had enough of that in 2023!”
A relief for England is that their supporters are permitted to travel down under. As Covid restrictions did not permit travel last time round, the English squad were pitted against a combination of foreign conditions and an exclusively Australian crowd – let’s face it, it’s null and void.
40,000 travelling English fans supporting England
With a reported 40,000 English fans set to fly out to Australia this winter, a friendlier atmosphere will follow the 16-man squad throughout the tour. Maxwell, who is keen to see a more competitive series than in previous years, admitted that “you guys (English fans) make more noise than ours do! That could be a very useful factor, as it was in 2010/11.”
Speaking on England’s leading run-scorer, who has had minimal returns down under, Maxwell offers some sage advice, putting Root’s lack of runs down to the bounce on offer in Australia: “Joe Root can play his little squirts to third man and get ones in England. But you do that here – look out, you’ll get caught in the slips. You can’t do that, so he’s going to have to take a bit of care.”
It is the bounce, however, that will benefit the English quicks according to Maxwell – “That’s where Archer, and Wood, and Carse can shake up the Australian batting – they can have them nicking off”.
Whilst most Ashes build-up is centred around selection, injury, and personality, the media legend suggests a potential boiling point that has slipped under the radar: The involvement of the third umpire, or, “the most important person in the game”, as Maxwell suggests.
“It worries me that the umpires that will be standing in this series are not the best umpires – because the best umpires are in Australia and England, and none of them can stand in this series”.
So much to digest, so much to consider, but we can rest easy with a quiet confidence for this English side, ratified by none other than one of the all-time Australian greats, Jim Maxwell.
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