View Full Version : Botham calls on Poms to beat 'convicts'
London Adelaidian
9 Mar 2005, 22:10
(From ABC Online)
Ian Botham, Englands greatest Aussie basher, has urged England to thrash the 'convicts' and win the Ashes this summer.
The legendary all-rounder, who inspired England to victory in the epic 1981 Ashes series and was also a member of the last England team to beat the Aussies back in 1986-87, believes Michael Vaughan's men can end a generation of Australian dominance.
"A few years ago England would have struggled to beat the Eskimos," Botham told The Sun.
"Now they've a chance of beating Australia.
"Anyone who has played against them will tell you there is no better feeling than beating the convicts, they are a great sporting nation."
But Botham fears Shane Warne could still decide the outcome.
"There is not much between the teams in terms of batting," he said.
"Whichever side bowls best as a pack will win the series. England certainly have a chance."
Botham said leg spin wizard Warne, banned for a year for failing a drugs test after the last Ashes series, was expecting a tough scrap with the Poms.
"I can assure you Shane Warne is worried - well, certainly wary, keyed up and expecting a fight," he said.
"The Aussies are expecting a bigger battle than they have had for a long time. Its our best chance in almost 20 years.
"Warne is still the major factor for them. He is the best leg spinner that ever lived."
Botham insists England must pick new batting sensation Kevin Pietersen from the start of the summer after he hammered three centuries in the recent one-day series against South Africa.
Pietersen is yet to play Test cricket but Botham believes he must face Bangladesh in a two-Test series in the early summer as England crank up their Ashes preparations.
"Pietersen has to play in the Ashes. I don't know how the selectors will fit him in but they have to," he said.
"He and Andrew Flintoff will empty the bars when they bat this summer. No one will want to miss them batting together."
- AFP
Good on Botham stirring this up. I love a bit of sledging before a series, just so they can eat their words afterwards :D
Cooldude
9 Mar 2005, 22:20
Beefy says that before every Ashes series, it's starting to get boring.
He knows that England will inevitably get their asses kicked in a very hard way, then at the end of the series he'd be bagging the crap outta England and how ******** they are, and then say sack the captain, sack the selectors and sack the board.
Beefy says that before every Ashes series, it's starting to get boring.
He knows that England will inevitably get their asses kicked in a very hard way, then at the end of the series he'd be bagging the crap outta England and how ******** they are, and then say sack the captain, sack the selectors and sack the board.
The circle of life :D
"There is not much between the teams in terms of batting," he said.
Hrm. I beg to differ.
Both have good opening combinations. (Though Tresco was ordinary against us when we last played.) But who would you prefer coming in at three, Robert Key, Mark Butcher or Ricky Ponting?
Vaughan is a genuine world class batsman, but what about Thorpe? He does have a good record against Australia and his recent form has been sound. But he turns 36 during the series during the series and I can't help being reminded of Gooch and Gatting in 94-5. Maybe I'm being unfair. (Especially since a lot of the Australian side are also well into their 30s.) But Thorpe hasn't participated much in recent Ashes contests - just two Tests against us since 1997 - and I think he has a bit to prove.
But aside from my queries about the England middle order, the main difference - almost unquestionably - between the sides' batting is the length/depth of the respective line-ups.
When England are four wickets down, Australia will see an opening to the tail with Flintoff as the number six. But Australia at four wickets down will not only still have two genuine batsmen at the crease, but Gilchrist will still be to come!
On reflection that's way too much waffle in this post, especially at this late hour. Maybe I shoulda just said you're a biased idiot Beefy and left it at that. ;)
eddiesmith
9 Mar 2005, 23:52
Would rather have Flintoff coming in ahead of a player who is only playing test cricket because he cut a deal with the Aussie captain
On form, England are ahead of Aus in batting stakes comfortably
Botham always was an idiot and just writes this guff for his tabloid column inches. Still, there is no great harm in this sort of nonsense.
As a semi-pom I want them to do well, but from what I've seen Australia is still a class above in batting and bowling. I hope I am wrong.
Surely Botham can come up with something a little more original than "Convicts".
usalion
10 Mar 2005, 06:31
Nice bit of pot stirring here- should be good fun watching the series- wish I could! NET coverage off the radio, I think....unless I pop over the pond to take some of it live...have to settle for the later days on tests- know that days 1-3 will be sellouts almost everywhere.
Beefy is good fun- saw him in the 85 series at OT- scored 20, but the ground was electric when he strode to the wicket. My first test match, that- Billy took 8 and was on the cover of Wisden that month as the new Aussie tearaway- got him to sign it as well....
On form, England are ahead of Aus in batting stakes comfortably
Are you really as stupid as you appear? :rolleyes:
On form, England are ahead of Aus in batting stakes comfortably
Huh?
corporal
10 Mar 2005, 06:53
Are you really as stupid as you appear? :rolleyes:
Yes... Yes he is
London Adelaidian
10 Mar 2005, 06:58
unless I pop over the pond to take some of it live...have to settle for the later days on tests- know that days 1-3 will be sellouts almost everywhere.
Rumour has it over here that all the tests are already sell outs. But then again, if it's just days 1-3 then that's as long as the test will go for ;) Me? Arrogant? Nah ..... ;)
I'm in a draw for tickets for the Saturday at Lords with some of the guys at work. Hope we get it. I'll be ready for some Pommy bashing, even if I'm surrounded by 20 English workmates :D
Blues_Man
10 Mar 2005, 07:54
Would rather have Flintoff coming in ahead of a player who is only playing test cricket because he cut a deal with the Aussie captain
On form, England are ahead of Aus in batting stakes comfortably
you never fail to amaze me with these idiotic posts ...but at least your consistent . the Aussie batting line up is so far in front of the Poms it's like chalk and cheese. as for cutting deals with captains ..do you have any proof, or can you show any relevance to your outlandish and churlish claim ???
Blue Red and Gold
10 Mar 2005, 09:03
I love the poms talking up their chances of an Ashes win to only be flogged again and return to the drawing boards with their tails between their legs.
Although I would agree that this year is their best chance in a long time, however I still feel they will be left wanting.
I like Botham, bit of a character and a character cricket needs, however I was wondering do you think his "convict" jib was meant to offend us? I got this alot when I was in England, I couldnt care less, if anything I am even more proud of our heritage. We may of been convicts but out of this we created one of the best countries in the world and live in one of the most desireble. Surely the poms are kicking themselves now. :D
Ray Nolan
10 Mar 2005, 10:18
I like Botham, bit of a character and a character cricket needs, however I was wondering do you think his "convict" jib was meant to offend us? I got this alot when I was in England, I couldnt care less, if anything I am even more proud of our heritage. We may of been convicts but out of this we created one of the best countries in the world and live in one of the most desireble. Surely the poms are kicking themselves now. :D
You are a South Australian, by definition you are a free settler and can't be a 'convict'. There's nothing wrong with convict jibes, at Adelaide United games we sing songs about the opposition being convicts all the time! :D
Blue Red and Gold
10 Mar 2005, 10:20
You are a South Australian, by definition you are a free settler and can't be a 'convict'. There's nothing wrong with convict jibes, at Adelaide United games we sing songs about the opposition being convicts all the time! :D
Yes I know this and I did try and clarify it to the locals at the pub but they would have nothing of it. :)
I agree a convict jibe is just in good fun, if anyone was seriously offended by this they probably deserve it. :D
Hrm. I beg to differ.
Both have good opening combinations. (Though Tresco was ordinary against us when we last played.) But who would you prefer coming in at three, Robert Key, Mark Butcher or Ricky Ponting?
Vaughan is a genuine world class batsman, but what about Thorpe? He does have a good record against Australia and his recent form has been sound. But he turns 36 during the series during the series and I can't help being reminded of Gooch and Gatting in 94-5. Maybe I'm being unfair. (Especially since a lot of the Australian side are also well into their 30s.) But Thorpe hasn't participated much in recent Ashes contests - just two Tests against us since 1997 - and I think he has a bit to prove.
But aside from my queries about the England middle order, the main difference - almost unquestionably - between the sides' batting is the length/depth of the respective line-ups.
When England are four wickets down, Australia will see an opening to the tail with Flintoff as the number six. But Australia at four wickets down will not only still have two genuine batsmen at the crease, but Gilchrist will still be to come!
On reflection that's way too much waffle in this post, especially at this late hour. Maybe I shoulda just said you're a biased idiot Beefy and left it at that. ;)
I was gonna quote exactly the same sentence from the moment I read it, it reinded me how commentators in England are largely clueless.
To say that there's not much in the batting is absolutely ridiculous.
Strauss hopefully can be relied upon, we hope that Vaughan will rediscover himself & that Pietersen is the real deal, maybe Bell will force his way in & maybe Thorpe isn't past it as the SA indicated.
There's a lot of ifs & maybes in there.
The bottom line is that Strauss aside the lowest averagers of the aussie top 7 have better records than the standouts for england
I'll be amazed if Flintoff averages over 30 if he plays in every Test Trescothick much the same.
Geraint Jones could be a walking wicket(except when we're batting 2nd time round facing certain defeat then he'll pull a nice 70 off 80 balls out of the bag).
What these idiots dont seem to comrehend is that England's batting is the weakness, the attack is the second best in world cricket & whilst lacking the stand out peformers of the Aussie attack, we do go in with 5(as opposed to 4) & they all know their job.
The batting though is still brittle, we've just come off 2 home series against NZ, WI (both poor attacks) & away to SA (2 good bowlers:Ntini/Pollock) & the averages of the batsmen as a whole aren't too good (not as good as the career avereges of the Aussies).
If Strauss keeps it up, As I said Vaughan gets it back & Bell & Pietersen step up then it could be half decent.
But to say there's not much in the batting line ups as things stand is a bad joke.
Cooldude
11 Mar 2005, 10:14
Trescothick, in the Aussie's eyes, is still a walking wicket, Robert Key likewise.