Former Australia quick Jason Gillespie feels England can catch an ageing Australia side off guard in the forthcoming Ashes battle at Lords next month.
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Our #360debate today is: Are Australia too old to beat England in the Ashes?
Ajit Vijaykumar, Assistant News Editor, thinks YES.
So the pre-Ashes battle has started off the pitch and, surprisingly, it’s a former Aussie fast bowler who has delivered the first major salvo from the English side. Jason Gillespie, now a coach at Yorkshire, was, in all likelihood, looking to please the England management by calling the visiting Australian side “Dad’s Army’, which is understandable.
But his remarks are not so off the mark. Some of the most important members of the Aussie squad are getting on in years. Wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, who rescued the Aussies with the bat throughout their last Ashes triumph Down Under, is 37 now. He might be fit but for a keeper who needs to have razor-sharp reflexes over five Tests, 37 is a precarious age to be at.
Experience counts in Test matches but the Aussies might just have a bit too much of it for their own good
Opening batsman Chris Rogers too is 37 years old and in seaming conditions, he better be on top of his game as he is no Matthew Hayden who could bully bowlers into submission on his reputation alone. Plus, he has just recovered from a blow to the head while batting.
Then there is Ryan Harris, the fast bowling collossus who kept running in all day against the Englishmen during the 5-0 whitewash. However, his knees have given up on him on more than one occasion and one doesn’t know how much more pounding his 35-year-old knees can take.
Captain Michael Clarke himself is 34 but his back is more like 50, given the amount of pain and trouble it has given him. Surely even Clarke himself doesn’t know if he can bat with no back trouble over a period of five matches.
While it’s true that this same bunch of individuals lifted the Ashes Urn in January last year, the numbers are piling up as far as age is concerned in the Aussie camp.
Who can guarantee that Rogers’ reflexes will be as sharp as they need to be? Is Clarke confident Haddin will be able to snap up those tough chances that need lightning quick movement? Can Harris perform at optimum level knowing his knees are on the verge of giving up?
Experience counts in Test matches but the Aussies might just have a bit too much of it for their own good. And if a compatriot is saying so, there must be some truth to it.
Jaideep Marar, Assistant Editor, thinks NO.
Jason Gillespie was probably trying to wind up his fellow Australians by saying that Michael Clarke’s squad has too many old legs which can hamper their Ashes campaign.
Agreed, the average age of the Australian squad is above 30 but it is almost the same bunch that hammered England 5-0 in the home series last year.
Questions have been raised in the past about the ageing legs in the squad and they have proved the doubting Thomases wrong with their valuable contributions in Test victories.
Captain Michael Clarke’s battles with his back are not new and neither are Ryan Harris’ struggles with his knee. But when has that ever been a hurdle for them in the Tests they played?
Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin at 37 is amongst the oldest of the squad alongwith opener Chris Rogers, but his agility behind the stumps and utility as a batsman remain top notch.
Rogers has also come under the scanner after being hit on the head while training and had to sit out of the twomatch Test series against the West Indies earlier this month after suffering concussion. The left-handed batsman is fit now and is fired up to come good in his final Test series.
Adam Voges, 35, is another but he comes to England on the back of a superb series against the West Indies where the scored a century on his debut.
No player summarises the Aussie spirit as much as Harris, who is generally expected to break down almost as soon as he marks his run-up.
Questions have been raised in the past about the ageing legs in the squad and they have proved the doubting Thomases wrong
However, he topped the bowling charts with 24 scalps when Australia last toured England and claimed 22 wickets at home against the same opponents last year. Barring Voges, all other 30-plus players in the squad bring a vital element to the table: experience.
It is strange that what should be seen an advantage for Australia is being labelled their Achilles heel. In comparison, the average age of England’s squad hovers around 27 but they fall short in terms of experience. Does that mean England are weaker than Australia? The age factor therefore is completely irrelevant in what promises to be an exciting series.
