No one annihilated Australia in the manner England did: Fletcher
January 15th, 2011 - 2:08 pm ICT by ANI
Melbourne, Jan 15 (ANI): Ashes-winning ex-England coach Duncan Fletcher has said that he has not seen any team annihilate Australia in the manner England did during the just concluded Ashes series.
England thrashed Australia by an innings and 83 runs in the fifth and final Test in Sydney to claim a 3-1 victory. The victory gave the visitors their first Test series win in Australia since the 1986-87 tour.
It was also the first time Australia had lost three Tests at home since 1988-89, when Viv Richards’ West Indies side had won by a 3-1 margin.
Fletcher, now a batting consultant with South Africa, said: “Other teams have won in Australia, but I have never seen anyone annihilate them quite like England. Every single player picked to play contributed. England have a squad of individuals who all have the strength of character you need to perform at the top level.”
“Andy Flower and Andy Strauss have selected players on their dispositions and personalities rather than talent alone. Pick 11 cricketers with flair and you will not necessarily win a thing. But pick 11 with strength of character and you always have a chance,” The Guardian quoted him, as saying.
Fletcher said that the England is pressing on towards becoming the world’s No.1 Test team, and added at the moment there is little between them and the two sides ranked above them, South Africa and India.
“It is going to be fascinating to watch these three teams battle each other over the next few years. This summer’s series between England and India is going to be one hell of a contest,” he said.
“India have the best batting line-up in Test cricket but they are ageing. England’s top six is solid but still the weakest of those three. They remain curiously prone to batting collapses.
“And they do not have anyone who is as consistently dominant as Jacques Kallis or Sachin Tendulkar. At the same time, both those players are nearing the end of their careers. Their teams need to prove they can be just as effective without them,” Fletcher said. (ANI)
- Oz 'celebrities' took their eyes off Ashes aim, says ex-Cricket Australia Chairman - Jan 08, 2011
- Ashes series-winning England comparable to world No. 1 India: Watson - Jan 07, 2011
- England outplayed Australia in every department: Botham - Jan 09, 2011
- Fletcher to take over Indian cricket team after Windies tour (Lead) - Apr 27, 2011
- England beat Australia to win Ashes series Down Under after 24 years - Jan 07, 2011
- Waugh ready to come to the aid of 'hammered' Aussies - Jan 08, 2011
- Best chance for England to end Ashes win drought in Oz in two decades: Gatting - Oct 28, 2010
- Flower, Strauss owe England's success to Fletcher - Aug 14, 2011
- English celebrations must wait until Sydney Ashes Test win: Fletcher - Dec 31, 2010
- Flower says England not satisfied, wants series victory in fifth Ashes Test - Dec 30, 2010
- Never seen three pitches seam and swing so much: Fletcher - Aug 11, 2011
- With Fletcher, it's advantage India: Bell - Jul 18, 2011
- Never seen England pitches seam and swing so much: Fletcher (Lead) - Aug 11, 2011
- England eyeing million-pound bonus for outright Ashes series win - Jan 02, 2011
- Ashes 2010: Fletcher says England must stick to their guns - Dec 24, 2010
Tags: ageing, andy flower, collapses, cricketers, dispositions, duncan fletcher, england coach, final test, first test, jacques kallis, single player, strauss, strength of character, tendulkar, test cricket, test series, test team, time australia, viv richards, west indies