How do you beat Australia? Andrew Strauss and England would love to know how. Mickey Arthur, currently putting his feet up after a protracted season coaching South Africa to unprecedented success, does.
The Ashes, which starts in Cardiff on Wednesday, will be closely monitored by the South African coach, mainly because his side will face England in the summer, but also to see how the redevelopment Australia started when they toured here has progressed.
In analysing the Australian squad for the August edition of The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Arthur indicated that he expected them to bat deep, with Mitchell Johnson, who made a century in the last Test against South Africa in March, coming in at number 9, while there was also no place for a specialist spinner.
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"Australia have only one specialist spinner, Nathan Hauritz, but have two batsmen, Michael Clarke and Marcus North, who can bowl decent spin, so I expect them to pick a four-man pace attack and bat very deep," Arthur writes in the magazine.
| 'I'd like to see him used as a more attacking option' |
Interestingly in his proposed starting XI, Arthur finds no place for Brett Lee, preferring an attack comprising Stuart Clark, now recovered from the elbow injury that prevented him from facing South Africa at all last summer, Peter Siddle, Johnson and rather surprisingly Shane Watson, the seemingly serially injured all-rounder.
"He has the ability to be an Australian version of (Andrew) Flintoff," Arthur writes of Watson. "He bowls a heavy ball, and is an underrated batter who is not afraid of the short ball and takes the attack to the bowler."
As far as England's attack is concerned Arthur believes Flintoff needs to be more attacking with the ball and must leave the containing job to Stuart Broad.
"We felt Andrew Flintoff bowled too negatively against South Africa last summer. He bowled too wide of off-stump, allowing our batsmen to leave too many deliveries. I'd like to see him used as a more attacking option because he has the ability to do that."
James Anderson, Arthur writes, impressed them when South Africa toured England last year, while Broad had to probe away around off-stump and make the batsmen play. Arthur would pick Ryan Sidebottom as a fourth seamer because being a left-hander adds variety to the attack
One player who has impressed Arthur is off-spinner Graeme Swann. "(He) has convinced me that there can be a future for the orthodox off-spinner in Test cricket. He likes to bowl an attacking line, which means he might go for more runs but will take wickets, especially against the left-handers in the Australian top order."
Arthur feels Australia have a distinct advantage over England in the batting department, despite Phil Hughes's inexperience and Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey's lack of runs, because there would be too much pressure on Kevin Pietersen.
Of Clarke, Arthur writes: "He's a quality player and I'd be surprised is he doesn't score a lot of runs in this series."
He expresses similar sentiments about Hussey, who averaged just 19.72 in the six Tests against South Africa.
"He's a class player and he'll have a big role to play in this series. He needed a break and ducking out of the Indian Premier League should have done him good."
Arthur says he is concerned that because of England's desperation to claim 20 wickets, they would have sacrificed some punch with their batting.
"The key to the series is how well England's top order do as a unit. If Australia use the new ball well they would put England under a lot of pressure."
The series, Arthur felt, would be close. "I'm loath to make a prediction because I think it will be so tight but, on the basis of where England are in their development, I would just go for Australia."
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