3 times players were criticized for being "too friendly" in the Ashes
The Ashes Test series played between England and Australia is the oldest rivalry in the history of cricket and also one of the most intense tussles in the game. Over the years, the Ashes have produced some stunning cricketing moments, which have achieved the status of immortality.
One of the standout aspects of the England-Australia Test rivalry has been the passion with which the matches have been contested. There have been numerous instances of tempers flaring and players not willing to give even an inch in their endeavor to be the best. This has resulted in some of the fiercest battles witnessed on a cricket ground.
For those who have been part of high-pressure Ashes clashes, the intensity has been the keyword. Hence, it has not been surprising to witness some former England and Australian cricketers being critical of players for being too pleasant in cricket.
In this feature, we look at three instances when Ashes players were criticized for being "too friendly".
#1 “Stop being so nice” - Kevin Pietersen
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen was highly critical of the hosts’ friendly approach on Day 1 of the ongoing Lord’s Test. Sharing a tweet ahead of Day 2, he urged the Englishmen to stop being ‘so nice’ as if it is an exhibition game.
His post read:
"Come on, England! Stand tall today and take it to the Australians. Stop being so nice and get some mongrel in you! Take those 5 wickets quick and bat well! This is The Ashes and not an exhibition game!"
Earlier, during a discussion on Sky Sports, he hit out at England’s approach on the opening day of the Lord’s Test, describing the team’s performance as absolutely shambolic.
Questioning their laidback demeanor, he commented:
"It's been shambolic, absolutely shambolic. You have overcast conditions, you have a wicket that suits your bowlers and you've got bowlers running in at 78, 79, 80 mph. Are you telling me Ricky Ponting in 2005 is going to be talking to Geraint Jones. You think Michael Vaughan is going to be standing next to Justin Langer and saying, 'hey man, what a cool day, what an awesome day and environment here at Lord's?"
"Are you joking? Are you absolutely JOKING?" 😤
Kevin Pietersen is NOT happy with England today and says it has been 'shambolic' 😳 https://t.co/eTJ50UBTnm
After winning the toss and bowling first under overcast conditions, England managed only one wicket in the opening session and that too at the stroke of lunch.
#2 “I wanted batsmen to hate me” - Shane Warne
Late Aussie legend Shane Warne had also raised questions over England and Australia’s friendly exchanges during the previous Ashes series. Warne opined that the players were being a bit too nice for his liking considering they were involved in an Ashes tussle.
Commentating for Fox Cricket, Warne said:
“Too friendly for my mine [the relationship between the two team]. When I say too friendly, let me clarify that – I think the series is played in great spirit and we want to see that camaraderie, I think back to 2005 Ashes, the spirit between both sides was outstanding and the skill on display captured the imagination of all the public, everywhere around the world.
Warne added that by being friendly players risk losing the edge over an opposition player.
He elaborated:
“When you’re friendly with someone it’s pretty hard when you’ve got the ball in your hand down the other end to think ‘Oh he’s not a bad bloke this bloke’ and you don’t go easy on him but you haven’t got that extra [edge], I wanted the batsmen to hate me, I wanted them to absolutely hate me and smash me out of the park because then I had an edge. You’ve got to be careful to not lose your edge.”
For the record, Warne is the leading wicket-taker in the Ashes. In 36 matches, he picked up 195 wickets at an average of 23.25.
#3 “I'd like to see some emotion out in the middle” - Glenn McGrath
Apart from Warne, another former Aussie legend Glenn McGrath was also not too pleased with the friendly exchanges between Ashes rivals during the previous edition in Australia. He opined that there seemed to be a lot of political correctness and batted for a bit more emotion and passion.
McGrath was quoted as saying by Syndey Morning Herald:
“There's a lot of political correctness. People are a bit nervous about being aggressive and playing hard. "I remember, when Nasser Hussain came out here with England, they weren't even allowed to talk to us or say 'G'day'."
Referring to England players chatting around with their Australian counterparts, he added:
"It's all about body language. How much does it mean, representing your country? England have to go back to the drawing board and have a real good thought about this. With the IPL and the Big Bash, these players know one another well. You see batsmen and bowlers joking around. I'd like to see some emotion out in the middle."
"I don't think they bowled poorly there was just a slight intensity lacking"
Nasser Hussain and Ricky Ponting discuss England's performance yesterday https://t.co/NU988GjLms
McGrath is the second-leading wicket-taker in the Ashes. He picked up 157 scalps in 30 Tests at an average of 20.92.