'he'd Have Lit Up Like A Christmas Tree' - Mcgrath On Scans, Bazball & Australia

The first Ashes Test is only days distant and I americium proceeding a batch of talk astir nan Australia squad supposedly being successful disarray complete action decisions.

Clearly, losing 2 value accelerated bowlers successful Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to injuries is simply a immense spanner successful nan works, doubly truthful erstwhile Cummins is nan captain.

But what squad wouldn't suffer if they mislaid 2 cardinal players? England did not person Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer successful nan broadside for their past Test, against India astatine The Oval successful July. They lost.

If you return retired nan script of nan 2 injuries, Australia person only ever had 1 determination to make, which is astir nan apical order.

Australia person not had a accordant opening partner for Usman Khawaja since David Warner retired astatine nan opening of past year. Five different men person been tried successful nan abstraction of 18 months.

They person tried band-aid options, possibly trying to replicate nan occurrence of moving Justin Langer up from number 3 to unfastened pinch Matthew Hayden successful nan squad I played in.

Realistically, if you suffer an opener, you should switch him pinch an opener. You wouldn't switch a accelerated bowler pinch a wicketkeeper. For that reason, Australia will astir apt extremity nan shuffling of nan order, time off Marnus Labuschagne astatine number 3 and springiness a debut to Jake Weatherald.

From there, nan remainder of nan batting bid takes attraction of itself. Cameron Green drops to capable nan all-rounder domiciled astatine number six, meaning Beau Webster is squeezed out. It's reliable connected Webster, who has done thing wrong.

The different disapproval heading towards Australia is nan property of nan team. The apt XI for nan first Test astatine Optus Stadium connected Friday will only person Green nether nan property of 30.

I really do not spot that arsenic a problem successful this Ashes series. The logic this squad has grown aged together is because it has been successful together.

With property comes experience. I played successful a squad successful a akin business successful nan 2006-07 Ashes. We only had Michael Clarke nether nan property of 30 and we won 5-0.

Maybe it will beryllium an rumor for nan selectors complete nan adjacent 12 to 18 months arsenic players extremity their careers, but it's not 1 to beryllium addressed now. So agelong arsenic a subordinate is performing, property does not matter.

I do wonderment astir nan process that has led to some Cummins and Hazlewood being made unavailable for nan first Test.

It feels for illustration things person changed truthful overmuch successful nan decision-making surrounding players, that backroom unit and those extracurricular nan dressing room mightiness person excessively overmuch influence.

We did not person regular scans. If you were not rather astatine 100%, but felt you could push done and play, you played.

Now location is simply a inclination to err connected nan broadside of caution. If a subordinate feels a niggle, he is told to rest.

If I had gone done regular scans, I for illustration to deliberation I would person been OK. I only had a short transportation stride, truthful location was not nan strain connected my back. It was successful bully information erstwhile I played and still is today.

But my aged new-ball partner Jason Gillespie reckons he would ne'er person played a Test if he was put done regular scans. His backmost would person lit up for illustration a Christmas tree.

The dream for Australia is Cummins and Hazlewood are fresh for nan 2nd Test successful Brisbane, because England will surely position nan location onslaught successful a different ray without them.

I sewage a adjacent look astatine nan England team, and their attack nether Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, during nan Ashes successful nan UK successful 2023.

I emotion England's method, but I'm not judge astir this thought of ridding players of unit and expectation.

To me, nan very champion players thrive nether pressure. They want to guidelines up and meet expectations. The bigger nan stage, nan amended they perform. You should not effort to free unit and expectation, you should usage them arsenic motivation.

Besides, if England judge this is their champion chance to triumph successful Australia since 2020-11, is that not a unit of its own?

I saw Stuart Broad say this is nan weakest Australia team since that past England triumph present 14 years ago. Really?

The past 3 bid England person played present they person mislaid 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0. They person not travel adjacent to winning a Test and were fortunate not to suffer each azygous one.

It's not a immense telephone to opportunity this is nan "weakest" Australian squad successful 15 years. If Australia triumph 3-0, it would beryllium a awesome result, but still not arsenic ascendant arsenic nan erstwhile three. Does that make them nan weakest?

The situation for England is to accommodate to nan conditions. The transportation successful Perth will beryllium nan quickest, astir bouncy of nan 5 Tests. Touring teams tin spot nan shot alert done and get carried away, bowling excessively short. When nan transportation is accelerated and bouncy, you person to find nan correct length.

It's not conscionable nan pitches that will beryllium alien to England. The Kookaburra shot feels different successful nan manus to nan Dukes shot utilized successful nan UK. The Kookaburra feels bigger, pinch a smaller seam. It offers overmuch little assistance.

And really will England play Bazball connected nan large Australian grounds? English grounds are smaller. If you're going to effort to deed sixes successful Australia, make judge you deed them a agelong way, different you'll beryllium caught.

When England are confident, they tin beryllium a existent handful. They person a immense chance successful nan first Test, pinch Cummins and Hazlewood missing. If they tin return that chance, it will springiness them assurance for nan remainder of nan series.

If England suffer successful Perth, they could beryllium successful for a very agelong series.

Glenn McGrath was speaking to BBC Sport's Stephan Shemilt.