Proteas give England blueprint on how to beat Aussies
By ANITuesday, June 30, 2009
MELBOURNE - South Africa has handed over England its successful blueprint on how to beat the Australians in the Ashes 2009.
England will head into the Ashes series with fresh intelligence after Proteas coach Mickey Arthur revealed his game plans on hoe to put one over the Aussies.
Arthur’s team created history in the summer when it became the first South African team to win a Test series on Australian soil.
After a 2-1 series defeat in South Africa against the Aussies, Arthur has provided England with a dossier and tips on the Australian players, The Herald Sun reports.
Arthur’s game plan suggests cramping opener Phillip Hughes on the leg side, “because he wants room to slash you through the off side”.
Stack the slips and bowl wide outside off stump to Ricky Ponting. “He likes to feel bat on ball early, especially in the first five deliveries. He doesn’t like leaving the ball, so we just hung it out there, outside his eyeline and made him fetch it.”
Use Andrew Flintoff to bowl short at Mike Hussey. Don’t expect much weakness from Mitchell Johnson apart from “a tendency to get down on himself at times”.
Watch for Shane Watson. “There are one or two question marks about his temperament: whether he’s tough enough for the very top level. But his cricket is amazing.”
England is also getting help from another important source, former Australian coach John Buchanan, who is arriving in Britain this week to link with the England Lions, which is the England “A” team.
Buchanan has a consultancy role and will be in the Lions dressing room during the match against Australia starting in Worcester on Wednesday night.
Arthur said Australia’s top six batsmen had the edge on England and the best chance of a home Ashes victory was for Flintoff to unleash hell with the ball. (ANI)
