Australia’s newspapers have been less than complimentary about England’s
playing style but what goes on off the field has come in for criticism as
well. Or rather, who goes on and off the field, as Andrew Ramsey explained
in The Australian.
"The regularity with which Flintoff's team shuttles players on and off the
field has reached an even more farcical level than when it first came to
Australia's attention during last year's Ashes series in England. On that
occasion, Australia captain Ricky Ponting accused England of acting
outside the spirit of the game by rotating their bowlers to rest, freshen
up and be treated to a quick rub down. England countered by claiming the
dizzying regularity with which players appeared and disappeared into the
dressing rooms was to grant them toilet breaks. If that's the same case
over the first two days of this series, then incontinence looms as a far
greater issue for Flintoff than the fact his fellow seamers and top-order
batsmen are not up to it."
Robert Craddock in The Courier Mail had his thoughts more firmly on the Australia team
and suggested that in fact the line-up facing England in the first Test
might not be the best 11 Australia could field. He argued that the time
has come for Shane Watson and Michael Clarke to both be in the team.
"One of them, almost inevitably Clarke, will miss out on next week's
second Test in Adelaide because Australia has them bracketed for the same
position. In time, Australia will need both and would do well to give them
as much experience as possible before a generational change sweeps the
Test side."
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