Stokes Questions Teammates & What’s Gone Wrong for England in the Ashes? | Stick To Cricket Ep 26

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0:33like the second best for sport if you know they're doing it all up and ever been lovely to be beautiful yeah too heels have you been mate yeah I think our washes ah struggles is struggled last year really mmm rain rain so rain on forecast rain yeah we don't want rain unless it's at night and and not sunny days that's all we need this this year this quarter was pretty good bounce back a bit good good yeah what are they all courts a paddle course going well yeah Yeah, paddles. That was pretty good. I think so. I use it. It isn't it? Oh Jimmy. Lazy. Well, have you seen how the top boys play it? No, I think we're not.

1:11Pat Rafter. Pat Rafter plays for Australia. Really? Yeah, he's good. He runs in from outside the court, outside the net. You know, the fence. Oh, yeah, they go out. And they come. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, well, you have to go out the court. Well, no, no, no. So if it gets smashed and it kind of flicks off the wall and it goes out, you see the pros, they run out of the court and they flicked back in. away you go yeah yeah you're quite good Mike I wouldn't say I'm agile well I can I can I'm a little bit like an old fart one like an old fart you know just generally about you're good at table tennis I am and what have you been up to all obviously the cricket all day no all week oh well week what have I seen doing I went to Burley heads beautiful no I've got a place at Berlin I'm not surprised I was in this apartment all the beautiful pine trees are they pine on strike Robbie on them yeah yeah we had a beautiful place 20 paces and I was on the beach yeah yeah beautiful was it a burly pavilion with the Asian sort of a good restaurant and the windows that I keep keep speaking like straight to the windows um and the windows um virtually the surf comes into it doesn't it yeah rickshaw's is that rickshaw's uh that i think it's the burley pavilion yeah yeah yeah yeah the restaurant where which does get taken out yeah in five years yeah it's by the sea yeah is rickshaw's all right yeah they're beautiful and we were right there eating our beautiful food and the little bloke would sort of come past us on the surfboard yeah straight past it's amazing Did you have a bug roll?

2:51Did I? A bug roll. Oh, a bug, yes, I had a bug roll. I thought you said a bug roll. Yeah, they eat bug rolls. Yeah, no, they're beautiful as well. We had the pork chop all sort of sliced off with the Asian stuff on it. Oh, that's lovely. So we'll have two or three days there, Mike. Can Stacey with you? Huh? Stacey with you? Any of the team? Well, I thought I might see them. Yeah, practising. Oh, no. Not practising. They haven't. Prepare it. Yes. they did five days practice here no absolutely I'm a little bit bored with the practice shout now a bit more you know I mean obviously you're happy with an England same coming to Australia not playing a pink ball game before a pink ball town didn't say I was happy but I was just saying just bored of talking about a little bit you know I mean they've made that decision is probably not right and so you're going to get on with what is going to be all right mate oh good that's what it's about that's the positive of the week in it Oh I like that I actually was on commentary this week with Jim Maxwell and there's a t-shirt that's been made of Jim that Phil sent me he goes you'll like this yeah and we're on the BBC so it's very straight and proper and I was talking about Harry Brooke when he got out to Mitchell Starks first ball Twilight and I think Labashain was facing Joffrey and he's digging in he's trying to see off Joffrey and I was kind of saying to Jim you know you can see a different style here you've got Marnas who's trying to see off a good bowler Harry went after the best bowlers first ball and Jim just went ah mate he said all that buzz bollocks they don't they're quick off the mark yeah yeah it's they're flying out quickly yes that was Jim Maxwell this week can I just start with a little bit of sad news Robin Smith the judge yeah it was this week that we found out that he'd passed away.

4:51We were all with him. Were you in Perth? I wasn't in Perth, but I'd heard everyone was hanging out with him. I spoke to Lemmy on Sunday night last week when he got here to Brisbane and he was optimistic that he was on the right track. He looked good in Perth. He's such a shame. A big mate of mine. You'd have toured with him how many tours? Many times. I don't know. Four or five. He was a cheeky chap, you weren't you? He enjoyed himself, he did. but a hero you know I mean a real hero you know the judge you know yeah used to go out there take on all the quicks and everything and a great personality roomed with him many times yeah I think it was you who tweeted that you know you had a catch up that knocked trees down I'll tell you why I say that we were playing at Harefield versus Hampshire and he was coming back from a injury how and injury but remember Graham Rose yes yeah Somerset yeah that's right incredible we've all like you know this was I was only a youngster and that's how Robert Smith's here it was your hero my oh he was my hero do you know when you said that you room with him did he ever see you no not very much we kind of think the room was ending but yeah yeah good yeah but listen Graham Rose Graham Rose and I found myself at cover point don't know why but I just found myself there and Graham Rose was running and he's he's boldly sort of like these are both and judgy as if this cover point at least sort of you know square cut like that and I've sort of gone like that and we were surrounded by houses with fences and the ball hit the fence you know the the two the two concrete bits there and you slide the fence in and it knocked the fence from his square car.

6:37And we all looked at each other about 17 and I'm going, shit. He was a tremendous bloke that loves cricket. Yeah. And was totally engaged with it. Why do we reckon, as a good player like that he was, he couldn't pick Mourney? Well, there was a few that couldn't. Not really. Oh, really? Well, you, by the sound of it. Mourney, you could read from the clubhouse, right? But Robin Smith and Darryl Cullen, that's the only two, I think, that couldn't pick him out of the hand. And now we know toughers. But Robin Smith, why can't you see what's coming out there? That's a leg spinner, top spinner, flipper.

7:17So you're saying that Australia's greatest ever in Shane Warne was easy to pick. Easy to pick, totally. What about that zooter? Well, Mark Patella and I can see that halfway through his run-up. Really? What did he do? Because he had to move his thumb position. so Warnie was always of the opinion that you don't need your thumb to bowl leg spin and then he was bowling in New Zealand with a broken thumb and first over he came back up to the slips for the next over he said don't let anyone tell you you don't need your thumb to bowl leg spin and it was killing him but so can you throw me the ball? so his normal grips like that but for his flipper he had to have his thumb underneath so it comes out like that So about halfway through the run up he comes up by that and his thumb goes there and we could see that yeah as a wig keeper you get ready for it to swing it needs to it'll swing sometimes down the leg side so I had to be ready for that drift especially if a batsman's falling out of his crease I need to be there for something but yeah very easy to pick.

8:28What was your I mean You'd have kept to Warnie more than anybody. About half and half with Gillian. What was your favourite story that you can kind of tell? A South African batsman. I can't remember who he was, right? He was a one-day game, I think. And he hit him for six over Long On. Warnie stood there. I was even listening in the team meetings last night and no one said you were that good, right? And then he goes, I'm going to bowl the same ball here. This was at Centurion. I'm going to bowl exactly the same ball and I'm going to leave my field where it is and you play the same shot. So now I've got this batsman in front of me and he's going, oh.

9:18And I said, don't let him down. Don't let him down. He's marking centre. He's not sure whether he's taken the mickey or not. Go, Crasher. Robert Crudock, Crash Crudock. News Limited. Number one journo in Australia's only joined us. Crash, have a seat. Heels is in the middle of a great story about Warnie. Bigger interest than Margot Robbie, mate. Anyway, so this bloke goes, he's not sure whether Warnie's real or not. Warnie's now at the end of his run-up. He's going, all right, you all right? He's kept pestering the bloke, and I'm mumbling behind him. He will, he will. Don't let him down. Look, he's left the field up and everything for you.

9:57And then the bloke, he sort of lifted the... And Warnie had the ability. His great skill was accuracy. So he had the ability to bowl the same ball again. And it was right in the same spot. This bloke unblocks it, right? And now he's got Warnie staring at him. Oh, you weak so-and-so. And that was two balls he'd bowled. And he got about another 178 to go, you know, for a day's play. That's how much energy he played with. Yeah, yeah. You know, we loved having him. Of course. You talk about the flipper, I can remember in 1990, the one to Alex Stewart. Oh, yeah. Do you remember that one? No. He went to cut it.

10:38What did he do? I'll tell you what. I've got Teddy with me. As you said, the first one he did before had me, it was a short ball, had a cut like that, and I'm sitting there looking, and old Stewie's sort of like bang like that. And I've gone, yeah, go to Stewie, go to Stewie, like that. next ball next ball we like that Stewie Stewie got about there and I was already up he got about there he'd already appealed stomps everywhere we've all gone oh no and I played in the game with the ball of the century yes right that's right would you play with Suchy did Suchy bow in that test yeah I think he did yes we did yes we spent twins yeah we were doing all right we were doing all right but and then he came on bowled that ball of the century and we were all looking at the all looking at the screen so we haven't seen this bloody bloke warm before you know we're always hitting there you know oh he won't be any good there'll be a couple of short ones he's bogged that border cat you know and with it's just silence we've all gone oh you're talking about Robin Smith and then Robin Smith has come up to me after about two minutes and he's sort of gone suffers what have you been doing for the last two years hey crash the cast just said that he he played for a uni here in the eighties yeah he played in a final yeah and I know you know a bit about his time here he said he caught an incredible catch at the gabber which me and heels just went no way it was it was one of the great catches ever seen at the gallery you like no one if they the uni boys still talk about all these years later and uh i'll take it did you tell you about his first game i don't know whether he did but yeah wait the boy sort of was a classic because he came from middlesex his home ground lords yeah then he arrived in brisbane his first game was a gabba sporting products at toowoomba when did you get changed yeah well i was expecting a changing room and what happened anyway i was in the back of some blokes a shame carter's mate yeah lovely man hustle music or and he had a yeah the yellow jack calling hustle was it and he had a yellow a yellow light that's and sunny or something like that which I'd driven all the way there with me arm out the window and so I'd got there and I'd first agree burns and put this some cream on and then you go right over you know right we need to get changed boys and I've gone well where are we getting changed all the boys were just stripping off on top of this hill it's on top of the hill and what about lunch well I said where do we get a bit of lunch they went well down there second on the left turn right there's a little corner shop yeah tell you something though it um it taught me a hell of a lot yeah it really really did there was some tough cricket what did it teach you well not at the university but about the cricket you know what I mean we there were some well we had about six or seven shield boys and yeah call it well we had a good dog here and dog Cortis and there was some good players man and flat pitches the uni boys love toughers they followed his career really closely and they always thought that he had a strong support see he had a great crib and if he had a strong support system in the England team he could have been really really would have taken up a level like you know I'm not saying Derek Underwood level but but I really know and I mean that they did and and he came over this is typical toughers did a Queensland University breakfast yesterday and and he mentioned the name he remembered the name of the players Elksy Elksy all these both Dave Grogan like what do you reckon it meant to them they loved it so well done yeah what about Elksy here we go this is a good story he's a wicketkeeper right for uni and good mate of mine you know, we've been colleagues for ages.

14:28He's the first to text me at how bad the Johnny Bairstow stumping was, right? He said, that's not the way we play, type thing. And I thought it for a while, because I'm happy that Johnny didn't check in. He'd just sort of check in, right? Yep, go. So, and then I remembered, Elks, he ran me out like that. So, yeah, at East Bottomley Park here, right? I was playing for East, and I'm at the non-strikers end. I'm not a striker. I watch the ball get bowled and there's an LBW shout on my partner and he's way out of his crease. So I'm going, get back, get back, get back, telling my partner to get back in his crease.

15:08Elsie is thrown at his stumps, missed by a mile and I'm still out of my crease like this and I'm looking at the ball and it takes a left turn onto my stumps. And I said to Nelma Grout, female umpire, Wally Grout's daughter, Oh, I said I'm out, aren't I? Yes, you are Ian. See you later on your bike I said Elksy you've done that to me mate. It's not whinging right. Should we start the show? Yeah, come on. Right. Let's start the show

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15:50You've got to win that moment. I don't think they've won one moment that you're looking or you've had to have won. They took on 100 years of convention, so hard work, a lot of training and it's been a spectacular fail. Have you given your players the best chance to go out there and succeed? I don't think they have. I haven't seen a bowl, I've come to Australia in 30 years, you said, yeah I had a really light preparation before I got there. Blowing me down, I had a great tool. Like, it's gotta be hard. Broad and Anderson had that leadership. They didn't have to keep going at Stokes. You know, it's almost like, oh, daddy, what do we do now?

16:24The tools that you're required to do well here, we thought England had them. And so, you've taken me in. I mean, that's typical. They say that northerners are tight. Do you want me to throw it? Yeah. Oh, now, careful. I don't got my helmet on. This could be as long as I've ever stood behind you. Very good.

16:46Crash you've been in the press conference. Oh, we heard Jonathan Agnew interview Ben Stokes. And it's the first time I think I've heard Ben question people within his team. He used the term weak man. He doesn't want any weak men in his team. You were in the press. How did it go in there? He doubled down on that, but in a less emphatic way. He said, yes, you've got to be a man of character. that's what i'm after and i didn't realize he'd said that to aggers but the thing that caught us of interest was that brendan mccullum said on channel seven that the team over trained in the lead up he said they had five really intense sections we put that to ben stokes who went off on a different direction he said there's two different types of training there's training to go through the motions look what you should do and there's training to dominate and i believe to train to.

17:38So he seemed to be saying, no, it's fair enough. So they seem to be mildly at odds with each other. But he, I thought he went okay. I mean, there is only so much you can say about it that he, he sounded to me like a guy just who's starting to really, really feel the pinch of it, Michael. Yeah. And he also, I mean, you were in Perth, you'd have watched the single side for two or three years back in 23 when the Ashes series was drawn to all with the Johnny Bairstow incident what have you made of them arriving because we've been saying for months that we felt that this England side arriving down here we will have so excited the tools that you're required to do well here we thought England had them and so you've taken your money they say that northerners are tight you know I mean because it was true it was true anyway yeah this England side we've been excited you know we felt that the top seven had enough but they don't play with a bit of bit announce bowling tack and a bit of pace lots of variation and we've got a captain who we all believe is fantastic inside two games oh they've properly just not just let down no it's not a let down but it's that moment you know when you look at it's him you've got to win that moment I don't think they've won one one moment that you're looking you've had to have one and yet they were so close in Perth before they let it up.

19:06They took on a hundred years of convention right so hard work a lot of training match play and get ready for the first test in the conditions you've just tested yourself on and it's been a spectacular file you know that you can't throw those things out of test match play and if that and now they're sort of saying well they got knocked back from using the WACA you know but that should have been set two years ago and confirmed finally confirmed one year ago that these this is our itinerary there's so many people responsible for this extremely poor itinerary because now we've just finished the Brisbane test they're ready to play the first test you know that's where you have to be you know that yeah to think anyone who's done that in England in Australia has had success 86 7 they went around our country for the first month getting beaten everywhere.

20:02Can't back, can't bowl, can't fill. Yeah, by playing. And you learn a lot out of losses. And so to 2010-11 or what it was, they had a month here before the first test. I'd say this England team is probably just about ready to play the first test now, and there's two gone.

20:20Stick to Cricket is brought to you by Betfair. Previous England sides have played games and lost. My frustration is that the one England side that I've seen here in Australia that has won, they came here and prepared properly, and I knew they had a chance in 10 and 11 because they had a fantastic team. So they've utilised all their talent within their team and gone on one of the ashes. I just don't think this team has utilised their talent and given them the best chance. I look at teams, have you given your players the best chance to go out there and succeed? I don't think they have. and now they look untalented because they're so underdone yeah you know to me their problem's not the ceiling it's the floorboards like something was saying today this is the difference between michael's niece's best and his worst it's about that like he's the same bowler every day yeah but you know you've got joffa up here or down here you know car sort of up here or down here and and like when they announced the team and we saw the dates of what a lot of these guys had done like Mark Wood not having bowled since the 26th of February and Archer two tests in four years.

21:30I don't know anything about technique, but all I know is this. I haven't seen a bowler come to Australia in 30 years. You said, yeah, I had a really light preparation before I got there, but blow me down. I had a great tour. Like, you've got to be hard. You've got to. Stark is hard. He keeps up his pace. You couldn't kill him with an axe. You know, he's a hard bastard, you know. We're not far behind you. We don't play well in England because we don't give ourselves a chance anymore. You know, on the Crick Info app, our itineraries are on there. You click on 1989 and you'll get to Australia in England.

22:06Click on that and there's the itinerary. We were six weeks in town before the first test. Well, at least, you know, if you go back to 23, I think they had the World Test Championship final. Steve Smith, Marlon Flavishane played some county cricket. So I look at that and think, Steve Smith's one of the greats of the game. If Steve Smith has to go to England early to play a bit of County Creek to give himself the best chance to play well in an Ashes series Why haven't some of our players thought so someone like Zach Crawley, Ollie Pope, Zach went with the T20 team to New Zealand He's never been in the T20 squad, but they took him to New Zealand.

22:38Ollie Pope just arrived played the Lylee Kill game did well Obviously played okay in Perth struggled here, but players that aren't involved in the white wall squad in New Zealand Why didn't they think just to come and play a little bit of grade cricket just a couple around me? You play great cricket in the the standards pretty good Absolutely, it's just it's just getting your body in your mind used to being out in the middle playing cricket You've just mentioned it there though Mike Listen, we played every game against the farmers against the train drivers and everything and we still didn't win nothing but Just because you practice it doesn't mean that you play that shot you know I made like all that situation of the game you know it doesn't matter how many times you played on the Wacker beforehand if you still play that one off Mitchell start they say Harry Brooke first you know that's not gonna change you mean it's more the approach yes it's more yeah I think that's what being the way they're gonna play absolutely I think it's more the approach than necessarily the balls thrown at you and everything oh yeah exactly and one of the interesting things that Ben Stokes did think someone said what's your problem he said well I've got we've got four pillars of baseball and one of them is applying pressure I think we're doing that right absorbing pressure that's the one we're really struggling with we don't absorb it when it's thrown back in our face so and the other thing he said as well was is that when we're you know when we're ahead we're pretty good yeah you know when we're but when we're behind we're pretty good it's what those even points you know yeah that it we're not very good at now I think where they've got it wrong is that sometimes on those even points they then go to put the hammer down and then it just brings the oppo back in sometimes knuckle down and grind them and get there slower you know just because being positive isn't always yeah but the basketball wave since 22 has been that you know to run towards the danger if a bowl is bowling a good length and it's seemingly around that that pretty much told that you go towards it and you try and put that baller off that length.

24:43I would say that's a high-risk option. Of course it is. A better low-risk option would be to say, OK, technically you've got to be good. You've got to try and survive those balls. You try and get that baller out of the attack. Not by being negative. It was a fast ball, a bad ball. You climb into it. We play such a... It's like poker. I think this England side, particularly against the best side, I think Australia know that whatever hand England get, they go all in. Absolutely. All in. And you can't have a great hand every day. No, it's impossible. And it all started because he needed to unlock minds, didn't he?

25:20Correct. If he had said to them, knuckle down and get through this 45-minute period while the ball is seeming, they couldn't cope. No. Is that right? Yeah, 17 games, one win under Joe. It was after COVID, and they needed a bit of freedom to go out there and enjoy the cricket. It was great at the start. To me it looks like now it's turned into, you know, not quick runs that they're looking for. They're going for easy runs. To hit out at danger is the easy way. And if you get through, good luck to you. But, you know, and you'll get quick runs. But it's really risky. I thought that today completely showed up baseball.

25:58It really did. Just old-fashioned test cricket. And guess, got a bit of news for you. It worked. You know, it's just simple. letting decent balls go sweating on them tiring at the attack and the big regret for England is simply this this Australian team was beatable you know what I mean like you think of some of the monsters you've played oh my life let's be frank I mean a great effort by Mike Nisa but he may never play another test because you know uh Cummins is coming back Lions coming back in so this was their moment and uh there must be deep regret from that yeah absolutely well well Nisa just showed it again we're all having a go at the batters and everything but but then nisa just showed it with the ball you know we we've held 10 or 15 overs and if we don't get anything well okay everyone out and let's just bomb them you know i mean and hopefully they slog it up and yeah nisa just uses his skill his experience top of off stump and gets your rewards you know but don't you don't think it's ironic that ingerner's been out skilled yeah i just want to say one other thing as well you're talking about that about um ben stokes he started the basport because he said right i'm your leader do you remember when he came he just came in and just went running down the track and everyone then followed him i think that knock today might be a little change attack reverse message yeah and then you follow me now and it's not just a reaction to what's happened here it's been a reaction to india away uh the summer against india where they didn't chase down that 30 on the last morning five weeks in the tank obviously Chris Wilkes wasn't going about because we surely had to walk out there but you know the method of risk has not got them success they haven't won a five-match series since 2017 and I was saying that Michael Nisa you've got to say he's an English style seam bowler picture 130 kilometers an hour and I was saying and for quite a while that because I come down here every every summer the last three summers the pictures have changed the cookable or a balls change and that picture Chris Wilkes Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broadstyle, Seema, is actually required now.

28:00And England have gone for all-out pace, all-out attack, whacked the pitch-style bowlers. And I'm looking going, Neesert, Doggett, Boland, they're all 131, 132 kilometres an hour, and they're having success against our batters because they're challenging that forward crowd. They're the two main wickets it's going to work in. They're done now, Perth and Brisbane. Adelaide will be a bang, back of a length type. So England's attack could come into the equation. But they've got a whole control like like knees and bowling today dog was doing a specific role, which is not it's foreign to him, but he did okay.

28:37They've got a whole control like fifth stump or fourth stump fifth stump probably on a driving on the up length. That's a terrific point. I mean, like when you had Anderson and Broad of all the things you forget about great professionals and get themselves ready for the contest. You know, Stuart Broad played three games for Knott's before the, you know, for a test. Like, you never had to worry. He's underdone, he's overdone. He's ready. You know, and I thought, it just looked ropey, this attack. You know, and I know it's got, but even Atkinson hasn't played that much first-class cricket over the years for a 27-year-old.

29:13So, but that's the thing. Someone mentioned it today, and it's a great point, Michael. Did they bring the right attack? As you say, like Lisa chugging in, and beautiful keeping by Kerry. it's as good as we will get onto that I mean even back in 2010-11 you look at England's attack Tim Bresden Chris Tremlett Stephen Finn Stuart broadplay to Graham Swan and Jimmy Anderson you kind of go that wasn't huge pace no that was consistent line and length challenging the forward press even back in 2011 when the pictures were probably better than they are now and the cookable didn't do as much as it does now yeah I guess Matthew Potts Matthew Potts comes into the equation he's an the star steamer tiny perhaps i don't know the other thing about the seam bowlers i mean i know we're all having a go at the batters and everything but you look at um gus atkinson you know he bowls his ball walks back you know i mean uh you look at joffra sort of sometimes can be a little bit you're going body language here yeah yeah and also a little bit of leadership you know broad and anderson had that leadership they didn't have to keep going at stokes you know it's almost like oh Daddy, what do we do now?

30:18You know what I mean? And sometimes as a captain, you need a leader of your pack. And who's the leader of that ball? Well, it's Ben. Ben leads in the field, he's with the ball, and today he's led with the bat. And now he's going to have to lead with the mentality within that dressing room. So you're asking a lot of a human being to try and get them all back on track. Stick to Cricket is brought to you by Betfair. Can we talk keeping with heels here? Well, well, this is wonderful. Because it's been contrasting, haven't we? We've had one keeper from Australia, Alex Carey, who's had as good a week behind the studs, stood up to see him as I've seen in my time.

30:59And then we've had Jamie Smith for England, whose first ever pink ball game was this week. And he looked a little bit lost. Should we start with Jamie Smith? Phil, guys, I don't know if you've watched Stick to Cricket, but Phil's our resident expert on everything. He usually does batting demos, but today he's going to do the keep. So Jamie Smith, what did you notice with Jamie Smith and his keeping? Well, what I noticed was, you know, you can't stand like that.

31:31I'm not even letting you carry on. Heels, can you get in? Can you give us a little bit of a demo of what you've noticed with Jamie Smith and his keeping? Now, I quite like the way Jamie catches the ball. I like the way that he contacts the ball out here and it goes into his gloves very cleanly. I just feel he's not such a presence as he could be. He needs to be a bit more energetic in his activity here. The engine. And then getting to the other end, run. Run between overs. You might run down to Joffre who's going down to Fire Lake. Well done, mate. What was he doing this week? He was very heavy on his legs and walking.

32:09Yeah, yeah. Right. Between overs. And he's getting to his position at the same time as the bowler's ready. That bowler needs to turn around with the ball in his hand and see the cordon all set and ready to go. And so I noticed in the second innings he jogged more. And the slips were jogging. And just much better presence out there. When you bring someone who's not a county keeper into the England set-up, there's a whole lot of belief issues. right he does he won't really but he probably can't believe he's out there you know and especially around the country and he did really well at the start I think his keeping was okay and his batting was averaging over 60 so now the batting's coming down he's never really believed or known what to do with the gloves so and now he's copying batting pressure and and the fans can come down hard on you.

33:04So that's what I've found. I don't really know how he is up the stumps because there's so little spin bowl. But he gloves the ball fine. But he smacks of someone who didn't train enough. He didn't get enough work into it. And also, that first, you know, every time it came in, didn't it, the whole crowd, and he called it all day long. Now, I've been out there as well. It wears you down a bit. It does, it does wear it down a bit, especially when you've got the gloves on. No, but I'd just like to see a bit more style. The throws coming in, no keepers stand behind the stumps anymore to get a throw in, do they?

33:45And just do that and get going. You know, we talked about the craft before. You know, the wicketkeeper's craft is still there, but all the keepers... Jamie took a lot of throws back there, well back behind the stumps. You know, he's standing halfway up to the stumps, asking them to throw. that's just doesn't make sense if you want them to throw get it here and then go yeah and get rid of it you know what about on the other police can just give us a little bit Alex Carey stood up to those seam bowlers this right it was a master class okay so tough as you come and stand in front of me here come on yeah get get get Teddy Teddy yeah oh that would that ball bounce better do you You want me to throw it?

34:28Yeah. Oh now careful, I don't have my helmet on. This could be as long as I've ever stood behind you. Very good. Line of the night. So now this ball that Vaughn is going to throw is coming at 130km. Yes, sure. I'm putting myself here. I've got to get outside the line of you because you're a big obstacle in front of me and I've got to forget that you're there. Now it's going to happen fast. There's some cracks all along the pitch here. some are staying low as we've seen some some can rear up and Kerry was so good at just responding to what happened quite often with those cracks you can You can still go see and rarely that's what's it up there pinch it about But you've just got to as a keeper you've got to watch the ball only I didn't even see what he did Yeah, and then it's yours after that right and don't go guessing you know So if you put some down leg, for example, put one down there.

35:33So quite often, with a really hard fastball going down leg, you can start to guess, it's going, and you go too far, and you're all over the shop. Kerry never once got it wrong, and never once fumbled a bad one or missed. Oh, Phil, get it. I'm sorry. Then there it goes. Down he goes. Well, Ben's first got you in the knuckles, didn't he? Oh, he always does. I'm just trying to recreate what happened in the middle. Sorry, Phil. Brilliant, brilliant. It was fantastic of Alex Carey to forget the bat, watch the ball, stay with it, and don't project what's going to happen. Watch what does happen. And otherwise, you know, his fingers are at risk.

36:20There's keepers all around the country. That's how I got my job for Queensland. Our keeper got his finger broken doing that to Ian Botham in Perth. Heels, random question. Is there such a thing as the psychology of keeping when you've got, because it's such a selective role, does it intimidate a keeper B, Jamie Smith, if the other guy's on fire and getting massive raps of people say, wow, this is generational stuff. Did it ever affect you, or does it affect the other keeper you think geez he's kind of right isn't he like is that part of the psychological war yeah yeah it's a niggle in the back of your head that you go yeah i've got a lift or i'm gone here or my my confidence is low um this this bloke's making him look really easy um like kalua with arana was one of them he he was he struggled with the gloves a bit for sri lanka but then he'd go and clean up 140 against Warnie.

37:17And I think, yeah, geez, I wish I could do that. So you do, there is, you have got an eye on the opposition keeper, for sure. And then also, your keeper as a bowler is crucial, isn't it? You know, he's your messaging, he's your, come on, mate, get that, well, get your chin down the wicket, I used to say to me. You used to love that. Yeah. But, you know, that's a bad line. And if you haven't got any of the bowlers particularly doing that, and your keepers then not doing that, you know, is your engine. The batsmen feel it. Yeah. The opposition feel it. Because he's a quiet lad as well, isn't he?

37:53He's just got to get his confidence through hard work. So drilling, drilling his sideways movement. I think he's quite good the way he moves. He could just lift a little bit. He could be a little bit stronger. He's got massive thighs, so he should get some sideways power going and really look stylish. You know, I just think enjoy it. He's unaware of the craft because he wasn't a county keeper even How hard is it to get that? You know positive body language and bounce and energy between the sticks if it doesn't come I go to some Matthew price been here this week Yeah, and he was as good as I've seen for England, you know running around buzzing around you know giving us a few flicks to the bowlers who ball well All the you know the fielders who's just taken a flying catch or a flying stop just tapping on the backside how easy is that to suddenly start doing it if you're not naturally good at that?

38:44I don't know but he'll have to find a form of it so you'll have to if you care for your team and you care for your role as a wicket keeper, you're going to give that batsman bowler some advice, they're going to help him and you know, grade over why don't we try bowling a bit slower, why don't we try bowling a bit faster or hatch a plan together. And the plan mightn't work, but you feel like you're focused. So it just has to happen. Whether it's boisterous and talkative and all that sort of stuff, that mightn't be able to be done. And then they like people doing that around him. So your first slipper was doing that.

39:29Jack Russell, in that side against the Gloucester side that won everything, he stood up and he was in there. he said he didn't used to brush his teeth for like a week and so he'd be sitting down i really do that you like jack didn't you i love jack yeah yeah lunacy um so yeah someone's got to do it you've got to have when you're when you're batting you need to hear a present well you don't need to if you hear silence behind you you're halfway through it you hear nothing from me You're like, well, this is quite nice. Because on the toughest of days, you've got to find some fun out there. And if no one's saying anything, it's not fun.

40:13You're the leader of the band, aren't you? Probably. And if it's not going to be you because you're unnatural at doing it, then you better have a good energy level and be running and leading the play, like having high intensity and let someone else do the talking and have the right people around that time. crush you you've covered so many ashes trips for England seems here have we seen this movie before do you know what I've got one ambition in my cricket covering career I want to see a close ashes series in Australia and in 40 years I haven't seen one England have slam dunked Australia twice and the rest have gone the other way I want to sit and decide where it's day four and we're all going hot this exciting isn't it and it's just so frustrating like I get it you know Australia deserve their two wins but I want to see you know this this why isn't that it is in England Asher series there are good but over here when a team goes down they go out and it's funny sometimes Michael you get a little insight into the series like we had our window open the press box Joffrey Archer was down in the boundary and I heard the niggling at him for over after over And hey, none of it out of order, although I understand a guy might have been thrown out, but it didn't seem to be totally out of order, but just grinding, slinching.

41:33And I remember you telling me the story once when you're in West Australia and there was some school kids there and they had a snigger at you. You were the England cricket teammate and you said it just, there was something inside you. You just, you hated it, didn't you? And, you know, like it's just, I just thought that's grinding Joppa down. I think this is the worst of the venues. Is it really? Here at the Gabby. The Gabby. Yeah, because it's close. Close. You know, the fans are close. You generally can hear everything here. Yeah. You know, the Adelaide Oval next week seems to be, it's more of a traditional cricket audience, apart from out the back where it all kicks off.

42:11So you don't seem to get as much stick in Adelaide. Perth, I thought it was quite nice for the team. Was it? I don't think it was that hostile. It was a huge amount of England support. But here has always been tough. England players here have always had a rough time. That's really interesting. And it was interesting. And the motivation is when Stokes was going well today, they were quiet, the crowd. He put them to sleep. They just didn't have many answers. So, you know, it's there. Let's move on to Mitchell Stark. Two tests. Wow. Incredible performers. Gone past Wasim. He's right up there now, isn't he?

42:45Well, I did ring the great Wasim last week. And I said, you know, what's your reaction to this bloke? And he said, he said, the things I really like about him is what about he comes back at the end of the day, he's still balling 145. He said, I love it. He's hard, isn't he? And he said, I love the fact that, you know, at the start of his career, went in the team, out of the team, in the team, dropped, dropped, dropped. He was not that good. But I still think the best thing that happened to him was when Warnie actually called him soft at this ground. And he's he wasn't soft, but he's got soft body language.

43:15Since then, he's become a machine. And of course, Hills, you're not quite related to him, but your niece, Elisa, you know, is obviously Mitch, you know, marriage Mitch. My nephew-in-law. Nephew-in-law. But you'd have a good insight into who this bloke is. But I've still got, have you still got, Shieldberry was terrific the other day. He just did his top ten left-handers, left-arm fast bowlers. I think it went. And Wasi Makram, no dispute there. Number two, Mitchell Johnson. And number three, Mitchell Stark. And he put Mitchell Johnson in on the basis that volcanic Ashes series he has was the best bowling we've probably ever seen.

43:57Certainly in Australia. But he'lls Mitchell Stark. Who is he? He's very strongly community-minded. Even as a kid, you know, 13, 14-year-olds, he's winning and being presented awards for service in the community. He's a really nice type kid. And then, because he and Elisa played in the same team up until about under-14s, and they finally, I think Mitch's dad, said, right, here's a bucket of balls. You go over and bowl in that net over there because you're no longer a wicketkeeper. They were both wicketkeepers, right? Well, Mitch, you'll... Yeah, and you'll see him be hatching gully. He took a great catch.

44:37What does he do? He keeps his catch. Yeah, when he catches in the gully. See, he's a potential to field in the gully, like Cameron Green and Joel Garner, for example, and he'll catch like that, like a keeper. You won't even see that next time. But he was a keeper until about 14. You take that bucket of balls over and start bowling, and that's how that happened. I tried to facilitate a meeting between he and Warnie. Did you? Yeah, yeah, at a Boxing Day test that year. And I said, well, mate, you just want to catch up with him or whatever you don't need him whinging about you he said I couldn't give a shit really did not care one bit and you know about what Orny had said or whatever his effort and his durability is unquestioned and yeah as was he said it's not dropping off no the real bad balls gone yeah he's very strong he's got strong physically at the moment yeah he's added that wobble and and his pace is staying up another thing quickly as well what really impressed me about him is that he's not what his mates no no comments you know yeah and he's all of a sudden lips go right yeah I'm your man that's that's something yeah did you win anything for anything in the community just have interest public nuisance i've got a certificate for that a couple of times i've got a few asbo's no that was community but i did it yes it was that's where the cricket club that's what cricket is all about is the community i totally agree just to clarify hill's greatest fast bowler of all time he said the other day was him ahead of malcolm marshall didn't you yeah yeah the other two that I found in our whole team sort of found the best yeah but Starkey would make my Australian best 11 now yep I reckon yeah stick to cricket is brought to you by Betfair right on to Adelaide changes we start with England right okay what we did what we got well I think there's a problem at number three I think Ollie Pope now is the axe at number three well there's options yeah Ollie Pope run his race he's never got 50 against Australia you can't just keep throwing him out at number three he's run his race the go obviously can bring in Jacob Bethel who's just got 70 odd in the a team against the the lines against the Australia side he's never got a first cast hundred so do you want to throw him in against Stark and coke come he have to be three this is where I'm going to go to oh I I have said for a while I think Ben Stokes should back number three oh I think he's a great technician he's got that that fight and when I heard him say tonight I don't want any weak men within mighty gone back three go and be the leader at three he plays pace great Nathan Lyon will be in the team he's had a problem against Nathan Lyon if he comes in at six yeah probably going to face Nathan straight away and then you could play will Jack's at six yeah yeah they surely have to bring in sure Bashir they built showing for three years to play in Australia probably was never gonna play in Perth I wasn't gonna play here surely it plays at the Adelaide Oval gotcha and I think will Jack's did enough here to suggest that he can battle and I liked it and then the ball Josh Tong and probably Matthew Potts replaces you know two of the seamers here yeah no it's not that's a lot that's a lot for pressure yeah um what too much of a mix-up yeah because you've got brand don't you think it needs brand new underdone in again but they're all against saying to cast you've got to get it right yeah you know his pace is all right and he you know he just couldn't hold a control because he hadn't practiced um so they've got to get their job done that's why they're highly paid players here and on Ashes.

48:37They've got to get better. So you think the first two tests, the bowlers that have bowled and not really had a great deal of success, they're game ready now because they've had two games. So you might as well carry on. They're more ready. They're more ready to be better than a brand new fresh one that's never played an Ashes test before. It's probably what I'm thinking. That's their responsibility. You've got to get this job done. Otherwise, we might never go back to you. I'm impressed with Tungy though. I think Tungy's just got a little... He played in the pink ball two-day game in Canberra, so he's had a bit of action.

49:07He played in the game at Barlowkill. I kind of agree. You've got five wickets against Australia in 23 at the Lords game. I actually think the first two games, England have got selection right. I think they've got it right in Perth, they've got it right here. They've just not played well enough. So I trust that they'll get selection right. They've just got to play a better start of cricket. And when you think Australia, they made me chuckle. I mean, Josh Aitwood's not going to be fit, but they're going to raise their attack with 870 test wickets here we go England we're going to bring in Cummins in line there's our 870 and potentially we might oh we'll raise that with oh we've got no one with any wickering we've got no wickets but Australia are going to get better potentially yeah and the other one is that the interesting one if Kawaj approves his fitness heels this is interesting look he's not going to replace Wetherald he won't replace head but will replace ingles would you bring him back at age 38 to bat down the list instead of josh ingles like it's a it was discussion in the press box today about it and there was a little bit of support for it i i i'm not sure it'll happen hills i i think it'll be hard for usman kawaja to get back in this team two wins uh you know english nice run out you know 20 odd i know it's not much He's great in the field.

50:26Yeah, he is. Live wire. He's sussed. Live wire. Anticipating everything. Oh, sure these days. And really, that number six spot should have been a McChweeney type. Yeah. Our next gun batsman. That's how Australia traditionally have brought in their batsmen, Ricky Pontic, Steve Waugh. They come in at six and find their level eventually, moving up the order. So it's a pity that Sweenes wasn't quite ready to be that. And Josh has done nothing wrong any time he's been asked to play for Australia for the last five years he's been incredibly versatile so no i don't think uzi's gonna depose him uh and he just has to wait for an injury or hang on there i think that english looks the english looks when he is english yeah yeah supports coventry frankie lampard yeah he he just yeah he just looks alive and they say coming in that lower order he can he can go coming yeah yeah there you go scary at sings yeah I'll just think about to the English so packs that number three that's what you could actually what you just said about young player back in at six if England want to bring a young player in in Jacob Bethel yeah don't start my partner six yeah there you go give him a chance at six and then you go you keep her at seven and then will Jackson stay if you're not gonna play show it by shit yeah you know who's that five is five Harry Brooke just on how you go up to three no I just worry you're putting too much on just on harry brooke you you've both seen a lot of flamboyant players i think harry brooke's got a little bit of genius in him but he needs to just have a bit of a who's talking to him i don't know but what do you make of the way that harry brooke plays i love it i mean they've got a value shot selection a bit more than they do and really buckle down in periods.

52:15Like your observation, he's trying to hit the best bowler for four because he's bowled you something wide of off. That just doesn't automatically happen. You've got to move your feet, you've got to get your bat up, you've got to sit early and you've got to move your foot to it and you'll get it. But Harry Brook loves pressure from what I've seen. Here's some of his best innings for you guys when you're three for nothing. So yeah, he's a star. I find him very interesting because in Australia, in all forms of cricket, he was averaging about seven before he came here. And then he's been so-so in these tests.

52:50And when I read that, this will sound weird, but when I read that line about him that he hates team meetings, like just ban team meetings, they're rubbish, no, no, let's get on with it. I thought he seems to me like the sort of guy he can bait wide at the off stump. He goes, ah, there she goes. I've had enough of this, you know what I mean? And I still hold that opinion because out there he tends to have a go. He's the sort of player who I cherish for world cricket. To have a guy like that, as cavalier as he does, lifting it, the whole crowd seems to lift with him, I'm sort of half cheering for him.

53:21I hope he goes well. But I think they're going to outsmart him this series. I really do. And it'll be the most obvious thimble of Petrick you've ever seen. Just out there, Harry, four in a row, and he just won't be able to help himself. It's hard driving on the up here. That's a terrible... That team meeting idea is weird. He's just taking his feeling about team meeting as the one-day captain and just saying that suits everyone. There's so many players that need a team meeting. Really? Oh, and it's fun. You know, you're together, you're talking cricket. And, you know, just to disband on them and the informality of the way Baz gets around his team meetings too is another thing.

54:05You might find eight players in that squad of 16 you've got there don't really know where they stand. And they don't know the squad well enough. It's a great camaraderie moment. I've always been taught that you prepare for your weakest link. Oh, yes. So having the weakest link, and you don't tell that weakest link who is the weakest link, But you kind of work out your training and your programme on what that person needs. And whatever that person needs, the team have to buy into it. Because if you don't give that weakest link the best platform to perform, and that might be a meeting, it might be more information, it might be a little bit more practice, it might be more game time, I don't think your team can grow unless you look after that weakest link.

54:48Especially when he's an important player like Jamie Smith. someone hits him 100 balls a day that job done stumping great story was it Simon Jones came to you once he said I can't play this ground I just you know is that right and then they had play it was and it was trying bridge oh five yeah and he said he struggled at that Trump Ridge and I actually got my lap to part and he just got six for old traffic and I sort of bet you check this he'd never even played there. Really? What an interesting story. He'd never played there. Yeah. So how could he make that mistake? I honestly don't know. Have you ever?

55:30Did you talk about... Did his eyes open up? By the way, I'm well over there. He got six for... Did he? He got six for in the first. He's whipped him round corner. That's for the most... What, at Trent Bridge? Yeah, yeah. Well, there you go. He got injured. He'd never played for England again. Great, great guy. Stick to Cricket is brought to you by BatFair. Right, we finished with some community questions. Right, yes. I'm going to start with this one. Joffre Archer's spell, bowling 150 kilometres an hour, with 65 required. What did you make of it? See-through. You could just see that he knew the end was very close and I'll have a go here.

56:12So, yeah, not very... I wouldn't say that would be conducive to lifting the spirits of a squad. hmm Bill wouldn't mind seeing it when in the first of this I agree I want to see that Adelaide on the 17th of December England in England in he's not gonna go like that all day but I say what I want the first spelling out cuz I've seen it now yeah he can ball 150 kilometers an hour so in Adelaide the first morning England are in the field he's bowling to whether all the new ever is open in the bank I guess it might be Travis said I want to see at least 145 kilometers an It said to me, yeah, I agree, he's pacing himself for the rest of it.

56:52That's why I love the five quicks in the first test, could they just give him a little bite size and said, go hard. But the endurance factor, yeah. It's where Stark stands up here and the rest of them, sort of there. Pink ball test matches, yes or no? Yes. I don't love him as a journalist, getting home after midnight when old daddles is ready for a cup of tea and a lie down. But I've got to say for the fans, Mike, the ratings have been terrific on television and they have spoken. The television stations love them. So in other words, our view is quite immaterial because what the stations want, they will get and they will get more of them.

57:34I don't love them, but they're... Mates of mine have been watching it at home saying, you know what, mate, they've been good. It's been good to watch. It's the players. I understand the players. They're not loving them as well. I don't know what... Is it dinner, lunch, supper? It confuses me, Phil. It confuses me, Phil. Confuses me. Right, last one before we go. Thanks for joining us on Stick to Cricket, guys. 2-0 down England. End result. I said 2-0. I'm still on for it. Yeah, my prediction still holds 3-2 England. it. Yes, I'm still in it. I'll say four nil. But don't don't New South Wales Sydney is doing a bit this year in Shields.

58:19So that could bring both teams back together. And possible draw in Adelaide. But four nil also. I've got a full one and I've got a Harry Brook explosion in Melbourne. I just reckon he'll just tear the lights out there. And in a way hope he does i want to see that kid when it when he goes off i'm going to go down and stand near the boundary and just see what it feels like to be because i think he he's just a bit special so i was very interested because i know as a yorkshireman you probably would have seen him since he was this high would you yeah and he didn't used to play like this he used to be a bit of a yorkie play nice and technical and then he went he got a pakistan super league deal and suddenly went over them boshed it everywhere and came back he's he's never looked back he i totally agree he'll he'll light up one arena yep and he'll have to probably light up three if my two all suggestion stays in place i'll be totally honest i haven't seen enough in two games to suggest that the movie that i mentioned earlier might happen again and if england don't improve i think adelaide's the ground that they could get a score because the bounce and i think they've got a great chance there but if they lose in adelaide glenn mcgras i'm afraid oh he might be right or done You know, it is pressure.

59:36Cheers, guys. Cheers, boys. Thank you. Thank you.

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