Sunday, August 1, 2010

ENGLAND’S Ashes hopes received a huge boost as promised yesterday when John Buchanan turned informer on his former Australia players.

And the former coach immediately cranked up the pressure on under-fire spinner Nathan Hauritz on the eve of the five-Test series.  

Buchanan met up with England coach Andy Flower as part of a bid for a full-time job in the ECB set-up.  

And personal gain clearly holds more importance than national pride, as he lifted the lid on Australia’s tactics and performers ahead of the first Test in Cardiff on June 8.

He said: “I’ve been keeping a bit of a gaze on the Ashes build-up from afar, and passed on a few things I’ve picked up as an observer now removed from the team.”

Buchanan was at the helm in  2005, when England claimed a superb 2-1 victory on home soil. But he was in charge again when Ricky Ponting hit back for a 5-0 whitewash.

England benefitted from having a potent four-strong seam attack which was too good for the Aussies in 2005.

And with Hauritz clearly struggling in English conditions during the warm-up match with Sussex, Buchanan believes the Aussies will go for pace in the opener at Sofia Gardens.

He said: “I guess the salient point here is what strategy do the Australians want to take? “Do they want to utilise their fast men as the main thrust to their attack, and use (Marcus) North, (Simon) Katich and (Michael) Clarke for their spin, or do they want to take a less hostile approach and take a spinner that would allow them to adapt to more than one kind of strategy or surface?

“I suspect they will be leaning towards the former.”

But in-form paceman Peter Siddle was quick to dismiss the claim that the tourists have issues with spin.

Hauritz claimed just one wicket in two innings and was carted for a whopping 158 runs from 38 overs at Hove.

Those are very different statistics indeed when compared with the figures and spells produced on a regular basis by former England tormentor-in-chief Shane Warne.

But with pace options such as Mitchell Johson, Stuart Clark and Brett Lee available, Siddle hit back at the notion that the attack would be a problem this summer. He looks set to start with Johnson, leaving Lee, Clark, Ben Hilfenhaus and Hauritz to battle it out for two places.

And SIddle said: “I think it’s just an English way of getting at us a bit, saying that we’re a bit weak with the spin.

“Hauritz in the second innings bowled superbly and Marcus North also bowled well so I think it’s just them trying to talk themselves up, having three spinners in their squad. “We’ve got the quicks there to back up the spin options and I’m sure our bowling attack will be fine on those wickets.

“It’s going to be tough, but everyone is looking fit and strong and bowling well.

“The competition is good for the team, it makes everyone try that little bit harder and put in that little bit extra so it’s great for the team.”