betrayal, and a traitor, maybe

hello there


in all likelihood this post is, look you see, more of a confession than it is anything else. or perhaps not, to be sure. more i think it is a stark, brave and bold look at the harsh realities of one of the single most important things to exist in this world.

yes, The Ashes. with the next chapter of this magnificent story about to commence the BBC has, in their wisdom, encouraged all to participate in selecting the "greatest ever" combined Ashes XI, or if you like consolidated team of English and Australian players who are the very finest. i think this closes at 10am British (as in proper) time, so if you want a go yourself here is the link.

i did this, selecting only players that i had actually seen play. i did this with complete honesty as i wished to create the greatest team ever, and yet i am sad and horrified by the build up of the team i, of Yorkshire, have wrought.

yes, look at it. no, that is not a mistake, or error. just north of a paltry 27% of my Ashes"dream team" come from the English side of this contest. this does indeed make me sad. even sadder is that Bob Willis is "only" in to shore up some defences, as a couple of those bowlers will give away a few runs as they take wickets. 

the only clear cut, first English name on the sheet - in terms of players to have taken part in the Ashes during my cricketing lifetime - is Ian Botham. even then, a lot of that is that Sir Ian is one of about three non-Australian cricketers that the Australians have said they "wished was born an Aussie". 

how did this happen? i suppose likely, since a far higher number of Australians consider the Ashes to be of greatest importance compared to us here in England. if you carried out a survey about which is the most important sporting event to win, i would say in England the answer would feature "world cup" and "football" to an overwhelming degree. i would brashly, in an appropriately Aussie way, suggest that somewhere north of 80% of Australians would instantly answer "The Ashes". they are quite right and correct to do so. 

my choice of captain? let me disgrace myself further. i cannot choose between Border or Waugh. both are as fearless as they are ruthless, and superb cricketers. either would have the resolve to lead this most ferocious of teams. 

anyway, have fun selection your own!

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!