I’ve made no secret of the fact I can no longer summon the same kinds of emotions towards the England team as I once had, for three decades for in fact, until the events which began in February last year.
The patriotism, the affection, the identifying of the side’s fortunes with my own – those sentiments were brutally extinguished by forces beyond my control. The cord has been cut.
But there is an upside – the ‘outside cricket’ dividend. For the first time in my cricketing life I can truly appreciate and admire the performances of England’s opponents. Where in the past I viewed a destructive opposition player as a tormentor or enemy, wishing we could be rid of them, my one-eyed bigotry has made way for a more detached frame of mind which allows a broader perspective. Although it still feels rather strange, I can now watch an Australian player and marvel at their skill and flair, instead of worrying about the damage they’re doing.
Mitchell Johnson is a case in point. England supporters have a complex relationship with Super Mitch. When he first arrived on the scene we were irritated by the Australian hype but wary of him living up to it. We delighted in his struggles in 2009 and 2010-11, although, as the Perth test proved, we knew he retained the potential to destroy England in a session.
When MiJo was recalled to the test side for Brisbane in 2013, many England fans cracked open the champagne. Here were some easy runs, they prophesied, offered up on a plate. But I had a nasty feeling about it, and sadly, I was proved right.
I still can’t accept that Johnson is a great bowler. He’s a wildcard, equally prone to serving up wayward dross as fire-breathing, game-changing spells of destructive hostility. But when everything clicks, as it did at Lord’s, he is irresistible.
I was mesmerised by his display during England’s forlorn second innings at St John’s Wood. Here was great fast bowling, red in tooth and claw. There is no spectacle in modern test cricket as thrilling as Johnson in full flow. You can sense danger every time he strides to the crease. Pace bowling of true hostility is cricket’s most compelling ingredient. In a world where genuinely fast bowlers are so thin on the ground – and neutered by pitches and bats – Johnson is a precious commodity. We need more like him.
As Mike Atherton observed, it’s not so much MiJo’s speed – rapid as he can be – which makes the difference. Both Mitchell Starc and Mark Wood have bowled as quickly this series. It’s Johnson’s unorthodox trajectory which unsettles and defeats batsmen. The ball appears late, and almost from nowhere, skidding into pads and stumps or rearing off a good length at throats and faces. This unpredictability, this guessing game, is what so scared England’s batsmen at Lord’s and two winters ago. And the fear factor makes for electrifying viewing.
One reason Johnson is so unpredictable is that, deep down, he himself doesn’t know exactly how the ball will come out of his hand. If the bowler can’t tell what’s going to happen, what chance does the batsman have? His erraticism – kinder observers would call it mercuriality – is part of the fascination.
I used to find Johnson absurd. Then I found him unpleasant. And now? He’ll never make my Christmas card list. But when MiJo’s on song, he enriches test cricket, and like it or not – and like him or not – he is enriching the Ashes.
Thoughts?
A brilliant appraisal of Mojo. Appreciating excellence and style wherever it may be found is all to the good but I was deeply saddened by your detachment from the England team. It is something I fail to understand. No matter what the failings of the administrators, personal or otherwise, I will always support the players. They are at the sharp end, they do the work and they take the strain. There is nothing that they can do that would make any difference. They are the victims of administrative malfunction more than anybody else.
I feel the same as axie in that I find it hard to support the current team. I appre iate that thema agement and upper echelons have caused the trouble that has ade e feel this way, but what gets to me is the way many of the team have just kept their heads down and offered no criticism or support ro a team mate. Of course I know they are scared of losing their places I appreciate that. I admire some of the younger players coming theough but u til Anderson Broadand Cook have gone, I findmyself unable to cheer England on. Anderson and Broad have got away with a lot of underhead nasty spiteful behaviour. As for Cook, I had bette not start on him…..
Sorry for all the typos. Ipad. Keyboard!
The team are representing England. I find it sad when personal politics can be closer to the heart than support for England. But then thats me and we are all entitled to be different.
At some point you have to ask whether it is automatic that an ECB selected team ‘represents England’. It’s a matter of legitimacy and where this legitimacy comes from.
Having an opinion one way or the other as to whether the team ‘represents England’ is inherently a political opinion.
As such opinions will differ as to whether things have reached this point, but surely it’s /conceivable/ to everyone that with /enough/ lack of accountability and sensibility one may be forced to conclude that the ECB has exhausted its legitimacy with the public and no longer has a right to consider its XI as representing England.
I agree. I am always uncomfortable with triumphalist oppo-baiting. MJ is a force of nature and we are lucky to be able to see him, albeit on highlights and YouTube clips.
Who is a great bowler then? I mean he’s not in the class of McGrath, Lillee, Ambrose, Marshall, Akram, Hadlee (restricting to greats I remember watching) but I see him in the second tier of almost – great bowlers, the guys who on their day were every bit as good as the above but lacked the consistency. Dale Steyn is the only well established player who ranks up with these guys playing currently I think.
For all his inconsistency I’d argue its overplayed and he’s no more inconsistent that Jimmy Anderson who on a bad day doesn’t spear them down leg side and miles wide of off stump, but instead lacks all threat. Even bowling wayward Johnson will be dangerous at times.
When Johnson “Struggled” in 2009 he still took 20 @ 32.55, whereas Anderson took 12 @ 45 . Even Johnson’s very poor 2010/11 bowling (15 @ 36) was better than Anderson’s returns in both 2009, and 2013/14.
“There is no spectacle in modern test cricket as thrilling as Johnson in full flow”.
He hasn’t quite done it yet in Tests but Wahab Riaz could start to push him close. Riaz clocked 95 mph in the WC and his duel with Watto in the QF was edge-of-the -seat stuff (if only Rahat Ali had held that catch!). Who do England play next…..
One point about Johnson is that he’s 33 and not far off 34. He’s some athlete to be still bowling at that pace at that age.
There are fast bowlers and nasty fast bowlers. Johnson on his day is in the latter category. Others may have been quicker through the air (Shoaib or Tait or Bond for example) but he really is awkward to play. I was in the Tavern at Lord’s and then the Warner Stand – so part side on – and he was appreciably quicker than anyone else in the match and got very steep bounce. A real handful when he gets it right.
One advantage of being ancient is that I have seen all the great quick bowlers from Tyson onwards and played against one or two. IMHO there is Thommo (pre-injury) and then the rest but MJ on song is nastier than anyone playing today. It is indeed, as SIMONH says, a testament to his fitness and determination that he is still so potent at approaching 34 but it also says much for the way he is handled by the Aussie management team and by his captain on the field.
Going to the first day at Edgbaston and hoping to see him bowl and a bit more positive batting from England.
And I thought seeing Snow stick it up the Aussies in 1970/71 made me ancient!
Johnson has 299 wickets at a strike rate of 50.6. He may not be “great” but he is fucking awesome.
I have found the same enjoyment of the other teams and cricket cultures. It’s an unanticipated ‘downton dividend’. I laughed a lot when mijo referred to the ‘aggressive brand of cricket’ as a Piss take in his wardy interview.
i do find it a little strange that an international batsman is frightened of 93mph bowling. Surely it is your job to not give a fuck through practising a lot against this style of bowling. But these are fragile people as the kp saga shows.
On a different note the one topic that I don’t think has had much coverage in the media is the importance of the toss in ashes test cricket. Unless England win the toss for 2 of the 3 test we have absolutely no chance. If we win all 3 we might have a reasonable chance. Maybe.
I don’t think it is the mph so much as other factors. You would rightly point to the blokes done by fuller pitched deliveries but could I suggest it is a combination of that pace with the added factors of his unpredictability, the fact that his action seems to make the ball particularly difficult to pick up and his ability to get steep lift off any surface that makes him rightly feared.
As we all know that same action is fragile – hence the unpredictability and, in a bad phase, the dross he bowls.
Interesting point Mark. Merv Hughes used to eat English batsmen for breakfast but he wasn’t 90 mph.
On the importance of the toss, Stephen Brenkley has pointed out that of the last 14 sides to win the toss at Lord’s only five won.
Another thing which hasn’t been mentioned thus far, which makes many cricketers cult heroes, is Johnson’s absurd appearance. He’s a walking paradox. He snarls like a nasty thug, yet he looks like Freddy Mercury. He’s got a plethora of hard man biker tattoos yet his hair is the epitome of the modern, sensitive metrosexual male.
Even Mitch’s body language contradicts itself. He struts like he’s got a chip on his shoulder, yet there’s something distinctly effeminate about him too. His body language also betrays his confidence levels more than most. If he’s bowling well then he looks like a bad guy from Mad Max. But when he’s struggling and the crowd are on his back, he looks like a little boy lost.
Let’s face it guys. Mitch’s inherent absurdity is one of the reasons why he’s box office. Would Shane Warne have been so capitulating if he looked and acted like James Whitaker? I don’t think so.
James
He might well have capitulated if he was anything like Whitaker!
If you google Whitaker it says he’s a bowler! Perhaps that’s where his international career went wrong.
Right on James! :-)
test
Thank you Maxie. I am in exactly the same place as you and can’t see it changing any time soon.
I actually feel as if I have been set free after supporting our team all my life. No more nail biting moments worrying about England’s performance. I am just enjoying and appreciating the Australians.
Me too
And me.
A bit late, but this is my favourite comment on the Lord’s result:
http://discussion.theguardian.com/comment-permalink/56022875
“All in all a day to be remembered when the mongrel streak mixed up with the typical Australian DNA came to the fore. What with that surfer Mick Fanning biffing the tetchy Shark who appeared to want more than a ringside seat in a surfing competition. A good job the English don’t really do surfing, in all probability we would be picked off by the plankton.”