Melbourne, July 25: With Australia trailing the Ashes series 0-1, the media here is hoping that injuries sustainted by England players during the IPL will help derail the hosts’ campaign in the remainder of the five-match series.
The Aussies have already received an apparant boost to their morale after star England batsman Kevin Pietersen was ruled out of the series due to an ankle injury sustained during the lucrative T20 tournament in South Africa.
Flintoff, the hero in England’s historic victory at the Lord’s, is also facing a struggle to last the entire series after aggravating a chronic knee injury while fielding for the Chennai Super Kings.
However, the Cricket Australia (CA) has come in for praise due to their decision to keep out leading Australian stars out of the so called ‘circus’.
”The multi-million-dollar Indian Premier League circus could be Australia’s unlikely Ashes saviour after it forced star England batsman Kevin Pietersen out of the series,” a report in ‘The Australian’ said.
”While England’s stars were worsening their injuries in the IPL, Australia’s top players were relaxing at home after choosing to put their feet up instead of chasing IPL cash,” it added.
The newspaper also pointed out that most of Australia’s big names, including skipper Ricky Ponting, had suppported the move.
”My country comes first and there was no way I could give my all for Australia if I used the only two-week break we have to go and play in the IPL,” Ponting had said at the time. The report further went on to state that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will cop all the blame if Australia manages to retain the Ashes.
”England is 1-0 up in the Ashes but if it loses the series then heads will surely roll over the injury mismanagement of its two biggest names.
”Australia’s bowlers no longer have to contend with Pietersen – instead they will most likely have to front up against the modestly performed Ian Bell for the rest of the Ashes. And if Flintoff does not play out the series then the IPL will be rightly blamed for nobbling him too,” it maintained.
—-Agencies