An innings defeat at Adelaide, and England look invincible. Well the Aussies have an uphill battle in the remaining Test Matches if they are to reclaim the Ashes. I say they when I actually mean we. I feel personally resposible, it hurts me so. I was there that day 24 years ago at the MCG when Mike Gatting's men won the Test and the Series and took the Ashes home. I was trying to play top level cricket in Victoria at the time and felt that the system (that involved me) just wasn't up to it. For the next 18 years I kept up my involvement as a player and administrator, doing my bit to help prop up Aussie cricket from the bottom. When I retired from it all we suddenly lost the Ashes in 2005, lost a series at home to South Africa, lost the Ashes again in 2009. It is as if it is all unravelling. Are we really going to return to the bad days of the mid 1980s where Australia was at the bottom of the Test ladder. It took years of rebuilding to reach Number 1. To get out of this predicament it is not just who to select in the next Test, but how to invigorate the grass roots and rebuild all over again.
I am involved again assisting with juniors, so again I feel personally responsible when our cricketing reputation takes a downturn. C'mon kids you are propping up our cricket future, give it all you've got.
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