Former England captain Michael Atherton said it was ‘disappointing’ to see the Test team on the final night of the Ashes in Hobart. England’s 4-0 Ashes defeat was confirmed after losing 10 for just 56 runs in the day-night Test at Bellerive Oval on Sunday by 146 runs.
“It was disappointing to see last night. It was sad to see an ending like this. I have been involved in it and have seen many defeats in England but the mode of that loss was very disappointing and really sad. Was the worst,” Atherton wrote Monday for Sky Sports.
“The way things ended was a damaging reflection on the coaching and managerial positions around the team. Players who have the respect of captains and coaches don’t go down like this,” said Atherton, who led England in 54 Tests.
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Reflecting on the entire tour, Atherton remarked that people in the England set-up cannot pretend that everything is fine after a 4–0 loss. “It was a tour from hell for England and there can be no change. You have to isolate deep-seated systemic problems, and mistakes made on tour can lead to changes for which people have to take responsibility. ,
“I don’t think you can come away from a tour like this and say, ‘Everything’s going to be okay, we’ll move on with those same people’. I would find it unimaginable that there won’t be a change.”
Atherton felt that England had consistently failed in the Ashes, leaving Australia looking better than them. “England made Australia a better team than them. Cameron Green has been included as the fourth seamer who bowls at over 140kmph and doesn’t bowl poorly, it is a top-class and consistent attack. But there are some weaknesses in Australia’s batting and England didn’t really take advantage of them.
The 53-year-old criticized England’s bowling for doing well on Australian soil, where conditions were favourable.
He said, ‘I have not been in an Ashes series before and I have seen so much movement from the pitch but in the past England have prayed for those conditions. In 2017/18 it was ‘we can’t take 20 wickets on these pitches, we need help from the surface’. He had four pitches in this series, which was heaven’s wish for the England fast bowlers, but it put pressure on the batting, which was not good enough.
Atherton said that despite all the setbacks, he is hopeful that England can do well in the Ashes in Australia. “Going forward, I am hopeful as I have seen England win in Australia in 2010/11. English cricket has always produced good players and I hope it will always produce good players.
“Things change but you need to understand nettles because they don’t turn on their own. Losses like this one, when England lost to New Zealand in 1999, gives you the hunger to change things. Hopefully something good comes out of it.” Will come out.”
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