Thanks Glenn, Our Boys Needed That

Sheffield Shield sides learnt that when playing Queensland it was counter-productive to sledge Allan Border, as this would merely inspire the skipper of the banana-benders to play a match winning innings (when travelling in Victoria I was told that people from Queensland were called banana-benders, as this term is probably derogatory I apologise to anybody I may have offended).

Before the start of the 2005 series Glenn McGrath displayed his own special brand of arrogant optimism by stating that Australia would win 5-0. His point may have been that a person of his competitive nature had to believe this, as anything else would seem weak and pessimistic. Fair enough, but after the gleeful taunts he suffered by the England fans and after the England players admitted that they had been inspired by Glenn’s boastful predictions, wouldn’t it have been better to keep his mouth shut this time?

In his autobiography Mike Atherton ruefully states how he suggested to Steve Waugh that he was Darren Gough’s bunny. Waugh merely commented “thanks mate, I needed that” and went on to score a match winning century.

England's attitude should be the same as Waugh's. I only hope that Hoggard does not repeat his ageist comments of last year.