Australia to review 'disappointing' Ashes defeat while Collingwood backs Cook's captaincy

Australia to focus on post-mortem of Ashes defeat.

SYDNEY: Cricket Australia (CA) chief James Sutherland said on Sunday there would be a review of the team’s “disappointing” Ashes loss to England as he paid tribute to retiring captain Michael Clarke.

Clarke, 34, said Saturday he would retire from international cricket after the fifth Test at The Oval, following England’s crushing win over Australia by an innings and 78 runs in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge to win the Ashes with an unassailable 3-1 lead.

“It’s a disappointing end to an Ashes series,” Sutherland told reporters in Melbourne. “And even more disappointing given we have had some significant highs, including a World Cup win, only just a couple of months ago.”

The CA chief executive said a post-mortem of the team’s performance would be conducted and acknowledged Australia had to lift their game when playing overseas.

“Sadly and as we do after every tour, win lose or draw, we will review performances and make assessments on things that have happened during the course of the tour, what happened leading into it, whatever aspect of it, the preparation and delivery and execution,” said Sutherland.

“It is not easy playing away but it’s something that we clearly have to get better at.”

Sutherland stressed that despite the nature and timing of Clarke’s retirement, the New South Wales shot-maker had enjoyed a great career and led Australia back to number one in Test cricket.

“Unfortunately sport doesn’t always leave you with fairy-tale endings and happy endings,” he said. “And for him, he’s not finishing on the note that he would like, but he is finishing on his terms and this is a small moment in a great career and let’s make sure we all remember what a great career he has had.”

Sutherland added that CA had confidence in heir apparent Steven Smith, who is expected to become Australia’s captain for their next Test series in Bangladesh in October.

Collingwood backs Cook’s captaincy

Paul Collingwood has told England captain Alastair Cook to carry on in the job rather than step down amid the euphoria of an Ashes triumph.

“I think he thoroughly deserves to lead the team going forward,” Collingwood told BBC Radio on Sunday.

“He’s proven to a lot of people he’s the right man. Being England captain is a tough job, with a lot of critics and you’ve got to have a very thick skin to get through the bad times.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th,  2015.

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