It’s the Ashes series of 2002/3, and England arrives with one of the most promising
squads we’ve seen in years. The talk is centred around fiery young all-rounder Andrew
Flintoff, unseen in Australia but reputed to be the next Botham.

But he never bowls a ball. Rushed back into
the side after a hernia operation, Flintoff watches alongside injured
compatriots Simon Jones and Darren Gough as Australia demolishes a second-string English attack
to decide the series in eleven days. Questions are asked about the tourists’
management of player fitness and injury, not least by former English captain
Michael Atherton.

Now four years later and four months out from an Ashes defence
in Australia, Mike Atherton is worried again.
Over the weekend Flintoff, the current England captain, was once again booked for an
operation – this time to clear bone fragments from his left ankle – which will leave him
dangerously short of match fitness coming into the first Test in Brisbane.

Reverse-swing grandmaster Jones and “King
of Spain” Ashley
Giles are also injured, and full-time captain and star bat Michael Vaughn has a
recurring knee problem and will sit out the whole affair.

“The number of players that have an
operation, rehabilitation that seems to go all right but then they demand
another operation … it’s a long list and I think some questions should be
asked,” Atherton said.

Here in Australia, the response to all of this is obviously
a rousing cheer. Or is it? Does anyone remember the cries of injustice after
last year’s Ashes loss, the what-ifs surrounding Glenn McGrath stepping on that
ball at Edgbaston? An English touring squad padded with kids from the Smethwick
Under 16s can only lead to one of two results for Australia:

1) We beat a side we
don’t respect – the victory is hollow and the Poms are interminable for another two years;

2) We lose to a side
we don’t respect – the loss is excruciating and the Poms are interminable for
another two years.

This cannot be. Pray for Freddie Flintoff.
Pray for his ankle. For our sake.