Michael, it would seem to me that you have some form of vendetta against Martyn.
I do recall that Martyn did receive at least 2 shocking LBW decisions when he was set.
Your insinutation that Australia was not interested in conquering the sub-continent until after the Ashes loss provides evidence that either you arrived in this country recently or do not properly follow the game. Steve Waugh consistently said that Australia had to win in India before they could consider themselves great.
How did you get this gig? Wake up.

Smith

Agree with most things in this article, particularly about Warnie who I am a massive fan of but he does seem to contradict himself a fair bit. I can however believe Marto's comments about the Ashes not being so important. I, like millions of other non-english/non-aussie fans had never paid any attention to them until 05, which is why I find it amusing when people go on about it like its the world cup - its just another series. Yeah maybe 20, 30 or even 40 years ago it was the main event but surely not anymore when there are several other world class teams out there who are as good as if not better to watch than Aus and Eng (certainly Eng!). As far as I am concerned, from 2001 onwards, the series to watch was the Border-Gavaskar trophy and thats coming from someone who cant sleep for several nights before an Indo-Pak game!

Jeh is right, The Australian cricket team do talk a seemingly huge pile of rubbish when they get beaten, even more when they win. Fact is The Australian cricket team lost their last test match by an innings and then some. I can not wait for the rubbish the Aussie papers, and English papers come up with, but more importantly those wearing the baggy green.

Smith hit the nail on the head. A little knowledge about one's subject matter never goes astray...

I am an indian who has lived in Australia all my life i grew up with a poster of Marto on my wall. I don't like seeing the aussies win ever but the sight of martyn at the crease was one to behold. He is also a tereffic character of the field, a good man who is widely respected in the community. Australia didnt need to warm up properly for 2005 they knew McGrath and warne would pull something out of the bag. We saw it in the first test as you said Michael. Then when McGrath went down the seriously undercooked Jason Gillespie, Kasper and Brett Lee and co were exposed, unable to take wickets. I think everything Marto said has validity. Don't be taking a shot at one of the finest cricket personalities Australian cricket has ever seen.

From memory the tour of India win by the aussies the previous was a massive conquest being called 'the final frontier' by Steve waugh at the time. In 05 the ashes took its place along with the wi/aus rivalry at the time which usually went for 4 tests too long.

Marto did cop some bad LB decisions in eng when he was in top form after tonning up in SL and India but those are the breaks. Good to hear from the reclusive batsman who on song was as good a batsman to watch as any.

Ok, lets not forget that in 05,eng won the series by 2 runs, despite australias poor play, attempting to win a series with 2 bowlers, and a coach who lacked the technical proficiency to deal with the problems englands bowlers posed to the aussie batsmen. When u win a series like the Ashes as easily as aus had up to that point and the chief challenge (at the time) was to beat india at home (which they did) possibly subconciously they thought they cud turn up and wait for eng to mess it up as usual. Martyn is spot on - there were some shocking decision against him and others during that series. I remember 2-3 times when he hammered the ball onto his pad to be given lbw by some buffoon like aleem dar, or billy 'hey look at me' bowden. Lets also not forget that Kasprowicz did not glove that ball. So in summary, despite Australia playing so badly - eng only managed to win the series by 2 runs. Then they followed it with a 5-0 to confirm the 2005 result as a fluke.

Very well said. Australians in particular are experts at blaming everyone but themselves when they lose, so it's really nothing new.

I think this is a bit tough on Marto, he is merely being honest which is refreshing among all the rubbish that goes on today, at least we get some opinion. Woody you are spot on about McGrath, his injury left a gaping hole in the Australian side, one which Johnson, Siddle and co are doing there best to fill now. I think that definitely Australia may not have viewed the ashes as being as big a thing as England did and i think Marto is spot on there. This coming series is different however, Australia is looking to exact revenge for 05 and the teams are very evenly matched. As a one-eyed Aussie I think we can get the job done but not by much, England look to have a pretty handy side and it will make for fascinating viewing, i cannot wait!!

Hi guys, I'm one of those who firmly believe that the Ashes is not the most important contest in cricket. It's another series, important, but not the only contest worth celebrating. What I disagree with is the soft excuse that the Ashes loss can be written off because we had our minds on other prizes. At the time, no one was making those excuses - the Ashes was their sole focus. It's a bit soft to retrospectively state that it didn't really matter all that much. That detracts from England's great effort in winning it. As for the umpiring decisions, that is a cop out. No country should use that as an excuse these days. You get good ones and bad ones. Batsmen who only remember the bad ones are a bit disingenuous. As for the pot shots at Buchanan - Warne apart, who else criticised his methods at the time? Did any of the Aussies in July 2005 come out and admit to being underprepared? No, they all said they were ready to go but after the loss, apparently they weren't prepared.

I have always thought that the 2005 Australians were just complacent. They lost an ODI to Bangladesh before the Ashes started but still didn't wake up to the fact that they were mortal. And whatever anyone, particularly any Indian fan's point of view, the Ashes are still supremely important to a lot of Englishmen and Australians. That importance was dimmed during the years of West Indian supremacy, when the WI were the team to beat (which no side managed) and might be dimmed again if another side becomes so dominant in future. Anyway, surely all will join me in hoping for an enjoyable and tightly contested series this summer.

What year are we living in? Im sure its 2009..but all i hear is about 2005. Whilst england did beat the aussie 2-1 i seem te recall that there has been another ashes series since..5-0

Talk about selective memory.
If Johnson and Lee open the bowling in the same manner Johnson did in SA then the english will crumble. Why? because most of the english lack BMT.

I doubt that all this talking up by the english..can be backed up on the field...

I'm a massive SA supporter and dont like england or aussie..but in this series..il be cheering for the convicts ;)

As someone said, Martyn did cop it when it came to umpiring decisions in '05 so he was right in that regard.

I dont think Michael is trying to take potshots against Martyn..England outwitted australia in every department and the Aussie players need to accept that.making excuses like a young kid doesnt hold good for players of their class.I think people shouldnt consider Warne's comments..He has great cricketing knowledge and a lousy mouth.Who asks him the questions anyaway?.If I get those media men who ask him silly questions regarding bopara's beauty parlour bill and What colly thinks of marly manroe,I will poison them to death..LOL..

the reason england won the 2005 ashes is because of McGrath's injury.. simple and straight forward reason.. they only won the tests which he did not play..

Martyn got a couple of rough lbw decisions in 2005 but he had a couple of decisions in his favour too - in the 5th test he was given not out despite a big edge to the keeper and he survived a least one extremely good lbw shout earlier in the series. Umpiring decisions went both ways in 2005 - the reason England won was because they were clearly the better team in 3 of the tests (the two wins and the Old Trafford draw.) Martyn can make all the excuses in the world after the event but it doesn't change the fact that England deserved their win and his failure to make runs in that series was due to good swing bowling, not bad umpiring.

It is always better when cricketers do their talking on the cricket pitch. Damien's word smack of sour grapes, and it is a shame someone didn't advise him to think twice before letting them be published.

Hi Michael! While I agree with the spirit of your article, I think Martyn meant to shed more light on what Buchanan was doing in that Aussie camp all along. Gilchrist and Steve Waugh often stood by Buchanan, but even Waugh recently said that Buchanan wanted to try the multiple-captain in the Aussie ranks! It's not so much about whether Buchanan was good/bad -- but that Aussie side was so good that it didn't need a coach. Maybe, Martyn was alluding to that point. As such, Waugh's Invincibles (and Ponting's team when McGrath-Warne played) were good losers. I doubt that side ever needed to give excuses on the rare occasions when they lost. :-) But nicely written, man. Cheers!

Martyn was just stirring the pot, or talking out of the toilet as one would say. He was doing exactly what the Aussies want, get underneath the skin.

Interesting article. What's more of a frustration for me is Steve Harmison. Seriously, how can England's best bowler against Australia be so hot and cold? Seriously, in England, when playing Australia, he looks like the best fast bowler in the world. He is pure magic to watch. But, give him another opponent, or put him in any other country and he's a passenger. For me, if I was an English selector, I'd want to know the problem. His first ball in Brisbane 2006 is legendary, but then again, so was his work in the Ashes 2005. This year, he's come from nowhere to work out Hughes, and looks like the Aussie nemesis for this Ashes series. He's as graceful to watch now as Martyn was in his prime. The battles between these two in 2005 were the most absorbing cricket of the series, except for Flintoff's awesome over against Ponting. I can only hope that this series lives up to all the hype. I wouldn't want to predict a winner...

"As for the umpiring decisions, that is a cop out. No country should use that as an excuse these days. You get good ones and bad ones."
Michael Jeh, maybe Indian should should take note about umpiring decisions huh??

Michael, I agree with you about Warnie. Truly amazing bowler but incredibly full of himself. His policy in commentating about the game has been and probably always will be "think it...say it...engage brain several days later". His frequent moaning about Buchanan is tiresome not to mention ungracious. Buchanan may not have been a lot of things as a coach (who am I to judge) but his response to Warne's frequent tirades has in oontrast been very dignified. However Michael, I would be very wary of so easily dismissing the opinions of Damien Martyn. I cannot recall a player in the modern era (at least not an Australian player) who played the game with less hyperbole surrounding him. Outstanding record. Very few headlines. His quiet and dignified departure from the game when he sensed his time was up stands in stark contrast to every other retirement I can think of. This is not a man who "Blows wind" and he did cop a clutch of shocking decisions in 05. Check the highlights Michael

Aw look Michael Jeh, stop bashing me for telling it as it is! Why would any side admit to being underprepared before a series and give a psychological advantage to the opponent? After the series you can tell the truth cause it doesn't have a bearing on the game anymore. And I did cop some shockers in England, and as the team's best batsman, or cricketer for that matter, if I get out cheaply, the team's chances of winning are pretty much nil mate. G'day and good luck.

Of course there won't be comments out of the current playing group, as they're busy hanging onto their spots (particularly the fastbowlers). Therefore, no-one wants to upset C.A. by saying 'yep, we're going into this one half-baked!', they'll never get picked again.

While I agree with the crux of your piece Michael, I reckon there is a difference of perception when it comes to preparation. Pre-2005 Ashes, Ponting said the Aussies had immaculate preparation. However, they were gravely mistaken. They never took things into account such as swing bowling, intelligent field settings or the like. England outplayed them tactically and on the field. What felt good preparation at the time wasn't so at the end.

I didn't like Marto's comments about the Ashes meaning less to Australia, but I would agree with him that Australia tends to place it on more even measure with other series than England do. The hype leading into this current series from the English press exemplifies that.

But I wholeheartedly agree with Martyn on CA's mismanagement of young talent, seeing as Martyn himself was a victim. I can only hope CA take his thoughts into account before making any mistakes concerning the development of fine talents such as Hughes, Warner, Henriques etc...

Michael, you're wrong about Duncan. There were already mumblings of discontent against him and the Ashes 06/07 just blew them up.

With regard to Martyn, he's just being a prissy. Frankly, the saying 'fortune favours the brave' rings true everywhere. England were the better team, fullstop! The priority thing is also a whole load of humbug. He's just making excuses. Perhaps we shouldn't take it seriously as this must be his first interview since disappearing into the wild in the middle of Ashes 06/07!

No one admits their team is undercooked BEFORE a series. Obviously hindsight is a common response in the sporting world, like as though Man U would say, they are not ready to play Barca in the Euro Cup. You say you are not a fan of coaches and Buchanan in particular, could have fooled me. When Martyn quit after the Ashes was regained that was a clue that all was not right in the Aussie camp, Martyn was a terrific bat and I would take his opinion and that of Warne anyday over an anonymous back room figure like John Buchanan. Martyn's honesty was refreshing and I wish he said something about Ponting bowling first when McGrath was injured, thus allowing England back in the Series and eventually winning it. Vaughan and co certainly deployed a more modern field when facing the Aussies, while OZ played the usual traditional fields, that might have been what martyn was talking about, too.

A few points on this article:
1. Sometimes pointing out that a side was harmed by umpiring decisions is actually correct and appropriate.
2. Bringing up Warne's drug history as though you know exactly what happened is inappropriate.
3. Martyn deserves to be castigated. The pivotal moment of those ashes was his stupid run out of Ponting followed by his caught behind dismissal off a particularly lame shot when the pitch was at its best. His retirement (at a time BEFORE the ashes were won waterbuffalo) following a baffling and dumb innings showed selfishness and poor judgement. The previous Test he played in Adelaide he scored 6 runs off 38 balls leading up to a declaration, again selfish and dumb. His criticisms of Buchanan are poorly articulated and puerile.
The fact is: John Buchanan was a huge loss to the Australian cricket team. Damien Martyn was not.

I can't help but notice a number of comments relating Australia's lack of grace during its dominant decade and a half - I would like to remind everyone of the England reaction after their 2005 success (MBE's and all) - Australia returned home, took stock and planned their revenge which culminated in the 5-zip home win - absolutely no sour grapes. Martyn's comments simply confirmed the thoughts of many. This blog and a great number of comments highlight the irrational hatred of Australia's success - the comments are boring and lack any imagination.

Just as the Ashes is irrelevant to Indians, to Australians, the IPL is virtually non-existent as a competition. It's just some Bollywood show that our cricketers make money from. To each his own.

Martyn coped some bad umpiring decisions in 2005, but he's been skulking in the shadows, after retiring by phone -call in the middle of the last Ashes series. Now, suddenly he comes out blaming everyone else. He may have been a graceful batsmen but all the signs now point to him being under the thumb of the utterly graceless, talkback thug Alan Jones. Where else would this once mild and polite cricketer get his current mealy mouth from? Honesty? What's honest about him or his behaviour?

I can't get over the absolute hypocrisy of a Cricinfo hack from the sub-continent stating "As for the umpiring decisions, that is a cop out. No country should use that as an excuse these days. You get good ones and bad ones. Batsmen who only remember the bad ones are a bit disingenuous."
I didn't hear you or your mate Sambit Bal come out with that one in the aftermath of Aus v India in Sydney in January 2008.

Michael, I think you've missed the mark. Martyn is a strange individual and I agree that this was a graceless performance. But he is right about a few things. The umpiring was terrible (particularly in relation to Martyn) - though probably not terrible enough to cost Australia the series. Buchanan is a goose. And the Ashes was just another series to the Aussies. There was a far greater pre-occupation with winning in India than there was to beat England again. Again, not necessarily an excuse and, if anything, it serves Australia right that they lost if they were less focussed. It should also be remembered that Martyn was actually very graceful when he got scapegoated after the Ashes.

Having said all that, I don't think much of Martyn's comments. The dig at Cricket Australia 'beefing people up' is clearly a reflection of his own open wounds. I don't see how giving a young player an opportunity (and then the media 'beefing them up') is a flaw of Cricket Australia...

Well written..I agree with literally all your points.
It is now amusing to see the Australians complaining about umpiring decisions && expecting people to understand their viewpoint regarding poor decisions whereas they refuse to comply with the same with regard to other teams, most notably the Indians.

I read this article and comments first, and then the Martyn one after. His comments are very honest and rational, and i can't see any emotional bias in what he says,so people criticising him are just displaying their own warped emotions. In 05 England played magnificently and Vaughan was sensational, great captain, great player,wish he was playing this time. Damien Martyn was also a fantastic player who had bad luck last time round.He came at the wrong era and would be a legend if he came at any other time. Unfortunately he was a bit lacking in self belief and needed better coaching because he should be remembered amongst the greats, i would rather watch him bat than any of this Aussie golden generation. You are sorely missed from the current game. But regards umpiring decisions, the umpiring in Australia is very dodgy too, the Indians and Pakistani's have experienced it a lot and so too England in the away Ashes last time, he he. Lets hope for a good series and not get too cynical.

Martyn is right....we basically saw england as easy beats and we didnt put the same emphasis on the ashes as we do now...since we now know what it feels like to lose them. Proper preparation as shown in 06 showed exactly the difference between the two sides....massive. Why these sour puss journalists have to flog the dead horse that is the 05 ashes is beyond me...or any series where Australia lost - 09 was the series England said after 05 theyd never lose. That era of players was wasted....this is their last chance to win an ashes for the next decade because their one series wonder players will be gone by the time we tour england again...I cant wait for your post 09 ashes article...so that we can disect your own lame excuses.

C'mon all you Marto supporters, GET REAL! True cricket supporters know that he was just a soft "pretty boy" who was in the side to bring the female fans flocking to the game. No one should take him, or his silly comments too seriously. I've never made THAT mistake! Mark Waugh's batting was a thousand times more graceful than Damien Martyn's and better value at #4. BTW, Michael... Great writing as usual - and I'm an Aussie supporter.

Waterbuffalo is right. No professional sportsmen who has spent years sweating through games and training is going to declare any weakness before a contest, and hindsight from a retired sportsmen is hardly a new thing. All in all, Martyn's comments seem fair. He doesn't whine about bad decisions he received and if the referral system was used who knows? England did deserve to win though. And any coach who calls an international fix a "muck around" deserves all the criticism in the world.
But really, fair shake of the sauce bottle Michael! The Ashes is the oldest & most prestigious contest in world cricket. Just as the US Open will never be greater than Wimbledon, so will SA/India/Aus or Ind/Pak contests never rival the history & tradition of the Ashes. It's just the way it is. That doesn't mean it's the only one worth celebrating, but it does mean it deserves a certain level of respect, and with some of the contests it has borne, it's well deserved. Botham, Warne, Jardine, Bradman etc