Men to watch Down Under

10 April 2012
THE CAPTAINS

ANDREW STRAUSS

Strengths: Strauss has the calm demeanour required to lead a team in difficult situations. His performance on and off the field during the Pakistan spot-fixing scandal last summer was exemplary. If England find themselves in a hole this winter, the players know their captain will not lose his cool.
Weaknesses: Strauss is still guilty of being conservative when he could go for the jugular, both in his field placings and his fear of making daring declarations. His form with the bat has also dipped in Tests since the 2009 Ashes and he is without a Test hundred since July 2009.

RICKY PONTING

Strengths: He has been one of the best batsmen in cricket for the last decade and this should inspire his team-mates. England must not underestimate Ponting's determination to avoid losing a third Ashes series as skipper and this fierce desire to succeed will prove difficult for the tourists to quench.
Weaknesses: Ponting's weight of runs has always been able to mask his foibles as captain but the 35-year-old is perhaps not the batsman he was. Ponting has also struggled to adjust to the lack of star quality in his attack following the retirement from Tests of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath nearly four years ago.

KEY BATSMEN

ENGLAND — Jonathan Trott
Everyone will talk about Kevin Pietersen but Trott is just as important. Alastair Cook's poor record against Australia suggests Trott will often be at the crease early. He can lay the ideal platform for England's middle order if he can keep his sharp temper in check and ignore the inevitable Aussie sledging.

AUSTRALIA — Michael Clarke
Clarke was the Aussies' best batsman in England last time but has struggled to hit top form since and doubts have grown about his suitability to succeed Ponting as captain. Yet he remains the best player of spin in the Aussie team and his duel with Graeme Swann could shape the series.

KEY BOWLERS

ENGLAND — Graeme Swann
England's preference for a four-man attack means the off-spinner must be both a defensive bowler and a wicket taker. Swann has fulfilled both roles superbly in his two years as a Test cricketer but he is the main man now. Everything about Swann suggests he can handle that pressure.

AUSTRALIA — Mitchell Johnson
Which Mitch will turn up? If it's the bowler who could barely hit the cut strip in the first part of the 2009 series, the Aussies will struggle. If it's the man whose devastating pace and bounce earned him 16 wickets in three Tests in South Africa earlier that year, England beware.

DARK HORSES

ENGLAND — Ajmal Shahzad
Not chosen in the senior touring party but Shahzad was so impressive in the first innings in Hobart last week that he may see some cricket later in the series. His ability to generate reverse swing.

AUSTRALIA — Steve Smith
Smith's leg spin needs plenty of honing but the 21-year-old is a courageous batsman and showed against Pakistan last summer that he can perform when the team are in trouble. Don't be surprised to see him bat at No7 later in the series, with Brad Haddin at No6.

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