Australia is a hostile environment. The weather, the wildlife and – yes – the cricket fans are all out to get you, or at least that’s how it can feel.
In terms of the supporters, they crank up the pressure and keep going until you crack. If you complain, they’ll say, “Sorry, mate, it was only a joke.” If you fight back, it will be “Gosh, you went a bit far, mate.” It’s all hard but fair until the moment you react.
There is an assumption Down Under that English players are a bit softer than their Aussie counterparts, but they clearly have never spent time in Luton league cricket. In terms of hostility, nothing I experienced in Australia compared with an under-16 match between Luton Town & Indians and Hexton CC: it felt like the whole of Luton turned up to watch, and the constant barrage of blaring car horns and parents shouting made it sound like Eden Gardens for an IPL game.
At one point, I felt something thump me in the shoulder and then, as I turned around, I got punched in the face. I looked at the umpire – Hitu Naik, my youth coach – and the look in his eye gave it all away: “Listen youngster, if you want to play for England this is what you expect – don’t shy away, give it back.”
The next ball, I barged the batsmen and was none too subtle about it. Hitu looked at me in disgust, took me away and said: “You’re supposed to get him out, not get into a fight.” Some of my team-mates encouraged the fierceness while others thought it looked unpleasant.
Things never got physical for me in Australia, but you definitely have to be braced for verbals. When I went on the 2006-07, 2010-11 and 2013-14 Ashes tours, I had my fair share of 12th man duties down by the boundary edge so was well placed to the antagonistic comments: “You Poms are getting it today”, “The convicts are coming after you” – all the usual stuff.
It will be the same for the lads in Australia for this year’s series, particularly as there will be no England fans in the stadiums, bar a few expats. That said, I think England can use the hostility to improve their performances.
Someone like Ben Stokes can thrive off that antagonism – particularly as he does not have the burden of being the captain, something which weighed heavily on Andrew Flintoff in that 2006-07 series. They are very similar players – match winners and huge personalities on and off the field.
The dilemma of how to respond to a sledge is one that every cricketer has to weigh up in Australia. The best response I saw was Jimmy Anderson in the 2010-11 tour, after Mitchell Johnson unwisely chose to take him on.
Johnson said to Jimmy: “Why are you chirping now mate, not getting wickets?” Next ball, Anderson dismissed Ryan Harris with a perfect yorker, immediately turned back towards Johnson and put a finger to his lips: shush, Mitch.
