The Australian cricket team was heavily criticized in Australian media for losing the Ashes series 3-1 to England. Newspapers ran harsh headlines like "Our Worst XI" and accused the team of becoming an "embarrassment of historic proportions." Commentators described the loss as "feeble and abject" and said that Australia lacks the necessary talent and depth. Former players like Shane Warne acknowledged the disappointment, saying Australia is "hurting" from not being able to regain the Ashes on home soil.

1. EVENING STANDARD FRIDAY 7 JANUARY 2011 3
News
We did it: the
England players’
Wags salute their
heroes as captain
Andrew Strauss
celebrates with
son Luca and
Paul Collingwood
embraces the
Barmy Army. But
it’s all too much
to bear for the
Australian team,
below, as they
watch former
England captain
Michael Vaughan
present the
Ashes urn to the
victorious
visitors
for our heroes Down Under
to the Barmy Army was the 682nd Lord
Mayor of London, Nick Anstee.
Mr Anstee, an investment banker who
Chuck another Ponting on the barbie
stood down from his role last year, Jonathan Prynn Telegraph screamed: “Aussie BBQ: cricker commentator Greg Baum
went as far as penning a song for the Cooked in our own backyard.” described the 3-1 series loss as “a
fans to sing. AUSTRALIA’S defeated team was It added: “Ashes to Ashes, dust to capitulation as feeble and abject as
At the ground fewer than 100 Austral- attacked as a global dust, the Australian cricket team can be imagined”.
ian fans turned up while thousands of embarrassment today as the has been slowly grilled over the The Australian newspaper’s main
England supporters enjoyed the final country turned on its losing squad. course of the five-Test series this cricket writer Malcolm Conn said:
hours of the series in fancy dress. There The Sydney Morning Herald summer and it’s been painful to “Australia is not good enough. Not
was a gang of Craig Davids, the Flint- billed the team “Our Worst XI” and watch.” The analysis was below an enough depth of talent. Not
stones and one man dressed in a bear accused the men of becoming “an image of captain Ricky Ponting, enough in-form talent. Not enough
outfit — despite temperatures of 25 embarrassment of historic acting capital Michael Clarke and talent full stop.”
degrees centigrade. Now it’s back to proportions”. fast bowler Mitchell Johnson Spinning legend Shane Warne
reality in a wet, wintry Britain. Another headline said: “Can’t skewered as human shrimps on a said: “Australia are a pretty proud
bat, can’t bowl, can’t even think glowing barbie. nation about their sport and they
Sport Pages 69-72 Skewered: the Sydney Daily Telegraph straight” while the Sydney Daily The Sydney Morning Herald’s are hurting.”