Former Australia captain Steve Waugh believes Australia’s Ashes hopes rely on the team eliminating the inconsistency that has seen Test matches swing on one bad session of cricket.
Australia can dominate next decade: Waugh
Waugh, who made an art form out of mental disintegration, says Australia has the raw talent to win not just this Commonwealth Bank Ashes series but to dominate for the next decade.
“What I'd most like to see is Australia stopping those really disastrous sessions where we lose nine wickets or the opposition gets 150,” Waugh said.
“You have one bad session and a Test can be wiped out in a couple of hours. If we stop those bad sessions, we can compete and win the series.
“And from Australia's point of view, there's no reason why we can't go on to win the next four or five series ourselves. All we're lacking is a little bit of self-belief and mental toughness and Test-match toughness.
“If we get that on board, there's no reason why we can't stop the cycle pretty quickly. It can get away from you pretty fast if you become complacent and think you're always going to win.”
Waugh was involved in eight Ashes series triumphs, including two as captain, and has offered to share his experience with current captain Michael Clarke ahead of the first Test starting at the Gabba on Thursday.
“I've had a lot of conversations over the years with Michael in private,” Waugh told The Australian.
"I had a one-on-one with him when he fell out of the side in 2005, and I regularly text him and keep in contact with him that way. I let him be his own man.
“If he wants to use me, that's fine. If he wants to use someone else, that's his choice. He tends to polarise people for whatever reason, and I'm not even sure why that is, but he handles himself well. There's always great humility in the public arena.
“I have a lot of admiration for the way he handles the press. I know what it's like when you're the captain – you have a lot of people in your ear. It's important for him to work out who his closest advisers and mentors are, but I'm always available for him.”
Waugh said he was most looking forward to seeing George Bailey, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon play and believes all three could shape the Ashes' destiny.
“(Bailey) is a positive selection. His moment of truth comes this week,” said Waugh. “He’s been waiting for the opportunity for a long time, he’s done the yards, he’s the one-day captain and he’s played well for Tasmania.
“Mitchell Johnson will definitely be worth a look. He's a guy who's probably been given a bad rap. His international record is very, very good. He's a wicket-taker. It's exciting to have him back in there.
“And I'd like to see Nathan Lyon have a good series. I think he's been underrated. His record is pretty good in the Test matches he's played. He has nice aggression. He has a go and he has a good attitude, which we need.”