Victorian paceman Scott Boland seems almost certain to replace Pat Cummins for at least some of the upcoming Ashes series.
But former England captain Mike Atherton isn’t impressed, saying the aggressive English top order will relish the chance to face the 36-year-old in the five-match series beginning next month.
“Should he (Pat Cummins) be missing in Perth, it would unquestionably be bad for the series and bad for Australia, but give a huge lift to an England team looking to win their first Test—never mind series—in the country for more than a decade,” Atherton wrote in The Times.
“Boland has a fine record, but holds no fear for a batting line-up that took him for almost five runs an over in the drawn series in 2023, when he took just two wickets in two matches.”
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Of course, in his column Atherton conveniently neglects to mention the last time England faced Boland in Australian conditions, possibly due to the absolute carnage he caused four years ago.
Boland boasts an exceptional Test record against England on home soil, taking 18 wickets at an average of just 9.55 in the 2021-22 Ashes, including a stunning six wickets for seven runs on debut in the Boxing Day test.
Overall, he’s faced England five times, taking 20 wickets at 20.15.
Atherton never won a test series in Australia.