If you legitimately think that thrashing the West Indies, New Zealand, and now probably South Africa (although there are still 4 tests to go) makes England the #2 side in the world, then by all means feel that way. But you know deep down in your heart of hearts that it isn't true. You know that Andrew Strauss is in some fairytale form, and that soon enough he'll be found out as a mediocre batsman at best. Soon, Flintoff's pixie dust supply will run out and he'll stop scoring runs and taking wickets by the bagful. Then the pressure falls back on the M&M twins, Trescothick and Vaughan. Yeah, good luck. Ashley Giles as your #1 spinner? Don't come knocking on the subcontinent with him. And Harmison's attitude is ridiculous. "Oh, I'll miss my family, I only want to play cricket for a few more years." "Oh, Bangladesh is so dreadfully hot." "Oh, my panties are in a bunch." "Oh!" He doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who rushes to rehab an injury. Hoggard's a decent trier, but he won't have West Indian batting line-ups to extract hat tricks from every day. Geraint Jones? He'll catch something one of these days, don't worry. Robert Key? Or Inzamam, jr., as he's known in cricketing circles. Minus the talent that is.
The real test isn't the Ashes in 2005. It's making it there.
