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| August 30, 2006 | Wednesday | Sha'aban 5, 1427 |
Battle-hardened Aussies ready for Ashes series
COOLUM, Aug 29: Australia's cricketers say they are now fully prepared for anything England throw at them in their upcoming Ashes series after completing a five-day survival camp in the country's sub-tropics.
Coach John Buchanan ordered his players to take part in the combat-style boot camp as part of an unorthodox strategy to toughen them up for the battle with England.
There was not a bat and ball in sight as the 25-man squad was put through a rigorous physical and mental examination, living off daily rations, sleeping out in the open and dodging wild kangaroos in rugged bushland on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
Some players had initially questioned the wisdom of the camp but agreed the experience had brought the team closer together.
“I had some reservations about the timing, if nothing else,” said leg-spinner Shane Warne, who was forced to dash home from England where he is captaining Hampshire.
“We didn't know anything about what to expect. That's why a lot of us were hesitant, nobody knew what we were doing.
“I didn't really learn anything new, but it reinforced a lot of things and the group has come a lot closer together because of it.”
Opening batsman Justin Langer said the lessons learnt over the five-day camp would become valuable if the team faces troubles in the Ashes series, starting in late November.
“This boot camp has been one of the great five days of my life in terms of personal development,” Langer said.
“I've seen people do some amazing things that made me realise the human spirit is alive and well.
“We didn't have a bed, we didn't have a shower, we didn't have anything but it showed me how little we really need.
“The hardest thing was being totally out of our comfort zone. Little sleep, little food, no mobile phones, no contact with the family, but the last five days have been a very uplifting learning experience.”
Australia lost their stranglehold on the Ashes after their surprise series loss in England last year but the boot camp is proof they are leaving nothing to chance in their bid to regain cricket's most famous trophy.—Reuters
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