SYDNEY, Aug 22: Sacked Australia coach Mickey Arthur says Michael Clarke’s team travelled to England with no belief they could win the Ashes.

The South African, who was replaced by Darren Lehmann only 16 days before the first Ashes Test, said Australia’s developing side had planned to use the series in England as an information and confidence-gathering mission ahead of the return series at home later this year.

“We had to take the pain now to get reward at the end of the day. We had a goal that I’ll reveal [and it] was... we wanted to try and push England really hard in England, but we wanted to win in Australia,” Arthur told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“This is what Michael and I wanted to do. We didn’t go into the series ever to lose it but we wanted to develop enough intelligence on all the England players.”—AFP