England cricket captain Michael Vaughan is confident that Australian plans to limit the number of away fans at the next Ashes series in Australia will prove futile.
England’s Barmy Army has been hit by the news that Cricket Australia will try to limit the number of tickets available to English support to ensure the home side benefits from a partisan following in the same way England did last year.
But Vaughan is backing the Barmy Army to find ways and means to overcome the potential ticket crisis and provide healthy support for England’s bid to retain the Ashes in the five-Test series at the end of the year.
England’s unexpected Ashes triumph in 2005 — their first since 1986/87 — has led to an unprecedented demand for tickets, with up to 40 000 fans expected to travel down under.
”I think it’s great for the game that it looks like there will be sell-outs even before we arrive,” said Vaughan. ”England fans are very clever and have special ways of getting tickets, and I’m sure we’ll be well supported in Australia.
”The fans played a big part in us regaining the Ashes last summer. They really got behind us and gave us a lift when we went out on to the pitch and throughout every day’s play.
”I played in Australia last time and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of England support there to give us a big lift.”
Cricket Australia is yet to confirm plans to limit the number of tickets available to English fans but if it does, as expected, some feel this will simply create a black market with tickets sold at exorbitant prices.
The Boxing Day Test in Melbourne is expected to break all attendance records and surpass the previous high of 90 800.
But with memories of their Ashes defeat still fresh, the Australian players, including Shane Warne, are keen for the majority of those tickets to be taken up by their fellow countrymen.
”You can’t start making excuses and talking about the crowd for your performances in the middle,” said Vaughan. ”We played a good series and deserved to win and the crowd played a big part. In Australia, you expect to be sledged by the crowd, but we always have good support out there.
”There are a lot of ex-pats living out there and I’m sure you’ll see large numbers of England supporters in every ground.
”It’s great for the game of cricket that 10 months before the Ashes start everybody is talking about every ground being sold out and that there’s going to be a ticket crisis.”
While Australia are focusing on their next Ashes series, Vaughan has more imminent concerns, but is optimistic he will be fit enough to join England’s tour of India next month following surgery on his right knee.
Vaughan flew home early from the pre-Christmas tour to Pakistan to have the operation, having been troubled by the injury throughout the trip.
”I’ve taken a positive step in the last two weeks,” he said. ”I’ve been able to get on the machines and work very hard for two to three hours a day, so I don’t think there will be any problem for me getting on the plane with the rest of the lads next month.
”Going out there [India] to play is as tough as going anywhere in the world at the moment.
”It’s going to be extremely difficult to go out there and win, but this team has shown that it reacts when it is thrown a challenge.
”Heat is going to be a factor and they have some wonderful players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, not to mention spinners like Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh — they’ve got a very strong team.
”We need to learn from our mistakes in Pakistan and we’ll have to be at our very best to beat them [India].” — Sapa-AFP