The Ashes 2013: Can Boof do what Mickey couldn't?

The players will surely feel more at ease with Arthur’s replacement – Darren Lehmann. The former Australian left-hander batsman is a product of the old robust system, and believes that cricket is a game of runs and wickets. There will no doubt be a place for the video analysts, the performance analysts and the dietitians, but major emphasis would be on the basics of batting, bowling and fielding. He is the quintessential Aussie who exemplifies grit and determination on the field and knows a thing or two about unwinding after a hard day’s work.

Outside the boundary line, the ‘homework’ will give way to other fun stuff to bring in the enjoyment factor that Lehmann talked about. For below-par performances, there is also the ‘Boof spray’ – his version of the hairdryer treatment. Of course, all this will be done over a large carton of beer.

More importantly, his on-field credentials will certainly command respect from the players – something that Arthur never enjoyed. Given the way the Australians are batting at the moment, they might even ask him to pad up bat at number 5!

Apart from having a good hold on the technical aspect, he is also regarded as a good communicator; someone who can motivate people and coax top-grade efforts out of them. Even though he has never been in charge of an international team as a coach, he has handled teams as varied as Deccan Chargers, Queensland and Kings XI Punjab. Such is his reputation that the experts who didn’t hesitate to label Michael Clarke’s team as the weakest Australian team to travel to England are now suddenly wary of the Aussie challenge.

But to think of him as an Ashes savior would be a mistake. As he gets down to business, he will find there’s a lot to be done in very little time. He can make all the plans and draw the battle lines, but what happens on the field wont be in his control. Ultimately it will boil down to how the eleven players selected on the given day perform on the field.