The Ashes: England's spirit spot-on, says Waugh

Steve Waugh. Photo / Getty Images

England are not only winning games Down Under, they are also influencing some unlikely people.

Steve Waugh, for so long England's nemesis, has been moved to applaud Andrew Strauss's side, praising the balance and team spirit that has ushered them to the brink of a famous series win in the hosts' back yard.

Waugh was in the last Australian Ashes side beaten on home soil, in 1986-87, before becoming captain and leading his charges to multiple, and often heavily one-sided, wins over the old enemy. His early experiences in the national side, when Allan Border was battling almost single-handed to hold a callow side together, also allow him to sympathise with the job Michael Clarke, or whoever is given the long-term task of rebuilding Australia, faces.

Waugh, who played 46 of his 168 tests against England, said: "A sense of team is much easier to have when you are playing well and knowing each other and been together for a while. When you've just come together, guys are playing for their spots, it's not so easy, but it's something the captain and the management of the team, the support staff, have got to work on. You've got to get that right balance. England look like they have a lot of good feeling in their side."

On Wednesday, a statue of Waugh was unveiled at the SCG, where he enjoyed some of his best moments, such as his thrilling Ashes century in 2003 which the bronze figure, complete with lucky handkerchief, commemorates. The seemingly dire situation his successors in the Baggy Green now find themselves in is more reminiscent of his early days in tests, but Waugh insists all is not as grim as back then.

"My first test match, Allan Border had played more test matches than the rest of the team combined, so that was really a new beginning in Australian cricket," said Waugh. "This is not the same, there's still a lot of experienced players and a lot of good young players.

"We're certainly not back to where we were in '85. This is still a pretty good team, but it is a turning point. There's a turnover of players, some young guys coming through that look very promising and at some stage you've got to start with a new era.

"I look back to the lessons I learnt when we weren't doing so well and it is a bit of the changing of the guard in the Australian side. I was fascinated to watch some of the younger fellows play in the last couple of days and we've got guys there of good character, good commitment and good temperament.

"Usman Khawaja made a fantastic debut, Phil Hughes is going to be a player of the future, also Steve Smith, and Peter Siddle - I like the way he charges in. That's the way Australia plays, I am confident that we can get back to where we were, but it is going to take a little bit of time."

He also urged that they be given time to settle, citing his own stuttering beginnings to his career at the highest level.

He said: "There were plenty of tough times when starting out, 13 test matches without a win, 26 test matches before I scored a 100."

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