Another to voice an opinion is the one-time England batsman and Protea coach Bob Woolmer. “I am a South African who feels like a masochist because the state of our sport really hurts me Our cricket is in a mess. There is too much politics, not just at the top level,” he said.Of course, South Africa, like neighbours Zimbabwe, will present a united front on arrival today. In Jacques Rudolph, they have a young batsman who looks a genuine prospect, while Gibbs, Kallis, Smith, Pollock and Boucher can flay any attack, except Australia’s, in any form of the game. In the Tests, Gary Kirsten and Boeta Dippenaar will be asked to drop anchor.It is the bowling ranks which are threadbare.

Pollock and Makhaya Ntini will take the new ball, backed by Kallis. In the one-dayers, Nicky Boje, Alan Dawson, Andrew Hall, Andre Nel and Charl Langeveldt will be entrusted to keep the runs down. Zondeki, Willoughby, Peterson, Paul Adams and Dewald Pretorius then arrive for the Tests. The feeling is that one or two young bowlers will have to emerge to avoid another uprising back home.. There have not been many Troys: Tempest, the puppet hero from Stingray, Donahue, the American B-movie actor, and the place where the wooden horse parked outside. Now comes Troy Cooley, to look after the new generation of English fast bowling.

This Troy is enthusiastic, engaging, innovative and Australian. His main job is as fast- bowling coach with the National Academy, but he has been seconded by England to work with their seamers on practice days.Cooley is a coach in the modern image. He breaks a bowler’s action down into minute detail, seeking improvement which is aimed both at increasing efficiency and guarding against injury. Much of his effort is designed to reduce counter-rotation, where the hip and shoulder move in different directions and eventually lead to stress fractures.”It is the single most important issue which causes injury to fast bowlers and shortens careers,” he said. “But in making improvements it is always important to ensure that you treat every bowler as an individual. I’m not there to eliminate flair from the game.”He is visibly excited by his job, and sees no contradiction in the fact that an Australian is helping England to try to regain the Ashes Coaching is universal. Of course, his compatriots may not quite see it like that if England lift the urn in 2005.

They may even claim some of the credit.Cooley was himself a fast bowler whose career was abbreviated by injury. He played for Tasmania, became a fitness instructor and then coached age-group sides on the island. His vibrancy and prowess were swiftly noted, and he went to the Common-wealth Academy in Adelaide. He has worked closely with Dennis Lillee, whom he regards – both as bowler and coach – with something approaching awe.The challenge in England was too great to resist.