England great unloads on ‘very strange' Aussie cricketer
England cricket legend Kevin Pietersen has fired an early warning shot ahead of this summer's Ashes series in Australia.
After watching Australia's batters struggle in the recent World Test Championship final against South Africa, Pietersen believes England bowlers will have little to fear when the Ashes begins in WA in November.
Among other criticisms, Pietersen said the demise of 30-year-old Marnus Labuschagne was 'very strange' and he said allrounder Cameron Green should not be coming in at No.3
'The batting is not what the batting used to be. Apart from Steve Smith,' Pietersen said.
'I've not seen anything here that would worry me. Not seen it at all.
'I don't know what has happened to Marnus the last couple of years. Kevin Pietersen says Marnus Labuschagne's form woes are 'very strange'. Credit: Getty
'He just won't hit the ball. It's very strange to see.'
Pietersen also put the spotlight on Green, who made 4 and a duck against South Africa.
'Cameron Green is not a No.3,' Pietersen said.
Not only are there form concerns, Australia's top line-up is ageing.
Usman Khawaja is 38 and will turn 39 this December, Steve Smith is 36, Mitchell Starc is 35, Nathan Lyon will be 38 in November and Pat Cummins is 32.
Even Beau Webster, who made his Test debut in January this year, will be 32 in December.
The team is starting to look like Dad's Army but Pietersen was prepared to cut the veteran stars some slack, and backed in the bowlers.
'Smith is a different level, a modern great,' he said.
He also thought Khawaja was certainly good for another Ashes campaign.
'Uzzie is what Uzzie is. He has a good record,' Pietersen said.
'Beau Webster, I've seen better batters than him from what I've seen here. And I've only seen him here and it would probably be hard for me to forge an opinion just on what I've seen here because the ball has actually done quite a bit.
'But just technique ... if I was an English bowler, I would fancy my chances against this batting line-up.
'Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon, Scotty Boland, there's some proper bowling, but as an England bowler (I wouldn't be worried).
'I'd be saying I'd rather be a bowler this Ashes series.'
Labuschagne is expected to be dropped for the Test against the West Indies but he could return to the team for the Ashes.
Australian coach Andrew McDonald is certainly not ruling him out despite the fact he has a century drought that is almost 24 months long.
'He's a big part of the future of the team,' McDonald said.
'Anyone that averages (46.19) in Test cricket at that age (30) is important.
'We've got older players there that are closer to the end than the start.
'If he can get his game in good order for the next four or five years, he can underpin that batting order, but at the moment, he'd be disappointed with the returns.
'We're confident that he could return to his best, hence why we keep picking him, and it's at what point do we stop picking him?
'There's no harder worker than Marnus, and now it's really just about the returns.'
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The family business teaching generations of Hunter kids to swim
A LAKE Macquarie institution that has been a part of thousands of families' lives is celebrating 30 years in business. Coughlan's Swim Centre officially opened its doors on June 3 1995. The idea was born from Leanne and Peter Coughlan, with support from Les and Dorothy Lazarus, who were keen to do a small learn-to-swim pool. "We struggled to find the right area to build, then came across our current location [at Warners Bay] which was ideal for a much larger development," Peter and Leanne Coughlan told Newcastle Herald. "It started as a small family dream and quickly grew into a busy family-run business." The jump into running a swim school made sense for the couple who had strong connections to swimming and even met each other through the sport. At age 16 Peter represented Australia in the 1974 Commonwealth Games in the 4x100m freestyle relay where he placed third. He also went on to compete in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal in the 100m freestyle. 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A LAKE Macquarie institution that has been a part of thousands of families' lives is celebrating 30 years in business. Coughlan's Swim Centre officially opened its doors on June 3 1995. The idea was born from Leanne and Peter Coughlan, with support from Les and Dorothy Lazarus, who were keen to do a small learn-to-swim pool. "We struggled to find the right area to build, then came across our current location [at Warners Bay] which was ideal for a much larger development," Peter and Leanne Coughlan told Newcastle Herald. "It started as a small family dream and quickly grew into a busy family-run business." The jump into running a swim school made sense for the couple who had strong connections to swimming and even met each other through the sport. At age 16 Peter represented Australia in the 1974 Commonwealth Games in the 4x100m freestyle relay where he placed third. He also went on to compete in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal in the 100m freestyle. This experience of swimming at an elite level has helped countless athletes at the swim school, who have gone on to Australian and international competitions, and many have returned as coaches or mentors. But at the end of the day the business has always been a family-focused. "It has always been a family affair, with all hands-on deck," Leanne Coughlan said. "Both Peter and my parents retired from previous jobs to help us out. Family members taught lessons, managed bookings, cleaned and performed maintenance around the pool. "This included multiple generations of the family and many friends. The centre was built on teamwork and family values." The business grew very fast and the family estimates tens of thousands of local children have learnt to swim at the centre since it opened 30 years ago. "Today we're proud to serve approximately 3000 children each week, with thousands having come through our program over the years," Peter Coughlan said. In recent years, Leanne and Peter have taken a step back, entrusting family members Hayley, Michael, Katie and Tyler to take on more responsibilities. "Today the four of us lead a fantastic team but management is still very much a shared effort among family and key staff who have been with us for many years," Tyler Coughlan explained. Hayley Coughlan believes the reason the swim centre has thrived over the 30 years of business is because of its community focus, with the team teaching multiple generations of local families to swim. "Our longevity comes down to passion, consistency, and a genuine connection with the swimming community," she said. "Reaching 30 years is a humble and proud moment, it shows the impact we've had, and the trust people place in us. "We take great pride in contributing to water safety and confidence for so many families." The team is holding a 30th anniversary celebration this month to mark the occasion, inviting past and present staff, customers and of course, family. It seems everybody wants to feed the people of Newcastle. Activation events last week saw Oporto stores in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley take part in a nationwide giveaway of 10,000 free full-sized Portuguese flame-grilled chickens. This followed a dessert offering the week before when Krispy Kreme's Newcastle store joined in a nationwide giveaway of 100,000 free doughnuts for National Doughnut Day. "National Doughnut Day isn't just a date on the calendar for us at Krispy Kreme - it is the day we eagerly anticipate all year long," marketing manager Laura Pashby said. "It's become a key moment for us as a brand to connect, celebrate and spread joy across the nation." What delicious giveaway could we manifest for the people of Newcastle this week? A LAKE Macquarie institution that has been a part of thousands of families' lives is celebrating 30 years in business. Coughlan's Swim Centre officially opened its doors on June 3 1995. The idea was born from Leanne and Peter Coughlan, with support from Les and Dorothy Lazarus, who were keen to do a small learn-to-swim pool. "We struggled to find the right area to build, then came across our current location [at Warners Bay] which was ideal for a much larger development," Peter and Leanne Coughlan told Newcastle Herald. "It started as a small family dream and quickly grew into a busy family-run business." The jump into running a swim school made sense for the couple who had strong connections to swimming and even met each other through the sport. At age 16 Peter represented Australia in the 1974 Commonwealth Games in the 4x100m freestyle relay where he placed third. He also went on to compete in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal in the 100m freestyle. This experience of swimming at an elite level has helped countless athletes at the swim school, who have gone on to Australian and international competitions, and many have returned as coaches or mentors. But at the end of the day the business has always been a family-focused. "It has always been a family affair, with all hands-on deck," Leanne Coughlan said. "Both Peter and my parents retired from previous jobs to help us out. Family members taught lessons, managed bookings, cleaned and performed maintenance around the pool. "This included multiple generations of the family and many friends. The centre was built on teamwork and family values." The business grew very fast and the family estimates tens of thousands of local children have learnt to swim at the centre since it opened 30 years ago. "Today we're proud to serve approximately 3000 children each week, with thousands having come through our program over the years," Peter Coughlan said. In recent years, Leanne and Peter have taken a step back, entrusting family members Hayley, Michael, Katie and Tyler to take on more responsibilities. "Today the four of us lead a fantastic team but management is still very much a shared effort among family and key staff who have been with us for many years," Tyler Coughlan explained. Hayley Coughlan believes the reason the swim centre has thrived over the 30 years of business is because of its community focus, with the team teaching multiple generations of local families to swim. "Our longevity comes down to passion, consistency, and a genuine connection with the swimming community," she said. "Reaching 30 years is a humble and proud moment, it shows the impact we've had, and the trust people place in us. "We take great pride in contributing to water safety and confidence for so many families." The team is holding a 30th anniversary celebration this month to mark the occasion, inviting past and present staff, customers and of course, family. It seems everybody wants to feed the people of Newcastle. Activation events last week saw Oporto stores in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley take part in a nationwide giveaway of 10,000 free full-sized Portuguese flame-grilled chickens. This followed a dessert offering the week before when Krispy Kreme's Newcastle store joined in a nationwide giveaway of 100,000 free doughnuts for National Doughnut Day. "National Doughnut Day isn't just a date on the calendar for us at Krispy Kreme - it is the day we eagerly anticipate all year long," marketing manager Laura Pashby said. "It's become a key moment for us as a brand to connect, celebrate and spread joy across the nation." What delicious giveaway could we manifest for the people of Newcastle this week? A LAKE Macquarie institution that has been a part of thousands of families' lives is celebrating 30 years in business. Coughlan's Swim Centre officially opened its doors on June 3 1995. The idea was born from Leanne and Peter Coughlan, with support from Les and Dorothy Lazarus, who were keen to do a small learn-to-swim pool. "We struggled to find the right area to build, then came across our current location [at Warners Bay] which was ideal for a much larger development," Peter and Leanne Coughlan told Newcastle Herald. "It started as a small family dream and quickly grew into a busy family-run business." The jump into running a swim school made sense for the couple who had strong connections to swimming and even met each other through the sport. At age 16 Peter represented Australia in the 1974 Commonwealth Games in the 4x100m freestyle relay where he placed third. He also went on to compete in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal in the 100m freestyle. This experience of swimming at an elite level has helped countless athletes at the swim school, who have gone on to Australian and international competitions, and many have returned as coaches or mentors. But at the end of the day the business has always been a family-focused. "It has always been a family affair, with all hands-on deck," Leanne Coughlan said. "Both Peter and my parents retired from previous jobs to help us out. Family members taught lessons, managed bookings, cleaned and performed maintenance around the pool. "This included multiple generations of the family and many friends. The centre was built on teamwork and family values." The business grew very fast and the family estimates tens of thousands of local children have learnt to swim at the centre since it opened 30 years ago. "Today we're proud to serve approximately 3000 children each week, with thousands having come through our program over the years," Peter Coughlan said. 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