A terrible role model for any coach of young boys.

Poms will win the next ashes easily

Does the Australian team have enough depth and power to fill such massive shoes when the inevitable retirements do come?

How will the seasoned bowlers who remain cope with the pressure?

Will the loss of a world-class spin bowler and fast-medium bowler result in an excessive thinning of Australia’s bowling diversity?

And in the worst case, will this result in a virtual collapse of the team while the next generation is developing their chops?

Oh well. The beginning of the end is nigh.

Not only do we lose a great bowler, but we lose someone to feel morally superior too, because, after all, none of us has ever been caught out with such atrocious SMSing or, for that matter, had much luck at South African discotheques, with Pommy babes in hotel rooms or had to lose weight quickly using steroids.

And what will summer be without chanting ‘Ooh, aah, Glenn McGrath’. My son has only just learned that, and now it’s over!