Comparisons between eras are often futile but I’m going to do it anyway, highlighting the differences and, where they occur, the similarities between England’s Ashes tour of 1982/3, which I experienced under Bob Willis, and the one Joe Root’s team are undertaking some 35 years later.
Let’s start with the flight. We left London aboard Qantas flight QF2 on October 13, in Business Class, though there were smoking seats, a facility several players availed themselves of. We also drank beer or wine for most of the three legs, London to Bahrain, there to Singapo...