I admit it would but the way the rest of the batting is playing and the fact the bowling looks almost as bad as in the ashes means he wouldn't make much difference.
Being serious though, cricket matters not a jot at the moment with what is happening to him and his family. Far more important all ends up well.
Mate if you think bowlers perform the same in an ODI series after one, or indeed no practice matches compared with an extended tour with work under their belts then I'm afraid you're a little mistaken.
It does these guys, especially the young blokes, no harm to have a run in England before next year, but I don't know that it's particularly instructive as to how they'll go. I'm not particularly worried about the bowling tbh. Provided we don't agree to an itinerary where we arrive a week beforehand, I think it will be ok (knowing CA we will). Hilf will bowl well in England (iirc he was leading wicket taker in 09) and at least one of Harris and Siddle are likely. The real issue is just getting the buggers on the park. Young or old, they seem to be breaking down a lot. Part of that, I suspect, is coming back straight into internationals and bowling balls-to-the-walls from the start rather than warming into your work. It's a worry, but it's solved if they get a good FC season behind them and loads of overs. Personally think they're mollycoddled too much and their overs are rationed too much.
But the questions are more around the batting. A lot has been said about Ponting and Hussey because of their age, but I think the problem is more the top three, where blokes getting 40-60 odd is considered a decent job. We have SA at home (as well as the joke SL attack, I won't include them) this summer. Assuming that attack is all fit, it'll be a good measure before the Ashes, as long as its not too dry a summer here. Ideally from our POV, at least one but really two of the top three need a break out summer to show they're capable of making consistently big scores against a good attack. They've had a bit of time in the team now in those positions, and it's time for them to step up. The blokes in those spots need to show a proper ability to compile scores. Big scores.
Our top three will determine how the series goes I suspect. If its like your current season they pitches will have enough in them to make it a bowlers' series, but for us to win our top three will want parity with yours. So muppets like Watson, who strut off feeling great about a well struck 50, need to get a **** load hungrier.
