Ashes Verdict

I was watching the comments on Sky after the England loss in the Third Test whcih handed the Ashes back to Australia. There was a very interesting interview with David Graveney being interviewed by Charles Colville and Bob Willis ("my father's never heard of you..."- as Sam said to him at one international). I have never seen anyone get quite as fluched - he was almost purple by the end but he kept his cool and was the very model of professionalism when grilled deeply about Monty v Giles, Duncan Fletcher, the captaincy, the preparation, Trescothick, the 14-a-side games, Vaughan being involved on the tour, the No.8, the wicketkeeper, taking injured players on tour and all the other talking points in the press and everywhere else...

Graveney kept being polite, answering questions giving some away only, acknowledging the points and the anger of the interviewers, agreeing to reviews, but never being divisve and never contradicting or demeaning the captain or coach.

All text book stuff but the reading between the lines - the body language and the choice of words, as well as what was not said and the way it was said - al suggested somethgin very different to the message coming out.

Definitely media trained. Good performance though.