Martyn blames Buchanan for 2005 Ashes loss

Melbourne:

Former Australian batsman Damien Martyn has blamed ex-coach John Buchanan for the team's failure to retain the 2005 Ashes, saying the team management made the mistake of considering it as just another series and not planning it right.

"All comments by Warne and MacGill are right and you'd find that 99 per cent of the group from that era would agree. The management team didn't plan right, we had a not-very-good, quick preparation in Brisbane and then we landed and away we went," Martyn said.

Martyn, who joined Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill in slamming Buchanan, said Australia's poor preparation was one of "a million behind-the-scenes reasons" for the series defeat.

"We got slack, everything clicked for them, they haven't played that well since then and they won't ever again. They built themselves up so much for the Ashes when the Ashes for us had dropped off because we'd won it so many times," he told the 'Wisden Cricketer' in an interview.

"For us it was conquering all things, World Cups, Champions Trophy, the subcontinent. The Ashes was just another series but for England it was their pinnacle and we just went underprepared."

Martyn also said Australia made a lot of mistakes on the tour many of which would never come out in open.

"We played a Twenty20 against England, which England still talk about, flogging us down in Hampshire. Buck was saying, 'It's only a muck-around game, don't worry about it' and we trained for four hours on the morning.

"So we went from the nets next door, busting a gut, into a T20 game where they rolled up playing it like a Test match and flogged us. There were a lot of mistakes made and a lot will never come out," he said.

Martyn has also warned about overburdening young stars like Phillip Hughes and David Warner with unrealistic expectations.

"It's what Cricket Australia does, they beef people up. You see it happening now with Phillip Hughes, you saw it with Dave Warner - no one knows about Warner any more - you've got to be very careful because it doesn't always go rosy. There is a responsibility for Cricket Australia."