This can be a blessing and a curse. We all need a little excitement in our lives lest we all end up comparing sweaters becomes the height of our social lives; likewise too much excitement could have you ending up the same way as "I'm excited" Big Kev.
Last Ashes series in Australia was a case in point. Having been in the UK for the first time ever in 2005 and watching the excitement around the country grow as England did better and better, everyone was hoping - nay, expecting - more of the same.
Until this.
Australia won that series 5-0 (only the second time that has happened; the first was after the horrors of World War I), but lost two of their greatest bowlers in Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath after the Fifth Test. As such, a rebuilding Australian side in 2009 matched the 2005 team in losing 2-1, despite having England on the ropes in the First Test.
Eighteen months have passed, with Australian seemingly still rebuilding. Injuries to first-choice bowlers Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle - and backups Ryan Harris and Doug Bollinger - have meant that Australia's pace attack has been unsettled. Mitchell Johnson, the one constant, has been like the girl with curl - when he's good he's great, when he's bad he's woeful (yet still somehow takes wickets). The spinner's spot has been even more unsettled, with first choice Nathan Hauritz rarely in most pundits first XI.
Compare this to England's (and Wales' if we're going to be honest) bowling attack. Two tall seamers in Stuart Broad and Steve Finn, a swinger in Jimmy Anderson, and a canny spinner in Graeme Swann give the English attack a balanced line-up that should thrive on the bouncy Australian wickets.
The batting for both sides is problematic though. Australia's top order of Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke are solid, although the middle order of Michael Hussey, Marcus North and Brad Haddin seem to follow each other to and from the pavilion like lemmings of a cliff. Likewise for all the undoubted skill of Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell, batsmen Alastair Cook, Paul Collingwood and the relatively untested Eoin Morgan will be targeted by the Australians for some low scores.
That's without mentioning England's record in Australia - no series wins since 1986/87. In fact, they haven't even won a live match in that time. Australia had been unbeatable at home from 1991/92 until 2008/09, when they lost a three-match series against South Africa.
All this is befitting of a series between the teams ranked four (England and Wales) and five (Australia) in the world... and yet to just label it as that would be selling it short. This is the Ashes after all.
And I'm excited.
