First time for many years that i feel we have a quicker/livelier pace attack than OZ - with us having a perm any 4 from Wood,Archer,Tongue,Carse,Atkinson (Tongue has really impressed me recently) - however, you have the usual triumvirate of Cummins,Starc and Hazlewood with the backup of Boland, who i would suggest are better bowlers but also in their twilight Ashes tour methinks. Dont see them (with the exception of Cummins) along with Lyon in a Ashes tour again Also believe we have a better batting unit than Oz for once One thing is for sure, its gonna be a fascinating series.Roll on 21st November.
Cummins is suffering from a lumbar bone stress injury sustained earlier this year and has been ruled out of Australia's white-ball series against New Zealand and India in October. Starc had scans following some rib and side pain during the fourth Test against India in January. He's been cleared to play since then. Hazlewood is recovering from a shoulder injury. He plans to play a Sheffield Shield match next month to assess and prove his fitness. Boland is recovering from a knee problem and is likely to play in the Sheffield Shield next month. They have a combined age of almost 150 years.
In addition, Lance Morris has been ruled out of the series. Spencer Johnson has a back injury which will rule him out until at least December. Ben Dwarshuis has dodgy hammies.
For once, we're entering an Ashes series where England has - arguably - the faster, fitter, fresher, younger pace attack than the Aussies, and a greater depth of options, should they get injured.
The one Aussie quick I would fear although he's not got genuine raw pace is Fergus O'Neill. Was absolutely exceptional for Notts in a brief county stint
It'd an odd one. Not one I'd have done but trying to see some logic to it. Are they thinking along the lines of - spin has played less and less of a part I'm Aus over the last couple years. So adding something with the bat is important. It's too early for Rehan the bowler and the Ausdies would likely go after leg spin. Left armers get destroyed in Aus so that rules out Dawson. So picking on "attributes" they like Bashir because he is tall and creates the right angles with his off spin. Jacks has similar "attributes". He is also an above exceptional fielder so a bonus as sub in the squad who is unlikely to play. If he does play it's potentially in the place of Stokes if he gets injured. They're thinking he cam bowl a lot of overs whilst adding something with the bat and in the field.
Not a selection I'd have made but that's the justification I'm guessing.
The late, great Derek Underwood didn't do badly in Australia and even the likes of Phils Edmonds and Tufnell had their moments.
Doesn’t mean any of them would be successful in 2025
Nobody can state with 100% certainty but Underwood's strengths were timeless and I'd put money on a prime Underwood being successful in 2025. Not so sure of the other two though.
It'd an odd one. Not one I'd have done but trying to see some logic to it. Are they thinking along the lines of - spin has played less and less of a part I'm Aus over the last couple years. So adding something with the bat is important. It's too early for Rehan the bowler and the Ausdies would likely go after leg spin. Left armers get destroyed in Aus so that rules out Dawson. So picking on "attributes" they like Bashir because he is tall and creates the right angles with his off spin. Jacks has similar "attributes". He is also an above exceptional fielder so a bonus as sub in the squad who is unlikely to play. If he does play it's potentially in the place of Stokes if he gets injured. They're thinking he cam bowl a lot of overs whilst adding something with the bat and in the field.
Not a selection I'd have made but that's the justification I'm guessing.
The late, great Derek Underwood didn't do badly in Australia and even the likes of Phils Edmonds and Tufnell had their moments.
Doesn’t mean any of them would be successful in 2025
Nobody can state with 100% certainty but Underwood's strengths were timeless and I'd put money on a prime Underwood being successful in 2025. Not so sure of the other two though.
I would totally agree. What made Deadly different was that he bowled at medium pace, could land it on a sixpence and always kept the stumps in play. With the added bonus of having Knotty standing up, a keeper that kept to him for the majority of his career for club and country, he was impossible to score off even when the wicket didn't offer much.
Different times for sure and whether the modern day sweep/slog sweep might have exposed him more is worth contemplating though that would have been offset by the pace he bowled at and in Australia, of course, that combined with the bounce out there.
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Different times for sure and whether the modern day sweep/slog sweep might have exposed him more is worth contemplating though that would have been offset by the pace he bowled at and in Australia, of course, that combined with the bounce out there.