Ashes 2025-26.

[sussexpob]

Will be very surprised if England bother with a spinner unless the pitch is nothing like general expectations.

Nathan Lyon averages 20 at the venue, has a SR in the 40s, and has taken only 1 wicket less than Cummins and Hazlewood combined in the exact same amount of matches played. In the history of the ground, he has been the best bowler and greatest wicket threat. The expectation is the pitch helps spin.

England are going to field a line up of pace bowlers all with questionable fitness, the current 5 day weather forecast suggests a high of 35 degrees in Perth.... not fielding a spinner would be a huge risk. I can't see England's pace attack surviving many overs in extreme heat if there is no spinner available to put some overs in while they rest.

[sussexpob]

Meanwhile, Declaration Gin's own Michael Vaughan takes aim at Ben Stokes for the "has-been comment", saying people like himself are only sharing genuine concerns. I am quite surprised with Vaughan coming out to have a pop, its the first time anyone major in the England media has ever really said something bluntly negative or hostile about this England setup.

Maybe after seeing SA bowl out India for under a 100 away, that draw against an India team in deep transition is hitting home for how poor it really was.

[sussexpob]

Bit pointless to complain about the lack of a proper contest with , say , a State side , as the programmes just don't allow for those any more. (And anyway in recent times the home teams never put out a decent strength team to play the tourists so such games were of little use)

This is simply not true at all. The Australian Board scheduled two games last year in two weeks leading up to the India series with the expectation of them being warm up games for India, the BCCI refused the offer and instead sent their own A team out to play the games.

The Australian team for those games included 11 players who were internationally capped, or would receive their cap playing the touring Indians that summer. The only players uncapped were Fergus O Neill, who won the Shield MVP that year, Nathan McAndrew who just averaged 22 for the year for Sussex, Doggett who will be an international cap by this time next week, and Buckingham who is seen as the young prospect. You literally could not get a stronger side without including the First XI players.

Cricket Australia said when announcing the Lions v Australia A games that they see A team games as a top priority to expose people to top level games, and will continue to put together the best available teams to compete.

Its not an excuse. The Aussie Board have expressly stated they want to schedule these games and have put up players to do so..... and they were able to schedule them last year in the exact calendar slot England decided to play their own B team.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Pre-Ashes cartoon from The Guardian, to get you in the mood.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/pictu ... es-cricket

Though it gets the Bairstow run out wrong again.

[Arthur Crabtree]

PMXI to play England before the D/N second Test at Brisbane.

Peter Handscomb (c), Benji Floros, Campbell Kellaway, Campbell Thompson, Charlie Anderson, Doug Warren, Hugh Weibgen, Joel Curtis, Nathan McSweeney, Oliver Peake, Peter Siddle, Sam Konstas, Samuel Skelly.

Siddle is 41 next week.

[andy]

Thought siddle had retired! Big opportunity for both konstas and m Sweeney!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Assies have a history of bringing back retired players who then bowl the tourists out for not many.

[andy]

If they get anymore bowling injuries he could end up getting called up!!! Is he still playing state cricket??

[Arthur Crabtree]

Retired a year ago, according to wiki.

[Arthur Crabtree]

England XII for first Test has no surprises. I suppose they will choose from Bryden and Bashir.

Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir.

Not obvious what the point of this is, other than another item for the news cycle. They have a squad of 16 out there to choose from. Reducing it to a notional 12 doesn't serve any practical purpose.

[andy]

I'd be stunned if Bashir plays...I'm normally a fan of a spinner in the XI, but imagine playing Bashir in an XI that includes wood,archer and stokes.....if one or two of them go down and Bashir gets taken apart we are in big trouble....pitch looks green as anything...hit them with pace first test....cannot go 1-0 down just simply can't go to Adelaide 1-0 down

[Arthur Crabtree]

I wonder if England would take going to Adelaide 1-0 down. It would mean they got a draw in either Perth or Brisbane, which would be a good outcome. If England get to Adelaide still with a plausible chance, then that's not a bad position to be in. And would at least rule out a whitewash...

[andy]

Why would they take going 1-0 down at Adelaide with Australia missing Hazelwood and Cummins?! It would be a horrific result to be 1-0 down after the first test...this is England's best chance to go 1-0 up....a defeat would be disastrous in this first test

[Arthur Crabtree]

Well as Adelaide is the third Test, it means they got away with a draw at Brisbane or Perth, both of which are usually nailed on defeats.

Well, it might rain for several days at the Gabba, but if it doesn't, it's a D/N, which the Aussies always win at home. Quite apart from it being the Aussie fortress.

Winning at Perth doesn't happen, it's a write off. They lost heavily at the WACA even when they won three Tests by an innings in 10-11. Unless the new ground is going to be completely different. Though the current BBC headline says the pitch is exactly the same. Maybe the reputed lack of the Fremantle Doctor will be a factor.

Given the schedule, England need to go into the more winnable last three Tests with as little damage suffered as possible. Though even then, it's a slim chance!

[sussexpob]

I'd be stunned if Bashir plays...I'm normally a fan of a spinner in the XI, but imagine playing Bashir in an XI that includes wood,archer and stokes.....if one or two of them go down and Bashir gets taken apart we are in big trouble....

Funnily enough, I cast my mind back to July when England decided to do the same thing at the Oval, and pointed out having a load of injury crocked pace bowlers without a proper spin option playing was suicidal in any circumstances. England nevertheless in their divine wisdom went in with no spinner, one pace bowler was taken out the game early in the first innings with injury, and England had by the end of the 2nd innings three express pace options bowling a yard slower than normal, and India overturning an innings lead on a green pitch having scored 400 and then going on to deny England a series victory by 6 runs.

Stokes was injured for his last test. Archer has broken down more times than a X Reg Ford Fiesta, Wood hasn't played a first class game in over a year and didn't even make it through a single bowling spell in the warm up without breaking down, Atkinson has missed 5 out of Englands last 6 tests.

Dare I say that this wouldnt be a debate if England picked someone like Leach. The fact they insisted on picking a spinner who serves pies and making idiotic tactical choices based on having no faith in him, is somewhat confusing.