The 2013 Ashes
 

Which players do you think will keep their place for the next series in 2013?

England: Strauss (c), Cook, Trott, Taylor, Bell, KP, Prior, Swann, Tremlett, Anderson, Finn.

England are a pretty young side and the only one to drop out due to age could be Strauss (currently 33) but I can see him playing better as he gets older and as captain, as with Gooch. KP will have his unpredictable ups and downs, I think he will stay on but drop down the order.

Morgan will get found out at Test level but will continue to be a top ODI batsman. Finn will be back once he gets some more control. There'll be at least one surprise dropping or career finished so I've gone for Broad.

I tried thinking about Australia but I honestly have no idea. I think Watson, Clarke, Khawaja, Haddin and Siddle are the only very likely candidates.

I know that I'm as much of a Broad fanboy as an Australian can get but I'd be massively surprised if Broad wasn't playing in 2013. Massively surprised.

England'll hardly change. Collingwood's the only player likely to drop out, and maybe Strauss.

NFI about Australia atm.

Not many England captains have led us to three Ashes victories. That will drive Strauss on to play on until this series.

Really putting your neck on the block with that prediction.

I'll be surprised if at least one of Finn, Broad, Tremlett and Anderson isn't finished by injury before 2013

Why? OK Tremlett might, but Anderson isn't very injury prone and Finn and Broad are still quite young.

I'd be surprised if Bresnan wasn't invlolved somewhere in the series: afaics he's improved beyond recognition over the last 18 months. We'll almost certainly need a squad of quicks to see us through 5 tests in less than 2 months, so I'd expect to see various combinations from the six that have been in the frame for this series.

Don't really know about Colly's replacement. At this moment, it's hard to see beyond Morgan, Taylor, Hildreth and maybe Bopara, who'd surely be happier at 6 than where he batted in 2009. Plus his bowling might be a factor.

As for Aus, who knows? I think they'd like Ponting to stay, but not at 3. Whether he fancies being involved in four Ashes losses is debateable though. If he does play, they probably won't want Katich and Hussy as well. tbh I don't know nearly enough about their domestic game to suggest who could come in.

Yep, WG and Brearley are the only two to do so.

Australia:

Hughes
Watson
Khawaja
Clarke
White
Smith
Haddin
O'Keefe
Siddle
Copeland
Bollinger

England:

Strauss
Cook
Trott
Pietersen
Bell
Taylor (they'll pick Morgan though)
Prior
Broad
Swann
Anderson
Finn

Watson
Hughes
Usmen
Clarke
Ponting c
Mitchell Marsh
Wade wk
Boyce
Starc
Siddle
Hazlewood

Australia to win 4-0 and start another golden era
Ricky to retire with Ashes glory
Hazlewood to do a McDermott in 89
England to return to being ****

ps.All of this ofcourse would happen only if the world does not end in 12/21/12

Going to be completely random and say that I'd love to see Chris Swan go on this tour because I think he'd do exceptionally well in England. It has no chance of happening though - firstly because the selectors aren't that clever and secondly because he'll be 34 and possibly retired - but if he's still bowling how he is now he should probably be our first bowler picked in English conditions.

Australia:
Burke
Campese
Little
Horan
Tune
Larkham
Genia
Kefu
Pocock
Finegan
Eales
Giffin
McKenzie
Foley
Rodriguez

tbh

It better not be Anderson, I am looking for 400 Test wickets.

For England there will certainly be one bowler who either loses form and is dropped or gets injured but the batsmen will probably stay the same, they are basically the same unit as 4 years ago so apart from replacing the retiring Colly we won't need to make many changes.

As for Australia there could be a massive overhaul of their squad by 2013 so it is too difficult to try to guess their side.