Official - Road to Ashes 2023

[Blenkinsop]

I've no issue with that but if the boot was on the other foot, would this be reciprocated by the Aussie state sides. ?

Who could resist the offer of parachuting Zak Crawley in for a few warm-up games?

 

[Ashes81]

Who could resist the offer of parachuting Zak Crawley in for a few warm-up games?

Well if you found a spot for him in the Big Bash, when he wouldn't make an England 3rd 11 in T20, then I'm sure he's better than half your Shield openers.

I mean you're hardly spoiled for choice for openers are you

 

[Molehill]

We're being very accommodating to the Aussies with counties queuing up to give their players some game time before the Ashes.

I've no issue with that but if the boot was on the other foot, would this be reciprocated by the Aussie state sides. ?

To be fair, if we only had 6 teams, I doubt we'd be taking in average Aussies either.

 

[social]

To be fair, if we only had 6 teams, I doubt we'd be taking in average Aussies either.

It’s players from around the world & most are above average

County cricket ins and outs - all the domestic and overseas signings ahead of the 2023 season

See which players have signed for your county for 2023, which players have moved on, and the overseas cricketers who will feature on the domestic scene across England and Wales this summer

www.skysports.com

 

[halba]

ashes squad 2023 (17 PLAYERS) - potentially



1. Usman khawaja
2. Mitch Marsh (our Bazball type player- incase of roads - he's better than duckett and crawley)
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Steve smith
5. Cameron Bancroft
6. Travis Head
7. Cameron Green
8. Alex Carey
9. Josh Inglis (backup keeper)
10. Pat Cummins
11. mitch Starc
12. Josh Hazlewood * = subject to fitness.
13. Scott Boland
14. Nathan Lyon
15. Michael Neser
16. Aaron Hardie
17. Spencer Johnson.

Note- David warner career is over imho after a poor india series.

 

[Ashes81]

ashes squad 2023 (17 PLAYERS) - potentially



1. Usman khawaja
2. Mitch Marsh (our Bazball type player- incase of roads - he's better than duckett and crawley)
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Steve smith
5. Cameron Bancroft
6. Travis Head
7. Cameron Green
8. Alex Carey
9. Josh Inglis (backup keeper)
10. Pat Cummins
11. mitch Starc
12. Josh Hazlewood * = subject to fitness.
13. Scott Boland
14. Nathan Lyon
15. Michael Neser
16. Aaron Hardie
17. Spencer Johnson.

Note- David warner career is over imho after a poor india series.

I don't think that squad will be far off the mark but I do think Warner will be picked.

Also do you not think there will be a 2nd spinner in the squad?

I'd take issue about your assertion that Marsh is better than Ben Duckett. I think Marsh is a similar level batsman to Crawley but Duckett is a level above both and averages about 10 more in FC games.

 

[Brook's side]

I don't think that squad will be far off the mark but I do think Warner will be picked.

Also do you not think there will be a 2nd spinner in the squad?

I'd take issue about your assertion that Marsh is better than Ben Duckett. I think Marsh is a similar level batsman to Crawley but Duckett is a level above both and averages about 10 more in FC games.

Marsh has got a 'high ceiling' though.

 

[Ashes81]

Marsh has got a 'high ceiling' though.

So has my front room but it won't be getting a game in the Ashes and nor should Marsh. ?

 

[Brook's side]

So has my front room but it won't be getting a game in the Ashes and nor should Marsh. ?

I was thinking the same. Cricket's played on the ground not on the ceiling.

 

[Gob]

I wouldn't say I'm super confident about Australia's chances, still a couple of potential holes (most notably up top) in this team. But to say they are complete cactus before the series like some English fans are saying is utter nonsense

TJB is genuinely the most reasonable poster in this page of the thread, which is saying quite something

Australia has a good team tbh. There are many proven and established players there and they came up with a decent result in India even it felt really disappointing.

What really made this very exciting is how England turned things around so dramatically from the last Ashes. I mean lets be honest there were times during the last Ashes when you felt they should lose the test status but they have impressively turned things around. Unlike last few serieses in England, I think this series will be decided by how Australia bowl at England. As settled as there bowling attack is (Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc, Boland, Lyon,Green etc), they have been notorious for losing the plot when teams start to go after them aggressively and that exactly what England would do

imo whoever win the first test and get the early momentum would be heavy favourites to run away with it

 

[Brook's side]

ashes squad 2023 (17 PLAYERS) - potentially



1. Usman khawaja
2. Mitch Marsh (our Bazball type player- incase of roads - he's better than duckett and crawley)
3. Marnus Labuschagne
4. Steve smith
5. Cameron Bancroft
6. Travis Head
7. Cameron Green
8. Alex Carey
9. Josh Inglis (backup keeper)
10. Pat Cummins
11. mitch Starc
12. Josh Hazlewood * = subject to fitness.
13. Scott Boland
14. Nathan Lyon
15. Michael Neser
16. Aaron Hardie
17. Spencer Johnson.

Note- David warner career is over imho after a poor india series.

A very good side in there.

 

[Molehill]

imo whoever win the first test and get the early momentum would be heavy favourites to run away with it

Australia won the First Test in 2019. England lost their talisman seamer, were frankly still celebrating a World Cup win and were a far worse team than they are now. If Australia couldn't run away with it then, I fail to see how it can happen in 2023.

 

[Spark]

Australia won the First Test in 2019. England lost their talisman seamer, were frankly still celebrating a World Cup win and were a far worse team than they are now. If Australia couldn't run away with it then, I fail to see how it can happen in 2023.

By being better in a majority of the games?

 

[Molehill]

By being better in a majority of the games?

You could argue that happened in 2019 and it still ended in a draw.

Anyway, in an interesting twist to the England selection dilemma, Bairstow has asked to keep for Yorkshire in early season CC matches. That would suggest he's decided Foakes' spot is the most vulnerable.

 

[Spark]

You could argue that happened in 2019 and it still ended in a draw.

Anyway, in an interesting twist to the England selection dilemma, Bairstow has asked to keep for Yorkshire in early season CC matches. That would suggest he's decided Foakes' spot is the most vulnerable.

It took an incredible number of freak occurrences to get England over the line at Headingley. Any one of them could have flipped the other way and it would have been a clear series result.

That's not to write off England's achievements, but to say that extrapolating from 2019 to now to say that Australia has no chance is truly odd.

 

[Molehill]

It took an incredible number of freak occurrences to get England over the line at Headingley. Any one of them could have flipped the other way and it would have been a clear series result.

That's not to write off England's achievements, but to say that extrapolating from 2019 to now to say that Australia has no chance is truly odd.

True, but you could also argue that the opening Test might've been very different had Anderson bowled more than 4 overs. 122-8 could easily have been 130 all out. Those matches were what they were, but I still think England are a vastly improved team from the 2019 version compared to Australia.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

England are definitely improved but I think Australia have improved too. I don't think Cummins' team would have lost the last Test like Paine's did in 2019.

 

[honestbharani]

England without Thaatha (Anderson) in England is like India without AshWIN in India.

 

[Ashes81]

It took an incredible number of freak occurrences to get England over the line at Headingley. Any one of them could have flipped the other way and it would have been a clear series result.

That's not to write off England's achievements, but to say that extrapolating from 2019 to now to say that Australia has no chance is truly odd.

Quite how we drew the series in 2019 is beyond me as the Aussies were clearly the better team.

I don't think the series in itself will have alot of relevance to this summers outcome but our record since 2001 may have.

The longer our home run in the Ashes goes on, then it does give us an extra bit of confidence. None of the Aussies have won a series in England and whilst they'll want to put that right, if we can get ahead in the series, it may start to play on their minds.

 

[Spark]

True, but you could also argue that the opening Test might've been very different had Anderson bowled more than 4 overs. 122-8 could easily have been 130 all out. Those matches were what they were, but I still think England are a vastly improved team from the 2019 version compared to Australia.

Sure, but most people would say Australia are better too, save for one very obvious exception (Smith).