*Official* Road to the 2025-26 Ashes

[Starfighter]

For what it's worth I do see where you are coming from, I just believe that potential in a batting context requires a larger sample size to really be persuasive to me at least. As much as I do follow some age group cricket, both for U19 World Cups and South Australia in the junior national carnivals, it is a long way off domestic cricket in standard, so hence I value First Class cricket so highly

Is a bit different for bowlers, especially fast bowlers though. There is where promise (read: raw physical attributes) matter somewhat more

The way you'd want to do things would then lead to players who have a much higher ceiling not having useful experience - remember this is an A squad. Eventually there is a point where one of the main things a player's years of experience prove is that they aren't good enough, the situation many of the 30+ options are in.

Can't remember the last time an English spinner returned from Australia with decent figures, even Swann was average in 2010.

Edit: I reckon the answer is Geoff Miller in 1978-79 (and before that potentially Wardle)!!

A big part of this has been that English spinners have for the most part been crap in general since covered pitches became the norm.

 

[Molehill]

A big part of this has been that English spinners have for the most part been crap in general since covered pitches became the norm.

True, but even then, Swann would be the best spinner of the past 50 years, and he still averaged nearly 40 in a fairly dominant England series victory.

If Bashir were to end up averaging anywhere near 30 he'd be having a pretty stellar series.

 

[trundler]

If Bashir were to end up averaging anywhere near 30 he'd be having a pretty stellar series.

He couldn't even do that on doctored Pakistani pitches.

 

[Molehill]

He couldn't even do that on doctored Pakistani pitches.

Although surprisingly, he did in India.

 

[govinda indian fan]

Although surprisingly, he did in India.

Indian pitches are pretty helpful if you are off spinner esp if you bowl on middle and leg( thats the line ashwin bowled and primarily reason he struggled in sena where you have to bowl outside off) but give credit where its due he bowled well that series. If he replicates it in Australia england are winning ashes

 

[Spark]

Much better spinners than Bashir have been absolutely annihilated in Aus, there should be no expectations of him whatsoever. Anything he does is a bonus.

 

[Shri]

In Australia?

sure

 

[ImpatientLime]

England: Chris Woakes may risk rehab over surgery to be fit for Ashes

Chris Woakes says rehabilitation "could be a risk he's willing to take" to be fit for the Ashes, rather than having surgery on his shoulder injury.

www.bbc.co.uk

trollolololol

 

[GotSpin]

For what it's worth I do see where you are coming from, I just believe that potential in a batting context requires a larger sample size to really be persuasive to me at least. As much as I do follow some age group cricket, both for U19 World Cups and South Australia in the junior national carnivals, it is a long way off domestic cricket in standard, so hence I value First Class cricket so highly

Is a bit different for bowlers, especially fast bowlers though. There is where promise (read: raw physical attributes) matter somewhat more



Vaughan was pumping his tyres every chance he got when he was watching him in Renegades games last Big Bash. Complete weathervane, and a rancid hot take merchant of the absolute worst kind

You do see how circular this logic is though

The point of A tours these days is to expose younger players to different conditions and see how they go. Not to roll out guys who’ve played shield cricket for 6 years and can’t average more than 34

 

[GoodAreasShane]

I just don't understand why there is such a pressing need to rush with Peake (or pretty much any super young player in that position). I understand that A team tours are often a bit speculative but it absolutely does feel like he's genuinely being looked at for higher honours in the short term which is so clearly insanely premature

It's not that I'm saying people shouldn't be picked earlier than some arbitrary age cutoff, I was fully around Green being first picked when he was and he was young at the time, but that is because he had actually strung together a run of gun Shield performances.

If Peake was to come out and absolutely boss it for Victoria next season then it's absolutely a fair conversation, but let him actually earn it in the traditional manner first.

 

[Starfighter]

I just don't understand why there is such a pressing need to rush with Peake (or pretty much any super young player in that position). I understand that A team tours are often a bit speculative but it absolutely does feel like he's genuinely being looked at for higher honours in the short term which is so clearly insanely premature

It's not that I'm saying people shouldn't be picked earlier than some arbitrary age cutoff, I was fully around Green being first picked when he was and he was young at the time, but that is because he had actually strung together a run of gun Shield performances.

If Peake was to come out and absolutely boss it for Victoria next season then it's absolutely a fair conversation, but let him actually earn it in the traditional manner first.

The older players haven't earned anything in 'the traditional manner' either.

It's been a thing for a while now to try invest in players who have the potential to have 10-15 year careers. Getting up and coming players early experience in one of the most difficult counties to tour can only have positives, and is something that should be done more. As opposed to the more usual model where players go to India with no (or maybe just IPL) experience.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

The older players haven't earned anything in 'the traditional manner' either.

It's been a thing for a while now to try invest in players who have the potential to have 10-15 year careers. Getting up and coming players early experience in one of the most difficult counties to tour can only have positives, and is something that should be done more. As opposed to the more usual model where players go to India with no (or maybe just IPL) experience.

If it was explicitly clear that his presence there was solely for the purposes of gathering experience and that Test selection was well and truly off the table I would be okay with it

I just have a horrible feeling that isn't the case at all

 

[TheJediBrah]

I heard Green is going to drop down the order when he returns to bowling, which probably means no Beau Webster

No

 

[TheJediBrah]

If it was explicitly clear that his presence there was solely for the purposes of gathering experience and that Test selection was well and truly off the table I would be okay with it

I just have a horrible feeling that isn't the case at all

I think that is pretty explicitly clear tbf

 

[cascade]

Bailey opened his press conference on selection by saying that the Aus A selections were all about getting more guys repeat experience in those conditions so they'd be prepared for 2027 BGT and beyond, and that they don't expect performances there to bear much relevance to Ashes selection because the surfaces are so different. Seems perfectly reasonable & clear.

 

[the big bambino]

I'm not sure why its come down to this, but I asked google "CA and the purpose of A team tours". The AI response was that CA uses them as a crucial component of their talent development pathway. To provide opportunities for emerging players to gain experience and showcase their skills internationally. The tours are a bridge between domestic cricket and the senior national team.

I can just imagine the response to this: Something belligerent about AI being irrelevant. But I think that is the understanding of just about anyone who follows cricket. Does it matter that Peake has been selected on promise? The selectors may well think he has international potential and his A team selection confirms it. But he hasn't been selected for the national team (I'd even be ok if he was in some circumstances like an off broadway odi series). It just means they want to see if he can be developed into an international player. I don't think the A tour overlaps the shield season so its an additional opportunity for him. In fact we might even be grateful for it because he might not even be selected for his state team.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Bailey opened his press conference on selection by saying that the Aus A selections were all about getting more guys repeat experience in those conditions so they'd be prepared for 2027 BGT and beyond, and that they don't expect performances there to bear much relevance to Ashes selection because the surfaces are so different. Seems perfectly reasonable & clear.

I wish I could take those comments from Bailey at face value, but ever since the (completely unjustified and predictably unsuccessful, no matter how much the mentally feeble bleat about momemtum and all that) selection of Konstas, I really have no faith in him at all

Connolly getting a Test in SL was unequivocally dreadful too

 

[Red]

I'd like to see Aus go with:


Jake Weatherald
Kurt Patterson/Matt Renshaw
Steve Smith
Cam Green
Travis Head
Beau Webster
Alex Carey

Would feel a lot more confident than Khawaja/Konstas opening. It wont happen though.

 

[the big bambino]

I wish I could take those comments from Bailey at face value, but ever since the (completely unjustified and predictably unsuccessful, no matter how much the mentally feeble bleat about momemtum and all that) selection of Konstas, I really have no faith in him at all

Connolly getting a Test in SL was unequivocally dreadful too

Except of course we're talking about an A tour, not test selection so your opinion is both wrong and irrelevant.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I hate when TBB and GAS fight. Like choosing between 2 drunk & angry divorced uncles wrestling at a family function