This is it.
It has to be now.
Years of planning, trialling, moulding the perfect team to compete down under have culminated in this moment.
England haven’t won an Ashes series in Australia since 2011. Only 14 years of hurt is nothing compared to the 59 years of the England men’s football team; plus, there was a World Cup win to enjoy 2019. But, much like the FA, the ECB have become mildly obsessed by winning a trophy.
Ever since Brendon McCullum took the mantle from Chris Silverwood in 2022, the focus has always been on atoning for the errors of what was a miserable Christmas the year prior.
4-0. And they never looked like winning any of them.
A not-so-merry Christmas.
However, now, this fixation accompanies pressure.
Of the 19 players who featured in 2022, only five remain just four years later: Joe Root, though no longer captain; Ben Stokes, his replacement; Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and Mark Wood.
The drive to make amends has seen longstanding stalwarts pushed beyond the precipice and into international retirement.
James Anderson, after leaving the international scene in July 2024 following his final Test against the West Indies, has been vocal about being forced out rather than leaving on his own terms.
The reason, he was unlikely to be a part of the squad for the Ashes.
Perhaps it was a fair call. A 43-year-old making the tour to Australia was always going to be a stretch. But nevertheless, to usher England’s all-time greatest bowler towards the exit is a bold call.
Anderson finished with 704 wickets in Test cricket, the highest of any seamer.
Fellow veterans Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes suffered similar fates, though slightly different.
Broad left on his terms, and, in typically ‘Broad-like’ fashion, got his fairytale ending. Removing Todd Murphy followed by Alex Carey with his final overs of Test cricket was the dream send-off for a man who revelled in the big moments.
However, whether his decision to step away came in the wake of England moving in a new direction is uncertain.
Woakes too bowed out a hero, though a losing one.
Having suffered a dislocated shoulder earlier in the match, and with England needing just 17 more runs to beat India in the fifth Test, Woakes wandered out to bat with one arm in a sling.
Sadly for Woakes, England fell six runs short. But, even sadder, it would also be his final appearance in an England shirt.
Despite eyeing a return at this winter’s Ashes, even considering going without surgery, his injuries ruled him out. And, with Rob Key’s “new cycle” for the Test side taking effect next year, Woakes opted against a recall in 2026.
So, with the old guard of English cricket being forced into the wings, pressure mounts on those who play centre stage.
Although, at what point does pressure to win become a detriment?
The Ashes series marks the curtain-raiser for a new generation of English cricket; out with the old and in with the new. But if the first act is a failure, then the following salvos aren’t much more fruitful.
England’s bowling is young, and for the majority it will be their first Ashes series in general, let alone one in Australia.
Of the bowlers, only Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Josh Tongue have featured in an Ashes series previously, with only Wood making an appearance down under.
Is Australia the place to let loose an inexperienced bowling group?
Well, if they are successful, it’s a masterstroke and lays the stake in the ground for a new era of potential dominance in the world of cricket.
However, on the reverse end, another poor away tour would once again raise inquest into England’s selection. And so, we may return to experimental selections such as Josh Hull and Sam Cook in the following years.
In spite of this, England have remained stoic in their selection.
Despite many players being somewhat fledgling in their careers, McCullum and Key have shown faith in their choices, often citing a player’s natural attributes rather than statistics.
Dual spin options of Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks over the previously favoured Jack Leach and the recently popular Liam Dawson epitomises this.
Whilst both Leach and Dawson boast a superior domestic record to both Bashir and Jacks, the latter pair have been picked because of their height and high release point.
One only has to observe opposition spinner Nathan Lyon to know that those are traits vital for bowling spin in Australia.
But, once again, more pressure.
To spend more than two years strong-arming the career of Shoaib Bashir only for him to become a failure would be catastrophic when capable replacements have been feasible all along.
What began a polite desire has metamorphosed into a storm of stubbornness and obsession. There’s no turning back for England now. It’s all or nothing.
A win, and everything was all worth it. Only time will tell.
