England’s nightmare of an Ashes series is finally over and soon enough, attention will be turning to how they can reclaim the Urn on home soil.

In a year and a half’s time, England will again have the chance to win a trophy they have not touched since 2015 but who should be part of the squad? We’ve taken every member of the group that travelled Down Under and decided whether they should be kept or dropped by the selectors.

Ben Stokes – Keep

Of the two most senior figures in the England camp, it is McCullum rather than Stokes that is facing questions about his job and you would say the player has done enough to survive the sack for now.

In Australia, his bowling was excellent and he showed at times what England should do with the bat – dig in when necessary, score when possible.

His teammates may feel somewhat let down that having been told for years to go for it at all times, the man reading those calls then dropped the mantra but Stokes will retain the support of the England dressing room.

Another reason to believe he will stay is, if he goes, who is there to even replace him?

Jofra Archer – Keep

A positive series for Archer on his return to the England setup. Apart from the permanently injured Wood, England don’t have another bowler like Archer and pace in English conditions can be a particularly hard skill to produce.

His series was ended early with a left side strain and managing Archer will be a key part of any series going forward but he still has plenty of years left in him yet.

Gus Atkinson – Keep

There are positives to be seen with Atkinson but they come blended in with waves of frustration.

He probably deserved better than his six wickets in Australia but Atkinson plays very well in English conditions – taking 45 wickets at an average of 20.46.

Batting wise, there is a belief that he is not just a tailender and he has the Test match 100 to prove it but he was one of the more infuriating watches when it came to that in Australia.

Shoaib Bashir – Drop

Of the many questions England fans were left with after the series, one of the biggest ones of them was – what was the point of Shoaib Bashir?

The Somerset spinner is someone that Stokes has backed over the last few years, all with the idea of giving him the confidence and game time to make a difference in the Ashes. Why then did he miss out on every game and England chose to use part-time spinner Will Jacks?

The Bashir experiment was an undoubted failure as England’s brain trust took until they arrived in Australia to determine that a spinner who has 87 wickets at an average of 50.04 in county cricket may not be the best choice to lead the spin attack.

Bashir is still only young at 22 but it is hard to see any place for him in the next Ashes squad.

Jacob Bethell – Keep

England waited until almost the very end to play the Jacob Bethell card but he soon showed them what they had been missing.

He got off to a rough start with a score of 40 sandwiched between a 1 and a 10 but his 154 was one of the knocks of the series and had him receiving praise from plenty of former number threes.

That number three spot for England has been shaky for a number of years with Pope failing to convince and Bethell should have done enough to keep the spot for the next match.

Harry Brook – Keep

The spotlight is very much on Brook after details of his pre-match scuffle with a New Zealand bouncer emerged and if his behaviour off the field may have cost him his job, his play on it is what will save him.

Despite not scoring a century, Brook was the third highest run scorer of the series behind Travis Head and Joe Root so the building blocks are there for a player who could go on to make big scores. Brook is symptomatic of the Bazball culture and some of his dismissals were avoidable. Sort that out and Brook will be the batting star for England for many years to come.

Brydon Carse – Keep

Carse’s exploits in New Zealand and Pakistan 12 months ago had plenty expecting big things from him this series and while he was England’s leading wicket taker, his bowling looked often sloppy.

You cannot fault his effort though and was one of few England bowlers whose head did not drop. That should be enough for him to be picked again next time round.

Zak Crawley – Drop

Even Zak Crawley’s friends in high places may struggle to justify his inclusion in any future England squad.

A pair in the opening Test was followed by a couple of half centuries but Crawley’s average is 31.18, the worst of any opener who has played 100 innings.

If the next Ashes were to start tomorrow, it is hard to see how he keeps his spot.

Ben Duckett – Keep

Duckett’s slip in form dates back to the end of the English summer and in the harsh environment of Australia, perhaps it was little surprise to see that continue into the Ashes.

He averaged 20.20 with a series best of 42 and his most memorable moments came from a video of him seemingly drunk being confronted by a bouncer during England’s ill-fated trip to Noosa.

Duckett has credit in the bank having looked to solve England’s long-standing opener problem but he will need to rediscover that form between now and the summer of 2027.

Will Jacks – Keep

The surprise choice in England’s squad but Jacks did not do enough to completely cement his future inclusion.

His dismissal of Steve Smith at the SCG showed what he can do with the ball but he was also expensive at 53.66 per his six wickets.

With the bat, he did okay at an average of 20.71 but more was perhaps expected of the man picked ahead of Bashir.

At 27, he can still improve his game and if he does that, he should be a handy option for England.

Ollie Pope – Drop

Time looks to be rapidly running out for Ollie Pope whose drop in form has become a more permanent thing.

Even after an underwhelming English summer, England stuck with Pope at the number three spot but he could only repay them with 125 runs across six innings.

There were hints at what could be with a 46 in Perth but they were followed by soft dismissals and Bethell’s century has done him no favours.

Matthew Potts – Drop

141 runs conceded with no wicket is pretty grim reading for Potts who barely featured and is clearly not near the top of England’s pecking order.

He has been better in England with an average of 29.32 but he has not shown enough to suggest he warrants an extended run in the team.

Joe Root – Keep

The easiest choice on the team as barring any injuries, Root is the first name on the teamsheet after Stokes.

In Australia, he broke his century duck to twice hit triple digits and there can be no more doubts over his ability.

Root will play next summer and he could even be back in Australia come 2029.

Jamie Smith – Keep

Smith left Australia as the author of what many have suggested is one of the worst dismissals of all time after he wafted at a Marnus Labuschagne bouncer and that was symbolic of him picking the wrong shots at the wrong time.

His keeping left plenty to be desired too but there does look the talent there and England will likely persist with him.

Josh Tongue – Keep

One of few England bowlers to leave Australia with any kind of credit.

Tongue took 18 wickets across six innings at an average of 20.11 and his full deliveries were at times the only things that unsettled the experienced Australian batters.

He only has nine Tests on his CV, a relatively small amount for a 28-year-old but he looks likely to be a staple of England squads over the next few years.

Mark Wood – Drop

On his day, Wood is arguably the most exciting bowler England have but those days are becoming less and less frequent.

After working hard to get himself fit, Wood’s Ashes unfortunately came to an early end when a knee issue ruled him out. He’ll be 37 come the next Ashes series and England cannot rely on a player so prone to injury.

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