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Ashes Squad 2025

Yeah last time Leach toured Australia he went for a 100 of 10 overs in the first test.

That said I would have picked him over Jacks tbf

And Ahmed as well, but he is probably the 16th player picked who will probably most likely not play.

The squad itself picks itself and in the main is the right selection, but as always posters need something to twist about?

It reminds of when England football team squads picked for World Cups when people twist about the 22nd player picked the fourth choice centre half who will not play anyway
And yet still takes test wickets at 34. He’s certainly not “rubbish”

Jacks is a shit selection.
 

Jack Leach has 142 test wickets at 34
Jack Leach has 545 first class wickets at 27.6
Jack Leach 50 division 1 wickets this season at 22.7
Rehan Ahmed has 23 wickets this season at 19
Rehan Ahmed has 78 first class wickets at 37
Rehan Ahmed has 5 first class centuries at 76 this season

“Rubbish”

I can’t be arsed to do Liam Dawson either. 1 average test and he’s gone.

Will Jacks 49 first class wickets at 42 in his entire career
Will Jacks has 4 red ball centuries in entire career
Young Ahmed has more first class centuries then Jacks & Bethall combined.
 
And yet still takes test wickets at 34. He’s certainly not “rubbish”

Jacks is a shit selection.
Yeah he is mate tbf, but it’s one player the rest of the squad more than fair.

So the poster who I originally quoted saying it was rubbish and wrong squad and left field selections was way of the mark imo.
 
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Yeah last time Leach toured Australia he went for a 100 of 10 overs in the first test.

That said I would have picked him over Jacks tbf

And Ahmed as well, but Jacks is probably the 16th player picked who will probably most likely not play.

The squad itself picks itself and in the main is the right selection, but as always posters need something to twist about?

Rather than the squad itself bar one or possibly two players is the correct one.
The thread is a discussion about the forthcoming ashes squad,logically the focus is on the one or two selections that are contentious. The batting picks itself and a squad of 7 seamers is logical given historical fitness issues.There are only two debatable issues-a back up wicket keeper and a dearth of spin bowling options. Why is debating these "twisting"?
Surely it's you whose twisting? As ever, forums would be pointless if all adopted your stance of everything is perfect and any argument is labelled "twisting" unless it suits your agenda i. e. Toys out of the pram syndrome.
 
You speak as if there is loads of options when they really isn’t

Instead of twisting suggest alternatives?

You can only pick from what you have

Apart from probably Ahmed instead of Jacks the squad more or less picks itself

Who are these left field selections then?
Plenty of other options. Leach, Dawson, Hartley and Ahmed are all better options if we're going on spin.

Jacks isn't even the best English spinner in the Surrey team. Dan Lawrence has more FC wickets than Jacks and a better FC and test batting average. I'm not suggesting Dan Lawrence should go instead BTW.

Leach wasnt great in Australia but the answer isnt taking someone who is far inferior as a spinner and little test experience.

Leach is the leading wicket taker in the CC this season. That's for all bowlers not just spinners. Jacks has 5 wickets this season and Leach has 50.
 
Yeah last time Leach toured Australia he went for a 100 of 10 overs in the first test.

That said I would have picked him over Jacks tbf

And Ahmed as well, but Jacks is probably the 16th player picked who will probably most likely not play.

The squad itself picks itself and in the main is the right selection, but as always posters need something to twist about?

Rather than the squad itself bar one or possibly two players is the correct one.

It reminds of when England football team squads picked for World Cups when people twist about the 22nd player picked the fourth choice centre half who will not play anyway
Wtf everyone is twisting about it not just here. Other nations are laughing at the selection.

When Bashir inevitably struggles. There's nowhere we can reasonably turn as Jacks is a part timer.

Going on about the England football team isn't remotely the same. A terrible comparison as 15/16 will play in this series. Jacks can't possibly play as he's a red ball part timer and a shown he's not good enough in international cricket with the ball in white ball.

I'd hope and expect we call up from the Lions if Bashir ends up struggling, which based on the previous 3 tours is very likely.

Edit: apparently the Wisden podcast reckons Jacks is in as the potential Stokes replacement in the side and not as second spinner. Apparently as Rehan hasn't done it in Division 1 is why he's not been picked. Jacks has played all of 5 red ball games in 2 seasons. Stokes replacement my f***ing backside :lol:
 
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I love Woody but the fact he could not even get fit for Durham begs the question how he plays a few tests in the winter.
I genuinely think he’ll break down or injure himself enough in the first innings he bowls and come home. He just tries too hard for his own good and that’s not a criticism. Was it suggested last week that he’d had another setback?

I read predictions about the series ahead and which bowler may break down. I fear more than one will.
 
Wtf everyone is twisting about it not just here. Other nations are laughing at the selection.

When Bashir inevitably struggles. There's nowhere we can reasonably turn as Jacks is a part timer.

I'd hope and expect we call up from the Lions if Bashir ends up struggling, which based on the previous 3 tours is very likely.
People acted like Bashir had proven himself as a test cricketer and shown his doubters wrong because he picked up 9 wickets against Zimbabwe. Complete over reaction. Zimbabwe are at the bottom of the test rankings for a reason. He was back to true form against India.

Former England spinner Phil Tufnell after Zimbabwe game: "Shoaib Bashir's just become a Test-match bowler.
 
Plenty of other options. Leach, Dawson, Hartley and Ahmed are all better options if we're going on spin.

Jacks isn't even the best English spinner in the Surrey team. Dan Lawrence has more FC wickets than Jacks and a better FC and test batting average. I'm not suggesting Dan Lawrence should go instead BTW.

Leach wasnt great in Australia but the answer isnt taking someone who is far inferior as a spinner and little test experience.

Leach is the leading wicket taker in the CC this season. That's for all bowlers not just spinners. Jacks has 5 wickets this season and Leach has 50.
Great summary. It’s a f***ing baffling selection. It’s not a 3rd choice keeper discussion
 
I genuinely think he’ll break down or injure himself enough in the first innings he bowls and come home. He just tries too hard for his own good and that’s not a criticism. Was it suggested last week that he’d had another setback?

I read predictions about the series ahead and which bowler may break down. I fear more than one will.
Yeah one of the lads said Campbell said during the Q@A he suffered a set back 10 days before the game v Worcestershire last week.
 
A couple of those selections have pissed me off, but it'll be there for all to see this winter. There'll be no coming back for McCullum and stokes if the inevitable happens out there
 
Our most crocked bowling attack we've ever sent down under from memory.

Wood to be injured in the warm up game against the New South Wales deputy Prime Minister's XI.
 
Will Jacks is this winters banter selection then
Must have impressed them with his golf game during the South Africa series
They obviously don't think spin will matter given they've not taken a left arm or leggie as a counter to Bashir.
Duckett
Crawley
Bethell
Root
Brook
Stokes
Smith
Atkinson
Carse
Wood
Archer

1st test for me, Tongue/Bashir/Potts in for Wood 2nd test.
3rd test Wood for Archer
4th test Tongue & Archer for Wood & Carse
Then back to 1st test lineup.

Wood won't play more than 3 tests, Archer will need his workload managed
 
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Surprised they took Jacks as second spinner ahead of Ahmed
That's the odd one for me. Having said that, I don't think Bashir will play all 5 tests anyway as they may go with an all seam attack in the first 2 games
Would love to see us go with Archer, Woakes, Atkinson and Carse in the opener in Perth. Try and get amongst the Aussie batters and start fast.
Pope v Bethell is an interesting one, but as a few have said, if Pope can match his career average in this series, then we will have a real chance.
Loads of positivity here :lol:

It's usually after day 1 of the 1st test we realise it will be 4-0
I'm always positive.....until the test starts. Always stay up and watch the first session, although that will be a challenge with it being in WA.
I remember just laughing my head off when Starc castled Burns first ball of the series last time - it 100% set the tone for the rest of the winter :lol:
You speak as if there is loads of options when they really isn’t

Instead of twisting suggest alternatives?

You can only pick from what you have

Apart from probably Ahmed instead of Jacks the squad more or less picks itself

Who are these left field selections then?
This!

People twisting about Crawley when there is no-one else who has stepped up when tried. Duckett and Crawley average 45 for the first wicket which is better than a few other established openers down the years.
Yes, teh Jacks selection is odd, but I doubt he'll play a single minute of cricket on this tour, even then the reasoning (tall off spinners generally do better in Australia than shorter leg spinners) at least has some logic.
Everyone has their favourites, but people slagging off the McCullum era is absolute nonsense...
 
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That's the odd one for me. Having said that, I don't think Bashir will play all 5 tests anyway as they may go with an all seam attack in the first 2 games
Would love to see us go with Archer, Woakes, Atkinson and Carse in the opener in Perth. Try and get amongst the Aussie batters and start fast.
Pope v Bethell is an interesting one, but as a few have said, if Pope can match his career average in this series, then we will have a real chance.
I think the pace attack they would want for Perth would be something like Wood/Archer/Atkinson/Stokes, problem with that though is the fitness of the seamers. Right now it would be risky to put both Wood and Archer in the same side, that would put massive pressure on the other bowlers to get through long spells especially when Stokes, Carse and Atkinson have all had their own fitness issues.

On the Pope v Bethell selection I think it's telling that they have taken the vice-captaincy off Pope and given it to Brook. It feels like that paves the way for Pope to miss out.
 
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