Tag: Ashes 2025

Australia middle-order batter Marnus Labuschagne opened up about his poor form with an Ashes spot looming, admitting that he had been trying too hard instead of relying on his natural batting strengths.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports, Marnus stated that he wants to enjoy his game and play with freedom.

“It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs. The only thing I really wanted coming into this summer — take everything out, selections, everything else — I just wanted to be back playing cricket the way I want to be playing, playing with that freedom,” he said.

“It’s nice to have come out and started the way I have. Coming into this summer, runs was going to be the currency and that was probably the big focus point,” he continued.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

With Ashes looming, Marnus has picked form and scored four hundreds in his last six innings in Australia’s domestic competition.

He was going through a poor run of form from last couple of year, eventually sidelining him from the Test squad ahead of their three-match series against West Indies across June and July earlier this year.

“It doesn’t matter how you score them or what it looks like; just find a way to keep scoring runs. Since then, my technique moulded into whatever the game needs,” he explained.

The right-hander lamented diving too deep into the technical aspects of his game instead of focusing on what natural ability he had in his batting.

“There’s a few technical things that I’ve ironed out of my game and had a bit of time to work on.

(I was) getting too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of just playing with what I’ve got; just going out there, reading the game and then using my technique to adjust to whatever they’re bowling and how they’re trying to attack me,” he concluded.

Australia has started its action-packed summer on a high note with a thumping seven-wicket victory over India.

Meanwhile, the first of the five Ashes Tests against England will begin on November 21 at the Perth Cricket Stadium.

READ: Marsh, bowlers power Australia to win in rain-hit ODI opener

Injured Australia captain Pat Cummins said on Monday that he was “probably less likely than likely” to be fit for the first Ashes Test next month, but was still clinging to a shred of hope.

Pace spearhead Cummins has not played since picking up a lower back injury in a Test match against the West Indies in July.

Cummins admitted time was running out to get his body ready for the opening Ashes Test beginning in Perth on November 21.

“I’d say probably less likely than likely, but still got a bit of time,” Cummins told reporters, adding that he felt a “bit stiff”.

Cummins said he was still two weeks away from bowling again in the nets, and then it would take time to rebuild his fitness to a level where he could play a full part in a Test.

“You want at least a month in the nets, getting used to it,” said Cummins.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“If you’re going to play a Test match, you want to make sure you’re right to bowl 20 overs a day and you don’t have to really think about it.

“I know I’m running today and running every second day, and each run is a bit longer, and then we get into bowling prep next week.

“Probably a couple of weeks to go before I’m putting on the spikes and bowling out on turf.”

Australia coach Andrew McDonald said last week he was still considering whether to include Cummins in the side, even if he was a “little bit underdone” with his rehabilitation.

Australia retained the Ashes in England in 2023 after the series ended in a 2-2 draw.

They beat England 4-0 at home in 2021-22 when Cummins was the leading bowler with 21 wickets at an average of 18.

READ: Campbell leads West Indies fightback against Kuldeep-inspired India

England Test team vice-captain Harry Brook believes Australia ace bowler Pat Cummins’ injury could play into their hands, giving them an extra advantage going into the Ashes 2025.

Cummins is in a race against time to be fit for the first Ashes Test, and according to some reports, he could be ruled out of the series due to a lower back stress injury, suffered earlier this year.

Earlier today, Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, also hinted that Cummins needs at least “four, four-and-a-half weeks” of bowling in the nets to get ready, which has not started yet.

Speaking ahead of the New Zealand tour, Brook hailed Cummins’ bowling and stated that his exclusion from the playing XI will give England an advantage.

“Obviously he is an amazing bowler and has been for many years; he bowls at high pace with high skill,” Brook said at the Professional Cricketers’ Association Awards on Thursday.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“With him out of their side for the first game, from [the reports] we’ve seen, hopefully that plays into our hands.”

However, the right-hander also mentioned Australia’s bowling depth, emphasizing the threat the likes of benched players pose for them.

“But they have a hell of a lot of good, quick bowlers out there. Guys who can come into the side and, when their tails are up, they can plough through teams. So we can’t take anybody lightly.”

Brook also backed Ben Stokes to feature in all five Tests despite having fitness concerns in the past year. He praised the skippers’ character and mentioned their performances despite having injuries.

“It’s an honour to have any leadership role. But it’s not something that I’m biting at the bit to do. If you want it too much, then it’s not a good thing. And I see Stokesy playing all five Tests, if I’m being honest. I think he’ll power through even if he has a little niggle.

“Everybody in the world knows what he’s like, his character, and the way that he just cracks on. That is the way that the team is built now; everybody keeps going. If you do have a little niggle, just power through – and that is what he does so well.

He further mentioned about Stokes’ bowling long spells and revealed what he would say if it gets too much on him.

“Because he wants to bowl long spells, that can sometimes be to his detriment. But he told us last year as a group that if he gets into a position like that again, then go up and have a word with him.”

The opening Ashes Test between England and Australia will commence on November 21 at Perth Cricket Stadium.

READ: ‘Age is just a number’: Azhar Mahmood on Asif Afridi’s inclusion in Pakistan’s squad

England all-rounder Chris Woakes has called time on his international career after missing out on Ashes 2025 selection.

Woakes’ last appearance for England came against India in the fifth Test at the Oval, where he dislocated his shoulder. However, the pacer still came out to bat with a sling in his armpit.

Following the injury, the pacer was in a race against time to be fit for the Ashes; however, he was left out of the squad, which drew a curtain on his career.

The right-arm pacer took to his social media handle and announced his retirement, expressing pride in representing the Three Lions in a career spanning 15 years.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chris Woakes (@chriswoakes)

“The moment has come, and I’ve decided that the time is right for me to retire from international cricket,” Woakes said in a statement.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“Playing for England was something I aspired to do since I was a kid dreaming in the back garden, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have lived out those dreams.

He thanked his teammates with whom he shared the field with the greatest pride while confirming that he will continue to play county cricket.

Representing England, wearing the Three Lions and sharing the field with teammates over the last 15 years, many of whom have become lifelong friends, are things I’ll look back on with the greatest pride.”

Chris Woakes played 62 Tests for England, picking up 192 wickets at an average of 29.61. In ODIs, Woakes appeared for England 122 times, scalping 173 wickets. He also played 33 T20Is and has 31 wickets to his name.

The all-rounder remained a vital cog in England’s 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup triumph.

READ: Pakistan team donates Asia Cup final fees to May 7 attack victims

LONDON: The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Tuesday named a 16-member pace-heavy squad for the Ashes tour to Australia with Harry Brook replacing Ollie Pope as vice-captain.

Alongside Ashes, England have also named IT20 and ODI squads for the white-ball tour of New Zealand, which precedes the Ashes.

The squad features five 90mph seamers: Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue. Among the notable inclusions is the recall of all-rounder Will Jacks, whose last appearance in the longest format came against Pakistan in 2022.

The 26-year-old, who will provide England with an attacking option with the bat, is picked ahead of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, and Jack Leach.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Besides the inclusion of Jacks and the change of Ben Stokes’ deputy, the squad is largely as expected.

The decision to change Pope as vice-captain was looming since Brook took over the captaincy reins from Jos Buttler in white-ball cricket. Notably, Pope has captained the Three Lions five times in the absence of Ben Stokes in the past five months.

England Test squad vs Australia:

Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.

England T20I squad vs New Zealand:

Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.

England ODI squad vs New Zealand:

Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Jamie Smith replace Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, and Phil Salt from the T20I squad.

New Zealand fixtures (all D/N):

T20Is: October 18, 20 (both Christchurch) and 23 (Auckland).
ODIs: October 26 (Mount Maunganui), 29 (Hamilton), and November 1 (Wellington).

Ashes fixtures:

1st Test: November 21-25 (Perth)
2nd Test: December 4-8 (Brisbane, D/N)
3rd Test: December 17-21 (Adelaide)
4th Test: December 25-29 (Melbourne)
5th Test: January 3-7 (Sydney)

READ: PCB chief meets Shan, Azhar ahead of Test series against South Africa

Australia skipper Pat Cummins said Friday he hoped to play in all five Ashes Tests against England but conceded he will need to see how his back injury holds up, local media said.

Pace spearhead Cummins has been ruled out of the October white-ball series against New Zealand and India with “lumbar bone stress”.

The 32-year-old has not bowled since the Test tour of the West Indies in June-July, and no firm date has been set for his return.

Cummins said Friday that although he hopes to be part of the Ashes, he would need to “wait and see”.

“There are no hard and fast plans yet,” the skipper told reporters.

“I’m still doing a bit of gym and keeping things kicking over, but with this kind of injury, it’s rest and then we’ll build back and kind of work back from the Ashes,” he said.

“Still really hopeful to be able to be part of the Ashes. But it is a little bit of a wait-and-see.”

Pat Cummins told reporters he aimed to play in all five Tests, but conceded a decision would have to be made closer to the time.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“It’s honestly too far out to say. But the aim at the moment is to try and be ready for all of it,” he said.

Cummins has suffered severe back issues several times over the years, including a flare-up in 2018 that kept him out of action for a full off-season.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald said this week he was confident Cummings would play a key part in the Ashes.

But he acknowledged to SEN radio that the uncertainty around Cummins “is not ideal”, but it was an “overreaction” to say the skipper would not play.

“It’s not ideal. I’m not going to sit here and say that it’s ideal,” McDonald told the radio station.

The first Ashes Test against England in Perth starts on November 21.

Australia retained the Ashes in England in 2023 after the series ended in a 2-2 draw.

They enjoyed a 4-0 sweep of England at home in 2021-22. Cummins was the leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps at an average of 18.

READ: Official song for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 revealed

Australia are confident that captain Pat Cummins will be fit for the Ashes after he was ruled out of the series against New Zealand and India with a back complaint on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old fast bowler was rested from the recent white-ball series against the West Indies and South Africa and is still dealing with what Cricket Australia described as “lumbar bone stress”.

Test skipper Cummins has been struggling with the issue since July, and the Ashes start in November.

“Despite this planned (rest) period, Cummins has experienced some ongoing lower back pain following the West Indies Test tour,” Cricket Australia said.

“Further investigation has identified a level of lumbar bone stress that will require further management over the coming months.”

No date was set for a return, but chairman of selectors George Bailey said he expected Cummins to play the first Ashes Test at Perth from November 21.

“It still feels like there’s plenty of time,” Bailey said. “Full expectation that Pat will be right to go come the first Test.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

But he conceded they could be forced to select Pat Cummins without any recent cricket under his belt.

“If it got to that stage… I still think that we’d be comfortable with Pat’s experience and skill level,” he said.

It would be a devastating blow for Australia if Cummins were unable to return for the start of the Ashes.

Cummins will definitely miss white-ball matches against New Zealand and India starting on October 1.

Australia retained the Ashes in England in 2023 after the series ended 2-2. Cummins took 18 wickets during that series, his second Ashes series as captain.

Australia enjoyed a 4-0 sweep of England at home in 2021-22, and Cummins was the leading wicket-taker with 21 scalps at an average of 18.

READ: BCCI eyes MS Dhoni as mentor for T20 World Cup 2026: reports

Australia captain Pat Cummins is in a race against time to be fit ahead of the opening match of the highly anticipated Ashes 2025-26, slated to commence on November 21 at Optus Stadium in Perth.

According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald, Cummins underwent scans on Monday morning.

According to the report, Cricket Australia’s (CA) chief medical officer, alongside the team doctor and physio, will take time to discuss the scan results.

Moreover, Pat Cummins’s back trouble could rule him out of all the white-ball fixtures that will be played before the first Ashes Test. The star pacer is also unlikely for the T20 squad against New Zealand.

“Depending on the seriousness of Cummins’ back trouble, he may miss all the white ball games that precede the first Ashes Test in Perth in late November and could also need to avoid playing a Sheffield Shield game for New South Wales,” the report said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“As it is, he will be missing from the Twenty20 squad that will be named on Tuesday to tour New Zealand,” it added.

Subsequently, Cummins is likely to be fit for the start of the Ashes, having previously undergone similar scans last summer before the Border-Gavaskar series.

Pat Cummins’ injury concerns arose during the West Indies tour, where he played all three Test matches. Overall, the right-arm pacer has bowled 85 overs across four Tests, including the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa.

After his absence, ace batter Steve Smith could be in line for captaincy due to his vast experience under his belt.

For context, Pat Cummins has a longstanding problem with back injuries during the early stages of his career.

After making his Test debut in 2011, Cummins missed six years of cricket. However, in recent times, the fast bowler has been pivotal in Australia’s success.

READ: Record prize money announced for ICC Women’s World Cup 2025

Australia star batter Steve Smith has warned England of a challenging  Ashes series, which is set to begin in November 2025.

The five-Test Ashes series will begin in Perth in late-November, before a day-night match in Brisbane.

The third Ashes 2025 Test will be played in Adelaide, with the traditional Melbourne and Sydney Tests scheduled for December and January.

In an interview with a British media outlet, Steve Smith commented on the much-anticipated series after England’s home series against India.

“I watched a lot of the series against India and it was one of the best Test series I’ve seen in a long time. The cricket that was played by both teams was outstanding,” he said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“England have a good side at the moment. They are obviously playing a really aggressive brand of cricket,” he added.

The 36-year-old stated that Australian  wickets are challenging for batters.

“It’s going to be a big challenge. The wickets in the last three-four years have been really tricky,” Steve Smith said.

The veteran batter expressed confidence in his team’s bowling lineup, saying that experienced bowlers would make things difficult for England in the Ashes 2025

“I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a great series,” Smith said.

Steve Smith also discussed the recent form of England’s Joe Root and lauded him ahead of the Ashes 2025.

“I think not just in that series (against India) but probably the last two years, he’s been incredible. His ability to make big scores – to go from 50 to 100 – which was one thing he got caught in that spot for a while,” Smith said.

“He [Joe Root] hasn’t scored a hundred in Australia. I think that’s been talked about quite a lot. I’m sure that’s something he wants to tick off his bucket list as well,” he concluded.

READ: Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca keen to sign new defender as Levi Colwill cover

England’s star batter Joe Root has responded to Former Australia opener David Warner ahead of the much-anticipated Ashes 2025-26, which is set to commence in November.

A few weeks ago, David Warner, currently playing in ‘The Hundred’ in England, highlighted flaws in Joe Root’s batting.

“The big anchor there is Rooty, who is yet to score a hundred in Australia. “Hazlewood tends to have his number quite a lot. He will have to take the surfboard off his front leg,” he said.

Joe Root has responded while speaking on a British News outlet, stating that he is unfazed by the remarks.

“Just that. I have no control over how people perceive the game or discuss it in an interview. Nothing new, is it? You know there are going to be storylines and people wanting to hype up a big series,” he said.

Does not really change anything. It is sort of irrelevant to me. What can I do about it? Just make sure it is not a talking point in six months or 100 days’ time,” he added.

He further stated about his calm demeanor and helping his team get a good start.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“When you get out there, you have to got to try and impact the game and help your team get off to a good star,” Joe Root explained.

Business as usual as far as I am concerned. I guess it is all part of the fun. We will see what happens out there [with Warner at Lord’s during The Hundred, where they are playing for Trent Rockets and London Spirit respectively]. It is not really in my nature to get too verbal,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that Joe Root, now the second-highest scorer in Test cricket, has yet to score a Test century in Australia.

Overall, England batting maestro Root has scored only 892 runs in Australia at a modest average of 35.68, which falls short of his standards.

Notably, since the start of 2022, he has notched up 15 centuries at a stellar average of 64.64.

The Ashes 2025-26 is set to begin in Perth on November 21, followed by a day-night match in Brisbane, the third Test in Adelaide, and the traditional Melbourne and Sydney Tests in December and January.

READ: Jannik Sinner swamps Auger-Aliassime in Cincinnati power display