Ashes: England name strong squad for Test tour to Australia
- Published
- comments
England, led by Joe Root (left), lost 4-0 on their most recent tour of Australia in 2017-18
England will take their strongest available squad to Australia for the 2021-22 Ashes Test series.
Joe Root will captain the side, with wicketkeeper Jos Buttler vice-captain for the five-match series which begins in Brisbane on 8 December.
All 17 players have been capped at Test level.
"I am delighted that all of our available players have committed to the tour," said England head coach Chris Silverwood.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had only announced on Friday that the tour would go ahead following player concerns over Covid protocols.
Rory Burns, Dawid Malan, Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow join Root as the frontline batters.
James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson are among England's pace bowling options, with Jack Leach and Dom Bess the spinners.
Dan Lawrence, who can also bowl spin, will contest a spot in the middle order alongside Ollie Pope, Buttler and all-rounder Chris Woakes.
All-rounder Ben Stokes is not included as he recovers from surgery on an index finger having taken an indefinite break from cricket in July to protect his mental health.
Fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Olly Stone are also absent, as they recover from elbow and back injuries respectively, along with left-arm seamer Sam Curran. All-rounder Moeen Ali recently retired from Test cricket.
Broad, who will be on a fourth Ashes tour, is still recovering from a torn right calf but "making excellent progress", the ECB said.
"We are under no illusions about how difficult the task is going to be," said Silverwood.
"Australia have been strong at home in the past, and there is an expectation on them to win this series. However, from our point of view, there is genuine excitement and belief that we can do something special."
The players will be shadowed by a yet-to-be-selected England Lions squad who will provide cover for the two months during the tour.
Both squads will head to Australia on 4 November, while players on Twenty20 World Cup duty in the United Arab Emirates will join the tour after their tournament commitments.
England are looking to regain the Ashes after Australia retained them in England following a 2-2 draw in 2019.
England squad for Ashes tour of Australia
Joe Root (Yorkshire) captain, James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire) wk, Zak Crawley (Kent), Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).
England players commit to tour
There had been suggestions some players would make themselves unavailable for the winter tour and England would be forced to send a weakened squad.
Concerns had centred on whether the families of players would be allowed to travel, quarantine arrangements and the nature of the 'bubble' environment.
A number of England's players - including Buttler, Wood and Woakes - have young families.
Root and Buttler had expressed their unease with some of Australia's Covid-19 protocols, which are among the strictest in the world.
But following negotiations with Cricket Australia, the ECB was able to confirm the tour "subject to several critical conditions".
It is thought those conditions relate to concessions being made to allow players' families to travel.
However, Australia's borders do remain closed to overseas visitors - meaning there will be no England fans allowed to travel to cheer on the tourists.
Analysis
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew
This squad has been chosen in the assumption that the unspecified critical conditions will be met by the Australian authorities. We are told that discussions are continuing positively.
Ben Stokes wasn't available for selection, and while there are other notable absentees through injury, Stuart Broad is making good recovery from his calf injury.
Mark Wood is the only bowler with genuine pace and will need to be handled carefully, while Broad, James Anderson, Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson and Craig Overton complete the pace attack.
Zak Crawley returns after losing his place in the summer, but there's no room for Dom Sibley. England Lions will be touring at the same time, not least to provide opposition in the preparation period of five weeks, which will include quarantine.
How it all unfolded
July: England players hold talks over plans for families to travel to Australia.
22 Aug: England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler says he is "open to saying no" to taking part in the Ashes tour.
28 Aug: The Times reports that up to 10 England players could pull out of the tour because of quarantine conditions.
19 Sept: England pace bowler Stuart Broad says he is "happy to get on a plane to Australia".
23 Sept: Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison says there will be "no special deals" for England players' families.
28 Sept: England captain Joe Root says he is "desperate" to play in Ashes but does not confirm he will travel.
3 Oct: England players presented with proposed travel arrangements and conditions.
8 Oct: Australia captain Tim Paine says he expects a "really strong" England to tour.
9 Oct: ECB say Ashes will go ahead "subject to several critical conditions".
10 Oct: England name full-strength squad for Ashes
The Ashes series will start at The Gabba in Brisbane
Ashes 2021-22 schedule
December
8-12 1st Test, Brisbane (00:00 GMT)
16-20 2nd Test, Adelaide (d/n) (04:00 GMT)
26-30 3rd Test, Melbourne (23:30 GMT, 25-29 Dec)
January
5-9 4th Test, Sydney (23:30 GMT, 4-8 Jan)
14-18 5th Test, Perth (02:30 GMT)
Black and British: David Olusoga looks at an enduring relationship and forgotten history
'There is a deeply rooted cultural bias': Steve McQueen's film sheds light on an unofficial segregation policy
