Will play for England Lions in four-day fixture; Wood still in contention for Adelaide despite knee setback

Matt Roller03-Dec-20250:39

Ben Stokes explains Will Jacks decision

Ben Stokes has insisted that Shoaib Bashir and Mark Wood can still play roles for England in the rest of the Ashes series after missing out on selection for Thursday’s day-night Test at the Gabba.England have made a single change from the side that lost inside two days in Perth, with Wood ruled out and replaced by the allrounder Will Jacks. Wood has been wearing a brace over his strapped left knee in Brisbane this week but will remain with the squad, while Stokes said that Jacks’ inclusion ahead of Bashir was simply a “tactical” decision for a pink-ball Test.Bashir – along with Jacob Bethell – has been released to play for England Lions against Australia A in a four-day fixture at Allan Border Field, which starts on Friday, and Stokes stressed that he is still seen as England’s “best spinner” ahead of the final three Tests in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.”We tried to look at how we thought spin was going to be used, and there was a bit of a tactical element to it,” Stokes said on Wednesday evening, before England trained. “Obviously Jacksy’s ability with the bat, to have that down the order for us is useful as well. [But] if it ever comes down to picking our best, number one spinner, selection would go the other way.”Stokes and Brendon McCullum explained the decision to Bashir before England named their team publicly on Tuesday afternoon. “It was pretty much that we thought that was the best XI for the conditions and the circumstances of the game,” Stokes said. “But he knows that if it comes down to picking our best spinner, he’s the man.”Related

• Ben Stokes primed for his most important assignment as England captain

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• From Beefy to Broad Ban – inside England's Brisbane angst

Bashir has not played a first-class match since the second Test of England’s series against India in July, when he broke the little finger on his left hand attempting a return catch. He was expensive in England’s internal warm-up match in Perth and, after being named in a trimmed 12-man squad for the first Test, was left out in favour of an all-pace attack.England first picked Bashir for their tour to India in early 2024, when he had only taken 10 first-class wickets, and have backed him as their first-choice spinner for the last 18 months. He also now finds himself in the unusual position of having a contract with England but not with a county, after his Somerset deal expired at the end of last season.Wood’s setback after bowling only 11 overs in his first international appearance since knee surgery is a clear concern for England. At this stage, he appears unlikely to be fit in time for the third Test in Adelaide on December 17, but Stokes said that Wood will do “everything” possible to return later in the series.”It’s obviously a little bit of a setback,” he said. “But he’s doing everything that he can, and the medical group are doing everything they can to try to get him to potentially be available for selection in the last three [Tests]. But yeah, look, we’ve got a lot more time to go on this tour, and we’ll just see how things play out with that.”Stokes said that the “incredibly talented” Jacks has a chance to establish himself as a more regular Test cricketer three years after winning his first two caps in Pakistan, and said that he had performed impressively since arriving in Australia.”He’s turned himself into the cricketer I always thought he could be,” Stokes said. “He’s incredibly talented, and I think he’s gone from strength to strength since that Pakistan tour. He’s been playing so well in the nets and the time he’s been out here training. It’s great for us that we’ve got someone who’s looking in pretty good order coming into a big Test match.”England are 1-0 down heading into Thursday’s second Test and have not won any of their last nine Tests in Brisbane, a run which dates back to 1986.

Wayne Rooney was ridiculed after admitting it was “hard” to watch his wife Coleen during her stint on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, revealing he struggled emotionally while alone in Plymouth, as she became a fan favourite in the jungle. The former Manchester United striker explained why viewing her on the show left him feeling overwhelmed during a difficult period in his managerial career.

• Wayne and Coleen Rooney's differing ends to 2024

  Coleen’s appearance on I’m A Celebrity in late 2024 became one of the most talked-about moments of the show’s recent history, as she entered the Australian jungle after years of avoiding reality TV. Her decision came at a time when her young children were older, allowing her to commit to a long stint away from home. Coleen embraced the challenge head-on, participating in 'Bushtucker Trials' and endearing herself to viewers with her competitiveness and resilience.

  While Coleen flourished on screen and ultimately finished as the runner-up, her success contrasted sharply with Wayne’s struggles back in England. The United legend was enduring a turbulent spell as manager of Plymouth Argyle, battling a disastrous run of results and mounting pressure. As Coleen captured the nation’s attention, Wayne was facing relentless scrutiny and the stress of a looming relegation fight. This unique overlap created widespread public discussion around the couple, with many viewers joking about Wayne struggling while his wife dominated the headlines.

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• Getty Images Entertainment
  

  Wayne reveals why it was 'hard' to watch Coleen on I'm A Celeb…

  Coleen revealed on why she finally agreed to join the show, saying: "I just felt like the time was right. The kids were all a little bit older. I think in the past, the kids have been too young to leave them for that amount of time. But, also, I'd made this decision to start doing some better work again. So I thought that would be the good a good start."

  She added that although she was not naturally drawn to reality TV, this particular show had always appealed to her competitive side. "Also, I think it's I've never been one for reality TV. Like, there's not much I would do. I've always said if I was to do one, I'd do that. I'm quite competitive."

  Wayne, meanwhile, admitted that the experience of watching the show was unexpectedly difficult for him. "It was hard watching, you know," he confessed to a spate of laughs, prompting the interviewer to ask why. "I was away in Plymouth, so I was on my own as well," Rooney continued, while Coleen laughed beside him as he recalled his lonely viewing nights.

  The former England captain added that the impact took him by surprise. "So in the apartment on my own, so I'm watching it, and then it was, it was emotional."

• Coleen's positive public image after I'm A Celeb…

  Coleen’s appearance on the show coincided with one of the highest-profile public redemptions in recent celebrity TV history. After years of being at the centre of the so-called 'Wagatha Christie' saga involving Rebekah Vardy, she used the jungle setting to reshape her public image. Her warmth, humour, and willingness to take on difficult tasks quickly made her a favourite among viewers, and her journey to the final cemented her as one of the breakout stars of the series.

  At the same time, Wayne was enduring a managerial nightmare at Plymouth Argyle. His team entered a severe slump, conceding goals at an alarming rate and failing to secure wins during the very weeks Coleen was excelling on television. The pressure intensified with each match, ultimately resulting in Rooney’s departure from the club on December 31, 2024.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Coleen's TV future — Wayne's uncertain managerial career

  With Coleen’s public profile rejuvenated and her popularity soaring, there has been speculation that she may pursue further media projects following her successful stint on I’m A Celebrity. Her openness about the experience suggests she is more comfortable stepping back into the spotlight than at any point in recent years. Whether she chooses more television or focuses on other professional ventures remains to be seen.

  For Wayne, the future is more uncertain. After leaving Plymouth, he has been linked to several coaching roles but remains at a crossroads following another setback in his managerial career. The Manchester United legend has been taking up punditry duties and working with the BBC's 'The Wayne Rooney Show' to keep himself occupied as he decides upon his future.

The Premier League is the most watched league on the planet and home to the greatest players in the world.

Mohamed Salah cemented himself as one of the best wingers of all time last season, picking up the PFA Player of the Year award for a record third time. But who is the best player in the English top flight right now?

Ranking factors Current form Importance to team Reputation and honours 50-41

50. Samuel Chukwueze

Fulham

49. Ruben Dias

Man City

48. Omar Alderete

Sunderland

47. Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

46. Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool

45. Yankuba Minteh

Brighton

44. Ismaila Sarr

Crystal Palace

43. Gianluigi Donnarumma

Man City

42. Ruben Dias

Man City

41. Jan Paul van Hecke

Brighton

40. Josko Gvardiol

Man City

The notable fallers this week, understandably, include two Liverpool players. Salah has gone from being the best player in the top-flight to someone Arne Slot can afford to drop. The Egyptian falls out of the top 50 after a week in which he claimed the club had “thrown him under the bus”. He has been on the bench in the last three games and will be off to AFCON soon.

Times are also tough for centre-back Virgil van Dijk, who looks a shadow of his former self in defence. Against Sunderland in their 1-1 draw, he allowed Chemsdine Talbi the freedom of Anfield to get his shot away. The forward’s effort deflected off Van Dijk and flew into the net. It was a moment that summed up the Dutchman’s campaign, later going on to concede three against Leeds as well.

40-31

40. Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Leeds

39. Lewis Hall

Newcastle

38. Iliman Ndiaye

Everton

37. Martin Zubimendi

Arsenal

36. Sandro Tonali

Newcastle

35. Malick Thiaw

Newcastle

34. Jeremy Doku

Man City

33. Riccardo Calafiori

Arsenal

32. Bryan Mbeumo

Man Utd

31. Granit Xhaka

Sunderland

Dominic Calvert-Lewin deservedly shoots up the rankings this week. He has struggled to find his form in recent years but has now scored in three successive games for Leeds. Has Daniel Farke finally found someone capable of saving them from relegation?

Newcastle defenders Malick Thiaw – a scorer of two goals a weekend prior – and Lewis Hall both feature inside the top 40.

30-21

30. Pedro Neto

Chelsea

29. Nico O’Reilly

Man City

28. Rayan Cherki

Man City

27. Matty Cash

Aston Villa

26. Jack Grealish

Everton

25. Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool

24. Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea

23. Nick Woltemade

Newcastle

22. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Everton

21. Antoine Semenyo

Bournemouth

Antoine Semenyo is one of the biggest fallers in recent weeks. During the opening months of the term, the Cherries winger looked like one of the best players in the league. Now, however, he’s failed to register a goal involvement across his last seven matches.

Elsewhere, Nico O’Reilly soars up the rankings following an impressive few weeks for Manchester City while Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is into the top 30 having netted three goals in his last four games.

20-11

20. Jean-Philippe Mateta

Crystal Palace

19. David Raya

Arsenal

18. William Saliba

Arsenal

17. Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

16. Eberechi Eze

Arsenal

15. Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal

14. Daniel Munoz

Crystal Palace

13. Bukayo Saka

Arsenal

12. Elliot Anderson

Nottingham Forest

11. Mikel Merino

Arsenal

The most underrated player in world football right now is quite possibly Mikel Merino. Mikel Arteta has transformed the Spaniard from a duel-winning monster in midfield to an elite number 9. He has scored vital headers against Chelsea and Brentford across recent game weeks and features inside the top 20.

It’s been a trickier few weeks for the Gunners, hence why the likes of Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Magalhaes have both dropped out of the top ten.

10 Marc Guehi – Crystal Palace

Denied his move to Liverpool in the summer, Guehi has responded in emphatic fashion at Crystal Palace. He’s one of the finest centre-backs in the country and has even added goals to his game this term, scoring that last-gasp winner against Fulham last weekend.

9 Bruno Guimaraes – Newcastle

There are not many more influential midfielders or captains in the Premier League right now than Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes. He scored from a corner against Burnley last weekend, only cementing himself as a true icon at St James’ Park.

8 Jurrien Timber – Arsenal

Is there a better right-back in world football right now than Timber? We don’t think so. The Netherlands international has made Arsenal’s right flank his own and has been tremendous across the last few weeks, notably registering an assist in the Gunners’ big win against Spurs and then even filling in at centre-half against Brentford and Aston Villa.

7 Moises Caicedo – Chelsea

Caicedo may well have been sent off for a late challenge on Merino during Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with the Gunners but he’s still very much one of the best in the division. Red card aside, he has been phenomenal in 2025/26.

6 Igor Thiago – Brentford

Only second to Erling Haaland in the Premier League’s scoring charts, Igor Thiago is enjoying quite the season as Keith Andrews’ leading man. He has scored nine goals in his last ten outings for the Bees.

5 Reece James – Chelsea

All of the talk this season has been about how good Declan Rice and Caicedo are but James has more than proven he’s a match for both players in midfield. delivering a man of the match performance against Arsenal a few weeks ago.

4 Phil Foden – Manchester City

When Phil Foden is on, he is on it. The 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Year had a quiet campaign by his standards in 2024/25 but he’s finally rediscovering his mojo. Foden scored a brace against Leeds United and Fulham before finding the net versus Sunderland last weekend.

3 Bruno Fernandes – Man United

Put a little quality around him and suddenly you see the real Bruno. The United skipper has easily been one of the finest assets in the top-flight this term and his performance against Wolves proved it. During that game he scored twice and also registered an assist as Ruben Amorim’s side won 4-1 at Molineux.

2 Erling Haaland – Man City

While the fierce Norwegian has blanked in recent matches against Newcastle, Leeds and Sunderland, he did score in that ridiculous 5-4 win over Fulham, also assisting twice. Haaland is absolutely unstoppable and is on track to obliterate the record for goals in a 38-game Premier League season.

1 Declan Rice – Arsenal

Adding end product to his game over the last 12 months, Rice is perhaps the standout midfielder in world football at present. Adding another assist to his tally against Tottenham, Arsenal’s number 41 dominated proceedings in the North London derby and his partnership with Martin Zubimendi looks virtually unplayable.

Arsenal’s 18-game unbeaten run is over. In that time, they have defeated their arch-rivals 4-1, defeated one of the most in-form sides in Europe in the shape of Bayern Munich 3-1. They have also been to St James’ Park and to Stamford Bridge without losing.

It’s typical, therefore, that the man who Mikel Arteta succeeded, Unai Emery, brought it to an unsavoury end.

This game will always be Emery’s cup final and that showed on Saturday. The Gunners were far from their best. They looked tired, shaky at the back. A 2-1 loss occurred and after Manchester City won later in the day, the gap at the top of the table was narrowed to just two points.

How Emery got the better of Mikel Arteta

A week ago, Arsenal looked like the runaway leaders in the Premier League. They’ll definitely win the title, some cried. Well, how quickly things can change.

While Arteta’s side are still in the driver’s seat to win it next May, they will need to improve on their last two away games with Chelsea and Villa.

This match was classic Emery. He loves facing his former employers and despite amassing plenty of possession in the Midlands, Arsenal seemed powerless to stop the Villans.

While Arsenal were missing Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba due to injury, Villa’s swift transitions, counter-attacking football and their willingness to get runners in behind really made life difficult for Arteta’s side.

Ollie Watkins – who was once the subject of a bid from the Gunners – didn’t score but several times he was able to get in behind. Jurrien Timber, who was playing at centre-back, was made to look rather silly.

Watkins could well have scored the opening goal of the game when he got in behind Timber and Piero Hincapie, turning them inside out before forcing a strong save from David Raya.

The combination play between him and Morgan Rogers, as well as Youri Tielemans, posed a colossal threat. Between them, they made three key passes.

Usually an offensive line would be met with a brick wall in the shape of Saliba and Gabriel but Arsenal’s centre-backs were a shadow of what we’ve come to expect with Arteta’s usual centre-back pairing on the sidelines with injury again.

That said, it was a moment of pinball that led to the winning goal. Arsenal failed to clear their lines and despite throwing several bodies in the way, Emilio Buendia was the calmest man in the Midlands, firing the ball past Raya. Bedlam erupted inside the stadium.

Arsenal's summer signing costs them big time

The defensive line of Arsenal has undoubtedly been the best in the country this season. Before their clash with the Villans, the Gunners had shipped just seven goals in the top-flight. Make that nine now.

Any team in world football would miss players of the calibre of Saliba and Gabriel but the league leaders have found out in recent matches just how tricky life is when both of them are unavailable.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Cristian Mosquera was forced off with injury in the 2-0 win against Brentford in midweek which meant Arteta was forced to select Timber at centre-half at Villa Park. Smaller, not as physical, and keen to go to ground, he was no match for Watkins and Co.

Equally, Hincapie – who could sign permanently in a £45m deal – endured a topsy-turvy afternoon in what was just his fourth start in the Premier League. The Ecuador international is a physical beast but arguably lacks the same level of composure we’ve so often seen from Gabriel and Saliba in recent years.

He is, of course, new to the English game but his performance levels in the last two away fixtures have left something to be desired.

Against Chelsea last week, he and Mosquera looked rather unsettled and nervous. Fair enough, really, particularly when you consider they had only played together as a pairing once before.

Hincapie improved against Brentford and for the most part against Villa, he looked strong. Against a robust offensive unit, he won all three of his aerial duels, made a whopping seven clearances, six recoveries and won 50% of his ground duels.

This was not a bad performance until one mistake cost Arsenal the game. It was a moment you’d typically associate with the later days of Arsene Wenger’s reign, or even the Unai Emery era.

During those years, you’d associate Arsenal’s defenders with lapses in concentration and mistakes. Hincapie wasn’t riddled with errors on Saturday but his blunder deep into injury time cost Arsenal.

In the words of The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, he has been “pretty poor since Spurs” and while that may well feel harsh, the inability to clear his lines late on was certainly poor.

Mins played

90

90

Touches

66

68

Pass accuracy

94%

82%

Tackles won

3/3

1/3

Interceptions

2

1

Clearances

3

7

Recoveries

4

6

Duels won

4/8

6/9

GOAL’s Charles Watts handed the defender a 6/10 rating at full-time and called out his lack of awareness at the end. He had a chance to clear his lines, but instead ran the ball out of play. It was from the Villa throw-in that they ultimately scored the winner.

It felt insignificant when it happened but there was a lack of game awareness. It was like something out of the Emery era. Saliba and Gabriel wouldn’t do that. The dogged defence Arteta has created wouldn’t do that. It could subsequently cost him his place in the team against Brugge in midweek.

Perhaps it’s time to see what Riccardo Calafiori can do at centre-half with Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back?

Fewer touches than Raya & only 7 passes: Arsenal star must be dropped

Arsenal’s title charge got a whole lot trickier after defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park.

ByAngus Sinclair 5 days ago

Liverpool are considering a January move for Real Madrid outcast Rodrygo as they eye up a replacement for Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian has been linked with a move away from Anfield in the New Year following a bombshell interview he gave in the wake of Saturday's 3-3 draw with Leeds. And the Brazilian forward has emerged as a potential target for the defending champions.

AFPSalah tipped to leave Liverpool in January

Salah has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League and to Turkish giants Galatasaray in the New Year, despite signing a two-year deal with Liverpool earlier in the year. The 33-year-old was instrumental as the Reds won the Premier League title in Arne Slot's debut season in charge of the Merseyside outfit as he scored 29 goals and provided 18 assists.

However, Salah has failed to match last season's exploits in front of goal and has scored just four goals and laid on two assists across 13 league outings for the Reds this season. And the Egyptian forward effectively signalled his intention to leave Liverpool next month as he claimed he'd been "thrown under the bus" having been relegated to the bench for the third game running.

"I can’t believe it, I’m very, very disappointed. I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season," Salah said after Saturday's 3-3 draw at Leeds. "Now I’m sitting on the bench and I don’t know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame."

AdvertisementBrighton game could be Salah's last for Liverpool

Salah has hinted that Liverpool's game against Brighton could be last for the Reds. Arne Slot's side welcome the Seagulls to Anfield following their midweek trip to take on Inter in the Champions League, with the home outing against the south coast Salah's last before the Africa Cup of Nations.

Salah will then link up with the Egypt national team and could miss up to six matches for Liverpool should the Pharaohs win a record-setting eighth AFCON title. Saudi outfit Al-Hilal supposedly lead the race for the forward, and a move to Simone Inzaghi's side would see Salah reunite with Darwin Nunez, who left Liverpool for the Blue Waves over the summer.

And according to Spanish publication Defensa Central, Liverpool have identified Rodrygo as the ideal replacement for Salah. The Brazilian was heavily linked with a move away from the Spanish capital earlier in the year, with Manchester City previously leading the race for the versatile forward.

However, City failed to agree a fee with Real Madrid for Rodrygo, who has since struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso, starting just three league games and registering 342 minutes of action. Los Blancos have reportedly slapped a €70m asking price on the 24-year-old.

Getty Images SportRodrygo not the only winger linked to the Reds

Rodrygo isn't the only winger that has been linked with a January move to Liverpool, with Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo a potential target for the Premier League champions. Despite penning a five-year deal at the Vitality Stadium earlier in the year, the Cherries forward has a £65m release clause that can be activated next month.

Liverpool aren't the only side linked with a move for Semenyo, whose Ghana side failed to qualify for AFCON, with Premier League rivals City and Tottenham both considering a move for the 25-year-old.

Additionally, PSG wideman Bradley Barcola is reportedly on the Reds' radar as the French side struggle to tie the former Lyon man down to a new deal. Bayern Munich sensation Michael Olise is another who is being courted by Liverpool, though Bayern Munich are keen to retain the France international's services.

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Liverpool's title defence in tatters

Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday means the Reds have now won only four of their last 15 matches in all competitions as pressure continues to mount on head coach Slot.

In addition, the Merseyside giants are now 10 points behind league leaders Arsenal, with their Premier League title defence in tatters.

Ashes tour represents culmination of English cricket’s Test reboot, amid reasons for optimism unmatched in 15 years

Andrew Miller18-Nov-20252:28

Why England could risk Wood for first Ashes Test in Perth

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”Inigo Montoya, the swashbuckling protagonist of “The Princess Bride”, might have had a thing or two to say about Bazball, and its mad, myriad, interpretations. Three-and-a-half years down the line, it’s about to be pitched into its most meaningful campaign yet, yet it seems no nearer to being granted an official, meaningful definition.Can Bazball work in Australia? It depends who you ask, and which end of the kaleidoscope you happen to be peering down, because this word, and its implications, mean different things to different observers. As last week’s unhinged headlines in the West Australian have already demonstrated, it arguably means more to the hosts who are offended by its existence than it does to the visitors who, to this day, barely acknowledge it to be a thing.Do such semantics even matter? Probably more than you think, given the inimitably immersive nature of an Ashes tour, and the likelihood that off-field narratives will end up fuelling the on-field action.Related

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Ask the average Australian what Bazball means to them, and you’ll doubtless have to wade through a torrent of invective before you get to the nub of their distaste. It means hubris, it means “moral victories”, it means getting antsy about Spirit of Cricket debates. It means getting so high on your own supply that you can gather your troops around you, as Brendon McCullum did after an agonising, agenda-swiping defeat in the opening Test of the 2023 Ashes, and declare with a straight face that it “almost felt like a win”.It’s style over substance, essentially, from an England team that has won none and lost 13 of its last 15 Tests in Australia, and hasn’t beaten a “Big Three” opponent, home or away, since 2018. And it is clearly infuriating, not least to the Aussie old guard, who resent the implication that the sport they perfected 20 years ago is in need of reinvention, or even – as England’s evangelistic narrative has at times implied – rescuing. Adam Gilchrist, by reputation one of the sport’s good guys, has never looked more like an angry old man shouting at clouds than when, in an interview with the Grade Cricketer podcast last month, he was asked if the word wound him up. Reader, it truly does…And yet, the irony is that England themselves have never bought into the Bazbollocks, as it were. When the word was coined on this website, back in May 2022, it was as a prediction, not a reaction. McCullum was then still weeks away from naming his first Test squad, let alone imparting any of the lessons he had learned in his own remarkable playing career. Only one thing was clear: if England were willing to appoint a man of his reputation to take charge of a red-ball squad for the first time in his coaching career, then things were about to get radically different. “Buckle up and get ready for the ride”, as Rob Key even put it in his accompanying press release.And so, as the word gained traction in those heady early months of England’s Test revival, Bazball initially carried as much value as “X” might in an algebraic equation: it was an unknown quantity, awaiting whatever meaning Baz and his acolytes were willing to imbue it with, while at the same time, offering a handy shortcut to spare the media from having to describe “thestyleofTestcricketthat Englandadoptedinthesummerof2022…” in every subsequent mention. Why blurt out a 100-word paragraph when the era’s parameters were so clearly delineated?Bazball on tour: Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum will oversee England’s Ashes tilt•Getty ImagesEngland, however, disowned it from the outset. McCullum declared it “silly”, but seeing as nature abhors a vacuum (and social media loves a Streisand effect) his reaction only encouraged any and every definition to be sucked into the resulting void – including the silliest of the lot, the Collins Dictionary’s induction of Bazball into its official lexicon. Marnus Labuschagne’s verdict was succinct – “garbage” – but the dictionary’s half-arsed definition wasn’t that much more considered: “a style of test [sic] cricket in which the batting side attempts to gain the initiative by playing in a highly aggressive manner.” (As if to demonstrate the depth of thought that had gone into this stunt, “Brendan” McCullum’s name was even misspelt in the accompanying citation.)Such is the back story that fuels the assumption that England’s approach to this Ashes campaign is flawed and frivolous. Several pundits, at home and away, have agreed with the narrative that prevailed during the squad’s build-up at Lilac Hill, that a week spent lolling by a bend in the Swan River, followed by a solitary intra-squad beano on a pudding of a pitch, was no way to prepare for the biggest series of their lifetimes. Further hours spent on the golf course, and on boat trips to Rottnest Island, haven’t exactly dissuaded the local media from their preconceptions.And yet, buried beneath all the froth and indignation, there remains a clear and hard-nosed edge to Bazball that surely sets this series up as England’s most compelling opportunity in Australia for 15 long and gruesome years.For if we rewind to that original premise back in 2022 – that things had got so bad for English cricket that there was no alternative but to do something radically different – then we have to acknowledge that this is it. This – right here, right now – is everything that England’s last Ashes campaign was not, and everything that the past four years has been building towards.The misery, the isolation, the defeatism. All of it can go hang. English cricket touched the void on that dreadful 2021-22 campaign, and for this tour’s five survivors – Ben Stokes, Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Mark Wood and Zak Crawley – simply to soak in the great outdoors this past week has been a step-up from their preparations last time out, given the fetid conditions that they were forced to endure in their Covid bio-bubbles.

“England’s ethos arguably has its roots in the lonely months of lockdown, when the onus fell on the dressing-room to be ceaselessly supportive. But there are also echoes of Eoin Morgan’s attitude during their white-ball revolution ahead of the 2019 World Cup, when errors were accepted, but a slackening of intent was not”

For the others, there’s the sense of a deeply intimate project coming to its culmination. England’s refusal to engage with the Bazball narrative has, in some quarters, been interpreted as aloof and indifferent but it chimes with the precise reasons why their antics have got so far under Australia’s skin. At every step of this journey (and leaving aside the weird performative elements that were echoed in the women’s squad’s dreadful “inspire and entertain” mantra), the gallery to which England has been playing has rarely veered from their own dressing-room balcony.We’ve seen it in the selectors’ unswerving support for its incumbents, most notably Crawley, but also in the senior players’ submission to the wider team ethic – perhaps best epitomised by Root’s use of the scoop shot, including in the first Test of that 2023 Ashes and, infamously, at the pivotal juncture of England’s series loss in India. Despite the criticisms that have accompanied these moments, Root’s stated desire was to muck in, thereby ensuring that the team did not arrive at this Ashes in the same predicament as the last. By the end of the Melbourne Test in December 2021, with England 3-0 down and midway through a run of one Test win in 17, Root’s calendar-year tally of 1708 runs at 61.00 was more than three times higher than any of his team-mates, all of whom seemed deferent to the point of paralysis.It’s helped to create a closed loop of confirmation bias, in which England have judged their own success not by matches won and lost (again, cue the outrage…) but by the enterprise and excellence showcased along the way. It’s an ethos that arguably has its roots in those lonely months of lockdown, when the onus fell on the dressing-room to be ceaselessly supportive, because if they were not, then no-one else was on hand to provide the applause. But there are also echoes of Eoin Morgan’s attitude during England’s white-ball revolution ahead of the 2019 World Cup, when errors were accepted, but a slackening of intent was not.And, just as that four-year revival stemmed from the nadir of the 2015 World Cup and came to fruition four years later, so the same is true of the challenge that awaits this England Test team. They’ve ripped up the methods that failed them on the last three tours – not least in their identification of a coterie of fast bowlers – and tested the limits of their enterprise in a succession of series that, dare one admit it, simply did not matter as much as this one.At the captains’ press conference on the eve of the 2019 World Cup, Virat Kohli tried to goad his opposite number by suggesting the first 500-run ODI total could be in England’s sights in the coming weeks. But, as it transpired, England’s campaign was coloured by a quieter resolve, not least when adversity struck in their mid-tournament wobble. On tougher surfaces than they might have expected from the outset, they channelled their experience and leant into an Alpha status that few England teams before them had ever dared to embrace.Much the same might be expected of Stokes’ men in the coming months. The mistakes and over-reach of the past few years, including (as they might one day admit) in those critical Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s in 2023, will be forgiven if they can emerge victorious from this campaign. But whether or not England themselves call it Bazball is immaterial: the Barmy Army, 40,000-strong and travelling with an optimism unmatched for 15 years, will doubtless be on hand to sing it for them at the Optus, to the tune of The Cranberries’ “Zombie”.The mere existence of the word, and its implications, already feels a bigger deal for the hosts than their challengers.

The wicketkeeper-batter hit 125 off 107 balls for a Cricket Australia XI against England Lions

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2025Cricket Australia XI 341 (Blackford 86, Wyllie 71, Harvey 52, Potts 3-49) and 235 for 2 (Inglis 125*, Harvey 58) beat England Lions 299 (Gay 78, Maladay 3-47, Sinfield 3-87) and 273 (Kellaway 59, Anderson 3-42) by eight wicketsAmid intrigue over what Australia may do with their batting order for the rest of the Ashes, Josh Inglis hammered a rapid century for a Cricket Australia XI against England Lions to signal that he would be option should the selectors opt for significant change.Travis Head’s remarkable century in Perth after being elevated to open due to Usman Khawaja’s back spasms has prompted talk about whether that should be a permanent move which would likely spell the end of Khawaja’s career and create a vacancy in the middle order.Related

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That would appear an unlikely prospect, at least for the Gabba, with the indications being that Khawaja will be selected if he recovers.However, should a spot become vacant anywhere in the order Inglis’ versatility would make him a candidate. He was part of the squad for the first Test but was released to play for the CA XI at Lilac Hill after having a disjointed lead-up to the Ashes.A calf injury prevented him from playing the ODIs against India and he struggled in the T20Is before making 4 and 28 in his one Sheffield Shield outing for Western Australia.On Monday, he flayed an unbeaten 125 from 107 balls with 15 fours and two sixes as the CA XI charged down a target of 232 in 45 overs, not dissimilar to the Head-inspired performance a couple of days ago.Inglis made a century on Test debut, against Sri Lanka in Galle, when his prowess against spin saw him play as a specialist batter in the middle order. He then filled in at No. 4 when Steven Smith missed the first Test against West Indies with a finger injury.Should Khawaja not be fit for Brisbane, or the selectors do make the call to drop him, Beau Webster would also be in the frame having missed out on the first Test when Cameron Green returned to No. 6. Mitchell Marsh is another who may be considered. He is expected make his Sheffield Shield return for Western Australia in a game against Victoria at the MCG which also starts on December 4.The CA XI was largely a development side due to the ongoing round of Sheffield Shield matches but did also feature Jhye Richardson who sent down 20 wicketless overs in the game as he returns from shoulder surgery. Australia’s selectors are hoping he could be an option later in the Test series and he is expected to feature for Australia A when they face the Lions concurrently to the Gabba Test.The Lions side featured Matthew Potts, Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell from the England Test squad.