The first Ashes cricket test match is fast approaching, with rivalries resuming on 21 November in Perth. Both teams have now announced their squads for the five-test series, and battle lines have been well and truly drawn.
England have opted to try and play the Aussies at their own game, selecting a rapid seam bowling attack in an attempt to blow the Australian batsmen away. Travelling with six fast bowlers, including the X factor of Jofra Archer and the express pace of Mark Wood (fastest speed 97.7mph) is a sure sign of intent. Considering that for the infamous Bodyline series in 1932/3 Captain Jardine had just four fast bowlers at his disposal, there is no doubt that England believes pace is the ace in the antipodes.
The focus on pace may also be a reflection of the Australian squad. While full of world class cricketers, the key observation when the squad was announced was the age of those selected, with only one player aged below 30, and England are possibly banking on a slight reduction in faculty being a deciding factor.
Predictably dubbed a ‘Dad’s Army’ by the English media, the average age of the Australian squad is 33.5. As former England captain Michael Vaughan cheekily pointed out, England could add Ian Botham and David Gower to their squad, and their average age would still be lower than the Aussies. However, as it has been 14 years since England won a test in Australia (let alone a series), and having lost the last two series there by 4-0, relying on the age of the Aussies may well be grasping at straws.
Player age in sport has always been a major talking point. From Alan Hansen’s 1995 statement that you “can’t win the league with kids’, before Manchester United’s youngsters went on to win the league and cup double, to the regular writing off of elderly sportspeople, journalists often risk ridicule when using age as a results predictor. With the introduction of sports science, diets and a focus on player welfare, sportspeople are performing at the top of their game for longer than ever before. This is perfectly illustrated by 39-year-old Christiano Ronaldo still playing international football; Roger Federer winning grand slams at 35 and Tom Brady only retiring from the NFL aged 45.
The sensible consensus seems to be that, while eyebrows were raised at the age of the Australian squad, the quality of the players is very evident. As the Australian Chief Selector responded, ‘which world class player do you want me to drop?’. And, with age comes experience, and Australia can boast 806 test caps between them to England’s 591.
Regardless of ages, averages or caps, the forthcoming Ashes series will, as always, make for compelling viewing whatever the outcome, and the old rivalry will be very much to the fore. It has been reported that ticket sales for the five tests have gone at an unprecedented rate. In the pre-sale window there were several complaints from fans bemoaning a reported computer glitch which, when they were nearly at the front, sent them to the back of a 180,000 strong queue! If every one of the 25 Test match days is sold out, Cricket Australia will have distributed over 1.5million tickets – bringing a very welcome boost to its coffers.
Infamously, the 2003 England rugby team was labelled ‘Dad’s Army’ by the Australian media when they headed over there for the Rugby World Cup – Jonny Wilkinson’s winning drop goal ensured those same journalists ended with egg on their faces. Let’s hope the current batch of English journos haven’t made the same mistake.
David Little is a Partner at Bishop & Sewell in our expert Sports Law and Corporate & Commercial
If you would like to contact him, please call on either 07968 027343 or 020 7631 4141 or email: company@
The above is accurate as at 13 November 2025.
The information above may be subject to change. The content of this note should not be considered legal advice, and each matter should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
