Brendon McCullum has ramped up the Ashes hype before the trip to Australia this winter, describing England’s pursuit of the urn they last won a decade ago – and have brought back from tour just once since 1986‑87 – as “the biggest series of all of our lives”.
England returned to international action last week for the first time since a thrilling five-Test series against India concluded in early August, and though they lost against South Africa over three one-day internationals that run ended with a historic, one-sided win in Southampton on Sunday. A spellbinding performance in that game from Jofra Archer, who took four wickets for 18 runs – “There was an ‘ooh’ or an ‘aah’ every single over,” he said afterwards – set imaginations racing with thoughts of what the injury-prone seamer might achieve in more high-profile assignments to come. The first Ashes Test starts in Perth on 21 November.
“That was an unbelievable spell,” McCullum, England’s head coach, said. “It was box-office bowling and I know we had 415 on the board but you didn’t want to miss a ball. I thought it was brilliant and not just his pace but his skill, his ability to shift it both ways and to test batters with the steep bounce he gets. He’s a proper cricketer, hence why we’ve taken our time with him to make sure that we give him every chance to be in the biggest series of all of our lives.”
McCullum also had positive updates about the fitness of the Test captain, Ben Stokes, who has not played since July because of a shoulder injury, and Mark Wood, who has been out since surgery on his left knee in March but will return this month for Durham in the County Championship. “They’re progressing well,” the New Zealander said. “Woody’s going to play a championship game and Stokesy will be training his arse off as he always does, and making sure he gets as fit as he possibly can.
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“I think the last series we saw from Stokesy [against India] is probably the best series he’s had as captain, so that’s a good sign and we know that for us to be competitive in Australia, a fit, firing and motivated Ben Stokes is going to give us every chance.”
