Stuart Broad picks England bowling attack for first Ashes Test against Australia

Independent

2 days ago

Stuart Broad has selected his preferred England bowling attack for the first Test of this winter's Ashes against Australia and has prioritised raw pace.
After the thrilling drawn series with India this summer, England's Test side are now turning their attention to a daunting trip Down Under, trying to win the famous old urn on Australian soil for the first time since 2010-11.
In fact, England haven't even won a single Test in Australia since that 2010-11 tour and questions remain as to whether their bowling unit has enough quality to consistently take 20 wickets.
In the pace stakes, they have a number of options and former England quick Broad, who now works as a pundit, has taken to social media to name his attack for the first Test in Perth, which begins on 21 November.
He has oped for out-and-out pace, even though his selected seamers are injury-prone, and explained his reasoning for the line-up.
On X (formerly Twitter), in answer to a tweet asking users for their England bowling attack for the first Test in Perth, Broad wrote: 'Wood, Archer, Atkinson, Bashir, Stokes. Go all out for the W there as have to start well and it's a bowler friendly pitch.'
Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson are probably the three quickest options England have, although Wood and Atkinson spent at least part of the summer injured, while Archer finally played his first Test matches in more than four years after injury hell of his own.
Broad would complement this pace trio with England skipper Ben Stokes, whose own bowling capabilities are often injury-limited but still have the ability to turn a match when they are unleashed, as shown by his brilliant 5-72 during India's first innings of the fourth Test at Old Trafford last summer.
Shoaib Bashir is Broad's spinner of choice and the 21-year-old will likely be competing with the likes of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson and Jack Leach for slow-bowler berth in England's XI for the Ashes.
His reasoning for the make-up of the attack –that England need to be aggressive in their selection to try and win the first Test on a bowler-friendly pitch – is sound, although the lack of fitness reliability may cause a few jitters among England fans.
After the first Test in Perth, the Ashes heads to the Gabba in Brisbane for a day-night encounter with the pink ball before more traditional Tests in Adelaide, Melbourne and then Sydney to finish.
Australia have held the Ashes since 2018, having won the two series Down Under in that time 4-0 and retaining thanks to 2-2 draws in the pair of series in England.