England have failed to win a single Test in Australia in the last three series.
The Ashes Down Under has been one of the toughest challenges for England in the last decade and a half. They haven’t won a Test series in Australia since 2010-11. This Ben Stokes-led side will look to change that in the Ashes 2025 later this year.
Not winning in Australia is less of an issue but how they have fared there has been humiliating. England took 0-5 hammering in 2013-14 in the famous Mitchell Johnson series. The next two Ashes editions Down Under ended with 0-4 defeats.
Under Brendon McCullum and Stokes, England are playing a brand that has raised hopes for their fans. But If they are to overcome this mountain of a task, they need to make a few tough decisions. Here we take a look at three players they should not take to Australia for the Ashes 2025.
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England have given Zak Crawley a long rope at the top of the order. A dasher who can take the attack to the opponent, Crawley is a good fit in this Bazball philosophy. But his returns do not justify the faith shown by the management.
Crawley has over 3,000 runs in Test cricket at an average of 30.89. Among specialist batters with minimum 3,000 runs, this is one of the lowest averages. His recent form hasn’t been great either. Since 2024, he has scored 947 runs at 29.47 average with a solitary century coming against Zimbabwe. In the ongoing series, Crawley has made 138 runs in six innings with just one fifty. England would ideally want a more secure batter at the top in Australian conditions.
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Like Crawley, Ollie Pope has been a major concern for England in the batting department. The number three batter has a tendency to go through a prolonged lean run after a big score. Consistency has been an issue for him.
Pope hit a century in the first innings at Headingley but his scores in the next five innings read 8, 0, 24, 44, and 4. In the last 12 months, he has made 807 runs at an average of 33.62, with 171 of those against Zimbabwe.
More than his poor returns, it’s the way he looks while batting which makes him vulnerable against all types of bowling. Pope doesn’t have a solid base at the crease and looks fidgety. Australia have bowlers with high end pace who can move the ball both ways. His chances of surviving against the Aussie pace trio do not look good.
Chris Woakes is a player England management loves dearly, perhaps for the batting value he brings down the order. But his primary skill set is past its prime. He has played all four games in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. At the time of writing, he has managed only eight wickets in the series at an abysmal average of 54.75.
Having Woakes around in English conditions can still be understandable. However, given his record away from home, it would be inexplicable to pick him for the Ashes 2025. The right-arm seamer averages more than double (48.93) away from home compared to home. He has played seven Tests in Australia, where he has taken 16 scalps at 51.68 apiece.
Woakes just doesn’t have the pace to extract help off those hard surfaces Down Under. With his track record and lack of attributes for those conditions, England should not take him to the Ashes 2025.
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