Excitement is mounting in the cricket world, with the start of The Ashes series between Australia and England now just over two months away.
The latest Ashes betting markets rate Australia as the favourites to emerge victorious, but England are determined to upset the odds against the hosts.
England head coach Brendon McCullum has confirmed there are still places up for grabs for the series opener in Perth on November 21.
One of the biggest debates surrounds who will play number three, with Ollie Pope and Jacob Bethell the most likely contenders at this point.
Bethell recently scored his first professional century in a one-day international against South Africa, and is firmly in McCullum’s thinking for The Ashes.
“We’ve got a few other fish to fry before we get there, but I think we’ve said since we introduced Jacob that he’s got a huge future in front of him,” McCullum said.
“He’s very quickly taken to international cricket and things have come really quickly for him as well.
“He’s going to have some life – 21 years of age and being able to play like he does, and have the head on his shoulders that he’s got too. He’ll just keep working hard and we’ll see what unfolds.”
Opener Ben Duckett and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith are expected to start against Australia, while bowler Sonny Baker could also be in contention.
Baker’s ability to swing the ball both ways could be a useful asset against Australia, although McCullum has admitted that he is still a little rough around the edges.
Australia also have several issues to resolve ahead of the first Test in Perth, most notably where captain Pat Cummins is concerned.
The 32-year-old has confirmed there is still no fixed recovery timeline from his lumbar bone stress. He was recently ruled out of the upcoming white-ball fixtures against New Zealand and India.
However, Cummins is hoping to return to action during October, which would give him sufficient time to get up to speed for the series against England.
“I’d imagine I’d want to be bowling at minimum a month out, maybe six weeks,” Cummins said. “But I’ve not thought that deeply about it yet. It’s still a bit of a wait and see.
“We’ve got plenty of time, so we’ll map a way back when we get closer. At the moment, for the next few weeks, it’s pretty light. Not much running and zero bowling.”
Cummins’ participation in the series could be crucial to Australia’s hopes of success given the injury concerns surrounding several other fast bowlers.
Those issues have opened the door for Brendan Doggett to force his way into the team after impressing for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.
Coach Ryan Harris believes Doggett is ready to play in The Ashes and thinks he could cause problems for England if he is selected.
“He’s definitely ready for Test cricket,” Harris said. “He was a bit mixed up a couple of years ago where he was trying to swing it and he wasn’t trying to swing it, but he’s worked it all out.
“He knows what he needs to do. He knows when he has step it up and bowl quick and knows he can control his pace.
“He’s in the prime of his career now. There’s no doubt that if Brendan gets a call, I have absolute full confidence in that he can go in and do a good job in that team.”