The men’s Ashes are over for another series which can only mean one thing: It’s time to look at the next one.
Luckily, we only have to wait until next year before Pat Cummins takes his victorious Australian side back over to the UK, where it hasn’t won the Ashes outright since 2001.
Given the relatively short turnaround, and Australia’s domination this summer, wholesale changes are off the cards.
Nonetheless, Australia could still look a little different come the 2023 series in England.
Here, foxsports.com.au predicts Australia’s XI for the first Ashes Test next year.
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DAVID WARNER
Warner sneaks in for another series which will almost certainly be his last Ashes. The left-hander will be almost 37 but there’s a feeling he has a score to settle. He only averages 26.04 in England and will likely fancy one last crack to put the poor record behind him. That Australia has a dearth of Test-calibre openers only makes it more likely that Warner goes around one last time.
WILL PUCOVSKI
Usman Khawaja is unlucky to miss out here, but his omission is only to make room for the chosen one of Australian men’s cricket, Pucovski. There is, however, one major asterisk to this selection. Having missed copious amounts of cricket through concussions, he will need to have an extended, uninterrupted run in the game from now until then. If he does, then the soon-to-be 24-year-old, with a first-class average of 53.41, and who made 62 in his debut Test innings against India, is the obvious pick to open the batting for Australia in 2023, and for many years to follow. If Pucovski is unavailable, then Khawaja is an outstanding back-up option have.
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MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE
The UK is where Labuschagne transformed himself from a fringe Test player to a run-making machine. After scoring runs for Glamorgan in 2019, Labuschagne was subbed into the Ashes and averaged an impressive 50.42. He’s been a lock at No.3 ever since and has a stunning Test average of 56.92. An obvious pick at No.3. The less obvious pick would have him open the batting, as suggested by Ed Cowan last week, to have Khawaja slot into the middle order. That seems unlikely at this stage, though.
STEVE SMITH
Another total no-brainer. Smith averaged 110.57 on his last trip to the UK where he reached those Bradman heights. His form has dropped off ever since, but Smith will be in the Australian XI for as long as he likes.
TRAVIS HEAD
Two centuries in four matches and a player-of-the-series award to his name, Travis Head has returned to the Australian Test team in style. He appears to be leaning into his strengths as a dashing left-hander, playing with a positive intent that makes him a major threat. What’s exciting for Australia is that Head, already averaging 43.14 after 23 Tests, should be only just coming into his prime in 2023, when he will be 29.
CAMERON GREEN
In the summer of 2020-21, when Green made his Test debut, he was an exciting prospect with a bright future. Just one year later, Green has emerged as a Test all-rounder of the highest calibre. His strength is with the ball, having just taken 13 wickets at 15.76 against England, although he made some key improvements with the bat late in the series to boost his Test average to 33.14. After just nine Tests, and at only 22 years of age, those are unbelievable numbers. The best thing is that Green is only just getting started.
JOSH INGLIS (WK)
In truth, this is a 50-50 call with Alex Carey as things stand. It’s not all that hard to imagine Carey making a big score this year, while his wicketkeeping during the Ashes was good enough to warrant reselection. Nonetheless, selectors are always going to be curious about Inglis who was only narrowly beaten to the gloves by Carey, who is averaging just 20.33 from five Tests. Inglis made three centuries and averaged 73.12 with the bat last Sheffield Shield season. If he can even vaguely replicate that form over the next season-and-a-half, and perhaps make some runs for Leicestershire in UK conditions, it’s hard to see how Inglis misses out come 2023. Inglis is still just 26 years old and is very much a star on the rise.
PAT CUMMINS (C)
Scary to think Cummins will have only just turned 30 by the time of the 2023 Ashes. Cummins will be fired up in a series that will be his best, and possibly only, shot to win the Ashes in England as Test captain.
MITCHELL STARC
This was a selection call that could have went one of three ways. Scott Boland’s incredible entry to Test cricket this summer made him a genuine contender, while Jhye Richardson’s swing ability also makes him a very attractive proposition in UK conditions. In truth, this position probably gets rotated during the series. But for the first Test, we’re locking in Starc. Starc will be 32 and will need to keep his pace up to keep his spot. Even then, Australia only picked him once in the 2019 series in favour of line-and-length bowlers. But for now, there’s simply no valid reason to keep Starc out of the XI given his strong home series. Starc was close to his best again this summer with 19 wickets at 25.36. He also took a wicket with the very first ball of the 2021-22 series. How can you not have him bowl the first ball in 2023?
JOSH HAZLEWOOD
This was another spot that was awfully tempting to give to Boland after he took 18 wickets at 9.55. For now, however, we’re going to respect the pecking order and say Hazlewood will return. After all, Hazlewood has 215 Test wickets at 25.63 and, when fit, is one of the three best fast bowlers in the world. That bowling average improves to 23.58 for Tests in the UK where his ability to consistently hit the right areas makes him a handful. He’ll be 32 for the series, making it possibly his last in the UK.
NATHAN LYON
The 2023 series could also be an England farewell for Lyon, who will be 35. Quite simply — and with all due respect to Mitchell Swepson — there aren’t enough spinners in Australia coming through to realistically challenge Lyon in time for 2023. Not that Lyon doesn’t justify his own selection anyway.
12TH MAN
SCOTT BOLAND
Jhye Richardson is stiff here, but we simply had to pick Boland. Boland does average less than 10 after three Tests after all. His ability to bowl stump-to-stump consistently and his ‘heavy ball’ make him the perfect back-up for Hazlewood in the UK. It’s extremely likely Richardson tours, too, and rotates with Starc.