Mitchell Johnson says there are “alarm bells ringing loudly” in Australia after an aging bowling attack has been hit by injuries, and that “the whole Ashes script is starting to be rewritten” as England seek their first series victory in the country since the 2010/11 season.
Captain Pat Cummins, 32, and fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood, 34, will miss the first Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium from Friday due to back and hamstring problems respectively.
Possible replacements for the pair are Scott Boland, 36, and the uncapped Brendan Doggett, 31, with Michael Nether, 35, joining the team following Hazlewood’s setback.
Mitchell Starc (age 35), one of Australia’s ‘big three’ pacers along with Cummins and Hazlewood, and spinner Nathan Ryan (age 37) will be the senior members of the Optus Stadium attack, with all-rounder Cameron Green (age 26) the only player under 30 in the team.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Sky Sports’ Michael Atherton reacts to the news that England’s Mark Wood is eligible for the first Ashes Test, but Australia’s Hazlewood has been ruled out
Writing in The West Australian, former Australian international Quick Johnson said: “If the leaders are all in their mid-to-late 30s and have heavy workloads, it’s going to be a disadvantage in the end.
“Losing Cummins to injury was already a blow, but one injury to a quick up front is manageable. Losing two of the big three would rewrite the entire Ashes script.
“This narrows Australia’s margin for error and forces players to make decisions they wish they had not had to make early on. This is the kind of scenario that reveals the age profile of the team more than anything else.”
“The alarm bells are ringing loud now about the future. That Lyon, Boland, Starc, Hazlewood attack is older than when I retired from international cricket.”
All of Australia’s key bowlers are over 30 years old, including spinner Nathan Ryan (left), who is 37 years old.
“Greyhound” Doggett “Easy for the eyes”
Another former Australian player, Jason Gillespie, supports Test novice Doggett’s eligibility should he join the XI.
Doggett becomes the third Indigenous male player to play Test cricket for the Baggy Greens, following Gillespie and Boland.
“He’s one of Australia’s fastest bowlers. He’s ready. He’s athletic, he’s a greyhound, he’s as fit as a fiddle,” Gillespie said of the paceman in an interview on ABC radio.
Brendan Doggett is set to make his Australian debut in the first Ashes Test at Optus Stadium from Friday.
Australian journalist Adam Collins told Sky Sports News, adding of Doggett: “He’s been on the fringes for a while, but he was in the Test team in 2018.
“It’s only in the last few seasons that his Sheffield Shield performances have been outstanding, and he’s pushed himself to the front of the line. That’s no small feat given Australian cricket has so many fast bowlers at their disposal.”
“He’s easy on the eyes and slides into the crease. Aesthetically he’s similar to[England’s]Gus Atkinson. He bites the ball both ways.
“But we all know it’s different when you’re on the cauldron of a Test match. There’ll be 55,000 people watching him on the first day. You’ll never know until you try.”
Ashes Series in Australia 2025-26
always UK and Ireland
First Test: Friday 21st November – Tuesday 25th November (2.30am) – Optus Stadium, Perth Second Test (day/night): Thursday 4th December – Monday 8th December (4.30am) – The Gabba, Brisbane Third Test: Wednesday 17th December – Sunday 21st December (12am) – Adelaide Oval Fourth Test: Thursday 25th December – Monday 29th December (11.30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Ground Fifth Test: Sunday 4th January – Thursday 8th January (11.30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground
