| The Ashes series in 2009 has been widely anticipated | | | | keepers have had opportunities while nobody has yet |
| ever since Australia regained the urn in 2007 with a | | | | managed to cement their place in the team. There is |
| 5-0 demolition job on England. Such an emphatic | | | | debate on whether England should pick the |
| margin of defeat will be a painful memory for | | | | wicketkeeper based on his abilities behind the stumps |
| England's senior players who will be keen to extract | | | | or his prowess with the bat. |
| some form of revenge this time around. | | | | The Australian cricket team is now something of an |
| After an indifferent period, the England team now | | | | unknown quantity and is likely to include several |
| seems to be heading in the right direction once again | | | | players who will be relatively unknown to the |
| under the leadership of Kevin Pietersen who has | | | | majority of England cricket fans. There is no doubt |
| quickly settled into the role of skipper. The Ashes | | | | that Australia will miss former bowlers such as Shane |
| 2009 series will be the ultimate test of his captaincy | | | | Warne and Glen McGrath as well as the destructive |
| skills and his cricket brain. | | | | batting of wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. |
| Senior players like Andrew Flintoff and Steve | | | | Australian captain Ricky Ponting will again lead by |
| Harmison will have a major role to play if England is | | | | example with the bat and along with Mike Hussey |
| to triumph. Flintoff is a key player and seems to | | | | the Australian batting line up looks to be as strong as |
| have overcome his long term ankle injury problems. | | | | ever. The only uncertainty is in the bowling |
| He will be keen to reproduce the kind of | | | | department. And it will be interesting to see if the |
| performances he delivered in The Ashes series in | | | | Aussies can overcome the loss of the star players |
| 2005 where he was arguably the difference between | | | | who have retired. |
| the two teams. | | | | The five test match series gets underway with the |
| For many years England lacked a genuine frontline | | | | 1st test at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. The Oval will |
| spinner who was capable of taking wickets. But after | | | | host the 5th and final test. Cricket fans will be hoping |
| relying on pace and swing for so long England now | | | | for an epic battle similar to the Ashes series in 2005 |
| has a world class spin bowler in Monty Panesar to | | | | when the sheer drama of Ashes cricket captured the |
| compliment the fast bowlers and provide a more | | | | country's imagination like never before. |
| balanced attack. | | | | To see more cricket related articles please visit |
| England has chosen several wicketkeepers in recent | | | | Cricket Blog for the latest news and comment on |
| years and it is unclear who will fill this position. Several | | | | the test, one day and twenty20 cricket scene. |