Ashes 2023: News Corp Cricket writer Ben Horne answers all of your last-minute questions

Who looms as the series wildcard? Is David Warner’s place safe? Can Pat Cummins play all five tests? Recap the live chat and see Ben Horne’s answers to the big Ashes questions.

The first ball of the Ashes is only hours away. And we couldn’t be more excited.

As we get ready for weeks of late nights and blockbuster cricket, now is your chance to chat with one of the best cricket minds in the game.

Cricket journalist Ben Horne was on deck to answer all your last minute questions.

How will the Aussies handle Bazball?

Is David Warner’s place safe?

What will the rotation policy look like for the quicks?

Recap the live Q&A and see all the answers below. Plus, watch Ben, Crash Craddock and Daniel Cherny’s Ashes preview video in the player above.

RECAP THE LIVE ASHES Q&A WITH NEWS CORP CRICKET WRITER BEN HORNE

WHY POMS MIGHT CRASH AND BURN IN DRAMATIC ASHES

The biggest clash of styles since Bodyline is set to break out in the first Ashes Test on Friday night, as Australia attempts to bury Bazball at Edgbaston.

Not since England deliberately targeted Sir Donald Bradman with concentrated short pitch bowling in an Ashes series played before the Second World War has there been a more anticipated contrast of game plans.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has already declared Ben Stokes’ team will try and treat Australian quick Scott Boland ‘like a spinner’ and charge at him down the wicket.

Some took that as Vaughan disrespecting Boland, but it is simply a statement of fact when you look at the way England’s Bazball cricketers have ruthlessly treated opposition bowlers with contempt over the past 12 months.

It means England will either set the Ashes alight or crash and burn spectacularly when it’s their turn to bat at Edgbaston – and News Corp’s respected cricket expert Robert Craddock believes cricket is about to witness its most dramatic Ashes clash since Bodyline.

“That’s the thing, I think you can talk about comparisons to Bodyline 90 years ago because it’s a formulated style that one team is unveiling and will take to the well and beyond,” Craddock said on News Corp’s video preview of the first Ashes Test.

Michael Vaughan expects England’s batters to go after Scott Boland. Picture: Alex Davidson/ICC via Getty Images)

“They will keep firing. There’s no way back for England now. They’re committed.

“Just as they were committed to unsettling Bradman with Bodyline, they’re committed to Bazball.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if England were 2-140 at lunch. Nor would I be shocked if they were for 5-60. No one knows.

“It’ll be a combustible force. Not since Ian Botham was playing has there been this kind of anticipation for an Ashes series. It’s extraordinary.”

England has already announced its playing XI for the first Test, with Australian coach Andrew McDonald believing the selection of three medium pacers in James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson suggests England captain and all-rounder Stokes is fit to play the ‘enforcer’ role as a fourth attacking quick.

Craddock: Not since Ian Botham was playing has there been this kind of anticipation for an Ashes series. Picture: Mark Leech/Getty Images

Stokes made a stunning comment pre-Test that a young Alastair Cook – England’s greatest ever run-scorer and a heavy duty opener who averaged 45 across 161 Tests – would not make his team, because he doesn’t fit into the Bazball style.

The comment borders on arrogance, but reflects the absolute dedication Stokes demands to make the ‘attack at all costs’ Bazball revolution work.

There’s a danger of it too (England getting too far ahead of itself),” Craddock said.

“Cook was a great opening batsman and I think he would actually fit into this team as a counterpoint to Bazball. They could all bat around him. What, you’re saying you’d have Zac Crawley averaging 28 ahead of Alastair Cook? Leave me out of that one.

“But I will say this. In defence of Stokes, he wants one mentality and we are all in.

Ben Stokes says there would be no room for England great Alastair Cook in his side. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

“The worst thing Bazball can do is second guess itself. And that’s why I’m so interested to see what happens when Bazball loses an Ashes Test in England, and I promise you, at least one of these five will be lost to Australia.

“Now where do they go from there? What’s the Plan B as Steve Waugh said?

“They key as Allan Border said is they’ve got to convince these English players you’ll lose two Tests but you’ll win three.

“You know what it’s like playing cavalier stuff. The instant you enter that middle zone of, ‘I think I’m attacking,’ well that’s trouble. If you’re without fear that’s one thing, but if you’re sort of without fear that’s another.”

Australia is yet to finalise its bowling attack, with Josh Hazlewood vying to break back into the side at the expense of either Scott Boland or Mitchell Starc.

It remains to be seen how Ben Stokes’ England react to Test defeat. Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

News Corp cricket correspondent Daniel Cherny, who is at Edgbaston, believes Australia is most likely to stick with Starc and Boland who did the job in the World Test Championship Final last week.

But said it’s an agonising call given Hazlewood’s pedigree as a big-game match winner.

“I think Scott Boland will survive and I think the decision comes down to Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for the final bowling spot,” Cherny said.

“It will depend a bit on the deck. Having looked at it yesterday it’s relatively dry. There’s a bit of grass on it.

“It’s the brown grass you tend to see at Edgbaston. It threw off Tim Paine in 2019.

“I don’t know at this stage for sure. My gut feel is Starc may survive and Hazlewood may be forced to bide his time.

“I can’t see how they drop Scott Boland with the form he’s in. It would almost be madness.”

Originally published as Ashes 2023: News Corp Cricket writer Ben Horne answers all of your last-minute questions