Ashes Heroes - Players To Watch Out For

With the Ashes around the corner there are so many different emotions and thoughts that will be going through the 22 players that will be selected to play the first Ashes test. Every player will be hoping they will be the heroes for there country and lead them to a famous Ashes win and there names written in to history.

The players who will play a crucial role:

Captains –

Both captains Ponting and Strauss will be looking to stamp there authority as captain and batsmen and lead from the front. Performing well as captain will help them there batting form and vice versa, but they cannot afford for the captaincy to be affected as the buck stops with them.

Andrew Strauss – He has had an excellent start as captain be he has only captained against the West Indies, his batting look good and as captain he looks tactical astute but the pressure he will be on during the Ashes will set him apart from other captains.

Ricky Ponting – He does not want to be remembered as the captain who lost two ashes series against the enemy which definitely tarnish his legendary status. He is not the smartest captain out there and when under pressure his batting will also fail and his current record backs that up. Ponting will want to have the most perfect series as captain and batsmen and if he does Australia will very close to reclaiming the Ashes.

Openers –

Both left handers Cook and Hughes who are both very different openers and have the ability to score bucket load of runs and will set them up for a long successful test career.

Phillip Hughes – After an awesome debut series against South Africa he has shown what he is capable of but during the tour matches he was shown his weaknesses. Like any world class test player he would have learnt from that and come back stronger and do not be surprised if he has a similar debut Ashes series like he did against South Africa.

Alistair Cook – So young and talented and after his debut Ashes series he will be eager to re-write the wrongs and score runs to take England to another Ashes win. He has had bad runs and has come out stronger and a strong summer so far which will only benefit him been ready for his biggest series so far. It will be hard to see Cook as not being top of run scoring charts.

Middle Order –

One very young and one very experienced will be looking to there first Ashes series in England and one making his debut Ravi Bopara and Michael Hussey. Both very elegant and stylish in there own way with Bopara who is starting his career and Hussey close to the end.

Michael Hussey – He has had the most awesome test career so far scoring bucket loads of runs but recently suffered a bad trot where he could not score any runs but his hundred in the last tour match will give him the confidence he requires. Hussey’s role is vital if the Aussies lose quick wickets he has to build an innings or he could come in after the top batsmen have dominated then he will have accelerate the innings, he will be required to play a variety of innings. It is all set for Hussey to be player of the series

Ravi Bopara – All remember Kevin Pietersen in 2005, Ravi Bopara can do the same and even better, the Aussies and particular Shane Warne criticizing him could be in for a shock. Bopara is under pressure to cement the much daunted number three spot and to prove the Aussies wrong that he is good enough to be playing in the Ashes. He has left everyone in England in shock with his breathtaking batting performances and all so sure he can be the star in the Ashes.

Bowlers –

To very different bowlers will play crucial roles in leading the attack, James Anderson and Mitchell Johnson who have had the most spectacular year for there country.

Mitchell Johnson – The best left arm bowler in the world and brutal batsmen lower down the order. The way he has lead the Australian attack has been immense and the way he has grown in to the role is credit to all, it will be first time he will be facing England his variations, line and length will trouble the batsmen. He will need to be leading wicket taker for Australia to reclaim the Ashes

James Anderson – It has taken him nearly 6 years to lead his country into the Ashes as the main bowler and he has taken advantage made himself un droppable. He has gone back to his old action which has assisted him in gaining his form back and getting vital wickets. His wickets will be crucial for England fighting to take back the Ashes.