The call-up of Will Jacks was the biggest surprise when England named their squad for this winter’s Ashes tour of Australia.

There are still big questions too over the preparation – or lack of it – and the fitness doubts over captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Mark Wood ahead of the series that starts in Perth on 21 November.

As is the way of Bazball, England will have just one three-day warm-up match in Perth to prepare for the biggest series of them all. The last squad from these shores to win Down Under led by Andrew Strauss in the winter of 2010-11 had three tough first-class fixtures leading into a series they won 3-1.

This time, aside from that match against England’s second string, seven members of the squad will have no other time in the middle before the Ashes, while the remain

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