Canberra [Australia], October 1 : Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon emphasised the importance of spinners in Australian conditions and highlighted how variations in spin can significantly alter the tempo and impact the game.
"You're asking the spinner if they want to pick a spinner. For me, yeah, you're picking a spinner in every side. Variation, it changes the whole tempo of the game. I think spinners can play a very effective role out here if their skill sets suit," Lyon said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
"I grew up here. I understand and built my craft around playing on wickets that don't spin. I've had to find a way to firstly survive but also create chances and build pressure along the way, and it's something that I thoroughly enjoy doing, and I'll keep doing that," he added.
The Ashes 2025 between Australia and England is set to be played later this year, from November to January 2026. The first match of the series will be played in Perth (November 21-25), followed by games in Brisbane (December 4-8), Adelaide (December 17-21), Melbourne (December 26-31), and Sydney (January 4-8).
Earlier this month, the Three Lions announced a 16-man strong Ashes squad, where Ben Stokes was announced the captain and Harry Brook was announced as his deputy in place of Ollie Pope. England is blessed with plenty of pace options, including Archer, Wood, skipper Stokes, alongside a newer crop of pacers, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse
The Ashes series in Australia will be an extremely crucial one for England. For England, this will be their chance to win the first away Ashes series since 2011 and their first overall since 2015. It would be the ultimate test of their 'Bazball' school of cricket under skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum in tough, pacey and bouncy Aussie conditions.
England squad for The Ashes series against Australia: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.