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5 Players to Watch in the Upcoming Ashes Series

December 22, 2021 By Shafeeq

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It’s been a busy year of international cricket as the sporting world catches up with unforeseen delays from 2020. For Australia and England, their progression into the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup will shortly be followed by the oldest battle in the sport. 

The Ashes is the trophy on the line: First played for in 1882/83, this is the biggest test for both sides and England have it all to do if they are to overcome an impressive Australian unit on their home soil.

For neutral fans, a few weeks of world-class entertainment will be on show and here are some of the players to watch out for.

Setting the Scene

The teams last met in England back in 2019. As holders of The Ashes, Australia only had to draw in order to reclaim the trophy and that’s exactly what happened. The five-match series ended with a 2-2 scoreline and the Ashes duly returned to Australia.

In the intervening years, English sides have struggled at test level and those struggles are reflected in the betting markets for the upcoming series. Australia are red hot favourites to win with odds on figures across the board while England are distant outsiders.

Once the series gets underway in December, those odds will update as each of the five matches are played out. Those who follow sports betting in Saudi Arabia and beyond will be able to keep up with the changing markets via the Arabianbetting.com website.

During the course of the Ashes, Arabianbetting will also be on hand to provide news and opinion articles from around the cricketing world. Based on the information provided, readers will be able to take that information on board and use it in the betting markets.

Sportsbooks affiliated to this site can take on new customers and there are welcome deals published in most places. Effective customer service backs up a choice of funding options and there may even be the option to live stream international cricket.

It’s a one-stop website for the Ashes but who are the players who can decide the destination of the trophy?

Ben Stokes

After much rumour and conjecture, Ben Stokes has become a confirmed member of England’s touring party. After months out of the game while he nursed a badly broken finger and took care of his mental health, England’s best all-rounder is back.

Stokes can turn a game with bat or ball and he’s especially adept at rescuing lost causes as he proved when his brilliant century saw England win the Headingley Test by one wicket in 2019.

Steve Smith

Australian Steve Smith’s batting technique may not be pleasing on the eye but it’s certainly highly effective. On that 2019 Ashes tour, Smith was almost impossible to dismiss and, at one point, only a concussion could remove him from the crease.

Steve Smith’s statistics from that 2019 series are incredible. He scored 774 runs in seven innings at an average in excess of 110 and he’s clearly going to be a key player in the upcoming series.

Joe Root

2019 may have been Steve Smith’s year but England’s Joe Root has been the standout batsman in 2021. It’s been a record breaking year for the Yorkshireman who has so far scored 1398 calendar runs at an average of 69.9.

Six centuries have come in that time and England are relying heavily on their skipper in this Ashes series.

Ollie Pope

Onto the less obvious choices where Ollie Pope will be looking to establish himself as a test match batsman. At 23, he’s one of the most talented young batsmen in the game with 12 centuries and an average over 53 in first class cricket.

Pope has yet to prove himself in the test arena but this is the perfect opportunity to assert those world class credentials.

Adam Zampa

He’s not certain of a place but some brilliant displays in the T20 World Cup suggest that leg spinner Adam Zampa will be pressuring Nathan Lyon this year. He’s yet to play at test level but those displays in the T20 game suggest he’s matured as a bowler and Zampa deserves a chance in the Ashes.