The 2021-22 edition of The Ashes series is set to start on December 8 at The Gabba in Brisbane, Australia. The series will have a total of five Tests between England and Australia and the last Test is to be played on January 14 to 18, 2022 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.
Just less than a month away from the opening of the series, many are already sharing their predictions on how both teams will do. Surely, many cricket fans will also be placing bets on their favorites and are curious to know what people in the industry are saying. You may click here to bet on The Ashes series.
Predictions from Michael Vaughan and David Lloyd
Every time a big match that involves England is about to go off, former England player Michael Vaughan would make bold predictions and he recently did the same for The Ashes 2021-22. Vaughan said that England may end up with no points on this series.
According to him, England may lose 0-5 to Australia especially if the team doesn’t start well. Vaughan spoke to ABC Sports and said, “This series could be 5-0. You’ve got to be realistic. In the last four tours of Australia, England has lost 5-0 twice and 4-1 once.
“Obviously, they won in 2010-11, 3-1. I think this England Test match team if they get on a roll, keep playing well, will be fine. But if they start badly, it’s going to be a long tour for them.” He also said that while England can beat the good sides, the team could also lose against anyone.
“They went to India on the back of a series win in Sri Lanka, won that first Test because Joe Root put a huge score on the board, and then they lost the series convincingly. They do have it in them to beat good sides, but they also have it in them to lose against anyone,” he went on.
Former England batter and now commentator David Lloyd shares the same sentiments when he recently commented and gave his predictions on the upcoming series. According to Lloyd, England would lose to Australia with 0-5 because the team still lacks the depth and skillset to win against the team from down under.
In his column on Daily Mail, Lloyd wrote, “I always used to chuckle when Glenn McGrath came out like clockwork with his Ashes prediction of 5-0. But this time I agree with him. To say that I was surprised when I saw the squad England had picked to go to Australia would be an understatement — I was absolutely flabbergasted.”
He also talked about the team structure and wrote, “They’ve picked a team of blockers, medium-pacers, and short finger-spinners. You don’t exactly need to be a student of the game to know how that ends in Australia. Good luck, lads.”
He also went on about the players of the team. “For me, three of the first names in the squad would have been Saqib Mahmood, Liam Livingstone, and Matt Parkinson. That’s not Lancashire bias — it’s a reflection of the kind of cricketers you need to stand a chance of winning in Australia.
“Your bowling attack needs pace and, because the Kookaburra ball offers you so little, reverse swing. Mahmood has both, so what did England do? Left him out. Livingstone burst onto the scene last summer and he’s tough as old boots. He wouldn’t have taken any of the nonsense the Australians will be serving up this winter.”
Overall, Lloyd expressed regret on England not going with a leg-spinner. He feels that in Australian conditions, the team is better off playing a leggie than a left-arm spinner. “As for Parkinson, I defer to the great Shane Warne on how to bowl spin on Australian pitches. You need a leggie — not a left-arm spinner who just carries the drinks and an off-spinner who was dropped in India.
“If you’re going to succeed in Australia bowling finger-spin, you need to be tall so that you get overspin and bounce. Look at Nathan Lyon. Dom Bess is too short. Parkinson would have provided variety and wicket-taking deliveries. I’m utterly dismayed,” the former cricketer wrote.
David Warner’s Take
England has already released the name of the players that will be on The Ashes Series. Australia is expected to release the lineup list soon but Australian cricketer David Warner has already talked about his predicted scoreline for the series recently with SEN radio.
According to him, he is sure that his team would dominate the other team and beat them with at least a 4-0 margin. He also mentioned the prophecy of the Australian fast-bowler Glenn McGrath. He said, “Look, I’m almost a trademark for headlines, aren’t I? It’s going to be a challenge. Glenn (McGrath) loved a five-nil. I’ll say four-nil. There has to be some give with the weather around, surely.”
Warner is overall feeling confident about the upcoming series and it does seem like he will be part of the lineup. He said further, “For my sake, I think I’m the best fighting when I’m up against the wall. From my perspective, I always respect where I am with my game. For the last 18 months, there hasn’t been much continuity due to the pandemic.”