England and Australia will wear black armbands on day one of the LV= Insurance Ashes, following the deaths of three people in van and knife attacks in Nottingham.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced that the mark of respect would be made following Tuesday’s shocking incident, which left students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber and school caretaker Ian Coates dead.

A moment’s silence will also be observed at Edgbaston before the scheduled start of play at 11am.

England captain Ben Stokes said: “The deeply distressing scenes witnessed in Nottingham this week have brought immense sorrow to everyone, particularly the cherished friends and families of the victims.

“It is impossible to express how much their lives and futures have been tragically disrupted.

“These events sadden the England cricket teams, and we are thinking about those affected at this harrowing time. As a gesture of respect, we will honour them by wearing black armbands.”

Stokes’ fellow England captain Heather Knight, who will kick off the women’s Ashes at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge on July 22, added her condolences.

“It was incredibly saddening to learn about the events that took place in Nottingham, and it felt a bit closer to home to learn that two of the victims had been cricket players,” she said.

“All of our thoughts are with the families and friends of everyone affected by the tragedy, and with the city of Nottingham.”

Ben Stokes has told his team a big Ashes summer will “never be forgotten” as he prepares to lead England’s battle to reclaim the urn for the first time since 2015.

Stokes already owns a significant slice of Ashes history, with his match-winning century at Headingley four years ago inked into the folklore of cricket’s most storied series.

He and his 10 team-mates will step out at a reliably raucous Edgbaston on Friday morning with the chance to add another memorable moment in a rivalry that echoes through the ages.

Speaking on the eve of the first Test, he said: “Any individual who finds themselves either having a great series or a great individual performance, that will never be forgotten.

“When the Ashes comes around it’s the big one on the calendar. Legacies are defined by the people who talk about the individual, and we all know if you do well in the Ashes you’re going to be spoken about throughout many a year.”

Stokes also called on the Birmingham crowd, who have made a name for themselves as the liveliest on the English circuit, to seize their chance to play a role in lifting the hosts.

“The crowd here is so, so good and loud. It’s amazing. We know what it’s like in Australia..when we’re at the MCG, all these places when the home crowd is on top of you, you do know you’re the away team.

“What I would say to the people who come here and watch is regardless of how things are going out there, just be with us. What we’re trying to do, over and over again, is make it worth their time coming to watch us play cricket.”

Stokes has certainly delivered on that promise since taking over as skipper. In insisting his teams stay permanently on the front foot and take the attacking option whenever they can, he has not only overhauled their results – with 11 wins from 13 matches – he has revamped their identity.

Urged on by a like-minded head coach in Brendon McCullum, he has never wavered in his commitment to the philosophy and laughed off the idea that the arrival of Australia would change things now.

“I don’t think there’s any question around how we are going to go out and play our cricket, even though it’s against Australia,” he said.

“All I want is for the team to go out there and keep pushing the boundaries of what we’ve achieved so far. As long as we can stay true to that then I will be a happy and proud captain regardless of the result at the end of the series.

“If we play the way we know we’re capable of then I know we are able to beat any team. I know that’s a big statement in itself but I think what we’ve done over the last year means we’re able to say that.”

Stokes’ confidence extended to naming his XI two days out, while counterpart Pat Cummins opted to his keep his counsel until the toss. Having already tempted Moeen Ali out of retirement to step in for injured spinner Jack Leach, there was only one real decision to make over the final seamer.

In the end he opted for Stuart Broad’s vast experience over the explosive pace of Mark Wood. The decision was made primarily on instinct but is backed up by the numbers, with the 36-year-old boasting 131 wickets in 35 Ashes Tests, with 84 of those in home conditions.

“Generally, I’ve stuck with my heart and my gut throughout my captaincy so far. Broady’s record against Australia is incredible and it’s very hard to look past someone like that, in the opening game of the series,” he said.

Stokes’ own fitness remains a huge source of intrigue, as he strives to return to his role as England’s all-action all-rounder. His ability to chip in as a bowler has been compromised in recent times by chronic left-knee problems, but he has gradually ramped up his bowling since arriving in Birmingham and appears increasingly ready to throw himself into the fray.

“The last three days have been really good for my confidence, I’ve been able to run in with more intensity day by day so I have got myself in a really good position to be able to bowl,” he said.

“I’m not speaking too soon, who knows where I could be in two weeks’ time? But hopefully I don’t have to worry about that.”

Asked if he was able to operate at 100%, he offered a wry smile and replied: “I’ll give 100 per cent of what I’ve got at the time. I think that’s a good way to say it.”

England and Australia are ready to face off once again in the latest chapter of cricket’s oldest rivalry.

Australia ran out 4-0 winners Down Under in 2021-22 in a one-sided contest but find themselves up against opponents revitalised by the inspired leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

Here the PA news agency looks at some of the key issues ahead of the first Test.

Ben Stokes’ left knee

The build-up to the most anticipated Ashes series since 2005 has been dominated by Ben Stokes’ left knee. Barring a solitary over in his stint with Chennai Super Kings in the recent Indian Premier League season, the England captain has not bowled since a flare-up in New Zealand in February. Stokes did not bat or bowl in England’s Test against Ireland at the start of the month and there are understandable doubts over his ability to function as a fourth seamer for England. If he cannot take his share of the load it could imbalance an attack that leans heavily on the 40-year-old James Anderson and 36-year-old Stuart Broad.

How will Australia cope with ‘Bazball’?

Bazball, the shorthand nickname for England’s ultra-attacking approach under coach Brendon McCullum, has seen them operate at a staggering run-rate of 4.85. The gung-ho approach has blown away South Africa, New Zealand and Pakistan over the past year and seen England win 11 of their last 13 Tests. But Australia’s bowling group presents a sterner challenge. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc are an elite pack of seamers, backed up by a spinner in Nathan Lyon who has 487 Test scalps. The noise from the England camp suggests there will be no backward step, but their opponents have the speed, experience and consistency to make things backfire.

The Moeen factor

Jack Leach’s lower-back stress fracture saw an emergency call go out to Moeen Ali. The off-spinning all-rounder, whose last Test came in September 2021, was coaxed out of retirement to join England’s Ashes squad. While Moeen’s white-ball exploits will serve him well in this iteration of the England Test side, filling Leach’s shoes may not be a straightforward task. Leach has been an ever-present first-choice under Stokes, working through over 500 overs and showing an ability to control one end for long periods. Moeen is a more mercurial bowler and his selection automatically changes the profile of the attack. How he copes with long spells in the field after almost two years as a limited-overs specialist remains to be seen but his batting is a clear upgrade on Leach.

All eyes on Crawley

Few players typify the duality of ‘Bazball’ in the way Zak Crawley does. He had an 87.5 strike-rate in 2022 yet his Test average sits stubbornly below 30 as his occasional highs are eroded by low scores. He remains the most controversial pick in the team, but coach McCullum has justified the long rope Crawley has been afforded by saying that his “skillset is not to be a consistent cricketer”. When he gets going, McCullum believes Crawley can win matches for England. A knock of 122 off 111 balls against Pakistan in Rawalpindi was a case in point, but he needs to be at his best to make a defining contribution this summer.

England’s pace attack…lacking pace

In the past year, Stokes has spoken about wanting a 90mph bowler in his side on numerous occasions. And yet, when decision time came, he opted for Stuart Broad ahead of Mark Wood for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. While the 36-year-old’s nous and experience on this stage cannot be scoffed at, Wood’s exclusion leaves the England bowling line-up lacking in express pace. Broad’s selection could spell trouble for David Warner, who lost that particular head-to-head seven times in 10 innings during the 2019 Ashes.

Pat Cummins is certain David Warner will turn up the aggression when batting during the Ashes but the Australia captain suggested any verbals from the tourists will be kept to a minimum.

Warner averaged a meagre 9.5 during Australia’s last Test trip to the UK in 2019 as he was bewildered by Stuart Broad, who dismissed the left-handed opener seven times in 10 innings in a lopsided battle.

The rivalry will resume in the next few days as Broad will join spearheads James Anderson and Ollie Robinson as England’s three-pronged frontline pace line-up for this summer’s curtain-raiser at Edgbaston.

Even though Warner has registered just one fifty in his last 17 Test innings – albeit an unbeaten 200 against South Africa last December – the 36-year-old has been backed to take the attack to England.

“I don’t think (Warner) is overly surprised,” Cummins said of England’s decision to select Broad ahead of Mark Wood.

“I’m sure he’s thought about it a lot over the last four years, hoping to get another another crack at it.

“There’s no huge surprises, you kind of plan for everyone anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

“Davey, I know will have all his plans in place. I’m sure you’ll see a bit more of an aggressive Davey than perhaps in 2019 and he’s itching to get out there and have another chance at it.”

Warner, who has announced his intention to retire from international cricket in January, is set to open alongside Usman Khawaja but Cummins did not follow England’s lead in naming his team ahead of time.

Josh Hazlewood, available after injury precluded his involvement in Australia’s World Test Championship final win over India last week, is vying with Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland for two bowling spots in what seems the only selection dilemma for the tourists.

While admitting Australia have chosen their side, Cummins was tight-lipped about who they have settled on and was far more forthcoming about pointing out his team are less voluble than their predecessors.

“Over the last couple of years our team has been pretty chilled out there,” Cummins said. “We’re quite a confident bunch but we’re not overly loud or in your face.

“I’m sure there’s going to be emotion at times but I’d be surprised if that bubbled over like maybe it has in the past. We’ve got so many English mates, us Aussies, and all the English have Aussie mates.”

Nevertheless, this has been one of the most eagerly awaited series in years, with England’s attacking approach under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum that has brought 11 wins in their last 13 Tests set to be confronted by their fiercest rivals – the recently crowned world Test champions.

While Cummins recognises anticipation for these five Tests is approaching fever pitch, he claimed he is not distracted by England’s philosophy having led Australia to four wins in their last six series.

“We’re pumped that it’s here,” Cummins said. “This one in particular seems like it’s just got a little bit more on it, the whole cricketing world stops for a month to put their attention on this series.

“We’ve been amazing over the last 20 Test matches. And I think you’ve seen a pretty similar style in the way we’ve played, so we don’t want to lose sight of that.”

Excitement was high for the last Ashes contest a little over 18 months ago but England’s bubble was punctured from the very first ball at Brisbane, where Rory Burns was bowled round his legs by Starc.

“That pressure release of the first ball, taking a wicket and setting up the whole series – it was my first ball as captain so it takes a little bit of the nerves off as well,” Cummins said.

“It was just one of those iconic Ashes moments which every series always seems to have a couple of. If we’re bowling. I might give it someone else down the other end just so I don’t create a memory.”

England batter Dan Lawrence is swapping Essex for Surrey, agreeing a three-year deal with the reigning county champions.

Lawrence is a local favourite at Chelmsford having come through the ranks from Chingford Cricket Club and his departure at the end of the season will be a hammer blow to Essex.

The 25-year-old has won 11 Test caps and is part of the current Ashes squad, but he will be hoping his switch to the Kia Oval can further enhance his international prospects.

Lawrence, who made his Essex debut as a 17-year-old and became the championship’s third youngest centurion in 2015, has scored 5,898 runs in 112 first-class appearances with 13 hundreds.

His aggressive style has also brought success in short-form cricket and he boasts a strike-rate of 140.16 in T20 cricket.

“It is with a heavy heart that I will be leaving Essex at the end of this season. Essex is the county who taught me how to play the game, developed me as a person and allowed me to play the sport I love professionally,” he said.

“At this stage of my career, I believe a move to the Oval offers a new challenge and would hugely benefit my own ambitions. Whilst an incredibly difficult decision, it is one that I am taking to continue my development as a cricketer.”

The Brown Caps’ director of cricket, former England captain Alec Stewart, was enthused about the latest addition to his star-studded squad.

“I first saw Dan play as a 17-year-old when he scored 161 against us in just his second first-class game, and it was obvious he had the potential to become a very special player.

“When a player of his calibre becomes available, the opportunity to bring him to the club was something I was exceptionally keen to try and make happen.

“After just a couple of conversations it was apparent, he wants to fulfil his ambitions of being the very best player he can be and become an England regular in all formats.”

England captain Ben Stokes pointed to Stuart Broad’s “incredible” record against Australia as the chief reason the veteran seamer got the nod over Mark Wood for the first Ashes Test.

Tussles with Australia have frequently brought out the best in Broad, who has taken 131 Ashes wickets in 35 Tests and 84 in 20 at home, where he averages a commendable 26.19 against England’s big rivals.

Virtuoso spells swung the series England’s way in 2009 and 2015 in particular and while Wood’s express pace presented a tempting alternative, it is Broad who will join a fast bowling attack also including James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, with Stokes as the auxiliary option in the curtain-raiser.

Ahead of the long-awaited opening day, Stokes said: “When you say Broad, Robinson, Anderson, it’s a pretty good three guys to say they’re in your starting XI.

“Broady’s record against Australia is incredible and it’s very hard to look past someone like that in the opening game of such a big series.

“I think what the Ashes brings, it’s just so hard to look past someone like that, it’s so hard to look past Jimmy and Robbo, who was incredible over the last year in all conditions. I’m very happy with the team we have.”

Broad has 43 wickets at an average of 24.06 in 10 Edgbaston Tests, including five for 86 against Australia in 2019.

His selection means he is set to continue his rivalry against Australia opener David Warner, who was dismissed seven times in 10 innings by the England quick in the 2019 series.

Asked if that was a factor in his selection, Stokes added: “I’d be lying if I said no.”

John Buchanan, the last man to coach Australia to an Ashes victory on English soil in 2001, believes the tourists need to shelve their “team ego” if they are to end their long winless run this summer.

England’s red-ball revolution over the past 12 months, with the buccaneering pair of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum at the helm, has cast them as the most daring, dynamic team in the world game.

They have batted at a pace more associated with one-day cricket, bowled to endlessly attacking fields and made a series of bold declarations to push games forward, winning 11 Tests out of 13 along the way.

Buchanan oversaw a 4-1 victory 22 years ago to keep Australia’s era of dominance alive but was also in charge during the memorable summer of 2005 when Michael Vaughan’s men wrestled back the urn.

The Baggy Greens have since lost away series in 2009, 2013 and 2015 as well as drawing 2-2 four years ago, and Buchanan has identified a key issue if they wish to get back to winning ways.

He believes it is essential Australia are not suckered in to playing the game at their rivals’ preferred tempo and instead stick to their own more traditional methods.

“I think we are pointing to ego this summer, players’ ego, team ego. That will be the whole game,” he told the PA news agency.

“If there is one person in world cricket who has enough bravado, and the ability to back it up, it’s Ben Stokes.

“Australia need to know their response. The first way would be to just play a negative game, bowl one side of the wicket, bowl wide of the crease, set a leg-side field. But that feels like a backward step when this English team is really attracting interest to Test cricket.

“It doesn’t feel like a very Australian response either, it feels more like how the old England teams would respond.

“The other way is just to bat for long periods of time, and that’s where ego will play a part. England might well go at five an over, pile on 250 and be all out by tea on day five. But that leaves so much of the game left and Australia need to realise that going at three an over, or a little more, is enough to build a sizeable lead if they go long.

“To do that they need to not allow their ego to get in the road of their batting. I would expect the coach Andrew McDonald to be hammering that home, saying: “Bat long, bat lots”. That’s the game.”

The 2023 Ashes is set to be one of the most exciting in history, with a resurgent England taking on Test champions Australia.

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have led England to 11 victories in 13 matches since their appointments as captain and coach last summer, while Australia cemented their status as the best five-day team in the world by thrashing India by 209 runs in the World Test Championship final.

Here, the PA news agency picks out five key stats ahead of the five-match series.

Travball

Freed up by Stokes’ and McCullum’s ultra-positive mindset, England’s batters account for seven of the eight fastest strike rates among players with more than 500 runs to their name since the New Zealander was installed as coach on May 12, 2022.

Australia batter Travis Head is the only non-Englishman in the list, with his strike rate of 83.75 runs per 100 balls ranking fourth behind Harry Brook, Ben Duckett and Jonny Bairstow.

Stokes described Head as “so hard to bowl to” in the previous Ashes in Australia, in which he scored 357 runs – the most by anyone on either side – from just 415 balls faced.

He has maintained that form ever since, most recently in a trademark counter-attacking innings of 163 from 174 deliveries against India.

Head’s performances have seen him climb to third spot in the Test batting rankings, behind countrymen Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

Joe Root is the highest-ranked England batter in sixth.

The last time three batters from the same team were first, second and third in the Test rankings was in December 1984, when Gordon Greenidge, Clive Lloyd, and Larry Gomes from West Indies were at the top.

All out attack

While England’s cavalier batting under Stokes and McCullum has attracted lots of attention, their bowlers have been equally destructive by dismissing the opposition in 25 consecutive innings.

This is their longest run since 1978 and 1979, when England bowled out 26 successive opponents in a sequence that brought series wins against Pakistan and New Zealand, plus a 5-1 Ashes success in Australia.

The wickets have been shared among 14 players during the current run, with veteran seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad – as well as the injured Jack Leach – leading the way on 45 apiece.

Anderson has the best overall figures having claimed his scalps at an average of 17.62, ahead of Ollie Robinson who has 27 wickets at 21.25.

Matthew Potts has chipped in with 23 victims, ahead of captain and Durham team-mate Stokes on 20.

Then comes a bit of a gap to Root on nine wickets and Mark Wood – who has only played two Tests under Stokes and McCullum – on eight.

The overlooked Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks took seven and six wickets in Pakistan respectively, while Josh Tongue claimed a five-for on debut against Ireland at Lord’s.

Jamie Overton (two), Brook (one) and Matt Parkinson (one) have also contributed, while there have been five run-outs and one retirement through injury.

Stokes fitness worries

Stokes’ bowling capability remains somewhat shrouded in mystery ahead of the first Test.

England’s captain has been recovering from a troublesome left knee and – despite insisting he is ready to bowl – has sent down only nine overs in six Test innings so far in 2023.

He also bowled only one over for Chennai Super Kings in this year’s Indian Premier League and was described by coach Stephen Fleming as “batting cover” during the second half of the tournament.

Stokes’ all-round abilities are key to the balance of England’s side, particularly given his preference for fast, flat pitches which could result in bowlers having to get through lots of overs.

Meanwhile, Australia all-rounder Cameron Green – who is playing in an Ashes in England for the first time – has enjoyed a promising start to his Test career.

He has lost only three of the 21 matches he has played in.

Indomitable Lyon

Nathan Lyon has played a remarkable 98 consecutive Tests for Australia, the joint-sixth longest run in history.

The 35-year-old off-spinner – who took four for 41 to help dismiss India in their second innings and clinch the World Test Championship – has not missed a single game since sitting out the opening two Tests of the 2013 Ashes in England.

While Lyon is unlikely to break the record held by former England captain Sir Alastair Cook (159), he is already out on his own among bowlers.

All-rounders Garry Sobers (85), Kapil Dev (66) and Ian Botham (65) have been surpassed, although India’s Dev can consider himself unlucky not to hold the bowlers’ record having missed only one Test in his 131-match career.

Lyon’s omnipresence is in stark contrast with his opposite number Moeen Ali, who is returning to red-ball cricket after nearly two years away as an emergency replacement for the injured Leach.

Moeen admitted this week that he has “never been able to hold an end up” and the stats back this up – his economy rate of 3.61 runs per over is far worse than Lyon’s 2.92.

However, he has a better strike rate than his Australian counterpart, taking a wicket every 60.7 deliveries compared with Lyon’s 63.7.

Absent friend

This will be the first Ashes series since Shane Warne’s sudden death in March 2022.

Warne will be forever synonymous with the urn, having taken more wickets against England than any other player in Test history (195).

The Australian introduced himself to Ashes cricket in 1993 by dismissing Mike Gatting with his very first ball. The delivery – which pitched outside leg and clipped the top of off – was subsequently dubbed the “ball of the century”.

Warne went on to claim 129 Ashes wickets in England at an average of 21.94, compared with 66 scalps at 25.81 in his native Australia.

He won 24 of the 36 Ashes Tests he played in, losing seven and drawing five.

Two of those defeats came in 2005, which was arguably Warne’s greatest Ashes performance despite him finishing on the losing side.

The leg-spinner claimed 40 wickets at an average of 19.92, including six in both innings in the fifth Test at the Oval as Australia tried unsuccessfully to prevent an England series victory.

Andre Russell and Chris Gayle are among some of the marquee players drafted for the 2023 edition of the Global T20 Canada that returns after an absence of four years.

Previously held in 2018 and 2019, the third edition of the league will bowl off July 20 and conclude on August 6 in Ontario after a four-year hiatus.

Russell has signed to play for Montreal Tigers and will play alongside Shakib al Hasan, Sherfane Rutherford and Carlos Brathwaite as well as Zahir Khan.

Gayle, meanwhile, will suit up for Mississauga Panthers where his power-hitting skills will be complemented by the likes of Shoaib Malik, James Neesham and Cameron Delport.

The other teams in the Global T20 Canada are the Surrey Tigers,  Brampton Wolves, Vancouver Knights and Toronto Nationals.

Surrey completed the second-highest successful run chase in County Championship history by reaching 501 to beat Kent.

Dom Sibley’s marathon, unbeaten 140 – from 415 balls and spanning 580 minutes – underpinned a sensational effort from the champions as they eclipsed their previous highest chase of 410 in 2002.

In finishing on 501 for five Surrey achieved the highest winning target in the County Championship since Middlesex chased down 502 to beat Nottinghamshire in 1925.

Ben Foakes (124) also completed a century on the final day while Jordan Clark hit the winning run shortly after tea.

Elsewhere, Sam Cook, Simon Harmer and Jamie Porter helped Essex record a 196-run victory over Somerset.

Fast bowler Cook grabbed two wickets in two deliveries with the new ball before Harmer took two more to claim match figures of eight for 178 and Porter rounded off the tail.

Somerset needed to bat out 151 overs, or reach 466 to win, but they were eventually bowled out for 269 with two sessions to spare.

Lancashire made short work of scoring the 92 runs they required to clinch a six-wicket victory against Hampshire in just over an hour’s play on day four.

An unbeaten 64 by Red Rose captain Dane Vilas steered his side to a first championship win of the season before lunch.

Joe Clarke turned his first red-ball century for 21 months into a maiden double-hundred as Nottinghamshire denied Warwickshire victory.

Thanks to Clarke’s unbeaten 229, spanning eight hours and 38 minutes, Notts clawed back a deficit of 416 on first innings after following on.

In Division Two, Worcestershire fell agonisingly short of their target of 386 in a tense draw with Sussex.

All four results were possible with two deliveries of the match remaining, before Joe Leach needed five off the final ball but a swing and a miss left the visitors stranded on 381 for eight.

Chris Wright and Callum Parkinson took four wickets apiece as Leicestershire dismissed Gloucestershire for 202.

That left the Foxes needing 221 to win and they got home for the loss of five wickets with Rehan Ahmed hitting a rapid 71 and Colin Ackermann making 78 not out.

Yorkshire celebrated a championship victory for the first time in 14 months as they knocked off 65 to beat Derbyshire by three wickets.

Shan Masood’s unbeaten 95 off 112 deliveries and a run-a-ball 41 not out from Dom Bess saw the visitors home after Dawid Malan had fallen to the first ball of the day.

Chris Cooke (134 not out) and Timm van der Gugten (52 not out) batted Glamorgan to a draw at Durham with an unbroken stand of 153.

England’s Harry Brook can appreciate the appeal of a lucrative life as a T20 specialist but insists nothing will ever compare to the feeling of living out his Ashes dreams.

On Friday, Brook will fulfil a lifelong ambition when he takes the field against Australia in the first Test, a goal he has chased since he first started hitting balls as an infant.

Brook’s love of the sport comes from his upbringing in a devoted cricketing family from Burley-in-Wharfedale and, although he recently banked a cool £1.3million for a two-month stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, he is clear where he feels the real riches are.

“This is absolutely a childhood dream. My dad always says as soon as I could talk I said that I wanted to play for England and here we are,” said the 24-year-old after a lengthy net session at Edgbaston.

“My dad and my two uncles and my grandad all played at my local club. It all stemmed from there really.

“I was growing up watching the very best players from England and Australia facing each other. Obviously the 2005 Ashes was a big one.

“I can always remember the over (Andrew) Flintoff bowled to (Ricky) Ponting and KP (Kevin Pietersen) smacking it everywhere against Warne and McGrath, those boys.

“You can understand why people don’t want to play Test cricket because there’s so many franchise competitions out there and there’s so much money you can get.

“It’s like being a footballer – you don’t play for five days, you get three months at home – but for me Test cricket is the pinnacle. The best players play Test cricket and the best players perform in Test cricket.”

Brook went from emerging prospect to one of the hottest properties on the planet over the winter, named player of the series during a historic whitewash over Pakistan after reeling off a hat-trick of hundreds in Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi.

He followed with another in Mount Maunganui and, despite a disappointing IPL that saw one century among a string of low scores, the 24-year-old heads into his first meeting with Australia boasting a formidable record in the Test arena.

It is hard to say which is more eye-catching, his average of 81.80 or a strike-rate of 99.03, but combined they hint at a rare talent who is riding the crest of a wave.

Australia’s attack, by common consensus, represents a step up in intensity. So too the wider fanfare and scrutiny that comes with the Ashes platform.

But Brook retains a refreshingly unaffected view of his own role and is eager to throw himself into the challenge.

“The Australians might have a little bit of extra pace, but if they bowl quicker it tends to go to the boundary quicker,” he said with a grin.

“I’m just looking to play the ball and I’m not really bothered who’s bowling at me. It’s the same old ball coming down. Obviously, they’re good but it’s just another cricket ball coming at me.

“I’ve always wanted to play against the best players in the world and see how good I really am.”

His success as a stand-in for Jonny Bairstow forced England into a selection dilemma when the latter returned from a broken leg. In the end, Bairstow returned at the expense of wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

Retaining the number five slot, the same position his fellow Yorkshireman had just enjoyed a career-best run of form prior to his injury, was a major show of faith in Brook and also a relief.

Some had advocated moving him up to the top of the order to accommodate Bairstow and Foakes, but his previous experiences at the head of the innings in county cricket left him wary about the prospect.

“There was obviously a lot of talk about me going up to opening the batting but thank God I’m not doing that. They never asked thankfully,” he said.

“Obviously it gives me a lot of confidence knowing I’m going to be batting five and they’ve backed me batting there.

“I feel like I’m more part of the team now, obviously as a deputy you don’t quite feel like you’re meant to be there if you know what I mean. So to have been contributing and gain a few match winning performances this winter has meant the world and I feel a big part of the team now.”

Steve Smith is happy to be kicking off another Ashes series at Edgbaston, four years on from a performance he ranks as the most enjoyable of his 97 Tests in a Baggy Green.

The notoriously raucous Birmingham crowd subjected Smith and team-mate David Warner to a volley of boos and jeers in 2019, as the pair made their return to Test cricket following year-long bans for their roles in the sandpaper scandal.

Some fans in the notoriously merciless Eric Hollies Stand even donned cardboard face masks of Smith crying at a press conference during the height of the ball-tampering drama, but the Australian was all smiles by the end of the match.

Not only did Australia win that first Test by 251 runs, Smith made centuries in both innings as he reeled off knocks of 144 and 142 to re-assert himself as a master of his craft after 12 months in exile.

“I think that Test match is probably my favourite out of my career so far, given the circumstances and the importance of a first Ashes Test, particularly away from home,” he said ahead of Friday’s series opener.

“I’ve had a couple of good ones. It would be nice to repeat it again but I’m just going to go out there and go through my routines and do what I need to do, and hopefully I can score some runs and help the team out.

“Coming back here I’ve got some wonderful memories and some things I can draw from.

“However I know it’s a new series, it’s a new year, a new Ashes, so I can draw on those experiences but not read too much into it.

“You go to different grounds around the world that you’ve done well at and you can take some positives out of those and sort of move forward with them, but ultimately it’s another game.”

Smith hit 774 runs in just seven innings in 2019, averaging a remarkable 110.57, and his ability to bat long and deep has the potential to cause England plenty of problems again.

He restated his fondness for the conditions with a 31st Test hundred against India during last week’s World Test Championship win over India at the Kia Oval, but while he will undoubtedly be a prize scalp he is not alone.

On Tuesday the latest set of ICC player rankings were published, giving Australia all three of the world’s top three batters. Smith settled in at two, behind Marnus Labuschagne and narrowly ahead of the in-form Travis Head.

“I think it’s cool to see us all at the top of the tree,” Smith said.

“I think those two in particular, the improvements they’ve made over the last four or five years have been exceptional. We all do it completely differently, obviously Trav comes out and plays very aggressively and takes the game on. It’s sort of a ‘see ball, hit ball’ mentality.

“Marnus and I probably think our way through situations a little bit differently, but it is cool to see the hard work of those guys pay off and for them to get themselves up there in the rankings.”

England have favoured Stuart Broad’s experience over Mark Wood’s raw pace for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, naming their playing XI two days early in a show of confidence.

With James Anderson and Ollie Robinson fit to return to the XI after resting injury niggles against Ireland at Lord’s, there was just one spot left in the seam attack for Friday’s series opener.

Stokes has previously spoken of his desire to have a 90mph option at his disposal and, with Jofra Archer and Olly Stone on the sidelines, the temptation to unleash the quickest bowler in the country must have been considerable.

But Wood was edged out by Broad, who led the attack impressively against the Irish at the start of the month and whose record of 162 caps and 582 wickets is bettered only by Anderson.

His selection guarantees another chapter in the 36-year-old’s storied rivalry with Australia opener David Warner, who floundered badly against Broad in 2019, when the Englishman dismissed him seven times in 10 innings.

With Moeen Ali slotting straight in at number eight after agreeing to rescind his Test retirement, the only question that lingers over the England side concerns the fitness of captain Ben Stokes.

His longstanding left knee problems have been a source of constant speculation, but he has ramped up his participation in training over the past 48 hours. He bowled 12 deliveries in a gentle centre practice on Monday, getting through his action but never threatening full pace, and raised that to around 18 in the nets on Tuesday.

Despite wearing heavy strapping he was quickly up to near full speed in what was his most thorough workout in months and also appeared to bat pain-free. Just how much he is able to contribute with the ball is an open question but had he been fully fit to play an enforcer role it may well have helped Wood’s case.

He is best used over short, sharp spells of three to four overs and a fully active seam-bowling all-rounder can help pick up the slack.

Opener Ben Duckett and number five Harry Brook are the only players in the side to be making their Ashes debuts in Birmingham, while Broad and Anderson have both taken the field 35 times against the old enemy.

Harry Brook is ready to live out his Ashes dream over the next six weeks and hopes to recreate the impact of England’s 2005 heroes.

Anticipation is reaching fever pitch ahead of Friday’s first Test at Edgbaston, with some suggesting the series is primed to be the biggest and best since Michael Vaughan’s men reclaimed the urn in unforgettable fashion 18 years ago.

Yorkshire batter Brook has had a remarkable start to his international career, hitting four centuries in his first seven Tests and winning the T20 World Cup, but is eager to embrace his biggest challenge yet.

“It’s definitely a dream come true to be involved in my first Ashes,” he said.

“I was growing up watching the very best players from England and Australia facing each other.

“Obviously the 2005 Ashes was a big one. I can always remember the over (Andrew) Flintoff bowled to (Ricky) Ponting and KP (Kevin Pietersen) smacking it everywhere against (Shane) Warne and (Glenn) McGrath, those boys.

“They were my earliest memories. I’m going to go out there and play the way I have done in the last 12 months. I hope that’s enough to inspire a few too.”

The Ageas Bowl will host an Ashes Test for the first time during the 2027 series.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has announced its venues to host men’s and women’s international cricket over a seven-year period between 2025 and 2031.

Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl was included on the list of grounds to be used for the 2027 Ashes, with Headingley and Emirates Old Trafford set to miss out for that five-match series.

Headingley and Emirates Old Trafford will return as venues for the 2031 Ashes series alongside Lord’s, Kia Oval and Trent Bridge.

Meanwhile, England Women will play at Lord’s during each year of this seven-year international schedule.

The Ashes Test for the women’s multi-format series in 2027 will be hosted by Headingley, while the Ageas Bowl will be used for the 2031 series.

Edgbaston will also remain the home of Vitality Blast Finals Day for the next eight years.

“Allocations have been announced for seven years, rather than the previous five-year period, to give venues greater certainty and to encourage sustainable investment in facilities,” an ECB statement read.

“For the first time, the same process has been used for allocating men’s and women’s international matches, over the same period.”