England Aiming for Career-Defining Ashes Win in Australia

England head coach Brendon McCullum says his team is chasing a moment that could define their careers. With the Ashes starting Friday in Perth, McCullum believes winning the series in Australia would be one of England’s biggest achievements in years.

Since McCullum and captain Ben Stokes took charge in 2022, England has played a bold and attacking style known as “Bazball.” It has brought excitement and quick scoring, but the real test now comes in Australia — a place where England has struggled for decades.

Winning the Ashes on Australian soil is one of the toughest challenges in cricket. England has done it only three times in the last 50 years, with the last victory coming in the 2010-11 series. Even more surprising, England has not won a single Test match in Australia since then.

McCullum says this long drought makes the upcoming series even more meaningful.

“This team has been together for a couple of years and we’ve been building toward this moment,” he told the BBC. “It’s the biggest stage. These are the kinds of series that shape teams and the players in them.”

Australia will be missing two star fast bowlers — captain Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood — in the first Test because of injuries. Still, as the number one team in the world, they remain strong favorites at home and will expect to make things tough for England again.

Brendon McCullum, however, likes England’s chances.

“We’ve got our team to the start line. I feel like our horse is ready to run,” he said. “Whether another horse ends up being better — we’ll see.”

England has named a 12-man squad for the first Test, including fast bowler Mark Wood, who is returning to Test cricket for the first time since August 2024. His raw pace could be a key weapon on the fast Perth pitch.

As Friday approaches, one thing feels clear: if England manages to win the Ashes in Australia, it would be a defining moment for the Bazball era and a highlight in modern English cricket.

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