| The Ashes, 2001 |
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| Australia |
| STEVE WAUGH. Born: June 2, 1965. Captain. Right-hand bat, right-arm medium pace bowler. 8,965 runs at 50.93 with 25 centuries and 89 wickets in 135 tests since 1985. Won the Allan Border Medal in February as Australia's cricketer of the year. Took over as captain after Mark Taylor's retirement in February 1999 and has given the team an even harder edge, leading Australia to a world record of 16 consecutive test victories. Averaged 126.50 in tests in 1989 series when Border's team regained the Ashes in England. Waugh is now preparing for his fourth Ashes tour, still placing an enormous value on his wicket. The only member of the Australian team to have played in a losing series against England, in 1986-87. |
| ADAM GILCHRIST. Born: November 14, 1971. Left-hand bat, wicketkeeper. 994 runs at 47.33 and 75 dismissals in 17 tests since 1999. Has enjoyed an amazing entry into test cricket, excelling with bat and gloves in victory after victory and is already vice-captain. Bats at number seven and acts as a genuine all-rounder with aggressive shot-making. His keeping was criticized when he replaced icon Ian Healy but Gilchrist has worked hard on that area. Rarely lets the side down, despite his enormous workload, which includes opening the batting in one-day matches. |
| DAMIEN FLEMING. Born: April 24, 1970. Right-arm fast bowler. 75 wickets at 25.89 in 20 tests since 1994. Genuine swing bowler who moves the ball away with ease to slip after a loping approach to the wicket. Has battled injuries and missed 5-0 test sweep of West Indies in Australia in 2000-01 season. Expected to enjoy the seam-friendly English conditions. |
| JASON GILLESPIE. Born: April 19, 1975. Right-arm fast bowler. 83 wickets at 22.53 in 21 tests since 1996. Had to pass a fitness test on his injured foot before being cleared for Ashes tour. Only once, in Perth last year against West Indies, has the pace trio of Gillespie, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee played together and Australia are banking on all three to avoid injury on this England tour. Likely to bowl first change which would be a luxury for Australia. |
| MATTHEW HAYDEN. Born: October 29, 1971. Left-hand opening bat. 1,085 runs at 40.18 in 16 tests since 1994. Came of age on recent Indian tour, establishing himself at the top of the order alongside Michael Slater by producing 549 runs in the three-test series with two centuries and an average of 109.50 in a losing side. After battling rival openers Taylor, Slater and Matthew Elliott for so long, Hayden is poised to stamp his authority on test cricket and forms a free-scoring partnership with Slater. |
| SIMON KATICH. Born: August 21, 1975. Left-hand bat. Yet to make test debut. Went on Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe tours of 1999 but contracted chicken pox. Returned to some of his best form for Western Australia state in 2000-01. Elegant strokeplayer. Might push for a middle-order berth if senior players struggle. |
| JUSTIN LANGER. Born: November 21, 1970. Left-hand bat. 2,577 runs in 41 tests at 39.04 since 1993. Holds down the vital number three post, solid in defense with good concentration. Is a renowned fighter and would rarely have to answer to Steve Waugh about why he threw his wicket away with a loose shot. His recent form is modest, however, averaging only 32.20 in three tests in India and 25.37 in the five-test series against West Indies in 2000-01. |
| BRETT LEE. Born: November 8, 1976. Right-arm fast bowler. Impressive career so far of 42 wickets from seven tests at 16.07 since making debut in December 1999 in Melbourne against India with match-figures of 7-78. One of the world's few genuine fast bowlers and generally bowls a good line. Blessed with blond rock-star looks, Lee has thrilled Australian crowds, leaping high into the air with great exuberance to celebrate each wicket. Missed the Indian tour with an elbow injury. |
| DAMIEN MARTYN. Born: October 21, 1971. Right-hand bat, right-arm medium-pace bowler. 638 runs at 42.53 in 11 tests since 1992. Was desperately unlucky not to play a test on the Indian tour when Ricky Ponting was out of form but still held his place. With 1,580 runs at 39.5 in 74 one-day internationals, Martyn will be looking to use the one-day series against England and Pakistan to push his test claims. A free-scoring middle-order batsman. |
| GLENN MCGRATH. Born: February 9, 1970. Right-arm fast bowler. Regarded as the metronome of the attack for his relentless accuracy and ability to play virtually non-stop without injury. 326 wickets at 21.71 at a strike-rate of 51.4 in 70 tests, comparing favorably to Dennis Lillee's 355 at 23.92 (strike rate 52.0) in 70 tests. McGrath is poised to overhaul Lillee's tally, but not quite in this series. Waugh traditionally looks to McGrath and Warne in times of trouble. |
| COLIN MILLER. Born: February 6 1964. Right-arm off-spinner. Named in February as Australia's test cricketer of the year, Miller's is a remarkable story, having made his test debut aged 34, six months after changing from medium pace to off-spin. 69 wickets at 26.15 in 18 tests. Achieved fame during recent home series against West Indies by coloring his hair blue for the Sydney test, causing tailender Courtney Walsh to pull away from the crease, doubled over in laughter. Miller is nicknamed "Funky" and continues to produce in his supporting role to Warne. |
| RICKY PONTING. Born: December 19, 1974. Right-hand bat,right-arm medium-pace bowler. One of the world's leading fieldsmen. Normally brimming with confidence, the talented middle-order batsman lost his way in India against the spinners, scoring 17 runs in five innings. Needs a big Ashes tour to re-establish himself, with Damien Martyn threatening his place. Found excellent form in the recent triangular series, and was three times made man of the match. |
| MICHAEL SLATER. Born: February 21, 1970. Right-hand opening bat. Separated from his wife and opted to spend the time before the Ashes series commentating on the Pakistan test series in England. Slater had a difficult time in India, averaging 33.20 and clashing infamously with Indian batsman Rahul Dravid and the umpire over a disputed catch the Australian had claimed. Has made 14 test centuries and loves to score quickly but regularly gets out in the nineties. |
| WADE SECCOMBE. Born: October 30 1971. Late inclusion as reserve wicketkeeper. Right-hand bat. Equaled Rod Marsh's record for the most first-class dismissals in an Australian season, with 67 victims in 1999-2000. Long-time back-up to Ian Healy for Queensland state, has totaled 339 dismissals in 69 first-class matches and hit 2,089 runs at 25.16. Regarded as a surprise choice by some after Brad Haddin from New South Wales state had deputized for Gilchrist recently at national level. |
| SHANE WARNE. Born: September 13, 1969. Right-arm leg-break bowler. One of Wisden's five cricketers of the century. Australia's greatest-ever wicket-taker with 376 wickets at 26.62 in 87 tests, Warne overcame shoulder problems and talk of retirement with a stunning display in the 1999 World Cup. This followed his being dropped from a vital test on the Caribbean tour earlier that year. Took only 10 wickets for 505 runs on three-test Indian tour in March but had missed the entire West Indies series in Australian summer because of a finger injury. Coach John Buchanan criticized Warne's fitness during the Indian tour. Steve Waugh immediately backed his champion bowler and the board stripped Buchanan of his place on the selection panel for the Ashes tour. |
| MARK WAUGH. Born: June 2, 1965. Right-hand bat, right-arm off-spinner. 7,081 runs at 41.65 in 111 tests since 1991. Steve Waugh beat his twin Mark by one vote in February to win the Allan Border Medal as Australia's cricketer of the year. Mark appeared untroubled on the field despite being under scrutiny again during the Australian summer over bookmaker allegations. His reputation took a battering in 1998 when it was revealed Waugh and Warne accepted money from an illegal bookmaker four years earlier. Mark still makes batting look easy and is a big danger to England's attack. |
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