139 years! Ashes will no more rule August. Reports say that Ashes will shift forward to make that space clear. It will help the availability of English players for the Hundred tournament.
However, some top cricketers from England have cut their names from the Hundred this year. It includes stars like Jonny Bairstow and the red ball skipper Benjamin Stokes. It is due to their hectic busy schedule. England recently hosted New Zealand in a test series. Moreover, they faced India too, right after that. Now knocking is the three-match series against the Proteas from 17th August.
On Friday, a report in the Daily Mail claimed that the 2023 Ashes will shift forward. August won’t be locked for the prestigious series. However, it further added,
“Such scheduling will further antagonise traditional supporters of the game, who are worried about its future amid a glut of Twenty20 leagues springing up around the globe”.
However, it’s absolutely clear that this initiative will enable top players availability for the Hundred tournament.
Ashes shifted to enable Hundreds of doors open
In the last 2021/22 Ashes series in Australia, the host utterly dominated the English. England faced a helpless defeat by 4-0. Nights changed instantly. Joe Root stepped down from the throne of captain, followed by England’s test defeat against WI by 0-1.
However, it’s the new captain Ben Stokes leading his team against their most prominent rival. First time as a captain, but definitely experienced and aware of the World’s one fiercest cricketing rivalries.
The report in the Daily Mail, however, added that,
“shifting the Ashes to an earlier slot may be a regular occurrence under the next Future Tours Programme (FTP), which runs from 2024, with a Hundred window each year”.
The report said,
“Freeing up August exclusively for limited-overs cricket would increase the likelihood of the biggest names playing some part, while also helping preparations for the World Cup.
However, Cricket Australia is absolutely fine with the decision. Furthermore, Australia, right now, is enjoying a great position to play the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in early June.”
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