Dom Bess will "never ever turn down" chance to play Ashes in Australia

After having a horrendous tour of India that led to exclusion from the Test side, England young off-spinner Dom Bess is not thinking twice over whether he should travel to Australia for the Ashes series irrespective of the Covid-19 norms imposed by the Australian government. 

He has said that the Ashes series has been a “pinnacle” and he would “never ever turn it down” albeit there are rumours about England players contemplating pulling out of the series due to the government’s policy.

Calling the series an opportunity that gives him “goosebumps”, Bess emphasized that no one who can see a larger goal can deny the opportunity of going out there and defeating Australia in their own backyard.

"It gives me goosebumps talking about it. It is the pinnacle. Just watching the 2005 Ashes and then being at school and staying up all night to watch 2010-11 when Cooky [Alastair Cook] scored hundred after hundred. That is the pinnacle of the career - everyone thinks about it. It is a tough ask. Obviously I don't know what will be happening about Australia and their regulations - but I think if your name was on the ticket and you were going to an Ashes series as a 24-year-old, a young lad, you would never ever turn that down,” Bess said.

"I think it would be very tough leaving family and supporters at home, but it is an Ashes series away from home - something you dream of, playing against Australia in Australia and looking to win there. Certainly, you wouldn't turn that down. I don't think anyone who dreams of doing that would be able to turn that down."

Bess was the leading England spinner until the start of the Test series against India but his inaccuracy with line and length did not make skipper Joe Root confident of his spinning abilities. He was dropped from the second Test after a relatively successful first Test with the ball and came back only in the final Test where his morale and confidence to land the ball in the right areas were certainly out of order.

The career seemed to be out of track for Bess after the series as he expectedly did not find a place in the Test squad to face New Zealand at home. However, the disenchantment did not last longer for Bess as England have recalled him in the squad for the first two Tests against India.

Bess has not had a great time with the ball in the initial phase of the County Championship either but a tally of 23 wickets from 10 games does not look terrible either on pitches not so much conducive for spin bowling.

However, Bess is not at all putting a lot of pressure on himself leading up to the Test series against India and is instead willing to enjoy the series after having worked his way back to the side.

"It is an exciting time but there is no pressure from me to put myself under. I just want to enjoy this series because I know how much I have worked this summer and what I have done,” Bess said.

The Test series between India and England is scheduled to kick in from August 04 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham while the Ashes series is scheduled to start in the fag end of the year.