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"Would be exciting": Ben Stokes hints at Archer-Wood pairing in England XI for 1st Ashes Test

Akshita Patel

Ben Stokes on England's pace lineup [Source: @ICC, @Rajiv1841/X.com]Ben Stokes on England's pace lineup [Source: @ICC, @Rajiv1841/X.com]

England captain Ben Stokes is thrilled to have his full pace attack fit and ready ahead of the first Ashes Test against Australia in Perth. With Jofra Archer and Mark Wood both in good rhythm, Stokes is seriously considering unleashing the speed duo together.

The Englishmen have arrived in Australia with a strong pool of fast bowlers, including Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Wood, and Archer. 

Ben Stokes boasts his pace-heavy bowling lineup

All of them will get a chance to impress in the warm-up game against the England Lions, starting Thursday.

However, fitting all of them into the playing XI will be impossible, leaving skipper Ben Stokes with some big decisions to make.

"It's great to have the X-factor that Joff and Woody possess in terms of pace. Woody's obviously got over his knee surgery that he had quite a while ago. He's overcome that and he's looking really, really good. Joff has been out in the park for two and a half years now so it's great seeing those two flying in and getting some fast balls down there. Whether or not they get through (picked for) the first Test series probably remains to be seen," Stokes told reporters.

The idea of pairing Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, both capable of bowling over 150 km/h, is tempting for Stokes. However, he kept his cards close to his chest when asked if both would play together. 

"It would be exciting, wouldn't it?. It's nine days until that first Test starts, so there's a lot of time for stuff to form into place or for something to happen. But, at the moment, from a fast bowling point of view, the guys that we've picked are all in really, really good shape," he added.

While Stokes is excited about England’s pace depth, he also emphasised that raw speed alone won’t be enough to trouble Australia’s strong batting lineup.

"I think both sides have got very strong bowling attacks and it's not all just about pace. But it's not just all about pace, it's about skill. We're fortunate enough that we've got a battery of fast bowlers who not only bowl at good pace, but are also extremely skillful in any condition."

England to turn up with a formidable squad

Meanwhile, England have named a strong 16-member squad for the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia, led by Ben Stokes. 

The pace department looks fierce with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, and Josh Tongue all available. 

Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Harry Brook headline the batting unit, while Jamie Smith is the wicketkeeper. 

With a fully fit pace attack, England aim to reclaim the Ashes in what promises to be a fiery contest.

England's squad for full Ashes series: Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood