New Delhi, Nov 8 (IANS) Former Australian cricketer Merv Hughes has raised concerns over Mark Wood and Jofra Archer’s full-series availability ahead of the all-important Ashes beginning on November 21 at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

With less than two weeks remaining until one of the most anticipated Test series commences, concerns have arisen about Archer and Wood’s fitness and their limited experience bowling in Australia. Having already arrived in Perth, the pair will be the main figures of England’s bowling attack against a strong Australian batting line-up.

Hughes, who took 75 wickets of his 212 Test career scalps against England, questioned whether the fast-bowling duo could withstand five Tests.

“It’s a wait and see isn’t it? Because it’s such a compact series, you would think it’d be unlikely. And the thing that has got to be of concern to England is the amount of cricket that Wood and Archer have played in the last probably two years, and combine that with Australia’s wickets being a lot harder and a lot more rugged on the body. So if they’re not match-ready, and they try and get a bit out of them, it could be detrimental to those two,” Hughes told Code Sports.

Wood is the sole member of England’s bowling lineup with Test experience in Australia, and injuries have affected his career. The 35-year-old hasn’t taken part in a five-day Test since August 2024, when he played against Sri Lanka.

The Durham cricketer spent most of this year recovering from a knee injury, and told reporters on Friday that he would need to wait and see if he would be fit enough to play all five Tests for five days.

“Last time we were here I was able to play four of five, which I was really delighted about. We’ve got a good depth in our bowlers, so we know if one misses out to be prepared for the next game,” he said.

Injuries have also derailed Archer’s career, who has missed the last two Ashes series. Additionally, none of the 15 Tests that the 30-year-old has played were in Australia.

The next players in line are Josh Tongue or Brydon Carse, along with Gus Atkinson, in case Archer and Wood are unavailable.

–IANS

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