Biggest questions facing Australia and England, Root, Fleming’s England pose biggest threat yet, Can Australia’s ageing stars hold on

The countdown to cricket’s greatest rivalry is officially on.

With less than 12 months until the 2027 Ashes gets underway in England, both Australia and England face defining questions that could shape the outcome of one of the sport’s most anticipated series.

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Australia retained the urn with a dominant 4-1 triumph on home soil last summer, but winning in England presents an entirely different challenge.

While the tourists will once again start favourites, a revamped England side under Stephen Fleming will be desperate to reclaim the Ashes in home conditions.

From Australia’s next opening batsman and bowling attack to England’s new era, selection headaches and the battles that could define the series, there is no shortage of storylines before the first ball is bowled on June 18.

Fox Sports Australia looks at the biggest talking points heading into what promises to be a blockbuster 2027 Ashes series.

HOW WILL JOE ROOT AND STEPHEN FLEMING FARE?

Much has been made of the changes surrounding the English Test team since the last Ashes series.

With Brendon McCullum stepping down as coach and Ben Stokes retiring from Test cricket, the coach-captain combination that led the transformative ‘Bazball’ era has departed, opening the door to a new chapter in English cricket.

Taking over as head coach is Stephen Fleming, the former New Zealand captain who represented his country from 1994 to 2008 and was also a teammate of departing coach McCullum.

Widely regarded as one of the best coaches in world cricket, Fleming will be looking to leave his mark in the lead-up to the Ashes, with Australian legends Allan Border and Adam Gilchrist both endorsing his appointment.

“I’ve got the utmost respect for him. He’s a quality person, a fine thinker of the game and an outstanding tactician as a captain,” Gilchrist told Foxsports.com.au.

“Just a really sensible, matter-of-fact guy. I don’t think there’s too much outrageous creativity, but through deep thought he does have a creative component.

“I guess the fact all his coaching has been around T20 (could be a challenge), but that doesn’t mean it can’t be transferred.”

Border also believes Fleming’s close relationship with McCullum will benefit England, particularly with McCullum remaining involved in the white-ball setup.

“With Stephen Fleming, I think that’s a very good appointment in that he’s very good friends with Brendon McCullum,” Border told Foxsports.com.au.

“They’re business partners, they’re best mates, but they’re very different characters.

“So I think Stephen Fleming will bring a calmer voice and a calmer way of playing the game, and Joe Root will benefit from having that right-hand man there to keep things on an even keel.”

The changes didn’t stop there, with England announcing the return of Joe Root as Test captain following Stokes’ retirement.

Root captained England in 65 Tests between 2017 and 2022 and brings the experience and composure to steady the ship as England attempts to re-establish itself as a powerhouse of world cricket.

For Gilchrist, however, the appointment came as a surprise.

“That surprised me a little bit,” Gilchrist said.

“A bit surprised that Joe would feel inclined to go back into the captain’s position given the way it all finished for him as captain and what he’s been able to do since then.

“Maybe they didn’t feel they had a ready-made candidate at this point in time. So good on him for taking it on for his country.”

Border shared a similar view.

“I think it will be a good move because I think he will have learnt from his mistakes,” Border said.

“Obviously he’s grown as a cricketer and as a person, and as a leader within the game. I would’ve thought he would’ve been one of the leadership group regardless.

“He has scored a mountain of runs. Those guys should be walking over broken glass to play with him and for him. That’s my judgment.

“I mean, he’s scored nearly 15,000 runs. Without Joe Root, England would be struggling.”

Despite the positivity surrounding the appointment, former captain Ben Stokes admitted he still had concerns, speaking on the For The Love Of Cricket podcast.

“I love Rooty, I wish him nothing but success,” Stokes said.

“I hope he goes on and achieves amazing things in his role as captain. I think he’s going to really enjoy Flem, he’s a great man. I’ve worked with Flem before.

“But I told Joe, my only worry is you. And that’s all I really care about now with Rooty because I’ve seen what he went through and how much he put himself through.

“For someone who always puts the team first, he always comes second. That’s my only concern with it, knowing what he went through last time he was in charge. I don’t want to see that happen again because I care for Joe a lot.”

Root later addressed the discussion surrounding his return, insisting he is a fundamentally different player and person than when he first held the role.

“I’m hugely different. Anyone who says in an eight-year period they were the same person they were at the start is probably lying,” Root said.

“I think that will be very similar in how I want to take this team forward.”

Despite backing Root publicly, Stokes admitted he was surprised vice-captain Harry Brook wasn’t elevated into the role.

“If you think someone’s going to be a good captain or a good leader, then just give it to them,” Stokes said.

“Even when I missed that Test match, I was like, ‘Why is Brooky not leading? He’s vice-captain.‘

“I understood the reasoning, but I was still like, ‘What message is that sending to him?’ He’s vice-captain and then the captain isn’t playing, but he’s not captain. Then the same thing happened again with the full-time job.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, however, believes England ultimately made the right decision by turning back to Root, despite acknowledging the appointment came after a turbulent period for English cricket.

“I wish him (Root) well but … I honestly don’t think there were many options,” Vaughan told Foxsports.com.au.

“Harry Brook has done well with the white-ball team, but to do all three formats at quite a young age for one of the most explosive players in the world would have been very, very tricky.”

Vaughan believes England has opted for the safest option as it attempts to usher in a new era under Fleming.

“It’s been a bit of a mess, and they’ve gone with the safe pair of hands,” he said.

“I know Joe didn’t light up the captaincy world the first time he did it, but when Joe got the captaincy, he had to deal with an England management that was trying to win a World Cup.

“I think Alastair Cook always makes a good point about captaincy, that you generally do it and then a couple of years after you finish, you kind of go, ‘Oh, I would’ve done X differently and Y differently’, because you become a bit older and a bit wiser.

“So you could argue Joe’s probably the ready-made captain now.”

Whether Root can thrive in his second stint as captain will become one of the defining storylines leading into the 2027 Ashes.

The 34-year-old remains the backbone of England’s batting line-up, having scored 805 runs at an average of 50.31 across 10 Tests in 2025, and his form will be central to England’s hopes of reclaiming the urn.

Just as importantly, Root and Fleming will be tasked with leading England into a new era and proving the sweeping changes made since last summer’s 4-1 Ashes defeat can finally close the gap on Australia.

WILL BEN STOKES RETURN?

Despite announcing his retirement during the third Test of England’s series against New Zealand, speculation has continued over whether Ben Stokes could make one final return for the 2027 Ashes on home soil.

Even Australian coach Andrew McDonald suggested Stokes could be tempted back, while England managing director Rob Key refused to completely close the door on what would be an unlikely comeback.

However, despite the rumours, Stokes has emphatically ruled out any chance of returning for the 2027 Ashes under new coach Stephen Fleming.

His comments come despite previously reversing his retirement from one-day internationals in 2023 to represent England at the ODI World Cup in India, proving he is no stranger to changing his mind.

Instead, the England great revealed his focus has already shifted towards life after playing and pursuing a career in coaching.

“I’m doing my Level Three coaching now while I’m still playing because when the day comes that I’m not playing anymore, I’d love to have all that stuff signed off and done,” Stokes said on the For the Love of Cricket podcast.

On his coaching ambitions, he added:

“I know what I want to do in terms of staying within the game, which is to be a coach.

“And would I love to coach England one day? Absolutely. I really like the idea of being in some form of leadership away from playing.”

Despite Stokes’ insistence that his playing career is over, there remains a lingering belief that the England all-rounder could yet produce one final twist.

His decision to reverse his ODI retirement in 2023 remains fresh in the minds of cricket fans, and if there is one player capable of producing the unexpected, it is Stokes.

Should he somehow return, Australia would again have to contend with one of the greatest Ashes performers of the modern era.

Since making his Ashes debut in 2013, Stokes has played 29 Tests against Australia, scoring 1,746 runs at 32.94 while claiming 56 wickets, including career-best figures of 6-36.

CAN THE AUSSIES SURVIVE A BRUTAL 12 MONTHS?

Much has been made of Australia’s next chapter after one of the most successful eras in the nation’s cricket history.

With several stars entering the twilight of their careers, the next 12 months loom as one of the toughest stretches this group has faced. A packed international schedule across all formats, headlined by Test cricket, could see Australia play as many as 21 Tests in a 12-month period, culminating in the Ashes in England.

Veterans Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins continue to perform at an elite level, but all three have battled significant injuries over the past two years.

Hazlewood, 35, missed the entire home Ashes series after suffering hamstring and Achilles injuries, opening the door for Scott Boland, Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett during Australia’s 4-1 triumph.

Lyon, 38, suffered a torn right hamstring on the final day of the Adelaide Test, requiring surgery and ruling him out for the remainder of the series.

Cummins, 33, featured in just one Ashes Test after sustaining a stress fracture in his back, with Steve Smith captaining Australia for the remainder of the series.

Australia’s workload over the next 12 months is relentless.

It begins with Bangladesh before a tour of South Africa, a home series against New Zealand, a blockbuster tour of India, the standalone 150th anniversary Test against England at the MCG, and finally the Ashes in England.

The Australians could also qualify for another World Test Championship final, adding yet another high-stakes fixture to an already demanding schedule.

Speaking ahead of the Bangladesh series, Hazlewood admitted the fast bowlers would have to take the campaign one Test at a time and expected Australia’s pace attack to be rotated throughout the year.

“I’m probably looking at it as Test one of one,” Hazlewood said.

“I think every time you look ahead in sport, it can bite you pretty quickly.

“I don’t think there’ll be any bowler who plays every Test.

“There’ll definitely be periods where a bowler’s cooked, or two bowlers are cooked.”

Managing the workload of an ageing core while introducing the next generation at the right time could ultimately shape Australia’s Ashes campaign.

The depth of Australia’s squad has rarely been stronger, but how selectors balance experience with fresh legs over a gruelling 12 months may prove just as important as anything that happens once the Ashes begins.

WILL ‘BAZBALL’ ACTUALLY REMAIN?

With the departures of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, many believed the attacking philosophy dubbed ‘Bazball’ would disappear with them.

England’s aggressive approach turned traditional Test cricket on its head, changing the way the format was played and viewed around the world. While it produced plenty of memorable moments, it ultimately failed to deliver sustained success, with England currently sitting seventh in the ICC World Test Championship standings.

Despite the changes at the helm, new captain Joe Root insists Bazball is far from dead – even if it evolves under his leadership.

Speaking to the ECB, Root said:

“The wrong thing to do would be to completely rip everything up that we’ve done over the last four years.”

Instead, his focus would be on “evolving and tweaking things to get us to where we want to be and really competing against the top nations consistently over a long period of time.”

“There’s so much good stuff that Ben and Brendon did and changed the way we look at the game and see the game,” Root said.

Root also admitted the philosophy had transformed his own batting.

“The last four years is the most fun I’ve had in cricket and most of that is down to the way they got me to see the game,” Root said.

“I’ve benefitted hugely from that as a player, so to think we have to start all over again would be wrong. But there are areas we want to sharpen up a little bit and become a little bit sterner with.”

Australian great Allan Border believes Root is the right man to lead England into its next chapter.

“Don’t worry about ‘Bazball’ and all the different scenarios that have happened,” Border said.

“Ben Stokes played some of the best innings I think I’ve ever seen. But underlying all that has been Joe Root.

“He has been very consistent all the way through, so I just think in his second stint as captain he’ll be very, very good.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan also believes a calmer approach could benefit England after several years of constant headlines and controversy under McCullum and Stokes.

“Loads has happened and I just want a little bit of calmness now in English cricket. There’s been too much frantic noise,” Vaughan told Foxsports.com.au.

“There’s been a lot of controversy off the field. They have given us so much to talk about, and I’ve liked it because that’s the nature of our game, getting conversations going.

“This England team over the course of four and a half years under Ben and Baz has given us plenty, so I would think it’d be a bit quieter under Joe Root and Stephen Fleming.”

Not everyone, however, believes Bazball has a future.

Following England’s series defeat to New Zealand, former England captain Michael Atherton declared the philosophy dead.

“It is a famous victory for Tom Latham and his men and for England, Bazball dies where it all began,” Atherton said on Sky Sports.

So, with the Ashes now less than 12 months away, one of the biggest questions remains whether Bazball truly is dead, or whether Root and Fleming can evolve the philosophy and use it to challenge Australia on home soil.

WHICH AUSTRALIANS COULD SHOCK OR FORCE THEIR WAY INTO THE ASHES TEAM?

BOWLERS

Despite boasting one of the world’s premier bowling attacks, Australia’s selectors face some fascinating questions over the next 12 months.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon have been the backbone of Australia’s success for years, but with several stars entering the latter stages of their careers, attention is beginning to turn towards who comes next.

The spin department appears the easiest to predict.

Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann have long been viewed as Nathan Lyon’s likely successors, while Corey Rocchiccioli has also emerged as another genuine option after continuing his rise through the domestic ranks.

The pace attack, however, shapes as one of Australia’s biggest selection battles.

Mahli Beardman, Xavier Bartlett, Fergus O’Neill and Lance Morris are all waiting in the wings behind Australia’s established quicks, with each hoping an opportunity arises before the Ashes.

Murphy remains the frontrunner to eventually replace Lyon, although a shoulder injury has disrupted his progress over the past 12 months.

Among the fast bowlers, O’Neill continues to build an irresistible case, claiming 200 wickets in just 49 first-class matches, including best innings figures of 6-72.

If injuries strike or Australia opts to rotate its attack through a demanding schedule, the next generation will need to grab its opportunities with both hands.

BATTERS

Australia’s batting lineup is facing a similar transition.

Steve Smith, Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne remain key figures, but with all three now in their 30s, the search for the next generation is well underway.

Sam Konstas, Cooper Connolly and Campbell Kellaway have all shown plenty of promise, but all three are still fighting to establish themselves within Australia’s Test setup.

More experienced options such as Matt Renshaw and Josh Inglis have also remained firmly in the selection conversation, yet both are still searching for an extended run at Test level.

Renshaw could become one of the biggest storylines over the next 12 months.

Pressure is mounting on Jake Weatherald to cement Australia’s opening position, while Renshaw hasn’t played a Test since the 2023 series against India despite averaging 37.73 across 133 first-class matches.

Another player under the spotlight will be Cameron Green.

The gifted all-rounder has shown flashes of brilliance but is still searching for the consistency expected of a player with his immense talent.

With Green and Beau Webster set to share the middle order against Bangladesh, the pair shapes as direct rivals for Australia’s all-rounder role heading towards the Ashes.

Should selectors decide to alter that balance, it could create an opening for specialist batters such as Inglis or Renshaw to force their way back into the side.