countdown to The Ashes 2025-26 With cricket fans of both, it is well and truly off to England And Australia Buzzing with anticipation. The prestigious five-match Test series begins on November 21 at the Perth Stadium, setting the stage for another fierce chapter in cricket’s oldest rivalry. England, led by Ben Stokes, will be looking to end a 15-year Ashes series win drought, while Australia will aim to defend their fort on home soil. As both sides fine-tuned their preparations, the great English all-rounder Sir Ian Botham Has shared his bold prediction on who could be England’s “secret weapon” in the series.
Ian Botham chosen as England’s X-factor for Ashes 2025-26
In a surprise call before the Ashes, Botham named braydon carse As a player who could quietly emerge as a game-changer for England in Australian conditions. While most of the discussion has focused on the express pacers jofra archer And mark woodBotham believes it is Carse who has the potential to make the biggest impact.
“I think Carse might surprise some of you. He’s a very aggressive bowler, he’s got so much pace that you can bounce around a bit and he can bat a bit – he’s a good cricketer,” Botham said, as quoted by the newswire.
“Everyone is focusing on Wood and Archer, but I think Carson will quietly get there,” He added.
Botham’s confidence in Carse stems from the reality that the fitness of Archer and Wood remains a concern heading into the tough five-Test series. England have a range of fast bowlers Matthew PottsJosh Tongue, Gus AtkinsonAnd Carse himself, the 68-year-old veteran, feels the Durham fast bowler’s aggression and bounce could be a perfect fit for Australian pitches.
Botham outlines England’s path to success in Australia
Taking inspiration from the fearsome West Indies pace attack of the 1980s, Botham believes England should adopt a similar aggressive fast bowling strategy to challenge Australia on their home turf. He further emphasized that fast bowling remains the most effective weapon to destabilize the Australian batsmen, even though the task will not be easy.
“I think West Indies did quite well with four fast bowlers and six waiting to come in. I think that’s the right way, you want to be aggressive, you want to come in and they don’t like that in the ribs if players are not playing very well. It will be interesting… I don’t know if they will be able to trouble them, a lot of these guys have been around for a long time. It’s not a case of bothering them, it’s a case of going out and trying to win and that’s what they do.” They do. They lose some, they win some,” Botham said.
Also read: AUS vs ENG: Cricket Australia announces 15-man squad for first Ashes Test
