London, Oct 3 (IANS): Former England captain Andrew Strauss feels that the Ashes scheduled for the end of the year needs to go ahead. He added that the cricket boards of England and Australia will find a way out to accommodate families of the players.
"To me, the Ashes need to go ahead. We are learning to live with Covid in this country and Australia is in a slightly different place. But the Ashes means a lot to a lot of people, and some of them are people that are going through a tough time themselves. It defies belief that all these other sports are taking place and that the Ashes doesn't take place. There is a way of making it happen and I think we are moving in the right direction. I think there will be accommodations made and that families will get out there," Strauss was quoted as saying by Daily Mail on Sunday.
"Personally, I think if you are selected on an Ashes tour, you should go. An Ashes tour is not the one to pull out of, in my opinion. But I understand that everyone sees things slightly differently. But I think that between Cricket Australia, the Australian government and the ECB, they will find a way that works for both the players and their families," added Strauss.
Strauss, who led England to Ashes victory in Australia in 2010/11 and also served as a former director of cricket for the ECB, is of the opinion that England need to put up a better show than they did during the home Tests against New Zealand and India even if all first-choice players are available.
"I think we are going to have to play a lot better than we did this summer, put it that way. Our top order needs to function better than it has done for a long time. Playing against the new ball in Australia is a very tough thing to do. There will be a lot of responsibility on our bowling attack. Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad will have a role to play but we can't just rely on them to win us the Ashes."
The 2021/22 Ashes will take place from December 8, 2021 to January 18, 2022. Australia are the current holders of the Ashes. The five-match series is also a part of the 2021 to 2023 cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).