Sydney, Oct 8 (IANS): Former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Ian Healy said that he was a little surprised with the amount of work that was put in to get the England Test players to agree to tour Australia ahead of the Ashes at the end of the year. England are yet to announce their squad for the Ashes series set to begin on December 8 in Brisbane.

"It took a bit more work than I thought it might. They had to really come to the party (Australia) I'd say with some facilities and the quarantining type work that the team and their partners could do if they wanted to be here at Christmas, which the English players said we want our families here at Christmas," said Healy on SENZ Breakfast show on Friday.

"They got it done, they're going to resort them, which I thought would always be the case, you need to really put them in nice conditions, not total lockdown, but lockdown (in) a resort for example," added Healy, who represented Australia in 119 Tests and 168 ODIs.

Healy was in praise of England captain Joe Root for his handling of the process, saying that Root has led from the front. "It still took 11 hours (to come to an agreement), meetings all day with Joe Root who asked very good questions and has absolutely led from the front a very statesman-like performance by him we're hearing."

The last time England won the Ashes in Australia, it was in 2010/11. Australia are current holders of the Ashes, spanning across five Tests.