Brydon Carse Confirms Ben Stokes and Mark Wood on Track for Ashes Return in Australia.
England pacer Brydon Carse has expressed confidence that both Ben Stokes and Mark Wood will be fit and firing for the upcoming Ashes series in Australia, which begins next month. Stokes missed the final Test of the India series earlier this year due to a shoulder injury, while Wood has not featured in a Test since August 2024, battling persistent elbow and knee issues. However, both are working their way back to full fitness ahead of the Perth opener.
Carse, who has been training alongside the duo at Loughborough, told the BBC that their recovery has been encouraging. “I’ve been down to Loughborough in the past couple of weeks, had a couple of nights with them. Ben is looking near enough 100% fit and so is Mark. I’ve been bowling with them,” said Carse.
“It’s exciting to see where they’ve got to after their setbacks during the summer. They’ll be raring to go come Australia time.”
Experience and expectations in the pace attack
Stokes and Wood are the only two fast bowlers in England’s current squad with previous Ashes experience in Australia. Even so, Carse believes the rest of the seam attack will adapt quickly, having gained valuable exposure on England A tours.
“You can look at it two ways,” Carse said at the Toyota Professional Cricketers’ Association Awards. “Stokesy and Woody have played in Ashes series down in Australia, so they have that experience to fall back on.
A couple of the other seamers have been on A trips out there, and hopefully that experience will give them confidence going into the Ashes.” England are set to take six frontline fast bowlers to Australia, with Stokes expected to contribute as a key all-rounder during the five-match series spread over seven weeks.
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