‘I won three Ashes series – England’s generational talent can stun Australia’

Steven Finn knows better than most the highs and lows of Ashes cricket. 

A member of the only England squad to win Down Under since 1987, Finn was sent home from the next Australia tour and branded ‘not selectable’ by his own coach. 

Run-up issues and a traumatic crisis of confidence threatened to end Finn’s international career but he worked tirelessly to return and helped England regain the Ashes in 2015. 

Ben Stokes’ side will have to show similar determination over the next two months as they bid to overcome one of cricket’s biggest tests – winning an Ashes series in Australia. 

‘When you step off the plane, you get the feeling it’s not just you against the Australian cricket team but you against the whole country’, said Finn, who played the first three Tests of England’s historic Ashes win in 2010-11. 

‘You need to try and embrace and earn their respect, which this England team can do. Previous teams haven’t pushed back against Australia enough and ended up falling like a deck of cards. 

‘Once the momentum is against you down there, it’s very hard to wrestle back. But Brendon McCullum has a group that will stand up and be counted down there.’ 

Since Finn helped England win an away Ashes series for the first time in 24 years, three touring sides have been blown away by Australia, losing by an aggregate scoreline of 13-0. 

But a combination of England’s dynamic Bazballers and an ageing Australia squad has given hope not only of a competitive series but a rare away win. 

Finn says there are ‘cracks’ in the Australia team – just as there were ahead of the 2010-11 series – and believes this is England’s ‘best chance’ of winning Down Under in 15 years. 

‘I’ve seen the Australians crying because people are saying this is England’s best chance since 2010,’ Finn, 36, told Metro. ‘But it’s important to listen to the language – I think Australia are still favourites to win the series. 

‘But the slight turbulence in the Australia camp and England’s squad means they have a good chance. Australia haven’t been sure about the make-up of their top-three and not having Pat Cummins for a Test or two will be a real blow. 

‘With the squad England have picked and the characters in the group, you know they won’t be bullied.’ 

Key to England’s Ashes hopes is Joe Root, the second-leading runscorer in Test cricket. Despite already being an all-time great, the one blot on Root’s record is the absence of an Ashes century in Australia. 

‘Joe is a marvellous player and the glue of England’s batting order,’ Finn said of his former teammate who is within 2,500 runs of India legend Sachin Tendulkar. 

‘He’s going to have a huge say in this series. He is the wicket Australia will cherish most but I’ve got no doubt that he will score a lot of runs. 

‘His ability is clearly excellent but I remember his determination and desire when we played together. He’s got an insatiable appetite for runs. I played with Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook and find it difficult to compare players and eras, but Rooty sits right at the top.’ 

Even if Root enjoys the kind of series England fans are dreaming of, he will need support from an exciting but inconsistent batting line-up which includes Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith and skipper Stokes. 

‘Joe can’t do it all by himself,’ Finn admitted. ‘Others are going to have to turn up. 

‘Duckett cuts and pulls very well and those shots can score you a lot of runs in Australia.

‘Harry Brook might get targeted with the short ball so that will be interesting. But I think he’s a generational talent. If he has a big series that middle order could be rock solid and go a long way to regaining the Ashes.’ 

If Root is Australia’s prized scalp, Steve Smith – with 12 Ashes hundreds and a Test average of 56 – holds that status for the England bowlers. 

Finn dismissed Smith twice in the third Test of the 2015 Ashes, which England won 3-0. With that in mind, does he have any tips for the current crop of England bowlers? 

‘Steve is an amazing player and looks back to his best but he’s not completely infallible,’ the Middlesex legend said. ’You have to hang in there when you’re bowling to him, be disciplined and patient as much as you can outside off stump. 

‘Try to outlast him and then hopefully he makes a mistake. But he’s fantastic and will play a crucial role in the series, not just as a batter but also as a leader.’ 

The bowlers facing the daunting task of removing Smith include Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and the rapid Mark Wood and Jofra Archer. 

The retirements of James Anderson and Stuart Broad since the last Ashes has left England with their most inexperienced bowling attack in over 20 years but Finn is optimistic they can cause damage in Australia. 

‘What I like most about this attack is they all do something different,’ added Finn, who retired in 2023 as the 25th-highest Test wicket-taker among English pace bowlers. 

‘Jofra generally moves the ball across left-handers with his angle, Gus will bowl with a scrambled seam and get steep bounce, Carse is slightly wider on the crease and Wood has that raw pace. 

‘This is a real battery of fast bowlers which England will need throughout the series. I like the make-up of the attack – the bowlers all have big hearts which you need in Australia.’ 

Leading the Australia attack – providing he recovers from a recent injury setback – will be Pat Cummins, with fellow all-time greats Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon providing support. 

‘He is such a fantastic bowler,’ Finn said of Cummins, who averages 22 with the ball and has 91 wickets against England.

‘I love watching him bowl. Even if I’m not working, I’ll be sure to watch him bowl because he’s so skilful.’ 

The Ashes Files: My Pride and Pain in Cricket’s Most Intense Series by Steven Finn is out now in hardback, eBook and audiobook.

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