3 great English cricketers of recent times who never played in the Ashes
Ashes cricket means the world to England and representing the nation in the purest form of the game against their ultimate rivals comes across as the biggest honor for an English player. Several players have established their legacy through their heroics in their battles against Australia, but there are a select few who have missed out on such an opportunity.
England hold Test cricket in higher regard than the white-ball formats, and the urn potentially holds a greater value even than the World Cup for a select few. There are a few lucky players whose Test debuts have come in Ashes cricket and others who had to wait for their chance.
With the Ashes having begun way back in the 19th century, there are a slew of players who have gone onto represent England, with a small section of those failing to garner a single appearance against Australia. Then, another crop of players constitute individuals who are legends in the first-class circuit, but unfortunately did not avail a chance to play for the national team, thus missing out on the Ashes as well.
On that note, let us have a look at three modern-day players who were not fortunate enough to represent England in the Ashes despite having made their respective international debuts.
#1. Luke Wright
The all-rounder was a common sight in England's white-ball teams having played multiple World Cups, but despite his formidable first-class exploits, he never played for the national team in whites.
Luke Wright, who is currently the selector of the England men's team, played 50 ODIs and 51 T20Is over his career. Representing Sussex in the domestic circuit from 2004, he played 144 first class matches, scoring 7,622 runs at an average of 38.22 and claiming 120 wickets.
While he had a below-average record against the Australians in his white-ball career, he could have made an impression in the longest format had he been given an opportunity.
#2. Vikram Solanki
Breaking into the England squad as an opening batter from the mid-2000s up until Alastair Cook's retirement was a tough task. The team had Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss at the top of the order in what was a fruitful long-term partnership before Cook slotted right in.
Amid the solidity at the top, there were several players who had to wait on the sidelines, with Vikram Solanki being one of them. He played 51 ODIs and three T20Is in his career, but a Test match was unfortunately not in his destiny. He played 325 first-class matches and scored 18,359 runs at an average of 35.78, before retiring in 2015. He is now a member of the Gujarat Titans (GT) backroom staff as their director of cricket.
#3. Ryan Sidebottom
The left-arm seamer, unlike the other two names, had the opportunity to play Test cricket. However, neither one of Sidebottom's 22 Tests came against the Australians. He made his debut at Lord's in 2001, but following a wicket-less effort, he had to wait over six years for his next contest in whites.
He was a constant feature for the team from 2008 to 2010, and while he was called up to the England squad for the fourth Ashes Test in place of Monty Panesar, he did not make it to the playing XI. England chose to go with the seam quartet of Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steve Harmison and Graham Onions as Australia won by an innings and 80 runs.
Sidebottom ended with 762 wickets to his name in 230 first class matches till his retirement in 2017.
Who is the greatest English player of all time to have never played in the Ashes? Let us know what you think.