The countdown to the Ashes 2025-26 has well and truly begun, with cricket fans from both England and Australia buzzing with anticipation. The iconic five-match Test series will kick off at the Perth Stadium on November 21, setting the stage for another fierce chapter in cricket’s oldest rivalry. England, under Ben Stokes’ leadership, will look to end a 15-year drought of winning an Ashes series Down Under, while Australia aim to defend their fortress at home. As both sides fine-tune their preparations, legendary English all-rounder Sir Ian Botham has shared his bold prediction on who could be England’s “secret weapon” in the series.
Ian Botham picks England’s X-factor for Ashes 2025-26
In a surprising call ahead of the Ashes, Botham named Brydon Carse as the player who could quietly emerge as a game-changer for England in Australian conditions. While much of the discussion has centered on express pacers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, Botham believes it is Carse who has the potential to make the biggest impact.
“I think Carse might surprise a few of you. He’s a very aggressive bowler, he’s got enough pace to make you hop around a bit and he can bat a bit – he’s a good cricketer,” Botham said, as quoted by NewsWire.
“Everyone is focused on Wood and Archer, but I think Carse will slide in quietly there,” he added.
Botham’s confidence in Carse stems from the reality that Archer and Wood’s fitness remains a concern over a grueling five-Test series. With England carrying a battery of fast bowlers including Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, and Carse himself, the 68-year-old legend feels the Durham pacer’s aggression and bounce could suit Australian pitches perfectly.
Botham outlines blueprint for England to find success in Australia
Drawing inspiration from the fearsome West Indies pace attack of the 1980s, Botham believes England must adopt a similarly aggressive fast-bowling strategy to challenge Australia on their home turf. He further emphasized that fast bowling remains the most effective weapon to unsettle Australian batters, even if the task won’t be easy.
“I think the West Indies did pretty well with four pace bowlers and had six waiting to get in. I think it’s the right way, you want to be aggressive, you want to come through and players if they’re not playing very well don’t like it in the ribs. It will be interesting … I don’t know if they’ll be able to rattle them, a lot of these guys have been around a long time. It’s not a case of rattling them, it’s a case of going out and trying to win and that’s what they do. They lose a few, they win a few,” added Botham.
