England's prospects for the upcoming Ashes tour have received a significant and unexpected psychological boost, according to recently retired all-rounder Chris Woakes. He believes Australia has handed England a crucial advantage by deciding to host the series opener in Perth instead of their traditional Brisbane stronghold, the Gabba.
The End of a Daunting Tradition
Brisbane's Gabba ground, a notorious cricketing cauldron for visiting teams, has historically hosted the first Ashes Test since 1986. At this venue, Australia boasts a formidable record, with seven wins and two draws from their last ten Tests against England. The English side, in stark contrast, carries traumatic memories from the ground, having suffered heavy defeats on their last three visits.
However, organisers have broken with tradition this year. The opening Test, scheduled for November 21, will now be held at Perth's Optus Stadium—a relatively new venue with no prior Ashes history. The Gabba will instead stage the day/night second Test later in the series.
A Welcome Change for England's Bowlers
Woakes, who experienced defeat at the Gabba in both the 2017-18 and 2021-22 tours, sees this scheduling shift as a major positive for the English camp. "Australia have a great Ashes record at the Gabba. If I was them I’d want to be playing there first up," he told the PA news agency.
He acknowledged that Perth presents its own challenges with extreme bounce and pace, but emphasised the psychological relief for the team. "It’s certainly surprising that they’ve given up that ‘Gabbatoir’ factor. As an England player, knowing you won’t be going there first where there’s a bit of a baggage, is a definite bonus."
Woakes was quick to temper expectations, noting this is merely a marginal gain. "You’re always looking for those small one per centers. The main thing is that you still have to go out and perform against a very good team in challenging conditions," he stated, adding that every small advantage is precious on a tough away tour.
Backing the New-Look Attack
The 36-year-old, who was awarded the Compton-Miller Medal for player of the series in the 2023 Ashes, recently retired from international cricket after a dislocated shoulder in his final Test against India. His departure, alongside stalwarts James Anderson and Stuart Broad, leaves a significant experience gap.
Despite this, Woakes expressed strong confidence in England's new-look pace attack. He believes a squad featuring speed merchants Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, alongside Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, and Matthew Potts, is well-equipped for Australian conditions.
"They definitely have the tools to perform well in Australia," Woakes asserted. "We’ve been building a batch to come here for a few years now and it’s coming to fruition. We can get a bit obsessed about who the leader of the attack is, but it might be shared around this winter. We’ll need different guys to stand up at different times."
England will begin their final preparations with a three-day warm-up fixture against the England Lions at Perth’s Lilac Hill ground on Thursday.
