3 Modern-Day Englishmen who missed playing Ashes despite being good

The Ashes is a prestigious cricket tournament where England battles their biggest rival, Australia. It’s considered a huge honor for an English player to represent their nation in Test cricket, which is held in higher regard than the white-ball formats. For some, playing in the Ashes holds greater value than even the World Cup.

Unfortunately, there are players who have missed out on the chance to play in this historic tournament, including some who are legends in the first-class circuit. Let’s take a look at three modern-day players who didn’t get to represent England in the Ashes despite making their international debuts.

Luke Wright

Luke Wright was a regular player in England’s white-ball teams, having played in multiple World Cups. Despite his impressive performance in first-class cricket, he never got the chance to represent England in Test cricket. Currently a selector for the England men’s team, Wright played 50 ODIs and 51 T20Is, scoring 7,622 runs and taking 120 wickets in 144 first-class matches for Sussex. Although he didn’t perform well against Australia in white-ball cricket, he could have made an impact in Test cricket if given the chance.

 

Vikram Solanki

From the mid-2000s until Alastair Cook’s retirement, it was challenging for opening batters to break into the England squad. The team had a solid partnership with Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss at the top of the order before Cook joined. Despite this, several players had to wait on the sidelines, including Vikram Solanki. He played 51 ODIs and three T20Is but never got the chance to play in a Test match. Solanki played 325 first-class matches and scored 18,359 runs before retiring in 2015. He’s currently the director of cricket for the Gujarat Titans (GT).

Ryan Sidebottom

Unlike the other two cricketers, the left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom had the opportunity to play Test cricket. However, he never got to play against the Australians in any of his 22 Tests. After making his debut at Lord’s in 2001, where he went wicket-less, he had to wait over six years for his next Test match. From 2008 to 2010, he was a regular member of the England squad.

Although he was called up to the fourth Ashes Test in place of Monty Panesar, he didn’t make it to the playing XI. Australia won by an innings and 80 runs After England opted for the seam quartet of Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steve Harmison, and Graham Onions, Australia won by an innings and 80 runs. Sidebottom retired in 2017 with 762 wickets in 230 first-class matches.