Which English cricketer does Mitchell Starc wish was Australian? Aussie quick reluctantly gives two names ahead of 2025/26 Ashes series
Published 14/10/2025 at 14:16 GMT+1
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Two old rivals, no love lost. There are, nonetheless, small pockets of admiration between Australia and England. Franchise cricket, regular Ashes series and TV coverage means the two sides know each other well, with these battles set to reignite on November 21 when the 2025/26 Ashes gets underway in Perth. But who would Aussie quick Mitchell Starc like to have on his side from England?
Watch: Which English cricketer does Starc wish was Australian?
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mitchell Starc has named the English player he most wishes was Australian, as Ashes fever begins to grip the sporting public.
November 21 sees one of the most hotly-anticipated series between the two old rivals kick off in Perth, with Optus Stadium the venue in place of the storied WACA ground.
If Australia bowl first, it will be the 35-year-old Starc tearing in to try and once again knock over an English batter with the first ball of an Ashes series, having done so to Rory Burns in the 2021/22 edition.
Ahead of the battle for the urn getting going - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - Starc responded to one of the toughest questions an Australian cricketer can face.
"Which English player do I wish was Australian," Starc asked himself, with a smile.
"[I'm] not sure I wish any of that, but I think if we could take one of their players, I think [it would be] a fully fit and firing Ben Stokes.
"The fact that he offers ball and bat, in the field, those quality all-rounders. We've got a couple of our own, but Stokesy, I think, he just finds ways - and he's done it against us in Ashes series whether it's with the bat, or found ways with the ball.
"The qualities that he possesses - if I had to pick one of their players - it would probably be Ben Stokes, or Joe Root."
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The last Ashes series in 2023 proved that the two sides are pretty evenly matched, and with limited change in personnel from two years ago, many are predicting a clash for the ages down under, as England seek to win on Australian soil for only the second time since 1986/87.
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England's captain Ben Stokes (L) reacts after successfully appealing his lbw, called for by Australia's Mitchell Starc, on day five of the second Ashes cricket Test match between England and Australia at Lord's cricket ground in London on July 2, 2023.
Image credit: Getty Images
Starc was asked why he thinks his men can emerge victorious after the five-Test showdown.
"I think this Australian team has certainly got the capability and skill to match it with the best," Starc said.
"It's no different in Ashes series, you're going to see two fiercely competitive teams go at it. [It's] a group of players from both teams that have seen a lot of one another, certainly from Ashes series, or whether it be from watching on the screen of other series as well.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
"I certainly think we've got the tools in the shed to win this series. In the end, anything can happen in Ashes series and Test cricket, and no doubt it will be a fantastic series to watch."
Watch and stream the 2025/26 Ashes series live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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