England Names Most Hostile Ashes Bowling Attack Since 1970 Amid Injury Concerns

England has announced a pace-heavy squad for the upcoming Ashes series in Australia, marking their first tour without James Anderson in over 20 years. The squad, featuring Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, and Ben Stokes, is considered the most hostile fast-bowling attack England has sent to Australia since the 1970-71 series. However, concerns remain about the durability of the bowlers, as many have faced recent injury issues, and captain Ben Stokes is recovering from a shoulder injury, with his fitness critical to England's chances. The team aims to leverage their pace attack on challenging pitches like Perth and Brisbane, potentially foregoing spinners early in the series. Meanwhile, Victor Radley has ruled himself out of the Ashes series due to a ten-game suspension and fine related to a disciplinary incident, impacting England's squad depth. Overall, English media expresses cautious optimism, viewing this squad as perhaps their best chance to win in Australia since 2010-11, but emphasize the need for a strong start to avoid a 2-0 deficit that would be difficult to recover from.