Damien Martyn: Australia will beat England 3-1 in the Ashes

Damien Martyn: Australia will beat England 3-1 in the Ashes, ‘I’d be worried’ as an England fan over preparations, Jake Weatherald should play every match with Marnus Labuschagne at three, I’d choose Jacob Bethell over Ollie Pope.

Speaking exclusively to Joe Fortune with the much anticipated 2025/2026 Ashes series just one week away, cricket legend Damien Martyn predicts that Australia will beat England 3-1 and keep hold of the urn for a fifth consecutive series, explains why he thinks uncapped opener Jake Weatherald should feature in all five Tests alongside Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne in the top order, while also addressing the absence of skipper Pat Cummins ahead of the first Test in Perth.

Q: What are your thoughts on Australia calling up Jake Weatherald as an opener?

DM – “I don’t think I’d want to be a selector, there’s a lot of pressure! But I come from an era where, playing in the 90s, you had to make a lot of runs in first-class cricket to force your way into the team. That’s what Jake Weatherald has done. He’s a hardened cricketer who’s had an up-and-down to reach this point in his career, where he’s playing for Tasmania. It’s great playing young guys and putting them straight into the fold, but with our first-class system, we want it strong, and it has always been strong, and I like the
idea of picking players from it. If there’s a position available, you pick someone from the system who is making runs and can come in with form. I really like the selection. It’s a big selection.

It could have been easy just to go for Sam Konstas, you know, and take the easy route. I think he’s a young kid who looks like a great talent, but needs time to go back to first-class cricket, where there’s a lot less scrutiny on him. The poor guy just cops it from everywhere. I’ve been there myself when I was 20 and can relate.

I don’t know Sam, but look, when you’re young, all you want to do is play for Australia. I did, but only played a few games before being dropped and then went back to first-class cricket, struggled for a while, but learned how to make runs. There is this idea in Australia to pick young kids, but I think, yes, get them into first-class cricket if they’re good enough after playing under
17s, under 19s for their states, but there’s tons of cricket to play. Look at Mike Hussey, he debuted at 30 and still played like one million matches!

Ideally, you don’t want to debut at 30, but we need to realise that there’s nothing wrong with players debuting at 24, 25, 26 after playing a good few years of first-class cricket where you realise how to play, discover the way you want to go about things and find the right headspace you need to be in to make runs. I hope that’s what Sam Konstas does, and who knows what
happens from there?

There’s a lot of pressure on him when people say ‘He’s the future of Australian cricket.

He could be, who knows, but I think he just needs a bit of pressure to be released, go back and play first-class cricket and pretty much done what Weatherald’s done. He’s made something likeover 1000 runs or more across the last 18 months of first-class cricket and now deserves his
spot in the side.”

Q: Are you expecting him to play the first test, or is a reshuffle of batting order more likely in your mind?

DM – “I hope Jake Weatherald is afforded the chance to play the whole series and doesn’t get dropped from the side after one or two games. He needs to be given the chance to find his feet in Test cricket, even if it’s a big series for someone to come into. There’s nothing bigger than an Ashes series at home, but I think it’s a great call.

I want him to play alongside Usman Khawaja. I know that people say about having two left-handers and Jofra Archer loves left-handers, but there have been right-handed partnerships before, too. He’s an attacking player, and whilst he’s not David Warner, who just attacked and set a foundation for the team, I’m hoping that with Khawaja’s experience and the way he goes
about things, it can enable Wetherald to play well.

Since David Warner retired, I think we’ve had five or six different opening combinations. Looking back at things, you do wonder if they should have given players a bit longer, you know. But I feel that selecting Weatherald is a great call. He looks like he’s ready to go, he’s got attacking shots, and he will take the game on.

Maybe if Australia are 3-0 down and he scored no runs, he’ll get dropped, but I think times have changed from when I played, and you’d be under pressure after a couple of games. But I do hope he gets a good go and plays the whole series.

I’d like to see Marnus Labuschagne at three and I like Steve Smith at four, it just seems right to go that way and stabilise the middle order.”

Q: Is Marnus Labuschagne back to his best?

DM – “Yeah, Marnus looks a lot better. I think a lot has to do with confidence, as you don’t lose your talent overnight. I think he was overthinking his game. He started not making runs and lost a bit of confidence. You then look at all these different things in your batting technique to try, but you’re looking for all these things that maybe aren’t there.

He’s found his form this year and I think he’s a bit more relaxed. He’s gone into the first-class season and got back to his best. He’s looking good and while first-class cricket is different from Test cricket, being in form is something he can take into the first Test and boost his confidence.

In both teams, you’ve only Steve Smith and Joe Root at four and Travis Head and Harry Brook, who are consistently scoring runs. But Marnus is an experienced player and if he can make big scores, it will go a long way towards Australia winning Test Matches. You need your number
three to stand up and don’t want to be two or three wickets down for 40 or 50 runs with your middle order facing the new ball.”

Q: Who will occupy the number six position?

DM – “There are clouds over the fitness and bowling of both Beau Webster and Cameron Green. I suspect there’s a bit of some and mirrors coming from the Australian camp at the moment when it comes to the all-rounders.

Webster has been fantastic, but ultimately, I think Australia have a big thing for Cam Green and his talent. I don’t think he should be batting up the order, he should stay at six down the order, but it also depends on what balance Steve Smith wants in his team as the captain.

Whilst we’re just 11 days out from the first Test, it’s hard to say who they’ll go with. I do think that Cam Green would be Australia’s preferred pick. I’d go with Green, which is nothing against Webster, but they’ve put so much time and effort into him.

He’s got a young body, but bowling can be hard and I just hope these sorts of issues aren’t going to become a long-term thing with him moving forward.

Q: How much of a loss is Pat Cummins for the First Test?

DM – “It’s a huge blow as, first of all, he’s the captain. But the way he goes about leading the attack with the ball means that it’s huge that he’s not playing in the first Test.

The consolation is that this side has been around together for a long time and we’ve got Scott Boland sitting there waiting to come in. We can’t forget the last Ashes match at the MCG he took 6-7! Some people think he should be playing regardless of injuries, but it’s difficult to drop one of Josh Hazelwood, Cummins or Mitch Starc.

My advice would be not to rush Cummins back from injury. He will know his body better than anyone and, while I think he’s back bowling, you don’t want somebody playing who is 50% fit. In this day and age, the sports science guys will know what they’re doing, though what I would say is that bowling in the nets is a lot different to bowling in a match with the workload required.

We’re just so fortunate that we’ve also got someone in Steve Smith whose record as captain is fantastic. We’re very lucky to have two players who can fill his spot as both a captain and a bowler. But yeah, hopefully Pat is ready to go for the second Test, but I wouldn’t rush him back.

We’re going to win the first Test anyway, so I’m not too worried about it!”

Q: How do you view Steve Smith as a captain and leader?

DM – “Yeah, look, he’s been a great captain for Australia. Tactics-wise, he thinks outside the box and he’s a great leader for that team. His record as captain was amazing before the whole saga of everything that went on in South Africa a few years ago.

He relates well to the team and the coach and his record is great. As I said, we’re very lucky that he’s stepping back into it. He loves the big moments. I would compare him to Ben Stokes and Joe Root in that regard. They love playing in these games. I know there are other big series
but nothing compares to an Ashes Test match.”

Q: Scott Boland was superb against England last time in Australia but struggled more in England after being targeted by the batsman. How do you think he will fare?

DM – “Yeah, that’s the debate with Scott Bolland, isn’t it? Did he struggle with the Dukes ball? Or was it more to do with the English conditions? English wickets can be a bit slower, you know, and a bit more dead than Australian pitches. Especially since the last couple of years, they’ve made them so they’re really quite flat.

Whereas the Australian wickets, like the Gabba, for example, will be bouncy and quick. The Perth wicket is good. It will die off at the end like all Test Match wickets, and it’s not the old WACA wicket like when it’s a new stadium but it will still have a bit more bounce, a bit more carry and quickness off the wicket.

It’s going to be quite interesting to see how England approach him with their tactics. Like what Michael Vaughan has said, at times they just need to pull it back a bit, play the whole game and play the whole situation. It can’t just be all-out attack over here in Australia, otherwise it’s going to be trouble.

So it’ll be very interesting to see the tactics and how they approach things with their game
plan.”

Q: Do Australia have enough depth in the bowling after calling up Doggett and Sean Abbott?

DM – “It’s absolutely nothing against Brendan Doggett or Sean Abbott, but I hope we don’t need them much unless everyone starts getting injured!

Looking at it from their perspective, they’re definitely coming into the squad with form and they’ll be ready to go if picked by the selectors. Until you’re there and doing it at the moment, of an Ashes series, who knows if they’ll be able to perform?

We’ll all be hoping that Josh Hazelwood gets through and Mitch Starc gets through. But from a bowling point of view, and this applies to England too, a five-match series can be a long series, and you can bowl a lot of overs. It can be hot. I know it’s a day-night match, but it’s been raining here on the Gold Coast in Queensland, yet it was still hot and humid and 28 degrees! So when
the second Test comes around, it could be very hot and those conditions will be wearing on the bowlers. Constantly running in and hitting the wicket is going to be tougher.

So while we’ll be hoping that those guys stay fit and England will want Jofra Archer and Mark Wood fit for the whole series, managing the workloads of the bowlers to get them through will be equally as important.”

Q: Is the average age of Australia’s squad a concern for the series or not something you are thinking about in the moment?

DM – “I think there’s one part of the Australian media saying the squad might be too old. Not saying that they’re bad players and aren’t going to play well, but saying there should be more transition.

I think all the guys playing now deserve to be playing. It’s a different era of fitness, sports, science and the way people look after their schedules. Yeah, Khawaja will be turning 39 during the series. But he’s the only one you might ask, ‘Will he keep playing on?’

In terms of the bowling attack, Nathan Lyon says he’s going to keep on playing. I think he wants to go to the next Ashes series in England, I think. So, from the bowling attack getting injured is the main concern, I suppose.

There will be a transition. I’d imagine there will be a plan after the upcoming series, depending on what the schedule looks like. I think we could maybe see some of the senior bowlers take a rest here or there which could allow some other players to have a go as we start preparing for the next cycle.

In terms of this series, however, I don’t see it being a problem at all unless Australia start losing. Then, yes, the media will jump on it and say they’re all too old. To be honest, I see old players as those with great experience. I don’t see anybody in that team at the moment who shouldn’t be there and playing the series.”

Q: Did you say Coarge started the season quite well in state cricket?

DM: He’s been up there, I don’t know his exact stats, but he’s been around Ab Lafshan, so he’s been playing first-class cricket. I think they’ve tried to get as many of the squad playing first-class cricket before this series, which is good. It’s good to be playing cricket, making runs, getting into the groove, and then getting ready for this series. So I’m not sure they’re scheduled for the next
10 days or whatever, what’s happening. There might be a game on or something, but…

They’ll get confident to Perth. They’re playing at home. Their record’s good against England in Australia. the squad will be feeling confident at the moment. Well, until the first ball’s bowled, baby.

Q: Do you share concerns that Usman Khawaja will struggle against high-quality pace bowling?

DM – “It’s something that has been spoken about and has been there in the past. I think the age thing comes into it, too, but everybody would struggle a bit playing against that Jofra Archer!

To still be playing Test cricket at 38, I take my hat off to him. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.

If he looks uncomfortable against high pace, it doesn’t mean he’s old or past his best. I’m sure Joe Root will have to duck a few quick bouncers, so I look at it and think, let’s judge at the end of the series.

Let’s see how he goes. I don’t think you want to change the setup too much during the series. You’re trying to be consistent unless something strange happens and Australia are 2-0 down. He’s been great for the team and is a senior player. Hopefully he stays part of it to the end.”

Q: Ian Botham has criticised England’s preperation for the series after the team played a white-ball series in New Zealand? Do you agree?

DM – “My first Ashes Tour of England was 1993 and we were sponsored by XXXX Beer, which definitely reminds me of the good old 90s days! But it felt like we played almost every county.

Almost every county, we even played against Oxford University. Between every Test match we would play a three or four-day county game.

But in those days, we were away for four or five months, so look, it’s hard to judge from a different era. That’s just the way we were told to do it back then but now it’s a bit different.

There’s obviously been a lot of talk from ex-players surrounding England’s preparation, saying it’s no good. They only play a three-day match against the Lions and look, Lilac Hill is a great club ground, but does it prepare you for an Ashes Test?

But maybe some players would rather go to the nets at the ground and practice there to prepare for the conditions and as opposed to playing a practice match elsewhere. I’m not sure what the right answer is nowadays.

I think Brendan McCullum and Ben Stokes probably know what’s right for them. But if they lose, then it will be wrong, but if they win, they’ll be called geniuses. I think Sir Ian Botham comes from an old school way where the team would come to Australia early for a long tour, play a few warm-up games and get used to the heat and conditions. Schedules are so much busier,
though, nowadays.

Some players can just turn up with no practice and hit a ball like it’s nothing. But then you the likes of Justin Langer, who would hit a thousand balls and Matthew Hayden. I think that’s a bit like Joe Root as well. Steve Smith, you know, wants to hit balls and hit more balls.

What would concern me is that Steve Smith just played for New South Wales and made a first-class hundred. It’s quite amazing the way he goes out there and plays. So, yeah, I’d be worried. I suppose England will be hoping he’s scored all his runs too early!

But yeah, there is something to be said for playing actual games of cricket. It’s the old theory about bowling, Glenn McGrath and Dennis Lillee would always get their bodies ready for Test matches by bowling overs in first-class cricket.

It does make you worry as an England fan, though to see these guys like Marnus scoring runs in first-class cricket, whereas the England batters haven’t really had an opportunity to do that.
Even when we toured in 2005 and 2001, we were still playing games in between Test matches and adapting to the conditions.

I suppose it’s a bit harder here in Australia as we don’t have 400 county teams!”

Q: Some believe England may not play a front-line spinner and opt to go with Will Jacks ahead of Shoaib Bashir. What do you think they should do?

DM – “The way I look at it is, Shoaib Bashir has been picked as England’s main spinner, so he should play as the main spinner.

Okay, the day-night match, maybe, with the conditions there, you might change something, but Nathan Lyon, just like Shane Warne did, has played a huge part in Australia’s recent success.

First and foremost, before anything else, he’s a wicket-taker. That in itself relieves pressure and that’s before you think about holding an end up and giving the fast bowlers rest.

A spinner is key in Australia. A lot of it is about needing to get wickets and not just about holding up an end. Some of those guys we talk about like Nathan Lyon and Graeme Swann were great competitors and had a real want to win and a want to take wickets. That’s the sort of spirit you need from your spinner and why you would pick them of a part-timer who will just give
the seamers a rest and maybe pick up one wicket.

Obviously you want a spinner that can do that, but they need to be attacking and probing as well. Graeme Swann was the perfect example of what you need to win in Australia. Bashir might not be as good, but it’s that intent you want, going after wickets to ultimately win matches.

Who knows? There’s always someone that stands out in an Ashes series.”

Q: What are your thoughts on the England squad?

DM – “The only problems I would say England might face are fitness ones as you’ve a few guys under injury clouds at the moment. Obviously Stokes is just coming back, Jofra Archer hasn’t played too much Test cricket still, and the other one is Mark Wood. I’m reading that he’s slowly working back into it and has trained a couple of days. He doesn’t feel any soreness, which as an
Australian sounds dangerous to me, but you don’t want him breaking down.

The question will be is he fully fit to go? Does he start the first Test? Wood and Archer I’d love to see those two play together in Ashes Test, they are two great fast bowlers, but are they both going to make the whole series?

I love five-match Test series but it’s such a big workload, especially for someone like Wood who’s coming back now without having much cricket.”

Q: Are you backing Joe Root to finally score a century in Australia?

DM – “He’s going to make runs in Australia. He’s going to make at least one century and I actually think he could make more.I don’t mind because he deserves it in his career. He’s a champion player. He ticks all the boxes.

If anybody deserves to make runs in Australia, he does. I’d be happy for him to get some runs. It’s quite unbelievable to think he hasn’t made a hundred in Australia. Every time I hear that, it’s hard to believe. If he doesn’t, his career is still great. His legacy is still amazing.

I think he will do it. I can’t see him not doing it. He’s in great form and he’s even managed too adapt his game to the demands of Bazball. But he’s almost like an old-style English cricketer.

He’s so correct. His technique is so beautiful. And then he’s evolved with it and then got better, which has been quite amazing to see.”

Q: Who should England go with at three – Jacob Bethell or Ollie Pope?

DM – “Well, Ollie Pope has played for than 60 Tests, averaging mid 30s. It’s not the greatest record, you know, and now you’ve got a young guy breathing down your neck despite having only played a four Tests.

Obviously Jacob Bethell made a few fifties so it comes down to whether McCullum and Stokes want to to take that risk? Well, I wouldn’t call it a risk if they picked Bethell, it’s just that he’s the least experienced of the two. You would suggest playing Pope could be the safer option with his
60 matches.

It’s a tough one, but I think I’d go Jacob Bethell. He’s got that aura, there’s something about hi. and I could look at an idiot in this time in a couple of months but there’s something about him you think, has he just got the bit of aura I think is the word.”

Q: Australian media has recently labelled Ben Stokes as ‘cocky’ do you agree or is it mistaken for confidence?

DM – “Let’s be honest, I don’t think Ben Stokes really cares. To me, he looks like a guy who is ready for a fight. He’s come to Australia to win the Ashes. He’s been a great leader and is competitive as we know.

When it comes to, headlines, all the players can’t avoid it with social media these days but my advice to them would be just to get on with the game of cricket.

Q: What are you expecting from Ben Stokes?

DM – ‘Ben Stokes scares me because he can win Test matches by himself, which is quite remarkable. He really does remind me of Ian Botham in 1981. His record shows that he can do it in big games. He loves big games and I think that’s the danger for Australia.

Yeah he might have a mid-30s average or whatever, but it’s the way he can take games away from you which counts more than anything else and it’s something, which we’ve seen against Australia previously.

I think he’s the only player in England’s squad to have scored a century in Australia. The way he bats, you could say he should be averaging mid 40s, but due to where he bats it’s a bit different. He has the talent to average higher, but he’s dangerous in the sense he takes games away. to me from the opposition. He’s that person walks out the bat and you go, ‘Oh no.’

He reminds me of Adam Glichrist when he comes out to bat. You just know what’s going to happen. You could have Australia five down or whatever, but then Gilly would come out to bat and take the game away from you.
Obviously, you look at the England batting lineup and you think, okay, there might be a few we can put pressure on and sd can get through.. But then you’ve got Root and then you’ve got Brook, then, oh no, here comes Stokes. So that does worry me.”

Q: Your score prediction for the series and why?

DM – “ Well, I think Glenn’s already gone with the 5-0. and there are some big statements coming out. I think David Warner said Stece Smith’s going to get hundreds or something. it’s all happening! I could definitely see him getting at least two, by the way.

I’m going to go 3-1 to Australia. There you go.There will probably be a draw or a washout or something and I do think England can win a Test. But, look but Australia has an advantage, there is no doubt about that. Just look at the record they have playing at home. England haven’t managed to win a Test here since 2011..

I suppose it’s such a long time now that it’s completely different players and I don’t think Stokes and McCullu, will lack confidence, but you have to start well. You have to start well in Perth because you then have to go to the Gabba in the second Test, which is a very dicey wicket to play on. It’s quick and dangerous. If you’re not in a good spot, it can suss you out.

Australia are favourites based on everything. The history, the stats and the conditions. I do think there are a few question marks hanging over the England bowling attack, whereas our bowling unit looks pretty settled, even with Cummins being injured.

I suppose both batting lineups have little issues within themselves. From England’s point of view, you need Root, Brook and Stokes to make big runs. Root has to lead it, like Steve Smith has to lead it for Australia.

I’ll say Australia to win. But the first Test and even first day is going to be big. If England lose the first Test or say it’s a draw, it’s still about them setting the tone, not just for themelves, but to the crowd, for the supporters, the media and the opposition. They can make a statement and say ‘This is the way we’re going to do things’ and everyone will take note.”

Q: How do you see India vs South Africa playing out

DM – “Yeah, playing against India away from home is always a real tough one.

What South Africa have done in recent times has been fantastic to see. They went through a period of struggle but now they’ve come back and I think it’s great for the country. I also think it’s great for Test cricket as a whole they they won the Test World Championship.. But going to India, that’s a whole different ball game.

Not just for South Africa, but it’s always the same for Australia, for England, going and playing in India, conditions-wise, is going to be tough work. It’ll be a big series for them, but I expect India to perform well and win, you know, but it will be great to watch.

I’ve played in India and was very lucky to win a series there. It was a great challenge for us to get stuck into. Especially as a batsman, to be able to bat in those conditions and make runs, was something to say I’ve ticked off.

The all-round games of the South African players is really being tested. They’ve played in England on seeming wickets, where it’s overcast, drizzly and about two degrees every day in the summer! After getting through that, they’ll enjoy the series in India, but it’ll be tough.”

Q: What do you need to win in India?

DM: We were lucky we had a great side, with the likes of Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden. But we’d been there a long time. We’d been touring there for a while. It was about, getting to spend time there, understand the conditions, understand how to play spin, understand the wickets, the heat, the noise. it’s hot and it’s humid there, I would say it’s chaos in a great way. They love cricket.

You you’re a rock star there. You leave your hotel and all the fans are just there. So it helped to be be able to go there on many tours and learn and gain experience to play in those conditions and understand the country you’re playing in.