Matthew Potts set to make his Ashes debut: Key stats
What's the story
England are all but likely to give a nod to Matthew Potts for his Ashes debut in the final Test against Australia, starting on January 4 in Sydney. Potts and off-spinner Shoaib Bashir have been named in a 12-man squad for the fifth Test, as injuries have depleted their resources. As the Brits are highly unlikely to go with two spinners, Potts's inclusion in the XI is all but inevitable. Here we decode his Test stats.
Player profile
Potts's impressive Test record and potential role
Potts, who plays for Durham in County cricket, currently has 10 Test caps to his name, as per ESPNcricinfo. He has an impressive Test record with 36 wickets at an average of 29.44 (4W: 2). Potts overall owns 277 First-Class wickets while averaging a fine 25.86. The 27-year-old could open the bowling attack in Sydney, a position he is used to at Durham. This would allow Brydon Carse to take up a more familiar first-change role in the team.
Form
His run in the ongoing tour
Potts has done well in the practice games of the ongoing tour. During the match between England Lions and England XI, the pacer claimed figures worth 2/66 & 1/9. In his next outing against CA XI, Potts claimed an innings three-fer (3/49 & 0/18). He recorded 2/40 in his only outing during the match between England XI and PM's XI. Moreover, Potts has batted thrice on this tour as his scores read 53, 32, and 0*.
Player status
Bashir's potential return and recent form
Despite Potts's likely inclusion, the option of recalling Bashir remains open if conditions seem favorable for spin. The 22-year-old had been the team's first-choice spinner for the past 18 months. However, unhelpful surfaces and his own mediocre form in practice have seen him fall out of favor on this tour. It must ne noted that England have gone with batting all-rounder Will Jacks as their only spin-bowling option in this series.
Information
Australia own a 3-1 lead in 2025-26 series
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