The England team suffered a disastrous 4-0 defeat in the Ashes 2021/22 series. Both captain Joe Root and head coach Chris Silverwood faced intense criticism for their questionable team selections and tactical decisions during the matches. Adding to the team’s woes, they had to navigate strict COVID-19 quarantine protocols, prompting the management to rest and rotate players in an effort to combat mental exhaustion.

In a chat with Wisden, Joe Root opined that England should not have toured Australia for the series.

“In retrospect, we probably shouldn’t have gone last time, given the Covid situation. The priority then was simply keeping things running,” he stated.

Despite their last series victory in Australia in 2010/11, England have suffered three crushing defeats on their subsequent tours Down Under. However, the 33-year old batter remains positive that England will fare better in the upcoming 2025/2026 Ashes.

“By the next time, the situation will have changed significantly. While you can plan and have the best intentions to achieve a certain outcome, ultimately the results will depend on how things unfold,” he added.

Heading into the Ashes 2023 in England, former fast bowler Stuart Broad claims that the Ashes 2021/22 should be registered as ‘void’.

“The Ashes is normally an elite, passionately contested battle featuring the world’s top players. However, the 2020/2021 edition was severely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, resulting in subpar playing conditions, limited training facilities, travel disruptions, and lack of socialization for the participants. I feel this particular Ashes series as a meaningless or void,” claimed Broad.